Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 232: The Tower of Legends

In the Ascendance Academy of Midgard, combat instructors held the sprestige as professors of other

departments. Arrichion’s presence there was both strange and remarkable. He had only returned to Midgard a

few years earlier, after being gravely wounded in battle on Molgrath. The healers who saved him had prescribed

ten years of rehabilitation before he could rejoin the frontlines. Restless and unwilling to waste time, he had

accepted a post at the Academy. Though his cultivation was suppressed by Midgard’s thin energy, his skill

remained unmatched.

When Eleanor appeared in his school, a cadet choosing Mixed Martial Arts as her major in her very first term,

Arrichion’s interest was piqued. Few had done so in centuries. He had no idea of her Mind Reaver bloodline, her

uncanny ability to grasp and retain knowledge instantly... but when he saw how quickly she absorbed every

lesson, he pushed her further. By the ttheir first session ended, she had received more than just a welcome:

she had been given private tutoring by one of history's deadliest fighters.

He even sent her away with a stack of books, each a cornerstone of strategy and combat. "On Anatomical

Vulnerabilities: A Treatise on Every Species" by Graham Valerius. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. "Kinetic Principles:

Force Redirection for Non-Humanoid Physiologies" by Grommash. "History of the Peloponnesian War" by

Thucydides. "The Conquest of Gaul" by Julius Caesar. "Strategy: A History" by Lawrence Freedman. And

"Lycanthropic Warfare" by Kaelen Volsung.

By the tEleanor returned to the reception, it was already lunchtime, and others were gone. She was told

Ophelia and Kiara had finished their enrolment and left for the shadow school. Her stomach growled, so she

headed for the dining hall.

A crowd of cadets had gathered before the doors of the dining hall, which were still closed. Amidst the chatter,

Eleanor spotted familiar faces... Ophelia, Kiara, and Maira, gossiping at a side.

Before she could join them, Ophelia saw and waved her over. "Ma'am! What happened in the combat

department? We heard from the receptionist that you enrolled in Mixed Martial Arts and went to visit the school.

Then you never cback. We waited, but you vanished. Where were you?"

Eleanor’s lips curved faintly. "I was the only cadet in three years to join Mixed Martial Arts in the primary term.

The instructor for this term was Arrichion of Phigalia. He... gavea long private lesson."

Ophelia tilted her head, puzzled. Before she could respond, Joshua Cordillera’s voice cut in from behind. He had

overheard, and his eyes were wide with excitement. "No way! Arrichion of Phigalia? The ancient warrior? He must

be over two thousand years old by now!"

"Who is this Arrichion of Phigalia?" Ophelia asked, blinking at Joshua's reaction.

Eleanor turned her gaze toward her. "Official records say he was a champion of Mixed Martial Arts in the ancient

Olympic Games. In truth, he was a war hero of Greece... his fcnot just from arenas, but from countless

real battles. He was a legend in both war and sport. And his race..." She paused, letting the suspense hang.

"...he’s a vampire."

Ophelia, Kiara, Joshua, and Maira all stared at her in shock. Their mouths moved, but no words came. Eleanor

decided to press their disbelief further.

"Do you know who the head of the combat department is?" she asked.

"Who?"

"I don’t know."

"No."

"Who?"

The four answered in unison, their confusion palpable.

Eleanor’s expression flattened into its usual deadpan. "SuprGrandmaster Scathach."

Joshua's brows shot up. "The Witch of Din Scaith?"

Eleanor gave a single, steady nod. "Yes."

Joshua nearly shouted, "No way!" and the others joined him, exclamations bursting from their lips.

"Unbelievable! Impossible!"

"I saw her nin the booklet the combat department gave me," Eleanor explained calmly. "Later, | asked the

receptionist to confirm."

The group fell into stunned silence. Around them, cadets continued to gossip about rankings and courses,

oblivious to the fact that the most terrifying legends of myth were now their professors.

ork

After lunch, as Eleanor stepped out of the dining hall and prepared to head toward the Department of Mental

Arts to enrol in one of her optional courses, a figure suddenly blocked her path.

A tall and muscular boy, proud and sharp-eyed, raised a hand to stop her. His aura crackled faintly, like distant

thunder. "I am Raijin Stormrider of the dragon race. You must be Eleanor Raynor, am | correct?"

Eleanor met his gaze with polite calm. "Hello. | am Eleanor. How may | help you?"

She had seen his type before... arrogant, spoiled, convinced the world owed them respect. In her short life she

had already met too many proud young masters to count. There was no profit in provoking them with words.

Only action ever shut them up.

Raijin’s lip curled. "You scored higher thanin the Initiation Ceremony. Just by looking at you, anyone can see

you're weaker. | demand you step down voluntarily and yield your third-place ranking to me." His tone dripped

disdain, his confidence absolute.

