《The Chronicles of Kevin's Mistakes》 Mistake #1: Just a Dream Weightless. That''s what Kevin felt like right now. But...no, that wasn''t the right word. He didn''t feelweightless, he felt like something was missing. Something important. He felt...empty. Yes, that was it.Empty. But why? Why was he empty? Shouldn''t he be filled with something? Shouldn''teveryhuman being be filled with something? Kevin reached up to stroke his chin and realized he couldn''t feel it. Then he realized he didn''t have a hand to stroke that chin. Ah, he thought.I''m empty because I don''t have a body...Make sense. But wait.Whydidn''t he have a body? He felt as though he should because bodies were important. A human being¨Dno,everybeing needed a body; a brain to control it, a heart to pump blood, lungs to breathe¨Dor whatever the case was for marine life. He should havethatbut he didn''t. Which feltwrongbecause he was a human and humansneeded bodies. Wait amoment. What''sa human? And how did he know he was one? Before he could further ponder his existence, a voice spoke. [Ah. What is this? Another soul has crossed into my realm. Two in a row! Just my luck.] Kevin turned¨Dwait, he didn''t have a corporeal form; how could he move? Whatever. It didn''t matter. The point is, he was now facing the owner of the voice...You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ...Which was a bear that doubled the size of the Great Sphinx. Wait...how did he know what a bear was? Or a-a Great Sphinx? How did he knowanything? And how was he male? He didn''t even have a- [Calm thyself,] the voice uttered, sounding mildly annoyed. [Your distress vibes are messing me up.] Kevin stopped trying to make sense of anything and just stared at the bear, who stared back at him. They had a staring match for several seconds before the bear blinked. [Whatwas I saying again? Oh, that''s right. I''m supposed to do something with you...] The bear leaned back on an invisible chair and stroked its chin¨DKevin felt slightly envious.Hecouldn''t do that. [I passed up on that other soul since the meant-for-greatness vibes werestrong. But you...you smell like nothing special. No one would miss you if you disappeared.] A hungry glint flashed in its black, beady eyes. Kevin started to tremble, feeling something he didn''t quite understand. All he knew was that every fiber of his being wanted him to begonefar from the giant bear. It bared its horrible fangs and took a swipe at him. But then another voice interrupted: [Stop!] The bear hesitated before pulling back its paw and snarling. [Mind your business, Morgan. This ismymeal!] [You are ever the gluttonous beast, Ursa. You''re looking quite round in the middle; I''m sure you could afford to lay off a soul or two.] The bear reared up on its hind legs and growled threateningly. The vaguely feminine voice tutted as if it were a mother scolding a child.[Now, now. No need to get hostile. You know you couldn''t beat me anyway. Give me the soul and I''ll be on my way.] [What?] Ursa cried in outrage. [I earned this! Fair and square!] [You mean you found it wandering near your realm and decided to take it?] [Well,yeah, but everybody does that! You can''t steal it!] [Are you sure about that?] And with awhoosh, Kevin was gone. Away from the monstrous bear and the disembodied voice.
When Kevin opened his eyes again, he was tucked in his bed, safe and sound. He quickly took a peek under the blankets, confirmed everything was still there, and settled down to fall back asleep. That dream had been disturbing, but that''s all it was: a dream. Nothing would comeout of it. He was goingto be okay. Mistake #2: Jeffrey Kevin was awake once more and found himself face to face with a small glowing orb. It rested on his pillow, mere inches away from his sharp, pointed nose. What was this thing? Kevin jerked back when he heard the voice and, in his blind panic, tangled himself in the folds of his blanket. Fighting to free himself¨Dand get away from whatever just spoke to him¨Dhe toppled onto the stone floor. Wait...stone floor? He had wooden floorboards! Was...was he still in the dream? the voice snapped. Kevin decided that the voice was right; panicking wasn''t going to help him. He carefully managed to get his arms out from under the blanket and pulled his legs out soon after. Then he stood up, cautiously, with his blanket clutched in one hand. The orb seemed to...beam at him. Weird. He studied it further, finding that it was perfectly spherical in shape; no ridges, no slight imperfections. At a seemingly random thought, his mind took him back to when he was a dweeb, reading dungeon core stories 24/7. Was that what this thing was? A gemstone capable of bringing down massive kingdoms given enough time and resources? Except, well, it was an orb, but anyway, it was still incredibly powerful. Did he own this thing? The orb pulsed again. Kevin frowned. That was the thing in dungeon core stories. They were reincarnated losers whose soul was trapped in some sort of gem. He sighed. Well, the wimp inside probably needed a minute or two to get used to its new powers, so he might as well get back to sleep. He reached down and picked up the core. It was cold in his hands and started to tremble as the voice cried out: Kevin scowled and tossed the orb away. It shouldn''t have been taking up space on his pillow anyway! He heard a thunk as the orb landed on the ground and wondered if the core felt pain from being touched. Oh, well. Wasn''t his problem. It just needed to get strong enough to make him rich!Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The voice growled from behind him, Kevin sighed once more. It certainly was needy, wasn''t it? Turning, he bent down so he could flick the core gently. "Aww," he cooed. "Does the little wittle core need some attention?" The orb pulsed angrily, nearly blinding him. Kevin cursed and smacked the core away. It let out a strangled cry as it sailed across the room¨Dwhich he now noticed was quite small, containing only his dresser, bed, and a short pedestal¨Dand crashed into the wall. "Stupid core," he muttered, rubbing the pain out of his eyes. "If I end up dying while blind, I''m coming back to haunt you!" the voice said with a strained voice. Kevin grit his teeth and stomped over to the core. He raised his bare foot threateningly over its small form. "I bet I don''t need you to keep going now, do I?" the voice said simply, without a hint of terror in its voice. Kevin snorted at its defiance. "Oh, please, this is just a dream. If I died, I''d just wake up again." The voice paused and it''s light dialed down just a touch before it let out a sigh. "And what else would it be? Some sort of hallucination?" "Why would I want to fight?" Kevin interrupted. "Building stuff is cool. What kind of crafting classes are there?" The voice paused again before it started talking in an increasingly panicked tone. Kevin smirked. "Who''s the idiot now? Show me all the crafting classes you have!" the voice mumbled. Its voice changed, turning a bit robotic in tune. A screen opened up before Kevin''s eyes. "Woah," he murmured. "This is awesome." He saw so many different classes. [Leatherworker], [Alchemist], [Carpenter], and more. But the thing was...he knew he couldn''t pick just one. He looked down at the core. "Hey, you. There''s got to be, like, a [Jack of All Trades] class, right? Show me that one." The voice let out a loud and quite exaggerated sighed.
