《The Tower Trials》 Chapter 1 Isaac stared up at the grey tower in front of him. The tower stretched straight up, beyond the clouds, and if the stories were true, right into the heavens. He looked around and found a spot nearby that was shaded and pulled out a book that he had picked up from a small bookstore in one of the larger villages he had passed on his way to the capital. He scanned the cover, reading the title for the hundredth time since purchasing it - ¡°Insights Into Novice Trials by Alex Levante¡±. The book had been a rare find. Sure, it was full of complex mathematics he only superficially understood, runes he had never seen, and the typical jargon that scholars enjoyed, but it was also one of the most insightful books Isaac had ever read on the novice trials. With a small sigh, Isaac laid down, placed his head on his backpack and spent the next several hours reading. ¡°The Towers have stood for centuries, no-one that I have ever interviewed has ever been able to tell me how or when they came to be. They just always have been. While there are hundreds if not thousands of interesting aspects about the Towers, I have always been most interested in what have come to be known as the Tower Trials. Trials are unique, and can be separated into two categories: Hero and Ascension. Hero trials are quests that are given by the power of a Tower itself, and can only be entered by a single individual to whom the quest has been given to. From my research, Hero trials are extremely rare. I have only ever known a handful of individuals that have undergone a Hero trial. They appear to be equal parts deadly and rewarding, with those that pass their trials coming out of the tower with amazing new abilities and classes. Ascension trials however, are different. These trials are open to anyone that meets the requirements. The Novice Trial is a form of ascension trial, though it is probably the most important trial that someone will take in their lifetime. While the majority of Trials remain a mystery, hundreds of years of research have allowed us to understand the Novice Trials to a better degree. Novice Trials are a right of passage, and though one is not required to take it, one cannot develop their Mana System without it. The trials are however, deadly, and every year there are dozens of recorded cases of men and women that go in, but never come out. The Mana System is an extremly complicated area of research that is far beyond the scope of this book, however, the Mana System is typically described as a visual and quantitative representation of a person¡¯s health, mana, skills, abilities and growth. Regardless of the danger, the successful completion of their Novice Trials are required for entry into any of the four grand academies. The requirements for the Novice Trial are as follows: Men and women have to be between the ages of 16-18, and they must have never entered any Tower previously. Those that survive the trial and gain access to their Mana System are able to gain experience and level-up as they ascend the different floors of the Towers. Leveling-up allows the individual to place points into attributes of their choice. The known attributes include strength, constitution, agility, and intelligence, though there have been recorded cases of unique attributes appearing for specific classes. Increasing attributes leads to superhuman feats of power that is carried over to outside of the tower. Participating in tower trials is the only known way to obtain classes. Though how, when, and why the Tower or Trial determines the class an individual is given is unknown. The class an individual awakens then further determines the skills and abilities they can use, as well as the type of mana that they can access effectively. There are dozens of classes in existence, and not all classes are created equal. How powerful a class is however, is difficult to measure and most scholars believe that it is the utilization of the class rather than the class itself that is important. The trials that one undergoes typically include solo and team combat with other trial-takers, puzzles, tests of knowledge, tests of courage, and other less well understood tests. Researchers believe that how one approaches each trial ultimately plays a important part in class assignment, however-¡± A nearby shout made Isaac look up from his reading. "I''m uh sorry m''lord, I wasn''t watching where I would be going" a terrified young boy was saying to a young man, dressed in full combat gear and accompanied by a handful of guards. Obviously a noble. Important one too. The noble glared at the young boy, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Don''t worry, a hand should be sufficient repayment". The noble nodded to a guard on his right. Isaac watched as the guard pulled out a blade attached to his side and grabbed the boy with his other hand. Isaac sighed again, placed a leaf in between the pages he was currently reading and put the book in his backpack before getting up. Welp, this is a bad idea. Here goes! "Let the kid go, no need to be a prick about it. He already apologized". The noble turned his head, fury etched on his face. Who had dared to speak to him like he was some sort of commoner? Who would dare to give him a command?! The noble locked eyes with Isaac and laughed viciously. "Don''t interfere or you''ll be nex-". Isaac crossed the distance in the blink of an eye. He didn''t have any actual combat training, and he knew he didn''t have a chance in hell to take on the noble and his four guards in a straight up fight. But he wasn''t interested in a fair fight. That privilege could only be afforded by the rich and powerful, and Isaac was neither. The world seemed to slow around him, his mind calculating the quickest and safest way to grab the kid and retreat. As he reached the guard that held the young boy, he threw the handful of sand he had grabbed before as he had stood up. The guard released the boy and raised his arms to cover his face "ugh!". Isaac grabbed the boy''s arm and pulled him as hard as he could, throwing him backwards behind him and out of the immediate grasp of the noble and his guards. He threw a forward kick and heard a crack as he shattered the man''s knee. One down. The guard fell to the ground screaming in agony, while two of his friends pulled out their blades and stepped forward ready to end Isaac''s life.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. One of the guards slashed at his head, fully intending on removing it from his shoulders, but Isaac ducked and used his legs to swipe the man''s feet from under him. He stood up and used the momentum to jam his knee into the downed guard''s face. The guard screamed as his nose exploded in a spray of blood. Two down. Isaac grimaced as he felt pain shoot through his leg. Right ... metal helmet. Won''t do that again. Fuck me. The pain in his leg made it hard to stand, but he dove at the third guard with enough force to knock the blade out of his hands. They wrestled for a couple of seconds, but the guard''s weight and armor proved too much and eventually Isaac was flipped onto his back. The third and fourth guard managed to pin him down despite his struggles. The noble stood over him, a smirk on his face as he drew his sword. Isaac felt his jaw shatter as the noble struck him with the pommel of his blade. Blood ran out of his mouth from where he had bit right through his tongue. "I guess your hand will have to do". Isaac turned his head and spit out the blood that had been pooling in his mouth as the noble raised his sword and then ¡­ froze. The noble''s eyes widened in suprise, and his entire body trembled as he tried to fight the unseen force that had paralyzed him. "That will be enough Lord Syrian. The trials will begin momentarily. You should head over before they begin the announcements." Isaac opened his eyes to see a young looking woman wearing a white breastplate and a white staff tipped with a brilliant green gemstone strapped to her back. Her voice sounded much older than she looked. Huh, must be using some sort of illusion spell to change her appearance. She waved her hand and Lord Syrian and his guards all seemed to unfreeze at once. Syrian gave Isaac a hard look, but quickly turned to the young woman and bowed deeply, ¡°Of course Commander Heza, my apologies¡±. Syrian snapped his fingers and then turned around, heading towards a large group of people that had gathered at the base of the tower. The crowd that had gathered around Isaac during the fighting began to disperse, though Isaac saw many of them giving him glances filled with approval. ¡°Not bad kid, but next time don¡¯t dive into a man twice your weight and covered in armor. You here for the Novice Trial?¡±. Commander Heza stood up and offered her hand to Isaac. He took the hand, but immediately fell back on his ass, his leg flaring in pain when he tried to put any pressure on it. ¡°Yeah, but it doesn''t really seem like i¡¯m going to be in tip-top shape now¡±. Heza grinned and placed her right hand on his leg, and her left hand on his jaw. Her hands glowed briefly with a soft blue light and Isaac could feel his bone, muscle and skin knitting itself back together. The healing wasn¡¯t exactly painful, though it itched like crazy and Isaac had to use every bit of his willpower not to scratch himself. After a few brief moments of painlessness induced bliss, Isaac got up and bowed ¡°Thank you Commander, but I don¡¯t have the coin to pay you for healing¡±. Commander Heza waved his comment off, ¡°you did a good thing back there kid, though because of it you¡¯ve made one hell of a powerful enemy. Keezan Syrian isn¡¯t one to forget such a public slight¡±. Isaac groaned at her words, ¡°Keezan Syrian? You mean that¡¯s the son of the Syrian family that runs the Crimson Dragon guild?