《Towers of Heaven》


 Prologue

    <h2>Prologue</h2>


    Humanity stands on the brink of annihilation. Earth has been overrun by monsters, spawned by the six towers that appeared eighty years ago. Each tower pierces through the heavens; they are taller than any structure created by man, and invulnerable to any attack.


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    Demons run rampant through cities, their infernal flames dyeing the planet red. Mount Everest is now the territory of a dragon, and the very oceans burn with hellfire. Earth has been transformed into an inhospitable landscape. There are no survivors.


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    Except, of course, for the strongest of the ascenders; people who entered the tower long ago, seeking riches and power. They are the strongest humanity has to offer, yet even they couldn¡¯t prevent the catastrophe.


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    The tower is made up of many floors, and after eighty years have passed, only a single floor remains to be cleared. If it is, the towers will disappear, and earth can be salvaged and humanity rebuilt. And yet, the last ascenders have already given up hope. Many times before had they attempted to clear the last floor, only to fail miserably, losing countless lives.


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    Only one ascender hasn¡¯t fallen to despair. A man with the appearance of a teenager, with blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Roy, the champion of light. He wore a set of white armor shining with holy yellow light. In his hands was the most powerful weapon ever acquired in the tower, a divine grade sword. Without it, he was one of the strongest ascenders, and with it, he towered above them all.


    On the final floor, Roy stood atop a small hill, overlooking the remaining ninety-nine ascenders. They were separated into three groups. The Chinese and Russians formed one, India and Africa another, and Europe and America the last. Some sat on the ground, their eyes unfocused, while others stared aimlessly into the distance. All of them shared one thing in common: their eyes were dead.


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    A pure yellow light flickered in the depths of Roy¡¯s eyes. He raised his divine grade sword and activated one of its skills. A pulse of yellow energy burst out from Roy, covering the ascenders in its light, granting them considerable buffs to their damage and stats. The ascenders glanced up at Roy, wondering what he was doing.


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    ¡°Everyone!¡± Roy spoke, his voice calm and even, filled with an unbending will. ¡°We are the last of humanity. There are only a hundred of us left, and yet, we are still alive, are we not?¡±


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    A black man with white tattoos stood up, a machete in his hands. The man glanced around with a sneer. ¡°Does it look like we are living to you? We have found a hiding spot from the demons for now, but how long will that last?¡±


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    Roy disregarded the man and continued. ¡°I propose we fight Baal one more time.¡±


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    An indian woman with the tattoo of a red phoenix on her forehead shot to her feet. ¡°Fight Baal? Are you crazy? He is a hero-grade raid boss.¡±


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    All of the ascenders were dismissive of Roy, except for one, an elderly chinese man with a long ponytail. He slowly stood up and planted his spear into the ground. ¡°Roy, what do you mean by ¡®we¡¯?¡±


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    Roy turned to the elder and bowed slightly, a respectful smile on his face. This man was previously the strongest ascender alive, named Shenlong, mandarin for rising dragon. That changed when Roy acquired the divine-grade sword. ¡°Elder Shenlong, I mean exactly what I say.¡±


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    Roy stood straight and glanced around. ¡°It is unfortunate that the last world war divided us so. Europe and America, China and Russia, India and Africa. Three factions. It is true that Baal has defeated us time and time again, but were we, humanity, truly fighting him at our strongest?¡±


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    Shenlong¡¯s eyes narrowed, a grin tugging at his lips. The eyes of the other ascenders lit up with realization. Right. The times they fought Baal were with their own factions. Now, due to unfortunate circumstances, they had banded together.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


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    Roy then pointed at the indian woman. ¡°Then we have Amara, the strongest mage humanity has to offer.¡±


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    Amara raised her finger, a terrifyingly white ball of fire appearing above it. ¡°Baal might use hellfire, but when he gets a taste of my spells, he shrieks.¡±


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    Roy turned to face a petite woman with curly brown hair. ¡°And then there¡¯s Carly, the greatest healer.¡±


