Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23: The First True Tower Chest
The team rested near the cave entrance for nearly an hour.
The Black Stone Trial Ground’s gray sky had darkened slightly, though it was difficult to tell time in a place where the sun looked like a pale disk behind endless mist. The air grew colder as the hours passed, and distant howls became more frequent.
Night was approaching.
The main mission required survival for twenty-four hours. They had completed two side missions and triggered a hidden mission, but they still had not located a safe camp. If they failed to find one before nightfall, their evaluation might suffer, and the danger would increase.
Qin Yuheng did not open the Hidden Altar Reward Chest immediately.
That kind of reward deserved privacy.
More importantly, after the battle against the Black Crystal Guardian Wolf, Qin Mo’s mana was nearly empty, Qin Lian had a shoulder injury, and Qin Yuchen had used significant stamina. Opening a chest in a dangerous area was foolish.
Instead, Qin Yuheng treated injuries first.
For Qin Lian’s shoulder, he gave her a B Grade Blood Restoration Pill, but only half.
The effect was still strong.
The bleeding stopped quickly, and the torn flesh began to close at a visible but not shocking speed. Qin Lian’s face regained some color.
She looked at the remaining half pill in Qin Yuheng’s hand.
"This is not a normal recovery pill."
"No," Qin Yuheng said.
She waited.
He did not explain.
After a moment, she simply nodded. "Thank you."
Qin Mo received a D Grade Mana Recovery Pill and a diluted portion of Black Gold Marrow Liquid residue Qin Yuheng had prepared earlier. It was not enough to cause a major improvement, but it helped stabilize his body after overusing formation control.
Qin Yuchen refused a recovery pill at first, claiming his wound was minor.
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"Minor injuries become mistakes when fatigue accumulates."
Qin Yuchen accepted the pill.
After resting, the team reviewed their gains.
Their mission panel showed impressive progress.
[Main Mission]
Survive for 24 hours: In progress
[Side Missions]
Kill 20 monsters: Completed
Collect 10 Black Stone Cores: Completed
Locate a safe camp before nightfall: Incomplete
[Hidden Mission]
Trial of the Black Stone Guardian: Completed
[Current Evaluation Trend]
High
"High," Qin Mo said, staring at the panel. "That word is nice. Can we keep it by doing nothing risky now?"
Qin Yuheng looked toward the south ruins they had seen earlier from the ridge.
"Safe camp is likely in one of three places: caves, ruins, or high-ground shelters. We used the cave for the altar, but it is not safe after a hidden mission. Beasts may gather there later."
Qin Yuchen nodded. "The ruins to the south may have defensive walls."
Qin Lian stood carefully and tested her shoulder. "I can scout."
"No deep scouting alone," Qin Yuheng said. "We move together."
The team left the cave area and headed toward the southern ruins.
As they walked, Qin Yuheng inspected the new drops privately.
[Black Crystal Guardian Core]
[Grade: D+]
[Type: Guardian essence core]
[Effect: Can be used for forging, formation fuel, beast-energy refinement, or special altar offerings.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
[Black Crystal Fang x2]
[Grade: D]
[Type: Material]
[Effect: Sharpness material, suitable for daggers or arrowheads.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
[Black Stone Trial Mark]
[Grade: Special]
[Type: Floor mark]
[Effect: Proof of hidden altar completion. May influence final evaluation.]
[Eligible for Evolution: No]
The Trial Mark could not be evolved.
That was interesting.
Not all items were eligible. Items tied directly to Tower evaluation or proof mechanisms might be protected by Tower Law.
The Hidden Altar Reward Chest, however, was eligible.
Qin Yuheng could feel it inside his inventory like a quiet ember.
After nearly an hour of cautious travel, they reached the southern ruins.
The ruins were not large. Several broken stone walls surrounded a collapsed courtyard. A half-standing watchtower leaned at one corner, and an old well sat in the center. Black weeds grew between cracked floor stones.
Qin Lian inspected the perimeter.
"Tracks are old. No recent large beast movement."
Qin Mo examined the walls.
"There are old defensive formation marks. Very weak, but not dead."
Qin Yuchen checked the tower.
"High view. Narrow entrance. Defensible."
Qin Yuheng looked at the mission panel.
The moment they stepped into the central courtyard, the Tower message appeared.
[Safe camp discovered.]
[Side Mission Completed: Locate a safe camp before nightfall.]
[Camp integrity: Damaged]
[Optional Objective]
Repair or reinforce the safe camp before nightfall.
[Reward evaluation may increase.]
Qin Mo closed his eyes.
"Of course."
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"Can you repair it?"
"With what? Hope?"
Qin Yuheng silently took out D Grade Black Iron Formation Crystals.
Qin Mo opened one eye.
"How many of those do you have?"
"Enough to make hope unnecessary."
Qin Mo sat up straighter.
"Then yes. Maybe."
They began working.
Qin Mo directed the formation repair while Qin Yuheng, Qin Yuchen, and Qin Lian cleared debris, reinforced entry points, and set simple alarms around the perimeter. Qin Mo used four D Grade Black Iron Formation Crystals and two Stability Talismans to reconnect the weak defensive marks.
