"Mostly the instructors? You mean students' names are listed there, too?" Derek asked.

"Yes," Meridith replied with a faint smile.

"What?!" Derek's eyes widened. "How's that possible? Are students really that strong?!"

Meridith chuckled softly. "No, not exactly. The tower adjusts its difficulty based on one's cultivation level and destiny."

"Based on cultivation level and destiny?!" Derek repeated, unable to hide his disbelief.

'Even after living a full life once, it feels like I'm learning everything anew in this world,' Derek thought, astonished. 'I knew about the tower and its rewards for clearing floors, but these details put it on an entirely different level. I wish I had challenged it in my past life as well.'

Seeing Derek lost in thought, Meridith smiled. "Would you like to challenge it?"

"Yeah," Derek said, nodding. "But I don't know how long I should wait before I do. After all, didn't the Housemaster tell me not to use my weapon yet? And you mentioned there's a ranking too."

"Oh? You sound pretty confident about getting on that ranking," Meridith teased, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"Well…" Derek hesitated. He hadn't meant to brag — it had just slipped out. But deep down, he knew he was already ahead of his peers, so earning a rank didn't seem that far-fetched.

Meridith noticed his expression and barely managed to stifle a laugh. "Don't worry," she said. "You can use a hidden name if you want. Many do that to keep their identities private. But remember — once you register a name, it'll be locked, and the next time you enter, that same name will automatically appear."

"That's… that's great! Then I want to challenge it right away. Let's see how far I can climb!" Derek said eagerly.

"Don't be so hasty," Meridith said with a small laugh. "Our slot starts tomorrow and continues for the next three days. You can follow your usual schedule today. And…"

"And?" Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow or whenever you decide to challenge that tower, make sure you conceal your identity. And when I say identity, I don't just mean your name. Hide your appearance as well."

Derek frowned slightly. "And how am I supposed to do that? It's not like I can change how I look."

"You can just wear a mask," Meridith replied simply.

"But what if it comes off during a fight?" Derek asked.

"So what? The mask is only needed when you enter or exit the tower," Meridith explained. "Once you're inside, each challenger is transferred to their own separate dimension. So after entering, you won't need to worry about hiding anything."

"I see." Derek nodded, his expression turning firm. "Then I'll challenge it tomorrow."

"Good," Meridith said with a proud smile. "I can't wait to see what kind of wave you stir this time. See you tomorrow at the tower gate."

"Yeah. See you soon."

Meridith nodded and left. Derek didn't enter the training room afterward. Instead, he returned to his room. After resting for a while, he joined Art and Henry for breakfast before heading back to the training chamber.

'Let's not practice anything else today — just focus on cultivation,' Derek decided silently. He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.

The entire day passed that way, quiet and uneventful. He took breaks only for lunch and dinner before finally returning to his room for the night. As soon as he lay down, sleep quickly claimed him.

The next morning, Derek stood before the towering structure, a mask in his hand. Before stepping into the crowd, he slipped it over his face.

Meridith was already waiting there.

Noticing a figure approaching with a mask, she immediately recognized him.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," Derek replied, his gaze fixed on the tower ahead.

The tower loomed high, its peak piercing the clouds. Even if someone craned their neck until it ached, they would never see its summit. Its base stretched over a hundred meters on each side, grand and imposing.

It stood like a colossal pillar between heaven and earth, its gleaming golden surface reflecting the morning light like molten metal. Intricate dragon engravings coiled around its body, each scale etched with runic symbols that faintly pulsed with spiritual energy. Wisps of golden mist drifted around its base, giving it an otherworldly aura. Standing before it, one couldn't help but feel both awe and an instinctive sense of challenge — as though the tower itself were alive, silently judging every soul that dared to enter.

"It's enormous," Derek whispered. "No matter how many times I've heard about it, standing here in front of it feels completely different."

"There," Meridith pointed toward a small booth. "Go and register your name, then place your palm on the panel to complete the process."

"Got it." Derek nodded and walked in the direction she indicated.

An older man, likely in his fifties, sat behind the registration desk. "Are you a student from Arcadia Hunter Academy?" he asked.

"Yes," Derek replied with a nod.

"I see. Since you're wearing a mask, I assume you wish to keep your identity hidden?"

"That's right."

"Understood. But I still need to verify that you're truly a student of the academy. You can just show me the back of your ID card."

"Alright."

Derek took out his identity card and flipped it over, showing the back.

The academy's ID cards were uniquely crafted — impossible to replicate. Even a glimpse of the back side was enough to confirm authenticity.

"Okay, that's good enough. Now, what name do you want to register under?" the man asked.

"Use...." Derek began but paused midway and then started thinking. But no matter how hard he tried no name was coming to his mind. 'What should I use as a nickname? he wondered. My sole purpose is to eradicate the demons that will soon invade this world… Maybe Demon Slayer? Or Demon Eradicator ?'

He frowned slightly. 'Ugh… choosing a name is harder than fighting a real demon.'

After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Demonbane."

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