As John entered the twelfthyer of the trial, changes were also afoot in the outside world.


    [Someone in this round of the trial has achieved an SSS-level rating, unlocking a highlight rey!]


    Seeing the prompt, the crowd outside the Bones Tower had grown ustomed to it.


    It wasn''t surprising anymore; they were used to it.


    Without a doubt, the only one capable of achieving an SSS-level rating was that neer from Hidden Stars.


    Baron and the others had grown used to it as well.


    They were engaged in an important mind power conversation and initially had no intention of watching John''s footage again.


    However, the murmurs of astonishment among the crowd caught their attention.


    Old Dog eximed, "Damn, that reaction speed, that strength, are you telling me he''s a magus?"


    Gold sh was equally incredulous, saying, "How could his melee abilities be so terrifying? I couldn''t have reacted like that in that situation. Is he sure he didn''t awaken as a warrior ss?"


    The rest, looking up at the scene disyed in the sky, were equally bbergasted.


    Baron, Victor, and the other powerhouses were puzzled, unsure of what trick the young man had pulled off this time.


    Their gaze turned skyward.


    Then, in the sky, they saw John, d in golden armor and wielding an ice spear, boldly intercepting the Bloodwing ughterer''s sneak attack!


    Alexander looked as if he''d seen a ghost, gasping, "Isn''t this kid a magus? How does he possess such terrifying strength? That''s a trial boss of the same level, how can he withstand its attack?!"


    Someonemented, "Exactly! How is that fair?! Can''t you, a magus, just cast spells from the back? Why possess such terrifying melee capabilities as well? Who can deal with that, it''s just too unfair!"


    Eldritch, after closely observing for a while, remarked, "Most of this young fellow''s strengthes from equipment skills and his skill fusion technique, not his innate attributes. It''s all additional attributes. However, his melee abilities must be very strong, or he wouldn''t have been able to dodge that monster''s sneak attack."


    With Eldritch''s exnation, it dawned on the others that it was the effects of the equipment and skills.


    Just then, Albertus suddenly interjected, "But seriously, why is a magus wearing warrior''s equipment? What''s he trying to do?"


    The air instantly grew tense, and everyone fell silent.


    What could a magus do wearing a warrior''s equipment?


    That would be nothing short of deceptive!


    After all, what self-respecting magus would wear warrior''s gear?


    ...


    Unaware of the outside world''s perceptions, John continued his journey in the trial.


    In the eyes of others, he had already been categorized as cunning and deceitful.


    After ying the Bloodwing ughterer, John chose to proceed to the nextyer.


    A portal appeared before him, and stepping through, John''s vision blurred momentarily before he found himself in a grand, resplendent pce hall.


    [You have arrived at the twelfthyer of the "Crimson Demon Heritage Trial"!]


    [This trial is a multiyer trial; only thest survivor will receive the Crimson Demon''s inheritance!]


    [Current number of participants: 1/4]


    Stunned by the notification, John hadn''t expected the Crimson Demon''s trial to end with a multiyer challenge.


    Did this mean they were expected to engage in a battle royale, with only the ultimate survivor being chosen as the inheritor?


    Shaking his head, John realized he didn''t yet know how thisyer''s trial would unfold and decided to wait until all participants had arrived.


    However, John didn''t idle away his time. He took the opportunity to survey his surroundings and was astounded by the sheer size of the pce.


    The pce was not only vast in area and towering in height, but even its sculptures and decorations were enormous.


    The ck chair at the very top, made of an unknown material, stood a hundred meters tall.


    In this ce, John felt like an ant gazing upon a giant''s home.


    And at the center of the hall, there was a massive sarcophagus.


    This sarcophagus, about two hundred meters long, was made of an unknown material, entirely ck in color, with various strange runes carved all over it, and adorned with numerous red lines.


    These lines emitted a crimson glow, appearing as though blood was flowing through them, which was eerily unsettling.


    Merely ncing at it, John felt waves of dizziness wash over his brain, as if countless people were wailing in agony within his mind.


    It seemed as though whispers were murmuring in his ear, inducing waves of nausea in John, along with an indescribable fear enveloping his heart.


    John instantly became alert, realizing the malevolent nature of the sarcophagus and quickly averted his gaze.


