Epilogue:
“Sorry to leave you like this, sis, but I can’t take you where I’m going.” Marie Emberstone lowered her newly unconscious sister, Mindy, against the newly pulsing pillar of light in the center of the Tower’s ground floor between the entry arches. “The High Priest is going to want to take his pound of flesh for my failure and I won’t let him hurt you. You’re the only good thing I’ve got left and I won’t let him take you from me.” She wiped a tear from her face before putting on the nondescript black eye mask she’d need to wear for who knew how long. “Devourer isn’t known for his kindness and understanding, so it might be a while before I can come back, even as his Chosen.”
She placed a letter with “Artie” written on it in flowing script on her sister’s chest and adhered it with a touch of shadow magic.
“In another life, I’d stay with you and join his party myself, but I can’t do that now. My path is set.” She turned and walked away from her only remaining family without looking back as the shadows at her feet reached up to swallow her whole. “Never doubt that we’ll see each other again.”
<h2>***Three Hours Later***</h2>
Silence filled the dungeon beneath the Hidden True Temple of Devourer. Hanging from a rack so stained with blood to turn ash wood black was the naked and flayed form of Marie Emberstone. Her body was entirely covered in tiny cuts, none more than two inches in length, that dripped with sanguine fluid. Despite all that, she remained silent.
A masked and hooded figure stood before her tutting his finger. “You let the single most dangerous person to our lord and savior’s ascension get away.” His deep bass voice boomed throughout the torture chamber, for that was obviously its purpose. “You have no one to blame but yourself for this.” He waved a hand and a pair of [Imps] approached carrying a bucket between them as they flew. “Another round before we heal her and do this again.” The small red demons cackled with glee as they flew up above Marie’s bleeding form. “Do it.”
Salted red wine poured out from the bucket to cascade down Marie’s form. While her body arched in agony, she didn’t make a sound. Turning her head to the side, she spat a globule of bloody spit before glaring down at the robed figure.
Before he can say another word, a wave of pressure slams down upon him. The sound of bones cracking follows as he supplicates from his knees. “Great Devourer, I beg for mercy!” Gone is his affected bass tone as it’s replaced by what Marie knows is his actual voice, a high pitched counter-tenor. “What have I done to displease you so!?”
“Release my Chosen.” A voice akin to a slithering snake’s skin sliding over itself fills the room. “She has much to answer for, but I will give her one more chance to save herself.”
Marie’s body tensed, she knew what was coming and still didn’t have a plan to get out of it.
“I just need her to kill Mother’s Chosen, then all shall be forgiven.”
<h2>***Ten minutes after Marie left Mindy beneath the Tower***</h2>
Ylsa, Volta, Raiju, and I appeared beneath the Tower with great fanfare as a notification went out to everyone in Chalcedony as something heavy slumped against me.
[Welcome your new Tower Administrator, Arthur Neilson! May his administration be wise.]
Pushing the very annoying notification away, I looked down to find Mindy, the [Hydromancer] from the magic shop lying at my feet with a letter on her chest. I tried shaking her awake before Ylsa urged me to open the letter.
“We have a minute, read it so we can see what we’re dealing with.” The goliath helped Raiju to her feet, where she stumbled until she shrank down and Ylsa picked her up. “It’ll be faster if we run with our new Stats.”
“Got it, I’ll open this up while Volta goes to get Gabrielle from her keep. It’s about time we leave this place before people start asking why I’m the admin of the damn Tower now.”
Slitting the top of the letter, I let it fall to the ground as I took in its contents.
{Arthur,
I’m leaving Mindy to you for a while. I slipped her a pill that should keep her unconscious for four hours or so as the System rebuilds her body to fit her new Class. She’s a good girl, unlike me, and I’d really appreciate it if you could keep her safe while I’m dealing with some things. You might notice a change in how you look at her with me gone, but don’t worry about it too much. I have that effect on people.