The repaired formation was far from powerful, but it created a thin warning barrier and slightly strengthened the walls.
The mission updated.
[Optional Objective Completed.]
[Safe camp reinforced.]
[Evaluation increased.] ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Qin Mo collapsed onto a stone step.
"I have contributed enough for one lifetime."
Qin Yuheng handed him another mana pill.
"Your lifetime is long."
"Not if I continue following you."
Night arrived.
The Black Stone Trial Ground changed after dark.
Mist thickened. The dead trees seemed taller. Strange cries echoed from the distance. Small blue lights appeared between rocks, vanishing whenever someone looked directly at them.
The team stayed inside the reinforced camp.
Qin Yuheng arranged watch shifts, but he took the first and longest watch himself. Qin Yuchen protested, but Qin Yuheng insisted. He had recovered faster due to his body talent and level-up.
When the others rested, Qin Yuheng sat in the shadow of the broken watchtower and finally took out the Hidden Altar Reward Chest.
The chest was made of black crystal and stone, about the size of a small box. Ancient runes moved slowly across its surface. freewēbnoveℓ.com
His panel appeared.
[Hidden Altar Reward Chest]
[Grade: C]
[Type: Tower hidden mission reward]
[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]
[Please select evolution direction.]
1. Quantity Multiplication
2. Quality Enhancement]
Qin Yuheng did not hesitate.
"Quality Enhancement."
For a moment, the air became silent.
Then a deep origin light covered the chest.
The black crystal surface transformed. Its cracks closed. The runes changed from dull gray to bright black-gold. A faint ancient pressure spread outward, but Qin Yuheng immediately suppressed the aura by placing the chest inside the shadow of his cloak.
The panel flashed.
[Evolution successful.]
[C Grade Hidden Altar Reward Chest]
↓
[A Grade Ancient Black Crystal Altar Chest]
[Open?]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
A Grade.
This was his first true Tower chest enhanced to A grade.
"Open."
The chest dissolved without sound.
Four items appeared in his inventory.
[A Grade Black Crystal Guardian Heart x1]
[A Grade Skill Book: Black Crystal Thunder Step x1]
[B Grade Talent Fruit Fragment: Beast Sense x1]
[A Grade Black Stone Altar Key Fragment x1]
Qin Yuheng’s breathing slowed.
Talent Fruit Fragment.
Skill book.
Guardian Heart.
Altar Key Fragment.
Every item was valuable.
And each one, except perhaps the key fragment, might be eligible for evolution.
He inspected them one by one.
[A Grade Black Crystal Guardian Heart]
[Type: Rare material]
[Effect: Can be used for body tempering, guardian-type equipment forging, or formation core creation.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
[A Grade Skill Book: Black Crystal Thunder Step]
[Type: Movement skill]
[Effect: Combines short-burst thunder movement with crystal-step stability. Suitable for thunder, body, or defensive movement talents.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
[B Grade Talent Fruit Fragment: Beast Sense]
[Type: Talent fragment]
[Effect: Collect enough fragments to synthesize a low-grade Beast Sense Talent Fruit.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
[A Grade Black Stone Altar Key Fragment]
[Type: Special key fragment]
[Effect: Unknown. Related to hidden altar mechanisms.]
[Eligible for Evolution: No]
The skill book was almost perfectly suited to him.
Movement skill had been one of his needs.
His current speed came mostly from raw body ability and footwork. A true movement skill would improve combat, survival, and concealment.
But if he enhanced an A-grade movement skill, it might become S or SS grade, possibly too difficult to master fully at Level 2.
Still, high-grade skills could often be practiced gradually.
Qin Yuheng chose the skill book.
[A Grade Skill Book: Black Crystal Thunder Step]
[Select Evolution Direction.]
"Quality Enhancement."
The skill book changed.
Its black crystal cover became deep violet-gold, and the title transformed.
[Evolution successful.]
[A Grade Black Crystal Thunder Step]
↓
[SS Grade Void Thunder Shadow Step]
[Effect: A high-level movement skill combining thunder burst, shadow displacement, and spatial footwork principles.]
[Current user level insufficient for full mastery.]
[Available: First Form — Thunder Shadow Flash]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes lit up.
Void Thunder Shadow Step.
First Form: Thunder Shadow Flash.
Even if he could only use the first form, it was enough for now.
He pressed the skill book to his forehead.
The book dissolved into streams of information.
Footwork diagrams, mana circulation routes, muscle activation patterns, and timing principles flooded his mind. For a moment, Qin Yuheng felt as if he were standing in a dark void while thunder shadows moved around him.
The first form imprinted itself into his consciousness.
[Skill learned.]
[SS Grade Void Thunder Shadow Step]
[Current Mastery: Beginner]
[Usable Form: Thunder Shadow Flash]
Qin Yuheng opened his eyes.
Outside the camp, a low growl sounded in the mist.
A pair of eyes appeared beyond the broken wall.
Then another.
Night beasts had found the camp.
Qin Yuheng slowly stood.
It was time to test his new skill.