¡±. Fuuuck me. The Crimson Dragons were a relatively new guild, but they had risen in popularity recently by being known to be ferocious in battle, and unforgiving to their enemies. The commander chuckled at my obvious dismay, ¡°the one and only". She looked to the Tower briefly. "Come along now, the trials are starting soon¡±. As they walked, Commander Heza explained more about the Novice Trials to Isaac. While the book he had picked up had described a great deal about the trials, Heza went into depth about the obstacles she had to overcome in her own trial. Eventually they reached a crowd of people that stood in front of a stage. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s where I leave you, goodluck kid¡±. Heza walked off after Isaac thanked her for all the help. A few minutes went by before he saw a chubby man walk onto the stage. He gave a slight cough, and then placed two fingers to his throat. The fingers glowed blue with mana. A booming voice shot out across the field, ¡°WELCOME!¡±. Conversations that had been ongoing quickly came to a stop as everyone, including Isaac, looked towards the stage. The chubby man cleared his throat again, ¡°Welcome, welcome! My name is Dracus Silver and I am the headmaster of the academy in charge of this year¡¯s Novice Trials for this Tower!¡± Isaac could feel the excitement building in the air. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you too long. Just a couple of things you need to know before we start. First, time is altered inside the Tower. Seven days inside the Tower is only equal to a day outside the Tower. Second, you are not allowed to bring any weapons or armor into the Tower. Other equipment though as well as food and drink are allowed. Lastly, when you emerge from the Tower you are to report to the nearest academy guard. They will escort you to a healing tent so that your wounds, if you have any, may be treated. Afterward, you are to report to the tent with the academy symbol for interviews. These interviews will pull information from your Mana System and will be used by guilds and other individuals to provide sponsorships. Sponsorship is required to attend any of the four academies, though sponsorships do not guarantee a spot in any academy. More information regarding sponsorships and the benefits they provide will be made available to you by your sponsor¡±. Isaac grit his teeth in frustration, he hadn¡¯t been aware that he needed to secure a sponsorship before being accepted into one of the academies. ¡°So with that, please lineup, and let this year¡¯s Novice Trials begin!¡± There was a flurry of movement as everyone raced to get into the Tower. Isaac spent a few minutes watching his potential classmates race ahead, pushing and shoving each other to try and claim one of the spots at the beginning of the line. He found it interesting. Some of them were rushing to their deaths and they had no idea. Way to jinx yourself. He couldn''t help but laugh at himself as took a place near the back of the line. It took almost half an hour before his turn came. As he walked up the steps to the Tower he spotted Commander Heza near a small podium. She grinned at him, ¡°place your hand on the rune here¡±, she pointed to the podium in front of her. Isaac moved forward and placed his palm on top of a rune that looked like a diamond with an S inside of it. The rune glowed bright red for a fraction of a second, then a steady blue. A large, blue, glowing portal seemed to rip open in front of the Tower. ¡°Good luck kid, the first time sucks¡±. Isaac walked towards the glowing portal slowly, as he edged closer he could feel a pull on his body, like he was being sucked in. He reached out a hand to touch the portal and his entire vision filled with a light blue hue. His body suddenly felt like it was free-falling and no matter how hard he tried he couldn¡¯t orient himself. Minutes, hours, or days passed, he had no idea. Then just as suddenly as the blue light had appeared, it was gone. Isaac immediately fell to his knees and threw up the small meal he had eaten earlier. Thanks for the warning Heza, he thought sarcastically. After several minutes had passed he finally managed to open his eyes. The first thing that Isaac noticed was the screen that appeared in front of him: Your Novice Trial Has Begun! Your Mana System has been activated! As a small gift, you have been awarded 5 attribute points. Spend them wisely! You are now level 1. Chapter 2 Isaac stared at the translucent screen in front of him. This must be my Mana System. Isaac had read a little about the system before coming to the capital. The Mana System was a power that was given to any individual that survived the Novice Trials. Isaac had originally thought that meant he would only awaken his system after the trial, but I guess it made sense that he got it during. No one that failed the trials ever exited the Tower. He turned his head around slowly and found that the screen in front of him followed wherever his eyes went. Well this could be a problem if, Tower forbid, I get one of these screens during a fight. Isaac blinked his eyes a couple of times hoping that the screen would fade away, but nothing changed. Hmm, you''d think all of the books i''d read would have mentioned how to close the damn thing. There was a roar in the distance that was followed by a number of sad, yearning howls. A cold sweat broke out across Isaac''s back. At least 4 different howls, and whatever caused the roar. So at the very least 5 different enemies. Fuck, I really wish I could get rid of this screen. At that thought, the screen in front of him disappeared and was replaced by another. As you have now figured out, your Mana System is controlled by your thoughts and will. Closing notification screens is as simple as thinking it. Before you begin your Trial, assign your first 5 attribute points. You will need them! Isaac willed the notification away. There were more howls in the distance, not any closer than before, but now there seemed to be a lot more than the five he had originally thought. Attributes. A screen popped up as soon as Isaac finished his thought. ATTRIBUTE SCREEN Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Agility: 10 Intelligence: 12The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The screen seemed fairly basic, and honestly gave more Isaac more questions than answers. What does increasing each attribute actually do? How does the system intitally decide on a number that quantifies each attribute? The attribute screen disappeared and was quickly replaced by another. ATTRIBUTE INFORMATION Every individual that awakens their Mana System is granted 10 points in every attribute, which is the human average. Individuals with significant abilities are granted extra points in accordance to their abillity. Strength: This attribute embodies an individual''s physical power. Constitution: This attribute embodies an individual''s magical and physical damage resistance. Agility: This attribute embodies an individual''s movement speed, flexibility, reaction time, and balance. Intelligence: This attribute embodies an individual''s ability to memorize, process and utilize information. Take care when assigning your attributes. It is impossible to reset or change them after they have been assigned. Always remember, the decisions you make shape you! Isaac re-read the screen several times. He was glad that the system had rewarded him for the hundreds of books he had read throughout his life. Howls once again sounded in the distance, this time closer than before. Might have been more helpful if I had been obsessed with combat training though, books don''t make great weapons. The biggest problem right now was that he had no idea what he would be facing during his trial. All of the attributes were useful depending on the situation. After a few moments of deliberation, Isaac assigned all 5 of his attribute points into agility. Agility and intelligence are the only attributes that would help with both combat and non-combat tasks, but my intelligence is already above the average. Agility will make me faster and react quicker in fights, while making it easier to get around puzzle rooms and avoid traps. ATTRIBUTE SCREEN Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Agility: 15 Intelligence: 12 Isaac immedately felt lighter, and more in tune with his body. His movements were more graceful and he instinctually understood the limits of his body. The feeling was intoxicating. Isaac grinned in anticipation. Time to hunt some wolves. Chapter 3 Isaac finally took a moment to look at his surroundings. In all of the excitement caused by the Mana System he hadn''t actually taken the time to see where he was. He needed to focus. Who knows how many of the others had died because they had been attacked while assigning their attribute points. It looked like he had landed in some sort of forest. Though it wasn''t like any forest he had ever seen or read about. Red-orange trees that were hundreds of feet high surrounded him, with smaller plants of every color growing peacefully underneath their shade. Isaac placed a hand on the grass underneath him. The grass was