Gardener of Eden

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Hidden Area

As the dust settled over the crumbling stone ramparts, the outpost commander—a battle-worn veteran wearing heavy plate armor—strode out from the main hall, flanked by his lieutenants. He surveyed the ruined perimeter wall with a grim expression before his eyes landed on the shimmering, fist-sized boss core resting in the ash where the Hobgoblin Berserker had fallen.

”We need that core,” the commander announced, turning to Rowan and Squad 07. ”Our defensive wards and barrier stones are completely drained from the wave. Installing a Level 6 Boss Core into the main conduit is the only way we can power the outpost’s grid while we rebuild the walls.”

Rowan nodded without hesitation, handing the glowing core over. The outpost quartermaster immediately weighed the massive core and handed Squad 07 a heavy pouch containing 3,000 Gold Coins for the direct acquisition.

Shortly after, the outpost officers distributed reward payouts to every participating combatant who had held the gates. Adventurers and mercenaries who held the initial line received generous gold bounties for their frontline defense.

The student squads were called up next. In addition to a baseline split of the bounty gold for their crucial support during the vanguard’s mana downtime, each student’s Academy interface flashed with an official notification:

[Notice: Field Evaluation Updated]

Third-Year Monitor Log: Exceptional performance in large-scale defense, tactical rotation, and crowd control during an active Floor 2 Monster Wave.

Awarded: +150 Academy Merit Points & Official Combat Commendation.

Up on the depot roof, the third-year monitor quietly tucked her evaluation stone back into her cloak, tapping a final approving entry onto Squad 07’s record before vanishing into the shadows.

With their pockets lined with fresh gold and high merit marks secured on their academic logs, Squad 07 gathered near the supply hub while Barney drank a minor healing salve to patch up his bruised ribs.

”Not a bad haul for a afternoon’s work,” Barney grinned, tossing a gold coin in the air and catching it. ”3,000 gold for the core, plus the wave bounty and merit commendations.”

”And the northern pass is wide open now,” Caelen added, looking past the ruined wooden archway toward the winding trail that led up the mountains. ”With the goblin wave cleared, nothing stands between us and the Floor 3 ascension portal.”

Rowan adjusted his Enchanted Straw Hat, resting his Rank C Hoe over his shoulder. ”Then let’s make tracks. Floor 3 is waiting.”

Leaving the ruined gates of the outpost behind, Squad 07 set off along the steep, winding mountain pass that snaked upward toward the Floor 3 ascension portal. The air grew progressively cooler as they climbed, the humid marsh vapors giving way to sharp mountain winds and jagged grey cliff faces.

High above, their third-year monitor maintained a discreet distance, leaping smoothly along the narrow stone ledges to keep the squad within her line of sight.

An hour into the ascent, Mirei suddenly came to a halt. She held up a hand, signaling for the team to pause, her sharp archer’s vision scanning a towering slate cliff face jutting out from the main trail.

”Hold on,” Mirei said softly, stepping off the primary path and approaching the rock wall. ”Look at the wind current here. It’s drawing inward, not blowing against the rock.”

Caelen and Barney stepped up beside her, clearing away a thick tangle of mountain ivy to reveal a narrow vertical fissure running down the slate—a crack just wide enough for an adult human to squeeze through.

Rowan stepped forward, resting the haft of his Rank C Hoe against his shoulder as he inspected the gap. ”There’s mana pulsing from inside. It doesn’t match the ambient floor energy.”

Up on her vantage point, the third-year monitor leaned over the rocky ledge, her eyes widening in surprise as she checked her official tower map stone. That fissure isn’t on any official exploration chart...

”A Hidden Zone,” Caelen murmured, his tone filled with quiet awe.

In the Tower, Hidden Zones were legendary anomalies—rare, unmapped pockets that spawned under specific conditions. They bypassed standard floor progression, offering treacherous trials designed to test a squad’s adaptability. But the risks came with unmatched rewards: rare class-specific weapons, permanent free attribute point allocations, or direct skill level upgrades that could catapult an awakener ahead of their peers.

”It looks completely untouched,” Barney said, double-checking the stone surrounding the fissure for any sign of previous tools or spell marks. ”No student or adventurer squad has ever been inside this wall.”

Seraphina unclipped a fresh lighting reagent from her belt, preparing to ignite a soft, luminescent flare. ”Do we push inside? Entering an unmapped Hidden Zone means we won’t have standard floor safety protocols.”

Rowan adjusted his Enchanted Straw Hat, looking at each member of Squad 07. Every one of them met his gaze with steady, resolute eyes.

”We enter,” Rowan said calmly. ”Turn by turn, watch your footing, and keep formation tight.”

Squeezing through the narrow rock gap one by one, Squad 07 left the mountain trail behind, stepping directly into the quiet, unmapped abyss of the Hidden Zone.

As Squad 07 vanished one by one into the narrow vertical fissure, their third-year monitor landed softly on a high stone ledge directly above the opening. She crouched down, extending her hand toward the gap to cast an observation spell.

Bzzt!

A sharp wave of static mana snapped against her fingertips, repelling her touch instantly. A translucent, ancient rune barrier shimmered over the fissure before settling back into invisible stillness.

System Restricted: First-Time Floor Entrants Only.

She drew back her hand, her eyes widening. As a Level 29 Awakener who had already breached the 25th floor of the Tower, her level and clearance were far too high to bypass the Hidden Zone’s strict parameters. The ancient magic guarding the pocket realm was absolute—only fledglings stepping onto Floor 2 for their very first expedition could pass through the threshold.

Knowing she couldn’t follow them inside to ensure their safety, she immediately pulled a sleek, high-grade Academy Communication Crystal from inside her cloak. Her fingers moved rapidly across its glowing interface, tapping out an urgent, encrypted report:

Sender: Monitor 07 (Level 29 / Floor 25 Clearance)

Target: Academy Information & Mapping Department

Location: Floor 2 - Northern Mountain Trail (Sector 4B)

Coordinates: [34.821, 109.412]

Subject: UNDISCOVERED HIDDEN ZONE DETECTED

Log Details:

- Squad 07 has breached an unmapped Hidden Zone.

- Entry Parameter: Restricted to first-time

Floor 2 entrants only. High-level entry BLOCKED.

- Status: Active trial initiated by Squad 07.

- Recommendation: Update master Tower atlas

and log potential unique clear rewards upon

Squad 07’s exit.

She sent the report with a flash of light, watching the crystal pulse blue as the transmission cleared through to the central campus database.

Gazing down at the quiet crack in the rock face, she rested her hand on her dagger hilt, taking a seat on the ledge. All she could do now was guard the exit from the outside—and wait to see what kind of power Squad 07 would bring back out.

Inside the fissure, the cramped stone walls suddenly widened into a massive, cavernous chamber lit by floating strands of bioluminescent flora. The air was thick with dense, ancient mana that felt heavier than anything on the upper floors.

In the center of the vast chamber stood three monolithic stone pillars surrounding a glowing, dormant pedestal.