Class Name: Jack of All Crafts Class Description: Those who have this class will be able to learn and use the skills of any kind of crafting class. As a result, their skill leveling speed is halved. Class Skills: [Fast Learner]-Lets you learn crafting skills 1.5X faster than normal [Multi-Class Skilled]-Lets you take crafting skills from all crafting classes
Kevin grinned. "I''ll take it!" Mistake #3: Lazy Jeffrey sighed. He couldn''t believe his luck. When he first met Ursa, the bear spirit, he''d thought he''d hit a gold mine. Dying and being reincarnated? Epic! Being told his ''vibes had great potential''? Even more epic! Being reincarnated into a dungeon core was a little...less epic. He''d wanted to be some sort of great figure in the world, proving his worth, taking on dangerous villains who threatened the world with harm. Sure, it was childish, but it didn''t hurt to dream, right? When he learned what he now was¨Da Tower Core, mind you¨Dhis elation had taken a serious hit. Cores were the bad guys; they made terrible monsters, deadly traps, and were a threat to the rest of humanity...and other species. Why''d he have to become one? Adventurers would come in, trash whatever he made, and do whatever they''d like with him. But the system, who''d he taken to calling Rupert and imagined it with a male, German-sounding accent, had told him that once adventurers reached the end of the line, that wasn''t what was in store for him. Towers not only had Cores but Managers, the last line of defense. They kept both the Core¨Dwhich, in Jeffrey''s totally unbiased opinion, was the more important part¨Dand the treasure safe. Said treasure was an unassuming key; one so forgetful you might toss it on a table and forget about it a second later. He guessed that whoever had made them thought that if they were for something important, it was best to not make them flashy. He had, at the time, applauded their creator for that stroke of brilliance. Now he cursed them for it because he couldn''t convince this giant dipstick of a Manager that it was important. Jeffrey banged his fists against the walls of his orb prison, gritting his teeth. His eyes bore daggers into his Manager, who looked relaxed and positively unaware that Jeffrey wished he could break out of this thing and strangle him¨Dwhich would lead to both of their deaths, so he forced himself to calm down. he said, taking a deep breath, The Manager¨DJeffrey really outta learn his name soon; repeating that was getting annoying¨Dwaved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. It''s just a stupid key; I don''t care. Just, like, send me a map of this place already. I wanna explore.> Jeffrey sighed as he felt the command try to take over his being. This was such a huge restriction. If that prick ordered him to do something stupid¨Dlike, say, giving him a freaking crafting class¨Dhe would be forced to do it, no questions asked. He needed to figure out a way to loosen up the controls, ASAP. But for now, he turned around and looked at the giant computer taking up most of the space in his orb. Sitting down, he automatically went at the thing, searching through the core database for the file he''d put the map of the Tower in. He felt his mouth open against his will and that stupid robotic voice came out. Once the deed was done, control was at once restored to him and he pushed himself away from the computer. God, this whole taking-control-over-my-body thing is really gonna do something to screw up in the near future, he thought. But I guess this is just some protective measure to make sure the Cores don''t act out... He turned to glare at his Manager. What I wouldn''t wish to send a monster hoard after this bimbo. "What is this?" the Manager sputtered, staring accusingly at Jeffrey''s orb. "A freaking maze? What is this, Indiana Jones?" Jeffrey''s eyes flashed. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "I don''t care about basic designs!" he shouted. "Don''t you know how inconvenient a maze would be for me to walk around? Especially with all these twists and turns...Oh, come on! There are two floors to this?" <...Keeping the future invaders away from me and the treasure is crucial to our survival¨D> "Will you please shut up about that stupid key! It doesn''t even matter! If we can''t use it here, what use does it have at all?" "Who is Rupert?" <...It''s what I call my system...> "What kind of nerd names a computer? What''re you trying to be, Tony Stark?" Deep breaths, Jeffrey, deep breaths. If he dies, you die. Remember that. Deep breaths, Jeff. Just breath. That''s it. You''ve got it now. Just stay nice and calm. That''s right. You''re doing good-oh, no, what is he doing now? Jeffrey called out as the Manager picked him up. Being touched felt horrible. His orb needed to stay out of the hands of this fool! "Show me how to take over building this stupid Tower or whatever it''s called." Jeffrey panicked as he felt the strange feeling enter his body again. Once the Manager had it, he simply tossed Jeffrey''s orb to the side and went about screwing everything over. Good Lord, Jeffrey muttered, folding himself up on the small couch he had imagined in here with him. I''m not gonna make it passed tomorrow, am I? He closed his eyes and wallowed in self-pity, ignoring the sounds of his hard work being taken apart, piece by piece. Rupert pinged him, bringing him out of his death contemplation.
{Tower Manager KEVIN BRUBAKER has edited Tower Schematic.} ...
Deep breaths, Jeff. Deep breaths. Just take a look at what he did. It''s all going to be okay. You''ll be fine. Everything is going to be¨D Jeffrey cried, his hands gripping the computer''s monitor so hard the screen cracked.
