The SSS Ranked Villain's Return

<Solaris Tower - 6th Floor Elite Mode: Temple of the Sun God>

<Objective: Meet the Saintess of the Sun God>

<Status: Started!>

Neraxis glanced at the sixth-floor message and raised a brow.

He had no clue why this trial had turned into a duo trial or why he had jumped straight up to the sixth floor.

However, for the time being, he had to endure.

"Stand up, we need to get going," Neraxis said, startling Liza.

But it seemed like he had done a bit more than startle her, as tears began streaming down her eyes.

"Waaah! I don't want to be eaten by a vampire!"

What bullshit is she...? Neraxis held himself back before trying to correct the misunderstanding.

"Look, I don't eat humans. I only drink their blood from time to time. And that's only to heal me—I don't really enjoy drinking it."

[Liar,] Evangeline giggled. [You asked me to turn you into a vampire just so you could enjoy my blood more.]

Neraxis shrugged. She doesn't have to know that.

"Really?" Liza looked up, hiding her face behind her knees. "You really won't eat me? But you were able to kill that thing so easily..."

"I'm strong, though I'm surprised you don't know me. Which city are you from?" Neraxis asked, extending his hand to lift her up.

"Thanks." She accepted hesitantly. "City? Podri, I guess. That's where I was born and raised, though I went on an assignment with my class and got lost here."

Podri? Neraxis tilted his head.

He wasn't a stranger to the world map, and Podri was definitely not something from his world.

Unless...

"Is that some abbreviation?"

"Podri? Well, we call it Podrindium, but since it sounds like a metal, everyone mutually agreed to call it Podri instead," Liza replied with a giggle, grabbing his hand and standing up before dusting herself off.

She seemed a lot calmer now that she wasn't in any immediate danger.

But from her body language, Neraxis could tell she still felt uncomfortable around him, hence why her guard was up.

Nonetheless, the city Podri or Podrindium did not exist in his world.

"I see. Let's go to that temple, I believe? It says we need to meet the priestess," Neraxis said and took the lead.

"Temple...? Oh right—wait, what's up with this difficulty!?" Liza's shocked voice rang out, prompting him to turn around.

"I-It was normal earlier, but now it's Elite? A-Am I really going to die here?"

What I wouldn't give for you to stop whining, Neraxis thought as he approached, holding out his hand.

"Just take my hand. I'll lead you there. Maybe there's a way out of this place. If you mope around here, then you'll definitely die."

As his words fell, a message appeared in his sight.

<The Sun God scratches the back of their head as they say it's impossible to leave unless someone clears the tower.>

Neraxis rolled his eyes. Another thing she shouldn't know about.

"Okay... Sorry, I'm a mess," Liza apologized, wiping away her tears and grabbing his hand.

He nodded in satisfaction before proceeding to walk toward the temple.

It was just as massive as one would expect, though it resembled some sort of cultist temple.

The symbol of the sun was everywhere, whether on banners or etched deeply into the stairs.

Nonetheless, he ignored that for the time being. As he reached the stairs, he began walking to the very top of them.

Liza got tired midway through, so he simply exerted more strength and carried her until they arrived at the top.

To his surprise, it was fully open. And better yet—they weren't the only ones gathered here.

In fact, there were so many people that he lost count after 200.

Just what is going on with this trial? Did everyone go through this? Neraxis thought, his brows furrowed.

[Maybe this trial gathers people from all different kinds of worlds? Maybe the wilds are what connect it,] Evangeline commented in wonder.

Maybe. I'll find out once I reach the 10th floor—there aren't that many floors left anyway, Neraxis replied, making sure not to stray too far from Liza.

After all, getting lost here was extremely possible.

Despite that, in this crowd of many people, he found a spot where he could sit down, and now, he began waiting.

Liza did the same, sitting down next to him.

He hadn't really been keen on getting to know her earlier, but now, it was probably the right thing to do.

"Liza," Neraxis whispered. "You said you were with your class when you got taken here? How exactly did that happen?"

"Hmm...?" Liza tilted her head. "I was lost, my friends died, and then some tower appeared, offering to save me if I were to clear it."

"And just to be sure, this didn't happen in some city, did it?" Neraxis asked.

She shook her head. "There's a land that's abandoned by the gods... We were exploring it and got ambushed, and... well, you know the rest."

Neraxis nodded. "I see..."

So they have the wilds too, but they just call them something different. He glanced around, taking note of all the people present. And from the looks of things, the same happened to everyone here.

More were arriving in pairs, their expressions varied.

Some were excited, while others looked as though they had gone through hell.

And if the trial was anything like what he went through, then it would make sense.

<The Sun God rolls over in their bed as they state the main concept of the fourth trial was to select a batch of people who could continue.>

His brows furrowed as he lowered his voice and whispered.

"A batch? Only me and Liza survived."

<The Sun God shakes their head, saying that the way that trial was constructed, the only way to eliminate the Whisperer before it could kill someone was to have a majority vote of at least 10 people against it.>

"What...? But—"

<The Sun God interjects, saying that you were a pleasant anomaly. It's impossible to kill it for anyone other than you. But even then, those who do pass go through another trial, where in the end, only two remain.>

So that explains why I skipped a floor... It was deemed unnecessary, Neraxis thought, looking around. But all those people had to go through that—and extra.

He didn't feel empathy for them. Instead, he was a bit surprised.

After all, his prison group had been absolute shit.

Nonetheless, as he was lost in thought, a pair of footsteps resounded—much louder than the rest.

<The Saintess of the Sun God is entering!>

With that notification, he felt a fierce pressure envelop him, which he quickly dispersed with the use of {Aura of the Abyss}.

But to his surprise, everyone else who had felt it dropped down to the ground, almost kneeling.

The same went for Liza, as sweat was pouring down her face.

"Oh? Someone's unaffected," an enchanting voice rang out as someone approached him.

Neraxis turned to the side and was met with the sight of a fiery golden-haired woman who had a blindfold covering her eyes.

Despite her fierceness, a soft smile appeared on her face, making him raise a brow.

"A promising candidate has arrived."

With those words, the pressure vanished, and everyone who had been kneeling dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

The moment Neraxis looked away, she was already gone—standing on a nearby altar that hadn't been there before.

"Greetings, everyone. My name is Heliara," she introduced herself with a smile. "You may call me the Saintess of the Sun God."

However, that kind expression of hers didn't last long. Soon, her eyes narrowed, scanning each person present.

"And today, you will undergo a cleansing."