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    A chinese man shot to his feet. ¡°I am the greatest healer humanity has to offer!¡±


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    Carly and the chinese man glared at each other, trying to best the other. Roy chuckled. ¡°Fei Hong, I haven¡¯t forgotten about you. Indeed, I misspoke. Whether you or Carly is better is hard to say. She specializes in single-target healing, while you specialize in area of effect healing.¡±


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    Roy pointed at a young man wearing a massive shield. ¡°We have Jason, the cockroach who never dies!¡±


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    Jason frowned, irritated at the title others thrusted upon him. Regardless, he stood up and slammed his shield into the ground. ¡°I can tank Baal for five minutes by myself.¡±


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    Just as Roy was about to point out another person, a thin black man stood up. His appearance was strange. Sometimes he looked young, other times old. ¡°I am the champion of Alister, the god of tricks. My illusions can even fool a hero-grade raid boss!¡±


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    ¡°I am the best archer humanity has to offer!¡±


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    One ascender after another stood up and called out their speciality. After everyone stood up, their eyes blazing, Shenlong moved. He strode up to Roy, his spear at his side. Everyone grew tense, but Roy just stared at Shenlong, his eyes calm.


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    Shenlong stopped in front of Roy and held out his free hand. ¡°China stand with you!¡±


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    Roy smiled. He grabbed Shenlong¡¯s hand and raised it into the air. ¡°Baal will fall this day!¡±


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    ¡°Death to Baal!¡±


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    The greatest force humanity had to offer was created. For many years, they had fought against each other, whether for loot or because of the affiliations with their countries. Now, with the fate of humanity on the line, they banded together.


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    That wasn¡¯t all.


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    An old chinese man, so old that he seemed to be on the verge of death, stood up, his eyes glittering. His voice was raspy as he spoke. ¡°Everyone, I may not have much combat potential, but I am the best blacksmith. Let me repair your equipment.¡±


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    Everyone ran towards the chinese man, their eyes burning. This man was the champion of Brundo, the god of professions. Long had China had a monopoly on him. For years, China boasted the greatest equipment forged by man, and it was all due to this elder. His name was Su Long. Normally when a blacksmith repaired equipment, it would just restore its durability. However, when Su Long repaired equipment, it buffed the stats of the equipment temporarily.


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    Roy stood on the hill as he watched everyone gather around Su Long. Next to him, Shenlong sighed heavily. ¡°It is unfortunate that Abel and Jafari have passed. We could have used them.¡±


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    ¡°Alas.¡± Roy shook his head.


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    Abel was the best cook. His food provided an overwhelming boost to stats, albeit temporarily. Jafari was an alchemist who could make the strongest potions. With them, they would have had a greater chance at killing Baal. Unfortunately, they died not long ago.


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    When everyone was prepared, they set out. The last floor was what everyone imagined hell to be. The sky was full of flames, and the ground was hundreds of degrees. If not for their superhuman bodies, they would have melted on the spot.


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    As they made their way to Baal, they encountered numerous demons. They were no match for humanity¡¯s last stand. Only Baal could stop their advance. They pierced through the armies of hell with unstoppable momentum.


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    Soon, they arrived before Baal¡¯s fortress. It was made out of some black material that only Roy¡¯s divine-grade sword could damage. This fortress couldn¡¯t be destroyed, so they could only enter through the front entrance. Surprisingly, the fortress was completely empty. They met no resistance as they headed deeper inside. When they arrived before the room where Baal was located, the doors were already open, as if welcoming them in. A deep, rumbling voice echoed from inside. ¡°Humanity¡¯s last stand, huh? Come. Come inside and be slaughtered like the cattle you are.¡±


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    In response, everyone stepped forward, already in formation. Everyone who had buffs cast them. The tanks moved forward, the healers were protected, and the casters got into position. They were all elites, veterans among veterans. Even though they had just banded together, they had fought each other over the past decades and knew what each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses were.


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    As soon as they entered the massive room, the doors behind them swung shut. The final fight for humanity began.