Removals: First Floor Maze Schematic Traps
  • 10x Weak Pit Trap (20 TP)
  • 5x Weak Pressure Plate Trap (10 TP)
  • 2x Weak False Floor (20 TP)
  • Regained: 50 Tower Points
Construction
  • 10x Tiny Sized Room (50 TP)
  • 1x Basic Sized Room (10 TP)
  • 15x Short Hallway (30 TP)
  • Regained: 90 Tower Points
Mobs
  • 10x Level 1 Goblin (20 BP)
  • 5x Level 1 Kobold (25 BP)
  • 3x Level 1 Acid Spitter (30 BP)
  • Regained: 75 Bio Points
Total Tower Points Regained: 140 Total Bio Points Regained: 75 Total Tower Points: 600 Total Bio Points: 100 Additions: First Floor House Schematic Construction Bedroom Set:
  • 1x Standard Size Room (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade King Sized Bed (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade armoir w/ mirror (15 TP)
  • 2x A-grade hamper (30 TP)
  • 1x A-grade nightstand (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade wooden floorboards (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade rug (15 TP)
  • Total: 120 TP
Living Room Set:
  • Standard Size Room (15 TP)
  • 2x A-grade armchair (30 TP)
  • 1x A-grade red leather coucher (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade bookshelf (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade wooden floorboards (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade rug (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade fireplace (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade desk w/ chair (15 TP)
  • Total: 135 TP
Kitchen Set:
  • Standard Size Room (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade hotbox (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade icebox (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade table set w/ chairs (15 TP)
  • 10x A-grade cupboards (150 TP)
  • 1x A-grade wooden floorboards (15 TP)
  • Total: 225 TP
''Bathroom'' Set:
  • Basic Size Room (10 TP)
  • 3x A-grade metal box (30 TP)
  • 2x A-grade mat (15 TP)
  • 1x A-grade mirror (15 TP)
  • Total: 70 TP
Extra:
  • 1x Long Hallway (10 TP)
  • 4x Short Hallways (8 TP)
  • 1x (lesser) Tiny Size Room (2 TP)
  • F-grade rotted chest (1 TP)
  • F-grade rotted blanket (1 TP)
  • Total: 22 TP
Total Tower Points Spent: 572 Total Tower Points: 28
"Made myself comfortable," Kevin replied simply, picking Jeffrey''s orb up. "Dungeons regenerate points every day or something," the other man replied dismissively, walking out of the newly furnished room. Kevin didn''t answer, just walked down to the (Lesser) Tiny Room Jeffrey instinctively knew about...where the F-grade rotted chest and the rotted blanket were located. Jeffrey panicked once more and his orb started pulsing incredibly brightly, but Kevin simply squinted through the light and kept on. "Getting rid of the nagging voice who keeps ruining this dream? Yeah, I think this is a great idea. In you go!" And that was how Jeffrey ended up in a chest with the very important key, plotting his revenge. Mistake #4: Get Out Kevin figured that the little orb would leave him alone now that it was locked in a chest with its stupid key. He was wrong. The voice could be heard while he was anywhere within the tower and it was driving him insane. He''d nearly had a heart attack while he was taking a piss and heard the stupid thing start screeching out of nowhere! He stomped back to the little closet and flung open the door. The chest had collapsed in on itself and the top was shuddering violently as if the orb underneath it was trying to free itself. Kevin very roughly yanked the top off and grabbed the pulsing object. the voice huffed. "Shut up," Kevin replied. "I''m busy; I don''t need you bothering me." "Relaxing, duh." The orb pulsed brightly before it sighed and toned down its assault on his eyes. Kevin scratched his head as he walked back to his dream bedroom, orb in hand. "I don''t know. It seems like I have everything I need...I could use a TV, though. Wait, I can just have you do it! Why didn''t I think of this before? Orb, search up if there are any TVs in that system or whatever you call it." "Well, that''s just great," he muttered. He sat down hard on his bed, wondering why this stupid dream wouldn''t have a television of all things. What was he going to do now? He stared hard at the wall adjacent to the bed and then frowned. This tower needs more windows. How am I supposed to see what''s happening outside?The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Then it hit him. "Core, can I get out of here?" Silence. Frowning, he poked the orb in his hand. "Core? Tell me if I can get out of this dump." It pulsed for a split second before it went dark again. Kevin shook the orb vigorously. "An-swer me! An-swer me! An-swer me!" There was a soft grunt before the voice said, Kevin flicked the thing and growled, "That''s you." the voice said testily. "Just shut up and tell me if I can leave or not!" The voice giggled as the orb shone a bright yellow light into Kevin''s eyes. He cried out, dropping the orb onto the bed and rubbing his eyes. Who designed this stupid thing? Why did it have to be so bright? Kevin refrained from smashing the orb into the wall and said, "Tell me how to get out!" That was it. Kevin was getting tired of this jerk. It was time to get rid of it¨Dfor good. He picked up the core and stomped out of his bedroom. As if sensing his intentions, the orb started trembling. "Outside." Kevin paused and smiled down at the orb in his hand. "So, something bad''ll happen to you if someone takes you out of the Tower?" <...Why are you asking?> "Just answer the question, Jeffrey." The voice groaned and started shaking. Was it trying to avoid answering? Wasn''t it supposed to be subservient to him? Then the orb started heating up. Its temperature turned so unbearably warm, Kevin threw it down the hall towards the door. Then he ducked into the nearby bathroom and shut the door behind him. He was not going to let it explode near him. After a few stressful seconds, the voice spoke up in a pained voice, Kevin grinned and poked his head out the door. He saw the orb sitting in a smoking hole on the floor, but that was fine. It wouldn''t be here for much longer. Mistake #5: Bones Unfortunately, the core didn''t explode the moment Kevin kicked it out of the front door. It just started pulsing bright red and the voice started shrieking¨Dsomething Kevin could still hear. He tried to ignore the sound but it was loud. When it got so bad that Kevin had to walk around the Tower with pillows covering his ears, he decided enough was enough. He threw open the front door and marched out... ...Only to run right back in when he saw the surrounding area around the orb was on fire. He rushed into the kitchen, searching for a bucket. Throwing open the cabinets revealed nothing. He panicked for a few minutes until he remembered the chest in the closet. He got it, ran back to the kitchen, and filled the broken chest with water. The liquid inside sloshed around as he ran out of the tower, but there was still enough inside. That was until he saw the fire had spread. He stood stock-still as he stared at the chaos in front of him. The Tower was on a cliff facing the ocean and the gate surrounding the place was made out of wood. There wasn''t much space between the front door and the gate entrance, only about 20 to 25 feet. Tallgrass and weeds were everywhere, even on the pathway leading up to the door. And all that life was burning. No, no, no! This is so bad! I''m so gonna die in this dream! Wait, does it matter if I die? It''s just a dream, right? I''d just wake up. But...burning to death doesn''t sound fun. Everything feels so real here. If I caught on fire, wouldn''t it feel as real as taking a piss? He didn''t want to find out. Gritting his teeth, he rushed into the smoke.
The fire was out, but the lawn and gate were ruined. Kevin decided to ignore what was outside for the beauty that was inside. Except that now that the orb wasn''t setting the flora around the Tower on fire, it was berating him. Kevin paused and stared at the key in his hands. "Wait, are you for real? This thing could kill me?" Kevin decided to not tempt fate and threw the key onto the kitchen table. "Okay, so, outside was a complete miss. Hey, don''t towers have, like, an upstairs?" "Yeah! This thing is, like, a watchtower, right? It looks like one anyway. How can I get to the roof?" The voice sighed. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Kevin found it and hesitantly tested the first few rungs. They held his weight. He climbed up and was on the roof. It was...cluttered. There were corpses, weapons, armor, and bones littered everywhere. He frowned and slid back down into his bedroom. "Core-er, uh, Jeffrey." the voice said pleasantly, surprised he had actually used its ''name''. "There''s a bunch of stuff on the roof. I wanna get rid of it." "What? No way! The last time you were outside, you literally burned everything down." The voice started muttering to itself before it spoke up and said, "If you''re sure," Kevin said. He picked up the orb, shoved it in his pocket and went back up the ladder.
