Suddenly, a melody started to echo in his ears.
"Hmm?" Noel furrowed his eyebrows, thinking this was another part of the hallucination. He became extremely wary of this change, so he kept burning the toxin inside his mind whether it was there or not. He just assumed that everything was either an illusion or a hallucination. This way, he could keep his mind clear.
However, the moment he stepped onto the third floor, he suddenly felt pressure from above him.
"!!!" Noel widened his eyes in shock as he exerted a bit of his strength, trying to withstand this pressure.
He glanced to the side and actually found a person sitting on the other side of the corridor.
And this person was hidden behind a curtain, but due to the light illuminating the person, he could see the shadow of that person, including the harp that she was playing.
Suddenly, this person ticked the string a bit stronger, causing a little jump in the melody. At the same time, the pressure suddenly felt much heavier.
"Kh…" Noel gritted his teeth. He had found the cause.
It turned out this person was the one controlling this pressure.
"It seems that I'm not accepted here." Noel gritted his teeth while releasing his Spiritual Energy. He glared at the person on the opposite side as if trying to tell her that he was going to use all his strength to attack her.
However, he soon heard her voice, telling him, 'You are not invited here because you are not accompanied by a woman from the brothel, Sir. I am here simply to maintain the rule of this floor.
'But because you are invited by the owner, as long as you can move ten steps from your position. This lowly woman will stop playing for Sir, and even guide you to the next floor to meet the owner.
'It's just this lowly woman's request Sir not to use your ability here. After all, this is where this lowly woman works. If it's destroyed because of Sir, I wouldn't be able to earn some money to continue living.'
"…" Noel narrowed his eyes. On the one hand, he didn't like to follow this person's words, considering he was attacked there despite being invited. On the other hand, if the other party would guide him, it would mean that he wouldn't have to suffer more until he met the owner.
Noel took a deep breath and said, "It seems that your ability is related to this pressure and sound. I don't like being tested, you know. However, since I'm in your place, I'll do it your way. But I have to warn you, I'll remember your actions."
"If Sir wishes to take my life, then you just have to ask the owner. As long as he gives you permission, I won't even resist whether you want to kill me or torture me."
"…" Noel's expression turned serious. He never thought that this woman was this resolute.
It seemed that it was better to follow this procedure than to cause a mess here. So, he took a deep breath and said, "Let's do it then."
"Then, this lowly woman shall play a lovely tune for you, Sir."
Suddenly, the melody changed from a calm and steady melody to a sweet but mellow tune.
It might be an illusion, but he felt that his body became warmer as if winter had just ended and he welcomed the spring. The cool breeze and the warm temperature made him comfortable.
However, he knew that he had to continue forward. Without hesitation, he took the first step despite his body being lazy because of the sudden change of atmosphere.
After that first step, the atmosphere changed once again. His vision gradually became distorted as if he was being transported to another space.
There was actually something he found from here. It seemed that if the other party was being covered by something like a curtain, towel, or anything that completely hid that person's body, Noel couldn't see their affection through the medal. He had to be extremely careful since one wrong step might cost him his life.
And with addition to this illusion that transported him to a grassland, he completely lost sight of that woman.
"…" Noel felt like he was standing still and his body refused to move as if he just wanted to enjoy this warm atmosphere.
He bit his lips while raising his foot, completing the second step. It seemed his body still managed to resist.
This illusion was a different kind of illusion than Rose's. At first, he thought he was already familiar enough with Rose's illusion that he could withstand this illusion, but it seemed this illusion could be divided into many categories.
Noel was trying his hardest to complete the third step, but because he understood the difference, he managed to complete the third and fourth steps without much problem.
But the moment he was about to complete his fifth step, someone suddenly hugged him from behind.
"!!!" Noel thought this was an ambush, but when he heard that voice, he was completely frozen.
"Noel. We can finally meet again… I think this is enough for the test, right?"
"!!!" Noel turned around and saw his mother's face. If he wasn't aware of the truth, he would instantly know that his mother was an illusion. But he already knew that his mother and father were still alive. And the fact that he mentioned it was a test, it was clear that the other party never had the intention to hurt him.
'Is this truly a test?' Noel believed it for a second. But there was one fact that reminded him that he was inside an illusion.
His mother actually had no system panel that showed her affection. In other words, she was also an illusion that wanted to stop him.
"Kh!" Noel gritted his teeth, glaring back to the sound's direction. "That's enough!"
He completed the fifth step and sixth step right away in anger.
But this was the true challenge that began.
The melody once again changed.