 Chapter 1

    <h2>Chapter 1</h2>


    After several hours of intense fighting, only five humans were left. They were above superhuman, possessing abilities beyond their peers. It was no wonder they were the last ones standing. All of them possessed courageous spirits and didn¡¯t fear death. No, they laughed at it.


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    Even so, Baal was just too strong. Jason, the greatest cockroach, fell first, protecting his allies from a devastating attack. Shenlong fell after him, his body consumed by black hellfire. Fei Hong and Carly, the last healers, died, vaporized by Baal¡¯s most devastating spell. A single man stood before his foe, his breath ragged. He looked around and found his companions dead. The comrades and foes he spent the past six decades with were dead. Mutilated beyond recognition. He fought back his tears and focused on the demon before him, the leader of hell.


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    ¡°Baal!¡± He screamed hoarsely. The powerful flames of hell invaded his body. His internal organs were a mess. He wouldn¡¯t live for long.


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    ¡°Human!¡± Baal roared with anger, his voice booming. The puny humans were weak, but each one he killed left him more wounded than before. He was on his last stand. Even so, he was a king of hell. He would kill the human before him and recover his wounds.


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    Roy coughed up a mouthful of black blood. Tiny black flames could be seen embedded within the blood. The light began to fade from Roy¡¯s eyes. He was dying.


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    Even as he was on the verge of death, he summoned the last of his willpower to force himself forward. His walk turned into a jog, then a sprint. He charged towards Baal and activated his most powerful skill. Somehow, his sword managed to plant itself in Baal¡¯s heart. The skill activated and burst apart Baal¡¯s torso.


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    Baal collapsed to the ground and clutched his chest. ¡°Human¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡±


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    Roy leaned against his sword to keep himself upright. He watched as the foe who killed all of his comrades died. Relieved, he slowly closed his eyes. Just then, a voice filled the world. ¡°The trial has been passed!¡±


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    Surprised, Roy glanced up and saw a white figure standing before him. The figure was shrouded in white light. He couldn¡¯t make out the features of the person, but he was sure it was a man. The man¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°Congratulations on passing the trial.¡±


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    Roy¡¯s eyes became filled with a rage beyond any other. He struggled to raise his hand and pointed at the man. ¡°You! You are the one behind this!¡±


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    The man ignored Roy¡¯s accusation and continued. ¡°You have one wish.¡±


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    Roy paused and quelled his rage. He was on the verge of death and too tired to be angry. If there was one wish, it would be...


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    As he was about to open his mouth, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. In the end, Baal¡¯s flames were too strong.


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    The man watched callously as Roy died. Just as the man was about to dissipate, there was an audible groan.


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    Among the hundred corpses, Jason suddenly twitched. It was possible to see his wounds recover with the naked eye. After minutes turned into hours, Jason¡¯s eyes snapped open. He stood up with a start and looked around. ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Baal?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


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    Jason looked down at his feet and found a bunch of corpses. ¡°They¡¯re dead¡­ all dead...¡±


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    He clenched his hands. ¡°Am I really the last human remaining?¡±


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    Tears fell from his eyes as he fell to his knees and mourned. ¡°If you¡¯re dead, what will I do? I¡¯m useless. Just a guy who knows how to survive.¡±


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    He struggled to his feet and roamed around the room. He found Baal¡¯s corpse and gave it a few kicks. ¡°Damn demon! If it wasn¡¯t because I had an insane recovery ability, I would have died to your flames.¡±


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    After satisfying himself, he found Roy¡¯s corpse not too far from Baal. He walked up to Roy and crouched down. With a heavy sigh, he closed Roy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Rest in peace, hero among heroes. Without you, humanity would never have lasted this long.¡±


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    Jason glanced at Roy¡¯s sword and hesitated. A moment later, he brought the sword against his neck and closed his eyes. A minute passed as he stood there motionless. His eyes suddenly snapped open. ¡°AHHHHH!¡±


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    Even as he screamed, the sword never moved. With a defeated laugh, the sword fell to the ground with a clang. ¡°I don¡¯t even have the courage to kill myself.¡±


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    He looked up and saw a white figure staring at him. Alarmed, he took up a defensive posture. He was ready to flee at any moment. ¡°Who¡¯re you?!¡±


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    The white figure asked calmly. ¡°What do you wish for?¡±


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    ¡°Huh? Wish?¡± Jason¡¯s thoughts spun rapidly. He looked down at Baal¡¯s corpse and realized that with his death, the last floor of the tower had been cleared. Unexpectedly, this figure was offering him a wish as a reward.