Jeffrey was in awe. There was so much experience to be had from this! And, if want Rupert told him was right, he''d get Tower Points for absorbing something new. It was a win-win situation. "This is such a big mess," muttered Kevin. "How did all this get here anyway?" Jeffrey wondered the same thing, but did it matter? All he cared about was what he could get from this bounty of treasure! Kevin started poking around in the pile. He paused when he uncovered something and blanched. "Is that...a human corpse?" Okay, well, that''s a bit uncool, but it''ll still give me EXP and TP¨Dwait. No, that''s wrong. Absorbing human corpses is so wrong. I shouldn''t be thinking like this... Jeffrey bit his lip as he watched Kevin shove the large tower shield off of the body. He couldn''t deny the fact that absorbing the thing would give him a huge bonus, but that was way past how far he was willing to go to get power. He wouldn''t kill/absorb other humans to get stronger. That wasn''t right. Except, well...He wasn''t really human anymore, was he? No, let''s not think about that right now. I just...need to absorb the rest and wow! he shouted, leaping off of his couch to press his face against the glass. "Huh?" Kevin said, looking down at the somehow completely intact bones of a large winged monster. "I don''t know. But they can''t stay here." Jeffrey said excitedly. "No way am I having a dragon in my Tower," Kevin interjected. "Who''s gonna shovel its poop? Me? Think again, buckaroo. Nope. This thing is going gone." Jeffrey watched in horror as his Manager started chucking the bones into the sea below. he cried. "Can''t I?" Kevin smirked. He ignored the rest of Jeffrey''s protests as he got rid of any evidence of the dragon. "Looks like there''s still some more monster parts," he mused. "Guess they''ll make a nice snack for the fishies, too." And up and away they went. "Cleaned up a bit." Jeffrey swallowed down the scathing retort he wanted to scream and instead politely asked, Kevin glared down at his orb; disgust was written across his face. "No way! You can''t just rob the dead like that! I''m gonna give these guys a proper burial!" "You''re sick, you know that? Totally sick. Fine. You wanna absorb something? Here''s this snail." Jeffrey flinched back as the shelled gastropod slapped against the glass. Immediately, Rupert piped up. [Specimen DNA detected. Would you like to absorb it? Y/N] He sighed, walked over to the computer, and clicked yes. [1x >Juvenile Laser Snail< absorbed. Species >Laser Snail< added to the core database. Congratulations! You gained 100 EXP and 10 TP for absorbing a new species!] Every cloud has a silver lining, huh? Mistake #6: Smoke Jan squinted at the distant smoke she saw peeking up over the treetops and frowned. Deadman¡¯s Drop wasn¡¯t a popular spot for camping. Who could be up there at this time of day? Her frown deepened as she realized a rogue monster could be the cause of the smoke. She grimaced. Aren¡¯t those darned adventurers supposed to be taking care of these things? My mandatory ¡®guild upkeep¡¯ tax is for them after all, she thought bitterly. She stomped back towards her stone house and yelled, ¡°Kacper! Call the guild! We¡¯ve got a rogue monster in the Drop!¡± ¡°Got it, ma¡­¡±
Rayn stood before the edge of the forest line with his new party members, Lavar, Belo, Vagis, and Saira. Rayn, their leader, was a level 16 [Warrior] and was quite anxious. He was new to this whole ¡®party leader¡¯ thing, having only recently formed the team just twenty minutes ago. He looked out over his ¡®team¡¯, going over their backgrounds they¡¯d told him on the way here. Lavar was a level 13 [Swashbuckler]; Belo, a level 15 [Monk]; Vagis, a level 11 [Ranger]; and Saira, a level 24 [Medic]. Rayn was a little miffed their highest leveled member was a healer, and not someone who could cast actual healing spells, like a [Cleric], but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to say that out loud. She was willing to come along with them; that was the most he could ask for. ¡°Okay, guys,¡± he said, wincing slightly as his voice cracked. He heard a quiet snicker and blushed before rushing to continue. ¡°So, uh, Jan submitted a request for us to search for the cause of smoke up in Deadman¡¯s Drop. She believes it¡¯s the fault of a rogue monster, so we¡¯ll need to be on our highest-¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Lavar cut in, waving around her rapier. ¡°Can we get on with this?¡± ¡°I just wanted to-¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I want to get paid and go home,¡± she said. ¡°Chop chop.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Vagis,¡± Saira muttered. ¡°You¡¯re the [Ranger], aren¡¯t you? Lead the way.¡± They all stared at the young boy who flinched and brought his trembling hands away from his mouth. He blushed; he thought the argument would go on longer and had been caught off guard. Seeing Saira¡¯s expectant look, he straightened his back and ventured into the forest. All the while he was silently praying he didn¡¯t accidentally get them lost. They tramped through the trees for thirty minutes before reaching the general area Jan thought the smoke had come from. Rayn was still slightly miffed the others had skipped over the briefing, something he¡¯d always wanted to try out for a change, but he had work to do. Clapping the [Ranger] on the back, he said, ¡°Nice job, Vagis. You got us here in one piece!¡± He hoped the praise and the friendly smile he gave the boy was enough to calm his nerves; the kid looked like he was gonna breakdown any second now. ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡± Vagis muttered, not-so-subtly shrugging off Rayn¡¯s hand. Okay, fine, Rayn thought, pulling his hand away. We can work on team bonding later. Now, let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got here. ¡°Spread out, but don¡¯t go too far from each other,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s try and get a feel for what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°We got it, pipsqueak,¡± Lavar snapped, already slinking off into the trees. Rayn frowned. What is her deal? Whatever. Just¡­focus on trying to find that stupid monster. A quick search in the immediate area reveals nothing out of the ordinary. After a minor bout of hesitation, Rayn decides to head further out. He trusts he¡¯ll be able to find his way back, even without [Ranger] skills. It doesn¡¯t take long for him to catch the scent of burned wood. Rayn tightens the grip on his shield and sneaks ever closer to the source of the scent, which was pretty hard to do in full chain-meal armor, but he made do. Before he got too close, he ducked behind a nearby tree. It didn¡¯t give him much cover, as anyone could spot a 6¡¯4 Human in heavy armor carrying a round shield and a sword hunching behind a tree that was just barely wider than himself but that was beside the point. He took a moment to gather his wits, reminding himself this was not the first time he had fought a rogue monster. It would be fine. He could handle this. Self-assured, Rayn peeked out from behind the tree and fainted. Mistake #7: Being Different "You''re joshing with me." "A seventh Tower? No way." "..." "Uh, did you eat any brightly colored berries while you were searching? Neons are known to cause hallucinations, visions, and/or death." Rayn sighed. He''d had a feeling they wouldn''t believe him when he told them what he''d seen. A seventh Tower did sound ridiculous. The Six have been standing alone since...well, no one really knew, but there had only been six for a really long time. For him to come out and say that a seventh had appeared out of nowhere, with no one noticing until now... Well, even he had a hard time believing it. But he knew what he''d seen at the burn site. Sure, the one-story building hadn''t looked as extraordinary as the other six; it looked rather plain, in fact, aside from the charred...everything. But deep down in his gut, he knew it was something more than just some structure out in the woods. "I''m telling you, I know what I saw. That wasn''t an ordinary building; I''m sure of it," he said. Lavar scoffed and waved her sword dismissively in the air. "Just like I''m sure the world is round and elves evolved from howler monkeys. It''s just not possible!" "Actually," Vagis piped up, "it was proved in¨D" "If I cared," the woman interrupted, "I''d say it. Don''t refute my words when I''m trying to make a point." "S-sorry..." Saira placed her hand on Rayn''s armored shoulder and squeezed it gently before pulling away. He was mildly alarmed to see that the metal was dented in the shape of her hand. "Rayn," the muscular [Medic] said softly, "I''m sure you think you know what you saw, but a building appearing out of nowhere without alerting a [Scout] or [Ranger] of its presence? Highly unlikely. It being a Tower at that is even more unplausible." "But¨D" "Forget about it," Lavar cut in. "Let''s just find the stupid monster and go home." Rayn wanted to argue further until he remembered that the Tower was at the place the smoke was coming from. He smirked at the snarky [Swashbuckler] and said, "Follow me."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Wha-Hey, wait up!"