cold, covered in a slick layer of dew. Part of him was confused, I had always pictured the Tower floors to be darker, and more uh ... dungeony? He shook his head at the thought and opened his backpack. He needed to get organized and gain some levels. It had taken Isaac over 8 months to get to the capital from his small town on the border of the kingdom. He had taken every odd job that had been available in the larger towns he passed, from delivering messages to carrying equipment for parties of adventurers. And then he had turned around and used almost everything he made to purchase books and gain access to libraries. He had scoured hundreds of books for every bit of information that existed on the Tower and their Trials. Over time Isaac had come to the conclusion that the majority of the knowledge he had gained from his research was useless. Every person''s Novice Trial was different. There was only one thing that all of the authors had agreed on: inside the Tower, only the strongest thrived. Isaac reached into his backpack and pulled out a green shirt and pants. He had packed several sets of clothes in different colors, along with rations and water, and some basic equipment such as a small flame crystal to start fires and a bedroll. The green of his clothes was a shade lighter than the surrounding forest, but it would make him harder to see. Once he was changed, he headed in the direction of the howls he had heard earlier. His increased agility made him light on his feet, keeping him silent even as he manuvered over fallen branches and leaves. He had been running for nearly an hour when he reached the edge of the forest. The red-orange trees that he had become accustomed to seeing disappeared almost immediately, replaced with open grasslands lined with small rolling hills. Isaac raced to the nearest hill and scanned the grasslands. In the distance he could see the outline of a town, surrounded by a wall of stone. No one has ever mentioned that there are entire towns inside the Tower. Could the Tower be home to entire civilizations? He mentally filed the thought away for another time. If he completed his trial and made his way out of the Tower he would try and find someone that might know more and ask them about it. Perhaps someone at one of the academies might be able to give him more information.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Suddenly, Isaac heard a shout to his left. He dropped to the ground and crawled over to the edge of the hill so that he could get a better look at the treeline, "Hold the line! I said hold the line you fuckin'' dimwits!". Isaac saw a small group of people making their way out of the forest. They all looked bloodied and in terrible shape. Some of the people in the group were half dragging the others in the direction of the town, while five men in armor held spears and shields and walked backwards out of the forest in a single line, stopping and moving as a single unit. As the group got farther from the treeline, Isaac saw that they were being chased by a pack of huge, dark-furred wolves. Dire wolves. Shit, that''s bad. The wolves stalked after the men holding spears, occasionally breaking from the pack and charging. Every time that happened a bear of a man with a jet-black beard would shout and the line of men would thrust their spears as one. Without the trees as a natural funnel, the wolves had been able to spread out and get around the men and their line, directly targeting the injured members of the group. One of the wolves managed to get around the armed men and grab a women by the arm. Before the men could respond, the wolf had carried her away and into the middle of the pack. Isaac heard her screams for several long seconds, before they slowly died away. A screen appeared. The Tower has given you your first Trial! A group of people that live within the Tower is being attacked by a pack of Dire Wolves. Despite their greatest efforts there is little chance that they will be able to survive the onslaught. The Tower wishes to protect its people and has called upon you to save them. Will you rise to the challenge and reap the rewards? Trial Difficulty: Nightmare Requirements 1. All Dire Wolves must be killed - (20/20 remain) 2. At least half of the group must survive - (9/10 remain) Rewards Vary depending on Trial completion Chapter 4 That''s ... interesting. Despite all of Isaac''s research, none of it had mentioned that Trials were actually granted by the Mana System. Another shout of pain from the group below made him file the thought away in the back of his head. He had to come up with a plan. Isaac continued watching for another minute. The wolves were constantly charging into the five men with spears, and it was pretty obvious to him that they wouldn''t be able to hold out much longer. As he watched, two wolves, about 3 feet tall and 6 feet long, charged one of the spear-men at the end of the line. The man tried to lift his shield, but the man''s arm looked damaged and he didn''t get the shield up in time. One of the wolves recieved a spear to the eye from another man in the line, but the other wolf managed to latch onto the first man''s throat. The man''s body went limp and his spear and shield fell to the ground while the rest of the line furiously stabbed the wolf eventually bringing it down. Isaac didn''t have much time left before he failed the Trial. Without a moment of hesitation he slung his backpack across his shoulder and sprinted at the wolf that had taken a spear in the eye. The line of men had become so preoccupied with avenging their fallen comrade that they had completely forgotten about the one they had injured. Already the wolf was crouching, growling in frustration, pain and anger. He collided with the wolf at max speed, enhanced by his increased agility attribute and gravity. The backpack softened the blow just enough so that his bones didn''t shatter immedately upon impact. The wolf cried out in suprise as it flew back several feel. Isaac grit his teeth as pain shot through his right arm. Gonna feel that in the morning. He dropped the backpack and picked up the spear that one of the men had dropped earlier.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. * * * Evan Shadowblade watched in shock as the red-haired young man struck one of the wolves with his body. He was sure that the collison should have broken the boy, but his face remained impassive as he grabbed the spear that Artemis had dropped earlier. This man is a monster. The man crossed the distance between him and the wolf he had struck in the blink of an eye, sunk the spear into the wolf''s neck, and twisted. A fountain of blood erupted from the wolf''s neck as the man pulled the spear out, and the life drained from the wolf''s eye as its whimpers of pain died out. "Reform the line! Reform the line before I feed you to the damn wolves meself!" Evan roared to the men that were still looking slack-jawed at the newcomer. Their training kicked in at Evan''s words, and the remaining men came together to form a single line. They locked their shields together, and rested their spears on top, ready to die for the remaining men and women they had been entrusted to protect. * * * Isaac watched as the four remaining men locked shields. He was impressed by their discipline. These were hardened men who had thrived in combat. That much was obvious. A screen interrupted his train of thought. You have impressed General Evan Shadowblade and have gained positive notoriety with the Ascentarian Royal Guard. Growing relationships with groups that reside within the Tower can be extremely beneficial and often lead to more difficult trials with unique and powerful rewards. He waved the screen away with a thought. Royal Guard. That explains why they''re so well trained. He gripped the spear and turned to face the pack of wolves that remained. Chapter 5 Now that he had lost the element of surprise, Isaac wasn''t entirely sure what to do. They''d managed to kill two of the wolves, but that still left 18 of the damn things. He could see that the injured members of the group had managed to get about halfway to the town gates. Luckily, the wolf pack was more interested in killing the ones who had slain their brethren than they were hungry. Have to split their focus a little bit. If I can manage to get the attention of a couple of them then the guards might be able to clean up the rest. Isaac just had to make sure that he caused enough trouble that the wolves were more interested in them than they were in chasing after the group that was running away. He tightened his grip on the spear and picked up the shield that laid nearby. He was briefly surprised by how light it was. Huh, shouldn''t slow me down too much. The bigger problem was that Isaac didn''t actually have much experience with spears. His father was a guard for the village and had been able to teach him the basic stances for a number of weapons, including spears, but they had drilled with two handed versions and he had no idea the proper way to hold the smaller spear in his hand in conjunction with a shield. Isaac dared a glance over at the guards. His best bet was to mimic their stance and strike only vital areas. He bent his knees, raised the shield slightly higher, just below eye level, and let the length of the spear rest on top of the bronze shield. Two of the wolves took Isaac''s sudden change in stance as a challenge and charged him. As the first wolf closed in, Isaac struck out with the shield. There was a sickening crunch as metal met bone and the lead wolf''s snout exploded in a spray of blood. The force from the collision blasted him onto his back, causing him to lose his grip on the shield and blurring his vision. One of the other wolves sensed that he was vulnerable and leapt on top of him. It managed to pin Isaac''s spear arm under one of its massive paws, and raked the other across his chest. Isaac''s blurred vision went white as pain coursed through his body. His chest felt like it was on fire. He threw an elbow at the wolf''s face, but the blow hardly fazed the massive creature. The wolf raised its paw in the air again. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the the monster''s massive claws headed towards Isaac''s face. I guess this is where I die. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the blow. But it never came. Isaac opened his eyes to find an arrow lodged right in the middle of the wolf''s skull. He pushed the wolf off, an anger settling into his very soul. He had never felt so afraid ... so weak ... so helpless. He intended to never feel that way again. The sounds of fang on metal brought him out of his daze. He looked over and saw that the group of royal guards had managed to slay three wolves, but one of the guard''s arms hung limply by his side no longer usable.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Isaac picked up his spear and shield. His entire body screamed in pain and blood ran freely from three deep gashes on his chest. He began to walk towards the nearest wolf. The pain threatened to overtake him as he staggered and had to use the blunt end of the spear to steady himself. There''s too many of them. We''re all going to die. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away. He wasn''t a coward. If he was going to die, he was sure as hell going to take half of these damn things with him. * * * Evan and his men thrust their spears as another wave of wolves crashed against their shields. The group they had been protecting had reached the safety of the town and they had been able to overcome the number advantage the wolves had by putting their backs against one of the hills. He couldn''t see the young man from earlier anymore. One of the wolves had managed to tackle him to the ground so Evan figured he was probably dead. Not that it mattered, there were still at least a dozen wolves left and Ryan couldn''t even hold a shield up. It was only a matter of time. A horn in the distance shook Evan out of his musings. Three short horn blasts from somewhere nearby answered the call. Two men and a woman appeared out of thin air on top of a nearby hill. They aimed their bows at the pack with deadly grace and released arrows faster than he could see. Whispers. * * * Isaac watched in awe as wolves dropped around him. Each arrow found itself embedded in an eye or neck. The pack dissolved into chaos. Wolves tore at each other while trying to escape. Out of the corner of his eye Isaac saw one of the wolves making a last ditch lounge at the man who had been leading the royal guards. The large man was too focused on the rangers and the destruction they were causing to notice the giant wolf about to end his life. In a single fluid motion Isaac launched the spear in his hand at the wolf. It flew threw the air and caught the wolf midflight right in the throat. The creature was dead before it hit the ground with a loud thump. It took only seconds for the rangers to kill the wolves that remained. When the last wolf let out its final breath a screen appeared in front of Isaac. You have successfully completed your first Trial! The Tower had tasked you with a Trial that was outside the difficulty of a normal Novice Trial and you succeeded. With greater risks, come greater rewards. You earned 3000 experience points for successfully completing the Trial. You leveled up! You are now level 2. You gained 5 attribute points. You leveled up! You are now level 3. You have gained 5 attribute points. You have earned a Title! Titles are extremely rare passive powers that are bestowed by completing difficult Trials. Title: Here Comes The Cavalry (5% increased attack and defense to all members in the party) "HEY! KID! Can you hear me?" Chapter 6 Isaac finished reading the information on the screen and closed it with a thought. "Sorry, I was uh ... reading something". Did the people that lived within the Tower also have access to the Mana System? The man that had spoken to Isaac nodded in understanding. "Ay, you must be one of them new test-takers from outside the Trial. The Tower Interface takes a bit o'' getting used to". Tower Interface? He must be talking about the Mana System. Makes sense that people within the Tower would have their own name for it. The man must have noticed Isaac''s confusion because he let out a hearty chuckle. "You outsiders refer to it as your Mana System. Both and neither is correct I reckon, but it doesn''t really matter. My name is Evan". Evan pointed a thumb in the direction of the wolf that Isaac had speared, "thanks for the help back there. Me and the boys woulda been wolf chow if you hadn''t shown up". Isaac cast his eyes downward. "I should have moved sooner, you lost people because I hesitated". Evan''s eyes softened, "ain''t be doing you no good to worry about the past boy. Inside the Tower, death is cheap. We lost two lives, but we saved eight others". Evan held out his arm and Isaac clasped it. Two warriors acknowledging each other''s strength and offering respect. "Well now that you two have finished courting, perhaps we should head back to Aether before another pack shows up". Isaac turned around in the direction of the voice. A tall, lanky man in a hood had appeared behind them. His face was completely covered, making it impossible to discern his features even in the sunlight. He carried a bow in his right arm that was embezzled with gemstones and a quiver on his back with arrows made of what looked like some kind of white material. The man radiated an aura of danger. Every move he made was calculated and graceful. Isaac instinctively tightened the hold on his spear, but Evan simply bowed. "Of course Whisper, we are in your debt". The lanky man simply nodded, turned around, and started walking in the direction of the town. The rest of the guards followed while Isaac and Evan brought up the rear. "What''s a Whisper?" Evan stared thoughtfully at the hooded man before speaking. "It''s hard to say. They travel the different floors of the Tower and carry out the Tower''s will. They are warriors, rangers, and mages without equal. Best to keep on their good side".This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. They walked on for several more minutes without talking. The fight had been short, but brutal and everyone was weary. Isaac''s chest groaned in pain with every step, lessened only by the fistful of leaves that Evan had given him to chew on. As they walked Isaac recalled that he had leveled-up and that he should probably assign his attribute points. Attributes. ATTRIBUTE SCREEN You have 10 attribute points waiting to be assigned Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Agility: 15 Intelligence: 12 Isaac closed his eyes. The fight with the wolf pack had been brutal, but he had gained two entire levels. He knew that was already higher than the average level 2 that most people came out with during their Novice Trials. Most people waited to assign their points until they had gotten to the academy. That way they could get some guidance from their professors or their sponsors, but Isaac still had who knew how many days before his Novice Trial came to an end. He needed to make some decisions on his own. He thought back to the fight. He truly believed that if he had not hesitated then he might have been able to save even one more person. He had taken too long to understand the situation the group was in and come up with a plan. Increasing his intelligence should theoretically allow him to process information faster, and save more lives in the future. With that, he placed three points into Intelligence bringing it up to 15. The world seemed to brighten slightly. Smells, noises, and sounds suddenly seemed more vibrant. A notification appeared in front of his eyes. Congratulations! You have reached Tier 1 in your Intelligence attribute. While attributes typically don''t reach Tier 1 until they have reached 20 attribute points total, the Tower has gifted you another special Title. Title: The Smart Do Thrive (5 fewer attribute points required to reach the next Tier in Intelligence) By reaching Tier 1 in Intelligence you have been granted a random perk that embodies the attribute. You have acquired a new perk! Perk: Information Is King (you are able to pull information about any object or sentient being directly from their Mana System) Chapter 7 Isaac''s eyed widened as he read the description of Information Is King. He had poured over a number of encyclopedias that listed all kinds of known skills, perks and abilities, but he had never seen anything like it. He swiped away the rest of the notifications and glanced over at General Evan. Information. A screen prompt appeared as he finished his thought. Name: Evan Shadowblade Race: Human Level: 6 Class: Spearman Affiliation(s): Ascentarian Royal Guard (General), Aether Huh, thats going to come in handy. In the distance he could begin to make out the entrance to Aether. Twin gates, 20 feet tall and made of thick wood, stood