Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby-Chapter 291: Challenging the Tower Again

Two days later, Eleanor’s soul was drawn through a vast, formless darkness and deposited before a colossal gate pulsing with an ancient, oppressive aura.

A familiar voice echoed in her mind, calm and resonant:

"Welcome to the Tower of Legends. The Tower contains one hundred levels, each presenting challenges of increasing difficulty. You may fight your way upward or withdraw whenever you deem it beyond you. Death within the Tower will not claim you — your consciousness will be returned to your capsule. At any time, you may say aloud that you quit, and you will be removed. Each level must be completed within ten minutes, or the challenge will be marked as failed."

The voice paused briefly before continuing, its tone carrying a faint reverence.

"Conquer twenty-five levels, and you shall earn one hundred points. Conquer fifty, and you shall gain one thousand. At seventy-five, ten thousand. Should you reach the hundredth floor, one million points will be awarded, and your name will be engraved forever upon the Academy’s Board of Legends. No hints will be given. No guidance offered. If you wish to continue, step through the door."

When the voice faded, Eleanor took a steadying breath and pushed the massive door open.

At once, the scent of salt filled her nose, followed by the thunderous roar of waves crashing against rock. She found herself standing on a cliff of ancient stone overlooking a turbulent sea. Beneath the cliff stretched a beach of golden sand, shimmering faintly in the sun.

There was no time to take in the view — two crocodilian beasts lunged from either side, their jaws snapping. Eleanor moved instinctively. Two swift punches, each precise and devastating, shattered their skulls. As their bodies collapsed, a staircase of light appeared ahead. Without hesitation, she climbed to the second floor.

The next chamber was a damp, echoing cave, its walls slick with moss and glowing ferns. Ten goblins screeched as they rushed toward her, wielding crude clubs. Eleanor barely moved — her strikes were blurs of controlled power. Within moments, the creatures lay broken on the cave floor. Another staircase appeared, spiralling upward. She ascended.

The third level opened into a wide valley beneath a crimson sky. Twenty skeletal warriors clawed their way out of the soil, forming a circle around her, shields raised, swords gleaming. Eleanor exhaled once, centred her stance, and moved.

When the dust settled, shattered bones littered the ground like pale leaves. Without a word, she began her ascent up the mountain path toward the next door.

She entered a shadowed forest. From behind the towering trees, three orcs leapt at her ferociously, each wielding a broadsword. She crushed their heads with her fists before stepping through the next door.

She found herself in a cavern, where a massive spider descended from its web with a furious screech. Eleanor didn’t give the creature a chance to strike. She slid beneath its soft belly and punched upward with brutal force. The spider flew back with a shrill cry as its belly burst open. By the time its blood and entrails rained down, she was already on the other side of the cave.

A door materialised before her, and she entered without hesitation. Two towering ogres roared and charged. She shattered their knee joints to bring them down to her level, then crushed their skulls.

Opening the next door, she stepped beside a misty lake. A three-headed hydra hissed, greeting her with a vicious pounce. She dived into the water, slipping past its lunging heads. Then, partially transforming her hands into claws, she tore out its heart in one swift motion.

Eleanor rushed to the bank as the hydra collapsed, washing her hands while the water turned red with its blood. Another door materialised across the lake, and she walked towards it.

She emerged on the shore of yet another lake. Five crocodilian beasts lunged at her the instant her feet touched the ground. They died quickly, their bodies lying still before her as she moved on to the next door.

Monsters of every kind—varying in number and form—attacked her on each level until she reached the twenty-fifth. When she finally emerged from the narrow pass between mountains, the ground behind her was littered with corpses: one hundred and fifty shattered skeletons, one hundred goblins, forty crocodiles, twenty ogres, twenty orcs, seven spiders, seven hydras, and three trolls.

When Eleanor stepped into the twenty-sixth level, the expected surge of gravity pressed down upon her. But unlike before, she didn’t become helpless. Her muscles strained slightly, yet she could still move—slowly at first. After a minute of adjustment to the new pressure, she found herself able to walk towards the next door with relative ease.

Standing before it, she recalled her last encounter with this gravity zone. This level strengthened me a lot last time. I had to use my wolf form to get through it. But now... it barely challenges me.