"You''re joshing with me." "A seventh Tower? No way." "..." "Uh, did we eat any brightly colored berries while we walked? Neons are known to cause hallucinations, visions, and/or death." Before the five of them stood a partially burned gate, and a black field of grass, a one-story structure made entirely of plain grey stone. Amazingly, the building looked unharmed despite the damage surrounding it. Rayn gestured in front of him and spoke: "This is the place where Jan said the smoke was coming from. Everything''s pretty charred except for the Tower. And, I don''t know how in-depth your knowledge about Tower is, but the Towers are virtually indestructible¨Dat least, on the outside." Vagis took a few hesitant steps forward and, seeing as nothing jumped out to kill him, started circling the perimeter around the Tower. When he completed the revolution, he looked a bit shaken. "Y-yeah. There''s not even a bit of ash on the stone." Lavar harrumphed. "So? Can''t you see that the grass isn''t burned close to the T-er, the building? Someone must''ve put it out before it could burn the place down." Rayn sheepishly nodded toward his party-member. "I...didn''t think about that." She smirked back at him and said, "No, no you didn''t." Her snarky face quashed any goodwill he''d felt at her observation, but they had other things to worry about. Namely the fact that the grass near the Tower was a little damp. Plus, the air was still a little smokey. Someone had put out the fire, and not too long ago. Rayn unsheathed his sword and readjusted his grip on his shield. "Anyway, she''s right; someone was here before us and we have no idea who. We don''t know if they have good intentions, so let''s stick together. Be on your guard and make for the Tower." "Wait," Saira said. "Are you sure it''s a good idea to head in there? What if it''s an ambush?" Rayn hadn''t thought about that. It was a good thing he''d gathered a party before heading out. Face flushed, he gestured for Vagis to come closer. "Did you sense any traps while you walking around?" The boy shook his head. "No. A-and I made sure to keep [Sense for Traps] pinging out while I was searching. The perimeter should be clear." Saira grunted. "Good work, kiddo." Vagis brightened at her praise until Lavar pointed out he was a low-leveled [Scout]. "If whoever had come here is, like, really good at planting traps, you might not have sensed it," she said. "Uh...yeah...I guess..." "So," she pressed on, "since we can''t trust some low-leveled noob to keep us safe, I vote we head back to town, tell them what we found, and go about our separate ways." Rayn''s temper flared as the woman continued to speak. Every word that came out of her mouth was just so aggravating. Looking at the dejected Vagis, he felt even angrier. Did she have to be so rude all the time? "Fine," he snapped. "If you''re gonna be such a pain, why don''t you just leave? This party doesn''t need someone like you." Lavar scowled. "Someone like me? Someone like me? You think cuz you''re three levels higher than me you get to talk down to me?" "Levels have nothing to do with anything," he shot back. "You''re being rude." "Aw, you''re getting mad because I hurt your itty bitty feelings?" That was it. That was all he could take. Rayn didn''t believe that violence solved every answer, but he had pride. And his pride told him that smashing his shield in Lavar''s face was a very good idea. News flash: it wasn''t. Mistake #8: Follow Up Rayn sat in a crowded bar, sporting a long gash on the left side of his face that hadn¡¯t been there a couple of hours earlier. Strangers wondered if he¡¯d gotten the new scar from the rogue monster they¡¯d gone to find. The silent [Monk] who sat next to him new better. Belo would¡¯ve told the man that fighting Lavar would only end in misery. He¡¯d been in the same party as the woman several times before and she lived to goad her party mates into a duel. They were always surprised to see that a low-leveled [Swashbuckler] could have such exotic skills, but Belo knew better. One of the many times Lavar had spoken to him in some vain attempt at opening him up, she¡¯d told him she was actually from Ble Smurg, a country well known for training their young thoroughly and extensively so that, in reality, Lavar was on par with a level 30 [Swashbuckler]. Since then, he¡¯d tried to send a message to any member Lavar happened to be baiting at the time, but they hardly ever got them. He supposed it would be better if he actually spoke to them, but that would be too much trouble. Now Belo was watching his former captain chug his fourth bottle of Rungin¡¯s Beer like it was nothing. He understood that the day had been quite stressful, but he thought four bottles of that horrid stuff was quite excessive. Belo himself wasn¡¯t much of a beer man; he preferred a nice glass of red wine, preferably made from cinder grapes and just a hint of storm pepper. He liked a bit of spice to his weekend relaxation, after all. He sighed (inwardly), wondering if it would be fine to leave the younger man here for the night so he could return home. The salmon he¡¯d caught would do nicely with the Ureviel Wine Jan had gifted him yesterday. Ooh, and maybe he could use a bit of that freshly harvested Choy and rice he had in the pantry- Rayn burped loudly, taking Belo out of his thoughts and back to the moment at hand. The other man turned to him, a goofy grin on his face, and he very drunkenly said, ¡°You know, Belo, you¡¯re a mighty fine drinking partner. You don¡¯t talk at all and you mainly just stare menacingly at everybody, but boy, am I glad to have you around!¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The feeling was not mutual, but Belo wouldn¡¯t be the one to say that. He just nodded and went back to his drink¨DEarthen Whiskey. He might not¡¯ve been a beer man, but he could appreciate a nice whiskey every now and then. It burned as it went down, but the rich, earthy taste made it worth it. He idly wondered if he could convince the owner to give him the recipe. His captain burped again, even louder this time. Belo glanced over and saw a new bottle had replaced the other one. The barmaid who¡¯d just served him had a happy yet mildly concerned look on her face as she turned to serve another customer. Belo, having finished his own drink, grunted and lightly tapped the counter. The young woman jumped a bit when she heard the sound and spun back around. ¡°Oh! Sorry, Master Belo, would you like another glass?¡± She scurried to fetch one when she received his nod of approval. He turned to find Rayn staring at him through squinted eyes. The drunken [Warrior] gestured in the direction of the barmaid and said, ¡°You got real skill, you know? I¡¯ve never seen Milly run so fast. What¡¯s your secret, man?¡± Belo shrugged. He personally didn¡¯t think he was intimidating, despite his height. He was short for a Mountain Giant, standing at only 7¡¯3¡±. It didn¡¯t help that he was skinnier than most; his [Monk] class called for him to be lithe and agile. Being built like Saira would do him no good. Perhaps it was his facial appearance then? He ran a large hand over his shiny, bald head and then dismissed the thought. There was nothing scary about that. He stared at his reflection in the gleaming wood of the bar counter. Nothing stood out to him as ¡®intimidating¡¯. So what was it? ¡°Really? You don¡¯t know?