open. Getting close, I better finish this up. Attributes. ATTRIBUTE SCREEN You have 7 attribute points waiting to be assigned Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Agility: 15 Intelligence: 15 After a moment of deliberation, Isaac decided that it made the most sense to place enough points into agility to get his Tier 1 perk and then evenly distribute the remaining points between his strength and constitution. That would give him the most immediate boost in power and help him survive the upcoming trials. Congratulations! You have reached Tier 1 in your Agility attribute. By reaching Tier 1 in Agility you have been granted a random perk that embodies the attribute. You have acquired a new perk! Perk: Danced With A God (you are immune to all movement impairing effects)A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A sharp stab of pain from his chest made Isaac grumble as he read over his newest perk. Well that would have come in handy a couple of hours ago. He took one last look at his final attribute screen as they neared the gate. ATTRIBUTE SCREEN Strength: 11 Constitution: 11 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 15 The two guards posted in front of the gate saluted as we approached. "General Evan! It''s good to see you sir. From the way that last group looked when they came in, we thought you were goners". The general returned the salute and forced a chuckle, "ay, twas nothing we couldn''t handle lads! Buy me a round at the tavern tonight and I can tell you all about it! ..." Isaac rolled his eyes as the young guards hung on every word Evan said. No doubt the general and his men would not go thirsty tonight. He took a moment to look for the Whisper that had brought them to the gates, but he was already gone. Isaac grimaced as his chest flared in pain again. The general must have noticed his discomfort because he waved the guards off and signaled for Isaac to follow him. "We''ll get that wound looked at and then head over to the Citymaster''s residence. He''ll want to hear my report and probably reward you for the part you played in keeping his group of Explorers alive". As they passed through the gates Isaac got his first good look at the town of Aether. The town was a blur of activity. Wagons and carts filled with items or people and pulled by muscled horses flew down stone roads, while merchants peddled items from weapons and armor to potions, jewelry and books. Kids ran after each other while playing games. Groups of guards walked amongst the merchants and nodded as they past. Isaac couldn''t help but stare in amazement. Who would have known that all of this could exist inside the Tower? "Explorers?" Isaac asked as he continued to take in the town. "Ahh, I forget yer from the outside. Explorers are groups sent by Citymasters to explore sources of strong, dark mana". Evan shrugged. "We received a report a couple of days ago about a new dungeon that had popped up in the middle of that forest you found us at". Isaac turned his attention to the general. "Is that common? For a new dungeon to just ..." he snapped his fingers, "come into existence like that?" Evan''s eyes narrowed and he looked up lost in thought. After several moments, the general turned and stared into Isaac''s eyes. "No. I mean it has happened before, but this dungeon was massive. I had to turn the whole team around the second we got a glimpse of it. Its mana stank of death". They walked in silence until they reached a large stone building in the shape of a cathedral. "This here is the Iteku healing house. They are contracted by the Royal Family and heal Royal Guards for free. Just tell them I sent you and they''ll take care of you". The general gave him a wink. "Someone will be here to escort you when yer done". With that the general turned on his heel and walked off in the opposite direction. Isaac took a quick glance at his surroundings and then headed up the steps of the cathedral and inside. A young women in light blue robes was seated on a desk inside a small room. She had an emblem that looked like a circle with a bird in the middle stitched onto her left breast. Must be the symbol of the healing house. The young woman looked up from the piles of paper that littered her desk. "Welcome to the Iteku healing house. How may we help you?" Chapter 8 Isaac pointed at this bloodstained shirt, "General Evan sent me". The young woman gave him a bored look and beckoned him closer. He approached the desk and before he could stop her she had pulled off his shirt and began poking and prodding his wound. "Looks like you lost a fight with a wolf". Isaac frowned, but the young girl simply laughed and continued to inspect the wound. "The cuts aren''t too deep, though it looks like there are early signs of infection. You''re lucky you got here when you did, infections are hard to treat, even for skilled healers". She moved over to the desk and wrote down some information on a piece of paper. "Take this and head through that door there," she pointed at a small wooden door, "take the first right and head into the room with the number 23 carved above the door. One of the healers will get to you when they can". One of the house healers came by about an hour or so after Isaac had dozed off on one of the chairs inside the room. The man didn''t speak much, but Isaac was fascinated at the healing techniques that the man used. He had read a bit about healing classes before and he knew that outside the Tower, most healers simply used magic to heal wounds. Healing magic simply sped up the natural recovery process of someone''s body, but used the body''s stamina as power. This was dangerous however, because if the healer wasn''t careful they could just as easily kill someone by using up too much of the body''s stamina while trying to heal a wound. In contrast, the man that healed Isaac didn''t rely directly on healing abilities or spells. Instead, the man covered his chest in bandages soaked in some foul smelling liquid for half an hour, and then stitched his wounds closed before finally using healing magic to finish closing up the wound and remove the scars. Some would probably argue that it was a waste of time and effort, but Isaac could see why the Royal Family had chosen the Iteku healing house to care for their guards. After the healer had finished, Isaac thanked him and walked out of the healing house. A man who had been sitting on the steps turned around and stood up as he heard Isaac approaching. The man had bright green eyes and chestnut colored hair. One of his arms lay in a sling. Obviously a soldier. Information. Name: Ryan Stonewall Race: Human Level: 4 Class: Spearman Affiliation(s): Ascentarian Royal Guard (Novice), Aether The man held out an arm, "Sir, my name is Ryan Stonewall, I was part of the guard sent to protect the group of Explorers that you helped rescue. General Shadowblade asked me to escort you to the Citymaster''s residence". Isaac clasped the man''s arm with his own. "I don''t know about any of that. I spent the majority of that fight with my ass on the ground". Ryan laughed pleasantly, his tone becoming more comfortable, "well regardless, me and the boys owe you a beer or two, so make sure you collect". The two walked for a little over half an hour, with Isaac asking Ryan questions about the town and the Tower. Aether had originally been built as an outpost to guard against roaming monsters that had been attacking neighboring villages. Due to it''s close proximity to the Burned Wilds, which Isaac had learned was the name of the forest that he had first landed in, the outpost had grown in size. The Wilds were popular with hunters since the beasts that could be found there were some of the highest levels available on the first floor of the Tower. That meant good experience, and money. It didn''t take long for the merchants to follow and set up shops in Aether. Over time, Aether had grown to its current size. Though it was still considered one of the smaller towns on the first floor, Aether had grown big enough for the Royal Family to send a detachment of Royal Guards to oversee the protection of the Citymaster. They eventually reached a large two story house with multiple guards patrolling the front gate. Isaac didn''t recognize any of the guards, but as they approached Ryan sent one of them to get General Evan. "It was good to meet you Isaac, make sure you come by the tavern later, Mary makes the best blackberry pie you''ve ever tasted and the beer is good enough". Isaac laughed and agreed to meet him and the rest of the guard later tonight, he was really looking forward to getting this meeting with the Citymaster over with so that he could get something to eat and then sleep the rest of the night. Mmm, damn, what I wouldn''t give for a blackberry pie right about now. His stomach grumbled in agreement.