Marie
P.S. - Tell Mindy I’m sorry for leaving, but there’s something I have to do that she can’t be a part of as she is now. I’ll be back for her… eventually.}
“I guess we’ve got another passenger.” Groaning, I threw Mindy over my shoulder. “Maybe Uncle Galloway can help Mindy too. Her sister drugged her and left her here for me.” Ylsa matched my groan as we loped out of the tower to find Gabrielle battling a trio of cloaked figures alongside Volta.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Can we catch a freaking break!?”
End of Book Stats:
Below you’ll find the updated Statuses of both Artie and Raiju post Tower. They both have notifications to go through, but this is the state of their Statuses as of that point in time.
[Name - Arthur Bajbub Neilson
Class - Suzerain - Unique - Rank SSS
Path: Scholar
Level - 30
HP - 380
Mana - 894
Stamina - 614
Stats - (5% of Wraith King siphoned as Tower Boss - Already in Total)
Might - 56 (+2)
Agility - 178 (+50)
Toughness - 140 (+30)
Charm - 151 (+20)
Wits - 222 (+22)
Perception - 100 (+50)
Arcane - 350 (+50)
Divine - 350 (+50)
Active Skills - Mastery %
Rapid Strike - 89
Dual Chop - 76
Mana Slide - 40
Arcane Armor - 86
Magic Missile - 100 (Awaiting Evolution)
Elemental Bolt - 79
Lockpicking - 86
Sunny Side Up - No Evolution Available
Wingbind - 81
Synthesis - 99
Status Shield - 59
Psyknife - 53
Air Step - 84
Haste - 65
Light Arrow - 75
Acid Spray - 33
Wall of Force - 40
Sunlance - 50
Sanguimancy - 40
Unique Skills - Mastery %
Skill Dominance - 46
Dominus’ Insight - 33
Lordly Aura - 31
Resonant Bolt - 40
Serene Glade - 40
Passive Skills
Essence Reading (Analyze Evolution)
Evasion
Linguist
Light Armor Training
Medium Armor Training
Small Blade Training
Bow Training
Code Cracking
Spelunking
Cartography
Herbalism
Ritual Magic
Chosen of Dominus (Unique Passive)
Friendly Face
Spell Turning
Holy Visions
Spatial Awareness
Tiny but Mighty
Hydra’s Regeneration
Flash Focus
Evolved Skills
Elemental Mastery - Elemental Barrage
Dominus'' Fury - Stealing Judgement
Elemental Surge - Elemental Teleportation
Assassin''s Mark - Backstab
Illuminate - Light
Distant Legerdemain - Mage Hand
Elemental Form - Elemental Body
Bunker Bolt - Chain Lightning
Elemental Pactlord - Summon Elemental
Trap Master - Trap Finding and Trap Disarming
Mystic Eyes - Arcane Sight
Stolen Skills (5 Slots Available - Cannot Currently Slot Unique Skills)
Stolen Active Skills:
Aqua Slice
Arcane Cannon
Fireball
Frost Blade
Hydrosphere
Raging Torrent
Searing Wind
Shearing Gale
Sun Armor
Sun Jump
Sunburst
Water Bomb
Water Shot
Basalt Bunker
Edge of Spring
Stolen Passive Skills:
Cat’s Prowl
Photosynthesis
Silent Step
Stolen Unique Skills:
Storm Knuckles]
***
[Name: Raiju
Monster Type: Raiju (Evolved Gale Wolf) - Unique - Rank S
Bond: Arthur Bajbub Neilson - SSS Rank
Level: 30
HP: 960
Mana: 605
Stamina: 1812
Stats:
Might: 202
Agility: 650
Toughness: 430
Charm: 120
Wits: 152
Perception: 450
Divine: 201
Active Skills - Mastery %
Winds of Fury - 100 (Awaiting Evolution)
Sparkling Charge - 42
Lightning Strike - 100 (Awaiting Evolution)
Storm’s Embrace - 75
Thunderhead - 100 (Awaiting Evolution)
Whirlwind Rush - 2
Passive Skills:
Lightning Conductor
Keen Senses (Smell and Hearing)
Storm’s Presence
Swift as the Wind]