    After observing for a while and determining that there were no other dangers besides the sarcophagus, John rxed and started to seriously explore the pce, hoping to stumble upon the Crimson Demon''s treasure by luck and thus avoid much trouble.


    However, John''s hopes were dashed as he didn''t even find a single iron-tier piece of equipment, let alone the Crimson Demon''s treasure, which left him somewhat disappointed.


    Nheless, John did note away entirely empty-handed. In a corridor of the pce, he discovered a massive mural.


    Upon closer inspection, John realized it narrated a story, one that he had encountered before.


    The first half of the story was almost identical to what John had seen in the ck church of the Ghost Wizard.


    However, thetter half of the story, after the departure of the Crimson Demon, differed.


    ording to the mural, countless years after abandoning the twelve Apostles, the Crimson Demon returned to that world.


    Although the world had been destroyed, the twelve Apostles, having received the power of the Crimson Demon, possessed eternal life, immune to aging and death.


    Thus, when the Crimson Demon returned, the twelve Apostles were still alive.


    They had converted the few surviving humans in that world into followers of the Crimson Demon.


    Upon seeing the Crimson Demon again, the twelve Apostles were overjoyed, thinking their master had remembered them.


    To their shock, the Crimson Demon at that time was gravely injured and on the brink of death.


    He only had the twelve Apostles construct a ck sarcophagus for him before falling into a deep slumber.


    John was also taken aback by this revtion.


    He hadn''t expected that the entity lying within that sarcophagus was the Crimson Demon himself; no wonder merely ncing at it had made him feel so uneasy!


    What astonished John even more was the existence of a being capable of inflicting such grievous wounds on the Crimson Demon, leaving him near death.


    What kind of entity could that be?


    The mere thought sent shivers down John''s spine.


    It took John quite some time to calm his emotions before he continued reading.


    Initially, the twelve Apostles dutifully guarded the Crimson Demon''s sarcophagus, even constructing this pce and waiting with their followers, always ready for the Crimson Demon''s return.


    However, as time passed, people''s hearts inevitably change, especially for the twelve Apostles, who were the type to betray the world for power, hardly virtuous to begin with.


    Thus, in less than a century, the twelve Apostles, who had been faithfully guarding the sarcophagus, began to suspect that the Crimson Demon might have perished and decided to collude to steal the treasures left by the Crimson Demon.


    The n of the twelve Apostles progressed smoothly.


    After all, they possessed the Crimson Key required to unlock the Crimson Demon''s treasure, which they were originally instructed to safeguard by the Crimson Demon himself.


    Little did he know they would harbor thoughts of embezzlement.


    Everything went ording to n, but an unexpected incident urred at the crucial moment of unlocking the Crimson Demon''s treasure.


    It wasn''t that the Crimson Demon had awakened, but rather, an internal conflict erupted among the Apostles over the division of the loot, leading to a violent confrontation.


    In the chaos of the battle, the Ghost Wizard seized the opportunity to steal the Crimson Key and awakened the Crimson Demon.


    Enraged, the Crimson Demon transformed the eleven Apostles into grotesque forms, neither human nor ghost, and turned this ce into the Crimson Realm, trapping everyone here forever, unable to escape.


    Although the Ghost Wizard was gravely injured, he managed to leave the Crimson Realm in the final moments and vanished without a trace.


    The story on the mural ended here.


    Based on John''s spection, although the Ghost Wizard escaped the Crimson Realm, he was severely injured and greatly weakened, eventually dying in his own church.


    Until the advent of virtual reality into the real world, he became the dungeon boss of the Phantom Ruins, while the Crimson Realm from the same world descended near Sterburg, only recently discovered by House Foster.


    John shook his head.


    He had hoped to find clues about the location of the Crimson Demon''s treasure within the mural, but there was no specific information.


    It might have been deliberately omitted, or perhaps the person who recorded the mural didn''t know the treasure''s whereabouts either.


    He didn''t gain many clues.


    Where could the Crimson Demon''s treasure be hidden?


    As John pondered, a notification suddenly popped up before him.


    [Notification: The twelfthyer of the Heritage Trial is about to begin. Please prepare, trial participants!]


    [Current number of participants: 4/4]


    [Trial task: Eliminate all yers!]