Eleanor’s expression did not flicker. Her voice was flat, almost bored. "And if | don’t?"

"Then you will duel me," Raijin declared. "But not in strivial spar. We will settle it in the Tower of Legends.

Do you dare?"

That gave Eleanor pause. She hadn't expected him to use the Tower for a duel. She had already read about it in

her guidebook... a hundred floors of escalating challenges meant to draw out a cadet’s full potential. In all the

academy's history, no one had passed the ninetieth floor. Students normally attempted the Tower at the end of a

term, after months of training.

But Raijin wanted to use it now, as a stage for pride.

Eleanor studied his smug face, then nodded. "Fine. The Tower it is. But we adjust the rules. You said if you win, |

give you my position as third. What happens if | win? | want all the points you earned in the trial."

Raijin let out a sharp laugh. "Hah! You can have those measly points. As if you'll ever win! Remember who | am...

| am a dragon. A dragon!"

Their voices had drawn attention. By now, a crowd of cadets had gathered, murmuring in excitement. A duel in

the Tower of Legends was unheard of this early in the term.

When the terms were set, Raijin strode toward the Combat Department with arrogant confidence, Eleanor

walking calmly beside him. The spectators followed, buzzing with anticipation.

At the reception desk, the woman in white robes looked up from her work, startled by the noise of so many

cadets pressing into the lobby. Before she could ask, Raijin spoke loudly, puffing his chest.

"We will be challenging the Tower of Legends," he announced. "This will be a duel between us. The terms are

set... when | win, this lowly wolf will surrender her third-place ranking to me. Please arrange it immediately."

Eleanor added, her tone even, "And if | win, | claim all of his points."

The receptionist blinked, utterly taken aback. Her gaze flicked between the arrogant dragon and the quiet

werewolf. She raised a finger toward Raijin and asked Eleanor. "You... you're competing against him?"

Eleanor simply nodded.

The receptionist’s expression hardened into professionalism. "Very well. Challenging the Tower requires one

hundred points, and the duel contract an additional five. Each of you must provide one hundred and five points."

Without hesitation, both Eleanor and Raijin extended their wrists. Their devices chimed as the scanner passed

over them. The receptionist confirmed the deduction with swift keystrokes, then rose from her desk.

"Followto the Tower chamber."

She led them down a long, silent

corridor on the ground floor. A line of

black doors stood 1s far end, five

npg ie only by a

glowing number. The crowd of

cadets tried to follow, but the

receptionist stopped them with a

raised hand. The content is on

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chapter there!

"You cannot enter. If you wish to watch their progress, wait in the lobby. The screen will update their status in

real time."

Disappointed murmurs rippled through the group, but soon the cadets settled into chairs, buzzing with

anticipation. It was the first duel of their batch; no one wanted to miss a moment.

Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, the receptionist gestured to the doors. "Each chamber contains a capsule.

The process is identical to your Initiation Ceremony. Enter, and you will be transported to the base of the Tower."

Raijin stepped forward first, pushing into the nearest room with the impatience of a predator tasting victory in

advance. The door shut behind him with a hiss.

Eleanor waited until the last door at the end of the line, then entered calmly. Inside stood the scapsule...

smooth, metallic, almost coffin-like. She opened the lid, lay down within, and felt it seal over her.

The world dropped away. A violent pull tugged at her soul, dragging her through darkness.

Then her feet found solid ground. She stood before a massive door, its surface etched with an ancient aura that

seemed alive.

Before she could fully take in her surroundings, a woman's voice resonated within her mind... gentle, yet

absolute.

I"

Welcto the Tower of Legends.

The Tower contains one hundred

levels, each presenting challenges of

increasing difficulty. Ko) may-fight

your way swan bry when you

den it beyond you. Death within the

Tower will not claim you... you will be

returned to your space capsule. At

any time, you may speak aloud that

you quit, and you will be removed.

Challenger will have ten minutes to

pass each level or the Challenger will

q - q

automatically fail." The content is on

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chapter there!

The voice paused, then continued, crisp as an oath:

I" f

Conquer twenty-five levels, and you

shall be awarded one hundred points.

Conquer fifty, and you shall gain one

thousand. At seventy-{ive. teri)

| €

thoysa Ad. A the hundredth floor, one

million points, and your nwill be

,

etched forever on the Academy's

Board of Legends. No hints will be

given. No guidance offered. If you

wish to continue, step through the

n :

door." The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

For a moment, Eleanor simply stood there in the stillness, weighing the enormity of it. Then, without hesitation,

she pushed the door open. The world beyond struck her senses all at once.

The sharp tang of salt filled her nose. A roaring ocean stretched before her, its waves crashing in violent rhythm.

Behind her loomed cliffs of sheer stone, cutting off any retreat. Before her stretched only sand, sea, and storm.