¡± When all he received was another shrug, Rayn sighed and took another swig. ¡°Maybe if I had an aura like yours, Lavar would¡¯ve been more respectful.¡± Truthfully, Belo didn¡¯t think so. He¡¯d seen Lavar go up against men who looked and acted much tougher than he did. The woman truly had no sense of self-preservation sometimes. Perhaps it was more than just her personality? He knew some women liked to dominate when it came to the bedroom. But if that was Lavar¡¯s way of coming on to a man, she was going about it the wrong way. ¡°My goodness. I leave the two of you alone for a few hours and you get drunk?¡± Both men turned to find Saira, Vagis, and Lavar standing a few feet away, all still dressed in their armor. Rayn scowled. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± ¡°Well, it turns out that the guild won¡¯t accept that the fire was just put out and in its place appeared a random building, so they want us to go check it out,¡± Saira answered. She flashed them a grin. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll get to explore it after all.¡± Mistake #9: Luxury The party stood outside the Tower once more. Vagis rolled on the balls of his feet, trying to psyche himself up for the trip inside. As the [Scout], he would have to go inside and make sure the way was clear for the rest of his team. This would be his first time actually entering a Tower. He usually just helped track down rogues or something. But a Tower? This was the real deal. What if he ran into the Manager while he was checking for traps? What if he accidentally missed a trap and someone got hurt? What if he ran into a big group of monsters? What if- ¡°Kid,¡± Saira grunted. ¡°You gonna go in and do your job?¡± ¡°S-sorry, I was just-¡± ¡°Just get in there,¡± Rayn said, clapping the younger boy on his back. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Vagis winced. Maybe he should put more points into Constitution if the [Knight] was going to keep doing that. He shuddered to think what would happen if Saira got a little friendlier. Okay, he thought while finishing his stretches. Let¡¯s do this. He gently tapped the door and then jumped back, just in case there might be a hidden trap. When nothing happened after an awkward few seconds, Lavar snorted. ¡°Have you never been to a Tower before? Managers aren¡¯t allowed to have their Cores place traps five feet in front of or behind the door, idiot.¡± Vagis flushed and muttered, ¡°Oh. Well, uh, I¡¯ll just...go in then.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°The Core will sense you as soon as you enter. Don¡¯t you have some sort of stealth skill?¡± ¡°I, um, yeah, I do.¡± He sighed, activated [Lesser Hide Presence], and opened the door just a smidge. Taking a peek inside, he nearly fainted. He¡¯d been imagining a dark, musty hallway with flickering torches and cobwebs sitting everywhere. Maybe some bones placed haphazardly here and there. What he saw instead was an ornate hallway, brightly lit by a weird contraption of glass, metal and what looked like contained fire, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. The floor was not dirt or cracked stone but a shining white marble. The walls were of a light blue material he couldn¡¯t place.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I have to get a better look at this, Vagis thought. But wait. I still have to be cautious. Who knows what¡¯s waiting for me there. And I¡¯m using [Lesser Hide Presence]; the Core might still be able to sense me with this crappy skill. He curled one hand around the hilt of his shark tooth dagger, Jagged, and opened the door just wide enough so he could slip inside. He pressed a hesitant step on a tile, paused, and came all the way in. ¡°We¡¯ll be right outside if you need us,¡± Rayn whispered. ¡°Just yell for help if you need to, okay?¡± Vagis gave the older man a thumbs up before turning back to the task at hand. Luckily, Lavar was true to her word. Casting [Sense for Traps] revealed nothing for the first five feet of the hallway. It actually revealed nothing in the entire hallway, but that couldn¡¯t be right. He¡¯d always heard of bitter delvers ranting about Tower traps being literally everywhere. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for this one to be trap-free. Maybe the Core just didn¡¯t have enough resources at the moment? It only had one story; maybe it had just formed. Then again...It might just not be a Tower. After all, he was pretty sure they didn¡¯t look like this. It felt like he was walking through a noble¡¯s manor or something. He glanced up at the light contraption that swung gently above him, idly wondering if the chain holding it up would break and fall down. At that thought, he hastily jumped to the side and stared warily at the foreign light source. It¡¯s gonna fall, isn¡¯t it? I just know it is. Things on chains always fall. That¡¯s why I never wear necklace items, no matter how useful their boosts are. ¡°Vagis? Are you okay in there?¡± Rayn called. ¡°Uh, yeah, just...checking for traps in the hallway.¡± Rayn started to say something, but Lavar¡¯s snarky voice interrupted: ¡°You sound like you haven¡¯t moved from the door.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just being cautious,¡± Rayn snapped at her. ¡°Lay off him, alright? This is his first time.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Vagis sighed and started moving further into the Tower, one eye still tracking the contraptions movements. When he neared the five feet boundary he paused and pulled out a squishy toy from his pocket. Squishy toys were a good way to test whether any traps weren¡¯t detected by [Sense for Traps]. He gave it a gentle toss and hopped back a few steps. When the squishy successfully made a few bounces without being blown to bits, becoming a pincushion, or activating poison gas, Vagis started cautiously toward the first room. He picked up the squishy as he passed it before tossing it at the wall beside the room entrance. When nothing happened, he picked up the squishy once more and pressed his back to the area he¡¯d thrown it at. He cast [Sense for Traps] in the room and when it detected nothing, tossed in the squishy and ducked down. When nothing was set off and he didn¡¯t hear any grunts or shuffling toward the door, he took a quick gander inside of the room. Mistake #10: Good Loot Vagis came face to face with what looked like...a kitchen? He frowned. Why would a Tower Manager of all things need a kitchen? Things were making less and less sense the longer he spent in this place. Perhaps...perhaps it wasn''t a Tower? But that would mean Captain Rayn was wrong. He admired the man and could tell this was his first time leading a group. He didn''t want to crush the [Knight''s] hope if this whole fiasco turned out to be false. He''d go in a little deeper, see if