Chapter 43: Next Life, Don

Inside the Trial Tower, the air was thick with a faint smell of burning.

The battle was still ongoing—or more accurately, a one-sided massacre continued.

Hum—!

As the teleportation array flared to life, the monsters of the third floor barely emerged.

Immediately, a rain of fireballs descended upon them.

“Boom boom boom—!”

Muffled explosions echoed within the earthen walls, making the ground tremble slightly.

【Congratulations, candidate Lin Mo! Third floor cleared! Time: 3 seconds!】

Lin Mo didn’t even lift his eyelids; he simply shifted into a more comfortable side-lying position, chewing on a strip of dried meat.

Fourth floor…

Fifth floor…

The same scene played out repeatedly.

Whether it was skeleton soldiers wielding rusty blades or shadow leopards attempting to ambush with speed.

Any creature that teleported in was met with unrelenting, Quanfangwei coverage from [Multiple Exploding Fireballs].

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 offered heartfelt praise: Big bro, you’re awesome! Big bro, you’re mighty!】

【『Fireball Shu 』 sneered: Hmph, obviously. Learn well. Though your cage-building isn’t half bad.】

“...”

Lin Mo’s lips twitched slightly.

This little fireball had really taken on the air of an elder brother—now it was even giving orders to its underlings.

Nineteenth floor!

Along the way, whether goblins, steppe wolves,

or orcish warriors with shields—all were crushed at the teleport point the moment they appeared, never given a chance to escape.

【Congratulations, candidate Lin Mo! Nineteenth floor cleared! Time: 42 seconds!】

As a golden light shot skyward,

Lin Mo’s level rose to Lv.18.

“Not bad. Level 18. Just two more levels to unlock [Lightning Strike].”

Though his fire and earth affinities were already strong, who could resist the thunder—symbol of speed and annihilation—for a mage?

【『Fireball Shu 』 wore a smug expression: Little Thunder? Am I getting another little brother? Perfect. From now on, Little Earth takes the hits, Little Thunder runs errands, and I’ll just stay cool.】

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 excitedly rubbed his hands: Am I gonna be the second brother now?】

“...”

Lin Mo sighed and shook his head.

Soon,

the broadcast voice rang out again, interrupting Lin Mo’s thoughts.

“Attention, candidates!”

“Entering the twentieth floor!”

“Monster level: Lv.22! Includes flying monsters! Prepare for aerial defense!”

At this, Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

Flying monsters?

His Earth Wall couldn’t seal the top.

Besides, if he sealed the top, how would the fireballs explode?

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 grew tense, anxious: Master, what do we do? Should we dig underground later?】

Lin Mo’s heart skipped a beat.

His last underground adventure was still fresh in his mind.

“What’s the panic for? With your big bro here, they’ll die no matter where they come out. Don’t go digging, Little Earth—until the last moment, no underground!”

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 lowered its head: Yes, Master...】

As they spoke, the countdown hit zero.

“Gaaah—!!!”

With a piercing screech, ten gray-white monsters with bat-like wings appeared at the teleport point.

【Gargoyle, Lv.22】x9

【Gargoyle (Elite), Lv.22】x1

The elite gargoyle at the front was larger than the others, its body radiating a faint crimson aura.

The moment they appeared, they instinctively flapped their wings and soared upward.

【『Fireball Shu 』 sneered: Oops, sorry—my territory is no-fly zone!】

【『Fireball Shu 』 roared: Blow them up!】

Fireballs shot upward, splitting into fifteen tracking projectiles that locked onto the rising gargoyles.

Boom boom boom boom boom—!!!

Flames erupted, heat waves rolled.

This wave of firepower remained terrifying.

But an unexpected event occurred.

Though Lin Mo’s skill damage far exceeded that of other mages at the same level, one of them was still an elite Lv.22 monster.

And without his top-tier cooldown-reducing gear, he couldn’t maintain continuous suppression.

After the first barrage, the elite gargoyle still lived!

【『Fireball Shu 』 sneered: Hmph, still alive? Try this one!】

Another fireball shot forth.

Boom!

Flames exploded.

The massive elite gargoyle was charred black—but its health bar still held a sliver!

Not dead!

At this moment, [Multiple Exploding Fireballs] and [Fireball Shu ] both entered cooldown.

The elite gargoyle seized the chance, flapping its torn wings and bursting free from the cage!

Its crimson eyes instantly locked onto Lin Mo on the ground.

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 screamed like a slaughtered pig: Aaaah! It got out! Big bro, you let it out!】

【『Earth Shield Shu 』 panicked desperately: Help! Master, watch out!】

Boom!

As the gargoyle lunged toward Lin Mo, a wall of earth erupted beneath him.

The gargoyle’s claws couldn’t budge the Wall of Sighs.

“Little Earth, you reacted fast. I knew I could count on you in the end.”

Lin Mo didn’t hold back his praise.

He understood the art of psychological manipulation with his skills.

The more you praised them, the more they felt valued, the stronger their protective instinct became, and the harder they worked.

This was the Way of Controlling Skills—reward and punishment clearly defined.

【『Earth Shield Shu 』, moved to tears by the praise: Waaah! As long as I’m here, no one dares touch a single hair of Master!】

Meanwhile,

the battered elite gargoyle didn’t give up.

It circled around the wall, flapped its wings again, and prepared to attack from above.

Lin Mo looked up, meeting the gargoyle’s gaze midair.

“Sigh. Guess I have to step in again.”

The next moment,

he raised his hand, forming a pistol shape, pointing directly at the gargoyle.

“Next life, don’t mess with a wall.”

Hum—!

A dark red pinpoint of light condensed at his fingertip.

“Pop.”

Lin Mo’s lips parted slightly.

A spiraling thread of dark red flame tore through the air, instantly piercing the gargoyle.

Charred stone shards scattered across the ground.

【Congratulations, candidate Lin Mo! Twentieth floor cleared!】

【Time: 9 seconds!】

Lin Mo blew at the nonexistent smoke on his fingertip.

"Not bad, close call but no real danger."