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    The white figure watched patiently. Jason looked down at Roy¡¯s corpse and came to a conclusion. ¡°I wish for the complete resurrection of humanity! And not the undead type of resurrection!¡±


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    ¡°It shall be done.¡± The white figure waved his hand.


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    Jason watched with tears of happiness. A minute passed, and yet nothing happened. ¡°Did you¡­ did you do it?¡±


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    ¡°Not enough energy.¡± The white figure replied.


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    ¡°Huh?!¡± Jason was stunned. ¡°You asked me for a wish and yet you couldn¡¯t complete it?¡±


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    ¡°Access to master has been cut off. Energy reserves are not enough to satisfy your request.¡± The white figure explained.


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    ¡°Bullshit! The reward for clearing the tower should be whatever wish I wanted, right? And yet you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t fulfill it!?¡± Jason was incensed. He blurted out all sorts of swear words and insults.


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    The white figure¡¯s face was placid as Jason vented his rage. After a minute, the white figure asked again. ¡°What do you wish for?¡±


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    ¡°The complete revival of humanity, damn it!¡± Jason repeated.


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    The white figure shook his head. ¡°Not enough energy.¡±


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    ¡°AHHHH!¡± Jason grabbed his head in frustration. ¡°Damn it all!¡±


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    He collapsed to the ground and looked over at Roy. ¡°What would you do, Roy?¡±


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    Even though they never got along, deep inside, he felt profound respect for Roy. No matter what Roy encountered, he never gave up. That alone was admirable, and yet that was just a single trait. Roy was exactly like the perfect hero. He extended a helping hand to all, placed others before himself, and never stopped working hard.


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    With renewed determination, Jason stood up and glared at the white figure. ¡°I want to go back in time to before the towers arrived!¡±


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    ¡°It shall be done.¡± The white figure waved his hand.


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    This time, Jason felt his vision fade to black. His soul was whisked away and sent through time.

 Chapter 2

    <h2>Chapter 2</h2>


    Jason felt weightless as an explosion of light blinded him. Squinting, he could just barely make out the scenes of his life, except that they were playing in reverse. The battle with Baal, the other demons, undead, dragons, devils¡­ countless battles flashed by in mere seconds. Realizing what was going on, Jason was delighted. Its working. I¡¯m really going back to before the towers arrived.


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    Suddenly, the scenes grew slower and began to fade in and out. Before Jason could understand what was going on, everything went black.


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    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Why¡¯d you stop?¡±


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    Opening his eyes, Jason found himself in a familiar dimly lit tunnel. The pungent smell of goblins was in the air. Strong body odor and piss. Turning towards the voice, Jason recognized a long forgotten face. His eyes widened in shock. ¡°Freddy?!¡±


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    Freddy? Why is he calling me by my nickname? Fred frowned. ¡°Yeah, what?¡±


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    To his side, Angela rebuked. ¡°You¡¯re the tank, you need to pay attention at all times. Stay focused on your front. What if a group of goblins came right now?¡±


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    Stunned, Jason turned his head and saw Angela, and next to her was George. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡±


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    ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡± Fred pointed a finger at his head.


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    Jason inspected his hands. No calluses? I really have gone back in time, but why is it like this?


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    After the shock subsided, Jason¡¯s thoughts began to spin rapidly. He couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the tower, or with the people in front of him. His location was currently on the first floor of the tower. It was made up of underground tunnels and home to thousands of goblins. If he recalled correctly, then right now, he was currently undergoing a trial run.


