Awakening: I Became a Legendary Spirit Summoner-Chapter 20 - : Tower of Trial’s First Floor, The Goblin Nest

It wasn't uncommon for high-ranking awakeners in the [Empire Ranking] to solo the first floor of the tower.

Sure, going in as a team increased survival chances, but it also split the experience gained among all members.

For anyone aiming to enter [Starlight Academy], such a compromise was unacceptable.

Every ounce of experience mattered.

Typically, a small amount of tower floors came with various difficulty options, allowing adventurers to choose the strength of the monsters they faced.

The difficulty options included: Normal, Hell, Nightmare, and higher tiers beyond that.

On Normal, the monsters fought with their base stats.

But selecting Hell or higher made things more challenging.

Monsters gained stat buffs, and in some cases, new and deadlier monsters appeared.

Higher difficulty meant greater risks, but it also meant significantly more experience.

However, the [First Floor] was an exception.

Instead of multiple difficulty options, there were only two:

[Which difficulty do you want?]

[Normal] [Hell]

Karl didn't hesitate.

While traveling through the swirling vortex that transported him to the tower, he selected [Hell].

This was a no-brainer for anyone planning to join [Starlight Academy].

The academy wasn't just about raw talent, it demanded proof of strength.

Only those who dared to face dozens of Hell-level monsters had a shot at getting strong enough to qualify.

Karl wasn't alone in this mindset.

Celeste and others aiming for the academy all chose the same path.

[Teleporting...]

A flash of light enveloped Karl as he materialized on the first floor.

[First Floor: Goblin Nest.]

[Description: A massive cave that has been chosen as a goblin tribe's nest, they will play dirty and try to kill you from behind.]

There was no preparation area, no time to catch his breath.

The moment the teleportation ended, Karl found himself inside the tower.

The Goblin Nest resembled a massive cave system.

Stalactites hung from the ceiling, while the faint glow of bioluminescent moss provided minimal light.

Shadows danced across the jagged rock walls, making it hard to see what lay ahead.

Karl tightened his grip on his staff.

He was alone, with no way to leave until the floor boss was defeated.

"Spirit Summoning," he muttered, raising his arm.

Several goblins lurked nearby, armed with crude weapons like axes, daggers, and machetes.

They snarled at him, their yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light.

[Level 13 Goblin Guard]

'Level 13.'

On Normal, the first goblins were usually Level 10 or 11.

But on Hell Difficulty, their levels, and their danger, were naturally higher.

Despite this, Karl remained calm.

His summoned spirits appeared at his side, growling as they eyed the goblins.

His current summons were also Level 10, the same as him, but he wasn't worried.

Karl stretched, feeling the weight of the situation.

He didn't have his [Spectral Blade] yet, which meant he couldn't fight directly.

However, once he acquired it, he'd have far more control over the battlefield.

And thanks to his [Spirit Storage], he'd soon be able to decide which spirits to use for his blade.

This would allow him to save the strongest ones for critical moments.

For now, his spirits would have to do the heavy lifting.

One of the goblins charged forward, swinging its axe wildly.

"Spirit Flames!"

A white flame, larger than Karl's hand, appeared in the air as he raised his arm.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying toward the goblin.

The flame engulfed the creature instantly.

[You have slain Level 13 Goblin Guard.]

Karl blinked in surprise.

"One shot?"

He hadn't expected his [Spirit Flames] to be this powerful.

He tested it again, targeting another goblin.

The result was the same: instant death.

'Did it grow stronger after reaching D-Tier?'

Or perhaps there was another reason.

Regardless, he wasn't going to complain.

His spirits, while reliable, would've struggled against these goblins without his support.

Karl quickly took command.

"Stay back. Let me handle this."

He killed five more goblins in rapid succession, dashing forward to collect their orbs after each kill.

With the sixth orb in hand, he finally summoned his [Spectral Blade].

The translucent weapon appeared in his grasp, radiating a faint, ghostly glow.

It hummed with energy, ready for battle.

Satisfied, Karl turned his attention back to his spirits.

At first, he had assumed they would struggle against the Hell-level goblins.

But he quickly realized how wrong he was.

Two goblins surrounded the [Frenzied Rabbit], their machetes slicing through the air.

The rabbit darted around them, its agility unmatched.

When it found an opening, it struck, slashing their arms with its claws.

Both goblins dropped their weapons, their severed hands spurting blood.

Moments later, the rabbit finished them off with precise strikes to their necks.

The [Alpha Dire Wolf] was even more brutal.

It lunged at a goblin, snapping its neck with a single bite.

Meanwhile, the [Thorned Vine Beast] unleashed its vines at them.

Its thorny tendrils wrapped around three goblins at once, crushing them before they could react.

Karl watched, impressed.

'I don't know what their attributes are, but they're strong.'

Despite being outnumbered, his spirits were wiping out the goblins with ease.

After a few minutes, the cave fell silent.

Every goblin guard had been slain.

Karl had only used his [Spectral Blade] four times to defend himself, and his spirits had taken care of the rest.

Not a single spirit had fallen, a victory in every sense.

[You have reached Level 11.]

[You have gained 2 stat points for each of your stats.]

[Your proficiency with "Spirit Flames" has increased by 12%.]

[Your proficiency with "Spectral Blade" has increased by 6%.]

Karl smiled.

He collected the orbs dropped by the fallen goblins, counting a total of 36.

These would almost completely fill his [Spirit Cemetery].

Before doing so, however, he transferred all his existing spirits from the [Spirit Storage] to the [Spirit Cemetery].

This ensured that only the most valuable spirits would occupy the storage.

Then, he transferred 10 [Goblin Guard] spirits to the [Spirit Storage].

These would serve as fuel for his [Spectral Blade].

"Let's go," Karl ordered, signaling his spirits to move forward.

Before they could leave, the [Alpha Dire Wolf] trotted back, carrying something in its mouth.

"What's that?"

Karl crouched down, petting the wolf's head.

The creature dropped the item at his feet: a crude dagger.

Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.

[Goblin Dagger: Common-level weapon, +3 Strength. Can be used at Level 13.]

"Huh."

Karl couldn't use it yet, but he stored it in his inventory.

It might come in handy later, or at the very least, he could sell it for a few coins.

This small discovery sparked an idea.

'My spirits can collect items for me. That'll make looting much easier.'

He glanced at the rest of his summons.

Some were chewing on goblin corpses, while others prowled the area, keeping watch.

"Alright," Karl said, a grin forming on his face, "We'll fill the cemetery to 50!"

His spirits howled and growled in agreement, ready for the next fight.

With renewed confidence, Karl led them deeper into the Goblin Nest.

The cave stretched endlessly, its dark tunnels winding in every direction.

The faint sounds of goblins echoed through the air, growing louder as they approached.

Karl tightened his grip on the [Spectral Blade].

This was just the beginning.