there was something up just in case. After a quick check with [Sense for Traps], he entered the kitchen. As he observed the room, Vagis couldn''t help but mentally praise the designers tasked to construct it. Everything screamed ''rich, posh noble'' from the cupboards to the icebox. He felt a little self-conscious as his muddy boots tracked dirt on the smooth, redwood floors. Thinking of the mess he must''ve caused, glanced back the way he came only to find that the floorboards were still shiny and immaculate. Vagis backtracked into the hallway and, sure enough, there was nothing detailing his short trek through the Tower. "That''s so freaky," he muttered, tightening his grip on the squishy. He couldn''t imagine what would happen if he let his beloved trap-fooler get absorbed by this creepy place. Vagis re-entered the kitchen, wondering if he could find something worth looting. Wait, shouldn''t I wait till the others come in so we can split it? That''s how things work in Towers, right? He was so used to shortchanging the rogue hunters he worked with out of the random loot that always appeared in a rogue''s wake. But he supposed that if he did that here, with experienced Tower adventurers, he might not ever be picked on a team again. He could probably get away with a few items, but he had a feeling stealing wouldn''t end well. Is it technically stealing if they never laid claim to it? he thought, opening a cupboard. Seeing it was empty, he moved on to the next one. I mean, I am a part of their party, too, so should it really matter? Shoot, this one''s empty, too. Who has a bunch of cupboards and doesn''t fill them with expensive things they''ll never use? Especially nobles!This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. His father was a level 125 [Manor Thief]. The man was so skilled at breaking into the nobility''s homes, he''d gotten an entire class for it. Vagis knew that, from all the stories his father had told him, an empty house meant that someone had already gotten to the house or it was a trap just waiting to be sprung. At that thought, Vagis spun around and launched himself out of the kitchen, leaving the cupboard he''d been glaring at still open. When nothing blew up or shot arrows at him from behind, Vagis crawled back into the kitchen. He frowned as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off. I''m starting to think that whoever made this place has no regard for their safety, whatsoever. It wouldn''t pay to be lazy, though. Getting too confident gets you killed. Rest in peace, Pa. That stew got you good... When [Sense for Traps] revealed nothing and both the rest of the cupboards and the icebox gave him nothing, Vagis sighed in disappointment. But just before he left the room, a shining something caught his eye. It was a small, simple key, but the way the light caught it...He was sure it was important. Vagis grinned, shoved it in his pocket and walked out of the kitchen. Just outside of it, he spotted two doorways up ahead, one of them closed off with a rotted, unlocked door. Shut off places usually mean more loot, no matter how run down the barrier. And didn''t Pa always say the older it looks, the more money it makes? He threw the squishy against the door, the loud squelching sound breaking the silence of the hallway. Vagis winced at the sound and doublechecked to make sure no mobs were coming to investigate. When the coast was clear, he hurriedly picked up his squishy-he had not forgotten about the Tower''s absorption powers; the floors were still clean! [Sense for Traps], again, showed him nothing. He was starting to get frustrated now. All of this precaution and it''s giving me nothing? What kind of Tower is this? I thought it would be some grand adventure, not some tour through some empty noble''s house? He threw open the rotted door-quite literally, as he ripped it off its hinges. Scowling, he dropped the door and scoured the tiny room that stood before him. All he saw was a partially rotted blanket covering an even-worse looking chest. To make things even worse, there was nothing even in it! "Worst. Tower. Ever." "Um...who are you?" Mistake #11: Shovels "Um... Who are you?" Vagis spun, his hand automatically yanking Jagged out of its sheathe. As he prepared himself to fight, he wished he spent more time practicing in the Guild''s training yard. He only had a few levels in [Knife Combat] and wasn''t sure how well he could take on someone well-prepared. However, when he saw who he was facing, he dropped his guard. This is what I was getting so worked up about? He''s barely taller than me! Even Lavar has more muscle than that. Then he spotted the shovel clenched in the man''s hand. Holy cow! Why''s he walking around with a shovel? Unless that''s his class weapon? Wait, are [Shovel Knights] real? I thought Messi had just been messing with me-heh, that was a good one-no, focus. Vagis retreated slowly, eyes locked onto the [Shovel Knight''s] weapon. What''s that brown stuff? Is it dried blood? Did he kill someone? Is this guy so insane that he doesn''t even clean his weapon after he murders somebody? His mind went back to when he walked around the building. He''d been mainly checking the bricks for ash and watching for traps, but he could''ve sworn he saw footprints. Glancing down at the man''s sneakered feet, he grimaced. The prints looked a lot similar. But wait. Who had he killed and when? He thought of Jan and her son, Keegan or something, but immediately crossed them off the list. Jan was even scarier than Saira¨Dshe could handle herself.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. What if...What if the [Shovel Knight] wasn''t the one who put out the fire? What if some other guy did it and all he got was some murderous hobo for all his hard work? Vagis balked at the thought. That would mean he was likely the next target! He stopped walking backward and tightened his grip on Jagged. Even if he wasn''t the best warrior, he wouldn''t go down without a fight! "Hey," the man said, an impatient scowl twisting his face. "Hey, I''m talking to you! What are you doing here?" When Vagis just stared at him, his scowl deepened and lifted the shovel from his shoulders. At that moment, Vagis false sense of bravado immediately faded and he bolted for the door. He heard grunting and thumping behind him as the insane [Shovel Knight] gave chase. "Get back here, you weirdo!" You''re almost there, Vagis. It''s just a few feet away! You can do this! You can do it! Just keep running! Just keep¨D grk! He tripped over a tripwire that had not been there before and fell. He would''ve impaled himself with his dagger had he not been flailing his arms trying to keep his balance. He glanced back and saw the [Shovel Knight] was gaining on him. The man''s gait was slow as he was awkwardly carrying the shovel in his arms, trying to find some sort of balance. Panicking, he tried to get up only to find that his ankle was caught in the tripwire. He yanked at the wire, desperately trying to pull his ankle free. Another glance told him that the man was getting used to jogging with the shovel. Vagis