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    Fred, George, and Angela were assigned as his teammates with Angela being the examiner. Her duty was to teach and guide him and to see if he had any potential. They all belonged to the ¡®Battleshields¡¯ association, a bottom of the barrel guild who only delved through the lower floors. If it wasn¡¯t because they recently lowered their standards, they would never have accepted a twenty-eight year old. Wait, that means the towers have been here for twenty years already!


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    Why was this happening? Didn¡¯t he wish to return to before the towers arrived? Then why was his wish off by twenty years? He recalled the words of the white figure. ¡®Not enough energy¡¯. Did that mean there wasn¡¯t even enough energy to complete his wish? God damnit!


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    Jason clenched his hands. His goal was to prevent as many deaths as possible by returning to the past. After the towers arrived, they would occasionally release waves of monsters to attack earth. At first it wasn¡¯t so bad, but as the decades past, they grew harder and harder to defeat. Humanity started to suffer serious losses after twenty-five years. That meant he had to clear the tower in less than five years. It took eighty years to clear it last time, and everybody but him had died! How was he to do it so quickly?


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    George rolled his eyes after seeing Jason¡¯s pale face. ¡°Look how afraid he is. I¡¯m afraid he isn¡¯t worth our guild¡¯s time, Angela.¡±


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    ¡°Agreed.¡± Fred nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


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    Angela furrowed her brows. Damn it. Is this the level of talent our guild can attract nowadays? Ever since our guild master died on the middle floors, everything went to shit. After gathering her thoughts, she sighed heavily. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


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    Fred walked up to Jason and extended his hand. ¡°Give us our equipment back.¡±


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    Jason took a deep breath after gathering his thoughts. It wasn¡¯t like he could travel through time at will. He had no choice but to accept his current circumstances. Time was short, so he had to grow as strong as possible before humanity started to gain casualties. Seeing Fred¡¯s extended hand, he grew confused.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


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    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get to keep the equipment we gave you, right?¡± Fred started to grow angry. ¡°Quickly hand it over.¡±


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    Jason wasn¡¯t paying attention earlier, so he didn¡¯t hear their conversation. ¡°Did I fail?¡±


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    ¡°Frankly, you¡¯re a piece of trash, old man.¡± George commented with a look of disdain.


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    ¡°Hey.¡± Angela gave George a look.


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    ¡°Okay, no problem.¡± Jason didn¡¯t care about the comment from some kid. He was a veteran among veterans. If he got angry with someone sixty years younger than him, he¡¯d be embarrassed. He took off his iron helmet, chestplate, platelegs, shield, and sword before handing it over. They were the cheapest of equipment; something only low level guilds would hand their new members. Top guilds would hand their members enchanted gear, not this trash. As far as Jason was concerned, it would be the same whether he had it or not.


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    ¡°And the ring.¡± Fred said after storing the equipment in his inventory ring.


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    Jason stared at Fred. ¡°This is given to everyone by the tower as a gift. This is my property, not yours.¡±


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    George chuckled. ¡°This guy, he probably wants to sell it for a few thousand bucks. Maybe that was his plan all along?¡±


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    There were a few cases of people entering the tower just so they could acquire an inventory ring and sell it for a quick buck.


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    Just as Fred was about to speak further, Angela cut him off. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just go.¡±


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    Fred shrugged. Together, Angela, Fred, and George began to head down the tunnel towards the location of the portal leading out of the tower. After a minute, Angela turned around after noticing that they were missing a person. ¡°Uh, where did Jason go?¡±


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    Fred scratched his cheek. ¡°Shit¡­¡±


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    George snorted. ¡°Good riddance.¡±


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    Angela groaned. ¡°If the outside hears we couldn¡¯t protect a trial taker, our reputation would be ruined.¡±


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    ¡°Oh.¡± George suddenly grimaced. If that were to happen, our guild would be finished.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We might still find him before the goblins do.¡± Angela dashed madly down the tunnel, followed by George and Fred. However, even after an hour of searching, they couldn¡¯t find Jason. They had no choice but to give up.