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Isaac watched as a group of guards led by General Shadowblade headed towards him. Evan grinned as he approached, "about time you got here lad, thought I was gonna have to listen to that damned fool of a man all by meself". Evan gestured Isaac to follow him. As Evan guided him through the house Isaac was amazed at the wealth on display. Silk adorned all of the windows and furniture, while suits of golden armor guarded different hallways. All kinds of weapons lined every room they passed. It all seemed so excessive. They eventually reached a large circular room filled with luxurious couches and seats. A group of five men and women were huddled near each other on the far side of the room engaged in what seemed to be an intense conversation. The group looked up as they entered the room and Evan gave them a quick nod. One of the older men from the group walked over, cupped his hands and bowed in front of General Evan. "General, we didn''t get the chance to thank you earlier for saving our lives. We are deeply sorry for the loss of one of your men". Several tense moments passed before the general sighed, "like I told the kid here earlier, death is cheap in the Tower, especially in our line of work. I just wish we could have saved all of you". The old man nodded, tears filling his eyes, he bowed his head again in respect and walked away. Another thirty minutes passed before the creaking of doors woke Isaac from his tired daze. A young man in red robes stepped out as the doors opened, "the Citymaster will see you now". Evan growled, clearly upset about having been made to wait for so long. "About damn time! ... The Citymaster would do well to remember that we are only here at the request of the Royal Family. My men and I will not be treated with the same indifference that he is so well known for". The implied threat in Evan''s voice was obvious: don''t fuck with me. The red robed man seemed to shrink under the general''s eyes, and he squeaked a reply that Isaac couldn''t hear as he ushered them past the doors and into a new room. The room that they entered was ... lavish. Half-naked women lay in beds or couches covered in golden silk. The jewlery they wore worth more than the entire village Isaac had grown up in. "Do you like what you see?", Isaac turned his head to see a short, middle-aged bald man wearing a ridiculous golden robe with red trimming seated on a chair that was obviously made to resemble a throne. Information. Name: Zian Frostbourne Race: Human Level: 9 Class: Frost Mage Role: Citymaster Affiliation(s): Royal Family, Aether, Mages Guild Isaac cupped his hands and bowed, "my apologies Citymaster Frostbourne, I was admiring your ... decor". Citymaster Zian raised an eyebrow, clearly suprised that Isaac knew his name. Oops, gotta be more careful about that. Luckily for him, General Evan decided to speak up at that moment. "Citymaster, the Explorer''s and I are here to give our report regarding the dungeon that has appeared within the Burned Wilds". The Citymaster kept his eyes on Isaac for a moment longer before turning to face Evan. He gave a small wave, "continue." The older man that had approached them earlier stepped forward as he cleared his throat. "Several days ago we had received word from a number of hunters that a new dungeon had spawned in the Wilds. As you are aware, dungeon spawns are not exactly common so the Explorers Guild put a team together to map it". The man clenched his fists as he continued speaking, "we found the dungeon exactly where the sightings had indicated it would be, but ..." he hesitated and looked over at General Evan who spoke up in his place, "when we approached the dungeon, we received a notification on our Tower Interfaces. The message warned us that entering the dungeon would result in all of our deaths. It ordered us to return to Aether and gather an army before trying to clear the dungeon". As General Evan finished speaking, a screen appeared in front of Isaac. The Tower has given you a Hero Trial! An unknown dungeon has appeared on the first floor of the Tower inside the Burned Wilds. The Tower fears that there are mysterious and powerful forces behind its sudden appearance. If the dungeon remains open and uncontested, it is certain that the monsters it unleashes will wreak complete havoc across the first floor. The Tower wishes to destroy the dungeon and has called upon you to lead the forces that will be rallied against it. Trial Difficulty: Unknown Requirements: 1. Destroy the dungeon that threatens the first Floor of the Tower Optional Requirements 1. Discover who or what raised the dungeon Rewards Vary depending on Trial completion Chapter 9 Isaac re-read the screen three times. Then once more for good measure. The Tower wants me to do what now? * * * Evan''s vision blurred briefly and a screen appeared as he finished his report. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see faces glaze over as the rest of the men and women in the room had screens materialize in front of them too. The Tower has requested your assistance! You and your men have put their lives on the line, some of you committing the ultimate sacrifice, in order to investigate the appearance of an unknown dungeon. You have rightfully concluded that the dungeon has not manifested naturally, and the Tower fears the destruction that it could unleash onto the first Floor. The Tower has issued a call to arms to destroy this dungeon. All those who heed the call will be rewarded. Temporary teleportation portals have been created in all major towns and cities. A NEW DUNGEON RAID HAS BEEN FORMED! Raid will begin in 30 days! Location: Aether Raid Leader: Isaac King * * * Isaac waved the screen away slowly, still puzzled by what he had read. Several moments passed before Isaac noticed that the room had gone completely silent. He looked up to find that every single person in the room was staring at him. Well, this is awkward. He absently wiped his face with a sleeve, "what?" Evan erupted into laughter, the sound vibrating off the walls. "I knew I was right about ya lad! An honest-ta-god raid leader! Right here in Aether! I''ll be telling this story for ages!" "Raid leader?" A new screen answered Isaac''s question. The Tower has granted you a Title! Title: Raid Leader (10% increased attack and defense to all members in a party or raid; you are able to share the benefits of a single perk to all members in your party or raid. Perks are limited to those you have acquired.)This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. There was a glint in Evan''s eyes as he spoke. "Raids are battles of legend. Entire floors united together against a common enemy. The Tower hasn''t called a raid in centuries. And as far as I know, there has never been one on the first floor ... " the large man took a moment to compose himself, "every raid is led by someone chosen by the Tower, a Raid Leader. Don''t ask me how that choice is made, books written by others far smarter than I have tried to answer the question and failed". Evan stared straight into Isaac''s eyes, "and you boy ... you''ve been chosen". The next couple of hours were a flurry of activity. It seemed that every single person in Aether had received the notification about the upcoming raid. Even the Citymaster seemed to respect Isaac''s new position. Evan had immediately put a detail of four Royal Guards to escort Isaac everywhere. "There will be those that are ... envious ... of the position that you have been granted. Raid leaders are rare, mythic even. The Tower has not seen one in centuries, and the rewards bestowed upon those who are successful in their mission are likely to be ... impressive". Great. Thanks Tower. Great job. Isaac shook his head. His combat experience was limited, and he surely didn''t have any experience commanding armies of men and women. Not to mention that dungeons existing within the Tower was completely new to him. None of the books he had read had made any mention of them. His stomach grumbled. Damn, I haven''t eaten since this morning. I''m starving. He turned to one of the guards that had been assigned as part of his protection detail. "Hey Ryan, let''s go get a slice of that blackberry pie". Ryan grinned, "now that sounds like a good fuckin'' idea". The group escorted him quickly from the Citymaster''s residence. Despite the armed guards, nobody paid them any attention. Hundreds of armed soldiers moved in the direction of the town barracks, while men in red robes, whom Isaac could only assume worked for the Citymaster, could be seen running into and out of every weapon, armor, and potion shop in the city. Smoke drifted from the inside of every crafting house as metal clanged against metal. The entire town was preparing for war. Eventually, the group reached a small tavern near the outskirts of the town. A weathered sign read "The Dirty Dwarf". Wait, are dwarves real? Isaac considered asking Ryan, but the thought was forgotten the moment they entered the tavern. The smell of roasted meat and baked bread reached his nose and in that moment nothing else mattered. Ryan waved over to a small woman at the far end of the bar as they walked in, "Mary! Two of your best blackberry pies and a couple of ales for all of us!". The small woman smiled and gave them a thumbs-up before going back to dealing with customers. A couple of minutes went by and Ryan introduced him to the other three guards that made up his protection detail. "This here is Simmons, Jason, and Yerrick", he pointed at each of the men as they sat down. Several hours passed as Isaac and the group of Royal Guards ate and drank. They talked about their lives in the Tower and their adventures as Royal Guards. They asked Isaac questions about the world outside the Tower, the academies, and the small town he had grown up in. As night-time fell, Isaac began to doze off again, the alcohol in his body making it harder to stay awake. "General Evan has paid for your room upstairs, so go up and get some rest. Me, Simmons, Jason, and Yerrick will take turns guarding the door to your room. It''s on the second floor, third to the right". Ryan