frantically looked for something to help until he remembered Jagged. He snatched up the dagger and hacked at the wire. Luckily, it was thin and not at all hard to cut through. His legs were just... too weak to be able to pull itself from the entanglement. He swore to himself that if he survived this encounter, he was going to spend more time at the gym. Then he looked up and the man was nearly on him, his shovel raised to strike. Mistake #12: Crafting Class Time ran in slow motion for Vagis as he watched his soon-to-be murderer rear up to end his life. Dread crept up his spine as he froze, too scared to lift his arm to have even the smallest chance of defending himself. This is it, he thought. I''m gonna die here, on my first Tower run. All I got was this stupid key... No. No, I''m not going to die here. I''m not gonna be another loser to add to this freaks track record. So what if he was only level 11? He had made it this far because he used it his head, was overly cautious and got by being small and nonthreatening. No one expected him to be anything else. Today, though, he was going to change. He wasn''t going to be the weak runt of the litter anymore. He would be stronger than a [Scout] today. He was going to become a [Ranger]. He snapped out of his daze and lurched forward, barreling into the [Shovel Knight''s] legs. The taller man toppled instantly, stunning Vagis for a moment. He''d expected the man to at least put up a bit of a fight. Any decent leveled guy with a [Knight] class would''ve been able to hold against that shoddy barrel roll. Perhaps he wasn''t all that strong? Maybe he was a [Shovel Warrior], not yet strong enough to rank up his class? Nevertheless, he was still a threat. Vagis had to be cautious. He rolled up into a crouch and twirled Jagged into a proper form, a move he''d practiced many times alone at night. His enemies might be able to cleave him in two, but at least they''d do it while thinking he was cool. The [Shovel Warrior] was slow to get to his feet and stumbled sideways to lean against the wall, shaking his head. When he finally got his wits about him, he turned to Vagis, narrowed eyes glaring daggers at the young [Scout]. "Dude," he blurted, "what the heck was that for, huh? I try to help you out and just roll me like that?" Vagis frowned. He didn''t recognize this tactic. Was he trying to guilt-trip him? Get him to lower his guard to get a chance to bash his brains out? Scowling, Vagis took a measured step backward, preparing to launch himself forward. He wouldn''t waste any more words with someone this despicable.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The [Shovel Warrior] shook his head in disbelief. "I can''t believe the first guy I met in this place was such an a-" He didn''t get to finish as Vagis activated [Desperate Rush], a Skill he''d learned while fighting off a rogue Kitten-Moth. It gave a slight boost to his speed and strength; useful for dodging around bigger enemies and getting in quick hits. The shovel''s shaft was long; he would have to get in and get out quickly. Vagis slashed at the man''s chest than darted to the side and backpedaled quickly, wary of retaliation. Yet it never came. The [Shovel Warrior] just gasped and stumbled back, eyes wide as dinner plates. The man dropped his shovel to clutch at his chest, his hands pressed tightly against his chest to stem the blood spurting out. Vagis paused at the sight. He wasn''t squeamish; he''d seen plenty of bloody injuries and had even gone through some himself. The problem was he''d never seen someone with a melee class so shocked that they''d been caught, let alone a [Warrior]. Those guys lived for blood! Should I go in and finish the job? That thought made him a little queasy. He''d never thought about the consequences of fighting to the death. It never occurred to him that he would be the killer in these kinds of situations. Come on, Vagis, you can do it. This isn''t the time to be a coward; you''ve got to finish the job. I''m sure being a [Ranger] would mean I''d have to kill somebody. Yeah...Yeah, if I want to advance, I have to do this. I have to- [You have killed one Level 1 [Jack-of-all-Crafts] Tower Manager! You have gained 100 exp!] [You have gained one skill from the Tower Manager: [Fast Learner]. You now pick up Skills related to your chosen class 1.5x faster than normal!] The system voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The supposed Tower Manager was lying dead on the floor, having bled out just seconds before. "All of that...All of that and he was just a stupid crafter?" Vagis spat. He marched over to the shovel that had been dropped not too far from the body and picked it up. "I''m taking this," he told the corpse, giving it a hard kick. "The only loot this stupid Tower would give me. What a waste." Vagis walked out of the Seventh Tower, swearing to himself that if he ever entered a Tower like this one again, he''d set the entire place on fire.
Meanwhile, a young man named Jeffrey was screaming inside his small, glowing orb as he watched the entire ordeal. Mistake #13: Expensive The day had gone to hell and there was nothing that Jeffrey could do about it. That blasted [Scout] had ruined everything. If only he hadn''t been so observant, he wouldn''t have found the key. If only he thought it was useless, it wouldn''t have been stolen. If only, if only, if only so many things! However, ''ifs'' weren''t going to get him anywhere. No, now was the time to take action and fix everything that his stupid Manager had done. What happened in the past would stay in the past. It was time to plan for the future. His first act of business? [Reviving] the idiot that had gotten them in this mess in the first place. Rolling over to his supercomputer in his newly imagined desk chair, he called for Rupert, his amazingly helpful system assistant. {57 minutes and 36 seconds, sir,} Rupert replied. he muttered, booting up the computer. {725 Tower Points, sir. Alas, you currently only have 28. It''s recommended that you achieve that level of currency as soon as possible.} Jeffrey grimaced and started clicking away at his screen. He talked as he opened up the current file for the Tower Layout. {Indeed, sir.} He checked over the first-floor layout, flicking through the descriptions and prices of each item located on the floor. Some quick mental math told him that he''d be about 128 points shy of his goal. There was no way he could get that much currency in such a short time frame. He sighed. It''s better than nothing, I guess. {Reverting the first floor back to its original state...there are currently purchased items and flooring on this floor. Would you like to return these items to the store?} Jeffrey hit yes and watched the floor before him slowly change back into the large, circular room it had been before. {Your current options are assigning a mob to Scout external resources, discovering new materials, or designing a new mob.} {Your available templates are: Level 1 Goblin; Level 1 Kobold; Level 1 Acid Spitter; Level 1 Laser Snail. Keep in mind you only have 100 Bio Points to spend, sir.}