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    Fred kicked the ground. ¡°Damn it!¡±


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    Angela felt guilty for not paying attention earlier. If she had, she might have prevented a meaningless death. As she recalled Jason¡¯s pale face, her mood worsened.


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    George whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this a secret among ourselves.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah.¡± Fred agreed with a grim face.


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    ¡°Not possible.¡± Angela shook her head. ¡°His family will investigate once he goes missing. Soon enough, the trail will lead to our guild.¡±


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    ¡°What? Then aren¡¯t we finished?¡± George clenched his hands. Maybe it''s time to leave this trash guild. With my talent, I could easily join a mid-tier guild.


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    Everyone had different thoughts as they left the tower.


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    Meanwhile, Jason himself was alive and well. After quietly leaving Angela¡¯s group, he made his way through the first floor. Even though he had no equipment, he was still full of confidence. If he couldn¡¯t even deal with some little goblins, his life would have been a joke.


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    Jason glanced at his finger, finding a grey ring. This was called an inventory ring, and was gifted to every person who entered the tower. It was the lowest quality inventory ring, but even so it was invaluable. Inside the ring was an independent space capable of storing items. With a single thought, you could store or retrieve anything, as long as it fit inside.


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    After a quick inspection, all he found was three days worth of food, a wallet, and a phone. When he thought back to how just earlier he had the best quality inventory ring full of top grade items and equipment, he couldn¡¯t help but realize how low he had fallen.


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    Status. With a thought, a transparent screen appeared which only he could see. When one entered the tower, the very essence of their being would be fundamentally changed. For example, if Jason was shot in the head by a gun, he would be completely fine as long as his health didn¡¯t drop to 0. The most he would take was some damage. As Jason saw his pitiful stats, he sighed.


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    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name: Jason


    </td>


    <td>


    Title: None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age: 28


    </td>


    <td>


    Race: Human


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Level: 1


    </td>


    <td>


    Stat Points: 0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Health: 125/125


    </td>


    <td>


    Health Regeneration: .50/s


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Stamina: 140/140


    </td>


    <td>


    Stamina Regeneration: .56/s


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength: 13


    </td>


    <td>


    Vitality: 25


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility: 13


    </td>


    <td>


    Endurance: 28


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Tenacity: 11


    </td>


    <td>


    Fortitude: 12


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2>


    </h2>

 Chapter 3

    <h2>Chapter 3</h2>


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    As Jason was taking a look at his stats, the sound of footsteps could be heard from around the corner. He quickly closed his status screen and grasped at his waist, but found nothing. Looking down in surprise, he found that he was missing his shield and sword. He remembered that he didn¡¯t have any equipment, his previous action was just a habit.


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    Three goblins appeared around the corner. They spotted Jason as soon as he saw them. A goblin was a frail green creature that reached up to four feet tall. They were like small children, but that¡¯s where the comparison ended. They had yellow eyes, long narrow ears, and jagged teeth.


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    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Goblin - Level 1


    Health: 50/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


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    Each goblin wielded a dull rusty short sword. In the past, Jason could just stand still and not take any damage, but he was no longer the same as before. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might very well lose his life here.


    <h2></h2>


    Goblins were cowardly creatures, but their courage rose when surrounded by allies. Jason wouldn¡¯t give them the initiative. He dashed forward, quickly appearing before the one in front. His knee collided with its chin, knocking it into the air. It collided on the ground and entered a stunned state.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -2


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    Jason nearly fell over when he read the damage notification. 2? 2?! Just two hours ago, if he flicked a booger, he would be able to kill a goblin, but now an all out knee-kick dealt only 2 damage? The goblins didn¡¯t let Jason¡¯s slip in concentration go to waste. Two swords pierced through his stomach.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -9


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -11


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    The pain of having his stomach stabbed caused Jason to wince. He quickly chastised himself for losing focus during battle, something which only a rookie would do. Before the goblins could pull back their swords, Jason grabbed each side of their head and knocked them against each other.