Nora’s voice chimed in, "The G-force is the same as before. Your body already adapted to it last time. Besides, your physical condition has improved through your combat training and the Thunder Seed Room."

"True," Eleanor replied. "Let’s see what the next levels hold." She pressed her hand against the door and stepped through.

Two colossal stone golems lunged at her the instant she entered. She ducked beneath their massive punches, and as their blows missed, both creatures hesitated for a heartbeat. That moment was all she needed.

Before they could recover, Eleanor’s fist smashed through one golem’s torso, and she pivoted towards the other. It tried to block her next strike, but her fist never met its hands—instead, a roundhouse kick shattered its head clean off.

Standing before the next door, Eleanor noticed she hadn’t even broken a sweat. Everything felt effortless compared to last time, when she had been forced to rest after each battle before moving on. The difference was unmistakable. A faint smile curved her lips.

"I think it would be wise to collect a weapon from the monsters," Nora suggested. "The creatures ahead will be far more intelligent."

Eleanor considered the advice. The coming levels, up to the fiftieth, would bring a host of formidable foes—blade-skinned Ironhide Ogres, corrupted Bloodstone Gargants, towering Bone Colossi, decay-spreading Carrion Hulks, sharp-toothed Rustclaw Beasts, carapace-armoured Chitin Lords, lightning-fast Stonehorn Behemoths, poison-spewing Venomfang Hydras, Blight Serpents that withered everything they touched, and Magma Fiends whose fiery breath turned the very air into flame.

Thinking that some of her upcoming opponents might be difficult to defeat without her elemental powers or a weapon, she said, "Alright. If I find a good sword or something useful, I’ll keep it for later. But I want to use my mixed martial arts to the fullest. I won’t have another chance to refine my skills before the Trial. Besides, I’d rather save my destructive powers for the higher levels. I know nothing beyond level seventy-five, and last time I failed there badly. I can only imagine how brutal the later levels will be."

Nora replied, "Last time, you didn’t take a food pill like you did now. Hunger and physical weakness were among the main reasons for your defeat."

"True," Eleanor admitted. "But I don’t want to take any risks. If I fight physically, I can recover with a bit of rest. Ten minutes should be enough if I feel exhausted. Let’s see how it goes."

With that, she opened the door and stepped into the next level. She cleared each stage one after another. Compared to her previous attempt, it felt like a leisurely walk. Before, she’d needed to rest after every battle to regain her strength—now, she didn’t even break a sweat. Along the way, she discovered a fine bone sword dropped by a massive Bone Colossus. It was crafted from some kind of dense, razor-sharp bone that didn’t so much as chip, even when it struck the hard carapace of a Chitin Lord.

All the monsters Eleanor had faced before awaited her on the fiftieth level. Skeletons, goblins, crocodile beasts, ogres, orcs, giant spiders, three-headed hydras, and trolls from the earlier stages returned—joined by the later foes: stone golems, Ironhide Ogres, Bloodstone Gargants, Bone Colossi, Carrion Hulks, Rustclaw Beasts, Chitin Lords, Stonehorn Behemoths, Venomfang Hydras, Blight Serpents, and Magma Fiends.

Eleanor knew that relying solely on martial arts wouldn’t be enough against such overwhelming numbers. Still, she was determined to use as little of her bloodline power as possible. Activating Mind Acceleration, she sharpened her perception until every movement of her enemies unfolded in slow clarity—no room left for error.

Her passive abilities worked in perfect harmony: Tactical Foresight analysed the battlefield with cold precision; Bloodlust Instinct heightened her lethality; Killing Precision guided her strikes unerringly towards vital points; and Predator’s Awareness warned her of imminent danger. Meanwhile, Storm Heart pulsed quietly within her, constantly fuelling her stamina and resilience.

Her bone sword proved devastatingly effective. When the last monster fell, Eleanor’s breathing remained steady—her heartbeat calm, her body untouched by fatigue.

Remembering how she had struggled at this level in her previous attempt, she recognised just how far she had come in such a short time. With a silent nod of gratitude to Instructor Arrichion and Commander Annabeth Chase, she stepped forward and reached for the next door.