held out a key. Isaac took the key and nodded, then stumbled his way up the stairs, quickly wishing Mary goodnight as he passed. He placed the key into the lock and scrambled inside. He was so tired that he didn''t bother to take off his bloody clothes and climbed into bed. Isaac was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Chapter 10 Isaac woke up feeling like his head had been used as a blacksmith''s hammer. There was a slight ringing in his ears that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. He groaned in pain as he realized that someone was pounding on his door. The noise reverberated off the walls, assaulting Isaac with what felt like physical blows. "Time to wake up yer highness! We''ve got a raid to plan!" Isaac could practically hear Evan''s grinning as he continued to yell and pound on the door. I swear i''m going to kill that man, Isaac thought as he buried his head under his pillow. * * * Evan hadn''t gotten a wink of sleep since the Tower had sent out a call-to-arms to the entire floor. Thirty hours had passed since the announcement, but soldiers, crafters, healers, and merchants from all over the floor had flocked to Aether through the Tower''s Teleportation Portals over-night. Dozens of leaders from towns and kingdoms across the first floor had already arrived, and even more had sent word that they were on their way. He had never seen anything like it. Going to be more bloody work to organize everyone than destroying the actual bloody dungeon fer Tower''s sake. He made his way through the underground tunnels beneath Aether. It had become impossible to move above ground at any reasonable speed. Every single bit of space had been filled with make-shift merchant stalls or crafting huts. The number of people that had arrived had quickly exceeded the capacity of their small town and dozens of temporary longhouses and solider barracks had begun to appear outside of the walls. And of course, with their arrival came the unrelenting assault of questions and demands. Questions about the dungeon, its monsters and their levels, and demands to meet the raid leader. Evan sighed to himself as he climbed the stairs of The Dirty Dwarf. Ryan, the guard on duty, gave him a nod when he noticed him. "Kids still sleeping somehow," Ryan said as he pointed a thumb at the door behind him. Evan gave the guard a quick grin before walking up to the door, "won''t be fer long". He cracked his knuckles. Let''s hope that the boy is ready to accept the responsibility that he has been entrusted with. * * * Fifteen minutes later, Evan, Isaac, and his group of guards were sitting down at a table on the first floor of The Dirty Dwarf waiting for Mary to bring them breakfast. Isaac''s head still felt like it was going to explode and he had to cup his hands over his ears to drown out the worst of the noise. Evan cleared his throat, "listen lad, the next few weeks are going to be tough. You''re going to be expected to make some decisions, and many of them will cost lives. There is a reason the Tower has chosen you, even if no one else knows it. Even if you don''t know it." "Two days ago I got my face caved in by some noble. Yesterday, I nearly got my ass bitten off by a wolf. I know absolutely nothing about commanding armies and even less about raiding dungeons. I think it''s pretty safe to say that i''m in way over my head. I''m not afraid of leading. But how can I lead people to their deaths knowing that I can''t protect them?" Isaac picked at his breakfast as he spoke, not wanting to make eye contact with any of the men that surrounded him. Several moments passed. Then one-by-one, Evan, Ryan, Simmons, Jason, and Yerrick stood and took a knee. General Evan spoke, a tear running down the corner of his eye as his gruff voice pierced the shroud of indecision that clouded Isaac''s mind. "Aye, that there might be the reason that you were chosen lad. Others would have led and cared little about the cost of the ultimate victory. In the Tower, death is cheap. You may not be strong enough today or tomorrow. But it be clear as rain to me and the men here that one day, there will be little that can stop you, whether that be inside or outside the Tower". Evan removed the blade from its sheath and held it in both of his palms. He bowed his head. The others followed his example. "I, Evan Shadowblade, beg the Tower to dissolve my duty to the Royal Crown in pursuit of a higher purpose. I offer my sword, my life, and my soul to Isaac King and to his goals. To fight at his side, and to guide him to the best of my abilities. I do hereby offer my fealty to you". Isaac''s eyes widened as he read the screen that appeared before him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Evan Shadowblade has begged the Tower to dissolve his duty to the Royal crown of the first Floor. The Tower has agreed! Evan Shadowblade has offered you his sword and his life, binding himself to you until the day he draws his last breath. You have gained an oath-bound companion! While citizens born within the Tower are not allowed to leave, this restriction does not apply to oath-bound companions. One-by-one the rest of the guards repeated the oath. Isaac saw their eyes light up in surprise as they read an invisible screen. * * * Evan could hardly believe what he was reading. His hands shook as he re-read the screen in front of him for the sixth time. The Tower has agreed to allow you to dissolve your duty to the Royal crown! You are now oath-bound to Isaac King! As you are now oath-bound to an Outsider, you are allowed to leave the Tower as you please. Even the gods cannot stand between you and your oath! You are now oath-bound to a Raid Leader! His trials are now your trials. His strength is now your strength. You have acquired a new title! Title: With This Power, I Keep My Oath (gives access to the Oathkeeper class) You have gained access to a new class! Class: Oathkeeper Oathkeepers are the ancient guardians of god-kings. They are masters of stealth, blades, bows, and magic. Driven to uphold their oaths, even gods fall at their feet. Your previous class has been erased. All class and skill points have been refunded. * * * The guards had been so overwhelmed by their sudden change in class that they had completely forgotten that Isaac existed for almost an hour. It wasn''t until one of the Citymaster''s red-robed lackeys had come by looking for Evan that they finally settled down. Evan cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed that he had completely forgotten the reason he had come here in the first place. "Right, so Citymaster Zian has set up a meeting with the leaders that have shown up so far. They have been demanding to meet you. Just remember lad, these are powerful people. Leaders of nations and towns that are triple the size of Aether. All of them will be bringing thousands of men, some ten times that number, over the next few weeks. In the Tower, the strong thrive". He looked over at Ryan, a wild glint in his eye, "impress me". Ryan stepped forward, beckoning everyone closer. His eyes were full of excitement, and his body let out an aura of power that hadn''t existed before. "Hold onto your meal boys!" Ryan closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. "Lanuae Magicae Nobis!" The space surrounding Isaac and the guards seemed to distort for a moment. The air grew warm and heavy, and Isaac could feel a pull, much like the one that he had felt when he had first entered the portal to the Tower, but much less powerful. Isaac blinked his eyes and in that single moment, they were no longer standing inside The Dirty Dwarf. Ryan laughed maniacally as they took a moment to look around and found that they were standing in the middle of the circular room at the Citymaster''s house that Isaac had been in previously. "Wait, what the hell?!" Isaac looked over at Ryan, who was now sitting on the floor covered in sweat. Evan jumped in overzealous excitement, which looked hilarious given that the man was as large as a bear and could barely get off the ground. "Alright lads, i''ll lead Isaac in. You three get Ryan over to a healer". Ryan shook his head, "i''m fine, just tired, that wiped out most of my mana-", but Evan just waved him off, "healer. now". Simmons grabbed Ryan by the shoulders and lifted him up, "don''t worry boss, we got him". Evan gave a quick nod and turned to look at Isaac. "Ready lad?" "No, but this is my trial". Evan stopped and looked at him, a fire that Isaac hadn''t noticed before burning deep in his eyes. "No lad, not anymore. This is our trial now". A dozen heads turned to look at them as they walked through the door. Citymaster Zian got up from his throne as he saw them enter, and clasped his hands together like he was thanking the heavens. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Isaac King. Your raid leader". Chapter 11 Evan mentioned that the people of the Tower respect power and strength. I need to convey that somehow. Convince them I am worth following. "Uhh ... yes, umm," Isaac gulped, "hi i''m Isaac". You fucking idiot. Isaac could hear Evan start chuckling softly behind him as he stared at the faces studying him. Several of them seemed to be at a loss for words, their mouths hanging slightly open, while others openly regarded him with looks of contempt. After several awkward moments of silence, one of the men stepped forward, "this ... this is the man," the word oozed with disdain, "that the Tower has chosen to be our Raid Leader?" Isaac narrowed his eyes and turned to face the man that had spoken, ignoring the mixture of gasps and snickers that spread through the room. Evan stepped forward, his hand on his blade, but Isaac stopped him with a look. He took a moment to get a clear look at the man. He was the youngest of all of the leaders in attendance, tall, with deep blue eyes that seemed to be filled with resentment, and sun-blonde hair that fell to his shoulders. His body was covered in deep blue silk, and he wore a sword on the right side of his hip, the pommel encrusted with jewels. Isaac noted that almost half of the guards that stood around the room had moved slightly as Evan had reached for his sword. Information. Name: Lithriss Duras Race: Human Level: 9 Class: Paladin Role: Prince Affiliation(s): Royal Family, Veridian, Paladin Order Isaac sighed as he read the information. I just can''t catch a fucking break. "Is there something you would like to say, Lithriss?" Isaac''s voice was calm and soft, but the casual way he had brought up the prince''s name spoke volumes. Lithriss stood there for a fraction of a second, confused by the sudden change in character that had overcome Isaac. The prince opened his mouth to reply, but a voice, raw with power, spoke up first, "that is quite enough. We are here to discuss the course of action that must be taken over the next few weeks. The Tower has not called a raid for as long as I have lived, and some of us, including myself, have seen centuries pass by ..." the voice chuckled softly at his words as he gestured to those in the room, "and yet some of you children, " he eyed Lithriss, "would rather stroke your ego and play your infuriating politics than prepare for a war that may be your last". Isaac saw a flicker of fury cross the prince''s face before disappearing as if it had never been there. He''s going to be a problem. Lithriss gave a curt bow to a tall, lanky man that Isaac immediately recognized as the Whisper that had helped them against the dire wolves, seated near the back of the room. His skin was wrinkled and scarred, and he rested his head on a simple staff carved from unassuming wood. His eyes shone a brilliant green, and they betrayed a cunning and youthfulness that seemed at odds with the rest of his body. "Of course Whisper, let us continue". Isaac bowed deeply to the Whisper, offering a silent thanks. He cleared his throat loudly and waited for the leaders to end their whispered conversations. His brief encounter with the prince had cleared his mind and settled his nerves. "It seems we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. My name is Isaac King. The Tower has placed me in charge of this dungeon raid". He took a moment to acknowledge the man that had spoken out earlier, "the Whisper is right. If we are to succeed, those of us here must work together to formulate a plan of action ..." he waved Evan forward, "Evan here was part of the group that was sent to map the dungeon. I will ask him to repeat his earlier report to everyone present". Isaac moved backward and ushered the wide-eyed Evan forward with a smirk. That''s for waking me up punk! It took Evan a few seconds to get going. Despite the fact that he was no longer technically a Royal Guard, obedience and deferment to leaders and nobles had been engraved into his body. He started and stopped several times, casting sideways glances at the prince, until he finally seemed to find his courage. "The truth of the matter is that we do not know much. We had received several reports from local hunters about the possible appearance of a new dungeon about a week ago. The Citymaster put together a group of Explorers to investigate the reports and map the dungeon, and assigned a group of men from the Royal Guard to defend them". He let his words sink in, waiting for the hushed conversations to settle before continuing. "We managed to locate the entrance to the Dungeon but were not able to enter. We received a warnin'' from the Tower and were told to return to Aether. As we turned around to head back, one of the gates to the Dungeon opened and released a pack of Dire Wolves. We fled, but not before suffering heavy losses. Eventually, we ran into the raid leader, who along with a group of Whispers helped us kill the pack". Evan looked down at his feet, and Isaac knew that he was still struggling with his inability to protect the lives he had been assigned. "While we didn''t manage ta get a good look at the inside of the Dungeon, several of the Explorers have put together some information. I dun know the specifics, but I will have them brought over so that they may share what they found out".Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Isaac nodded to the assembled leaders as Evan finished speaking, "I will give you all some time to discuss what you have heard amongst yourselves. We will reconvene in an hour". He watched as the leaders formed groups and talked to each other at length. Dozens of indistinguishable voices scattered across the hall. There are too many voices. Too many opinions. I will need to rely on their experience, but that experience needs to be funneled in some way. An hour passed by relatively quickly. Eventually Isaac stood up and the ongoing conversations quieted. "I have given you time to talk to one another. Now we must move forward". There was an immediate explosion of voices. "Leader! We must speak about how rewards and loot will be distributed! ..." "We must send out a group to explore the Dungeon! We hardly have any information! ..." "We should attack at once! Hundreds of my men have already arrived! This dungeon cannot stand against our combined forces! ..." And on and on it went. After only a few minutes Isaac was already beginning to feel the beginnings of a headache. "ENOUGH!" he roared. Isaac sat down on a chair that Evan had brought by earlier. He was exhausted and having to deal with these "leaders" who acted no better than the spoiled nobles that Isaac was used to dealing with outside the Tower was making him irritable. "There are too many of you to get anything done. Too many people with opinions, probably all of them valid, but too many nonetheless". He sighed as he looked over the faces of those assembled before him. "You will vote. Everyone will be allowed to nominate someone," he stared at Lithriss, "other than themselves to represent them as part of a Raid Council. There will be only five members of the council to represent all of you, so choose wisely. They along with me and Evan will make up the seven members of the council. Is that understood?" There were nods of agreement and ''ayes'' from the group of leaders, some even gave Isaac looks of approval. "That was a good move lad. These men have been playing at secret wars for years. Using diplomacy, and politics instead of blades and magic. All of them vying for more power. By making them elect a council they are now forced to work together and pick the men most qualified to look after the interests of the whole group", Evan whispered from behind him. "I nominate Prince Duras!" Of fucking course. He turned to look at Evan, and the man just shrugged, "fools". In the end, there were eleven nominations total, but the Whisper refused his nomination, stating that he was not allowed to interfere in such matters. Another round of voting ended with five candidates: two older men by the names of Eric Hallow and Daryl Blaze, an old woman known as Ariel Theon, a young woman called Emily Ironblood, and of course Prince Lithriss. The council talked for another hour around dinner served by servants before agreeing to meet early tomorrow and put together a plan for the next few weeks. After the council had left the Citymaster''s residence, Isaac groaned and fell back into his chair, his eyes staring at the ceiling. "So what are you going to do?" Evan asked, worry marring his usually gruff and cheery voice. "I''ll propose a scouting mission. The council is mostly in agreement that we do not know nearly enough to do anything for the near future. We need to know more information about the dungeon and its dangers". "You''ll need to get stronger". Isaac stared at the face of the man who had sworn his life to him. If he closed his eyes, he could almost make himself believe that Evan was his father, chastising him about something he had forgotten. "Yes, I know". He looked around the room. "Where is the Whisper?" A shadow along one of the walls seemed to fade in and then out of existence. A moment later there was the tall, lanky man from earlier. "I am here". "Whisper, I have a question, and maybe a favor to ask of you". The Whisper''s eyes became unfocused for a moment before he stared at Isaac. "Ask then". "I need to be able to protect the people that have been placed under my care. I have little skill with a weapon and even less experience in leadership or command. I need a teacher. I was hoping that teacher could be you". The Whisper eyed Isaac carefully, seeming to peer through his body and into something ... else. For a second, Isaac felt a small pressure in the back of his mind, but it was gone so quickly that he wasn''t even sure that it had ever been there in the first place. "No". Isaac looked away, shame and anger clouding his vision. There will have to be another way. The Whisper approached Isaac, a malicious grin on his face. "I am no teacher boy. But ..." he laughed softly, "there are others. I will send for them. You may live to regret the day you asked for this. But, I suppose you will be alive".