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -3


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -2


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    Jason¡¯s eye twitched, but he didn¡¯t slow his movements. While the goblins were dazed, he yanked the rusty short swords from their hands and took a quick look at their stats.


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    (Crude) Rusty Iron Short Sword


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Damage: 10


    Requirements: 5 Strength


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    Good enough. The two goblins shrieked in a foreign language when their weapons were stolen. Jason¡¯s movements were smooth as butter as he slid each sword across the goblin¡¯s necks.


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -13


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    -12


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    Much better. Jason smirked. The two goblins recoiled as blood sprayed out of their necks. Normally such a wound would be fatal, but the tower had different rules than reality. Unless it was a skill that afflicted the bleed status, wounds wouldn¡¯t bleed. Only a little blood would spray out. That was why Jason didn¡¯t care about the two holes in his stomach. He was already used to the tower¡¯s rules. If it was a newb who just entered the tower, they would probably grow scared and lose their life during the battle.


    <h2></h2>


    Before Jason could attack further, the goblin who was knocked to the ground stood up and attacked. He parried with one sword while plunging the other into its eye. It shrieked in pain while staggering backwards.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <h2></h2>


    All three goblins looked in horror at Jason. Their previous confidence was replaced by fear and a desire to run. Jason wouldn¡¯t let them. He swiped out with his sword, sweeping them off their feet. The goblins fell to the ground with a thud.


    <h2></h2>


    Jason changed to a backhanded grip and stabbed into the nearest goblin¡¯s chest. It shrieked in pain as hole after hole appeared in its chest. A mere second later it dispersed into motes of light as copper coins landed on the ground with a clang.


    <h2></h2>


    The other two goblins whimpered from the pain. One tried crawling away, but Jason pinned it against the floor with his foot before finishing it off. The last one quivered in fear as it too was finished off.


    <h2></h2>


    Jason perked his ears but didn¡¯t hear any other monsters approaching. Only then did he relax. Crouching down, he inspected his loot.


    <h2></h2>


    Six copper coins and leather boots.


    <h2></h2>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    (Crude) Tattered Leather Boots


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Armor: 2


    Requirements: 5 Vitality, 5 Endurance


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h2></h2>


    Jason shrugged. It was better than nothing. As he put them on, they magically changed shape to fit his foot. Another feature of the tower. The boots gave 2 armor, meaning if his feet was attacked, 2 damage would be negated. If any other part of his body was attacked, he would take full damage.


    <h2></h2>


    Next he picked up the coins and stored them in his inventory ring. If he recalled correctly, during this year, each piece of copper was worth around 1$. As time passed their value would drop as more copper coins became available. Being an ascender was profitable, although risky. Plenty lost their life in this profession.


    <h2></h2>


    With weapons in hand, Jason began a slaughter on the first floor. Sometimes a goblin would be alone, but they were usually in groups of two to three. When he encountered another group of ascenders, he would casually nod and move on.


    <h2></h2>


    A few hours later, his stomach rumbled pitifully. After finding a safe spot to rest, he sat down against the wall and took out a sandwich, some fruit, and a bottle of water. He ate quickly instead of enjoying the meal. The tower wasn¡¯t a place to relax, except for a few locations.


    At the same time, he opened his status screen and found that he was level 3. In but a scant few hours he had gained two levels, such speed would leave one utterly stunned. More importantly, he gained 10 stat points, 5 for each level gained.


    <h2></h2>


    Now was the hard part. Before he returned to the past, his path was that of a defensive tank. Someone who would take blows for their allies. If his goal was to clear the tower as fast as possible in order to save humanity, would that path be enough? He wasn¡¯t a genius like Roy or the other heroes, but he was a hard worker.


    <h2></h2>


    He was confident that if he worked hard enough, he could become just as strong as Roy had, but did he have enough time? It would probably take him over a hundred years to reach that point. To learn how to master the skills Roy had would take time. Time he didn¡¯t have. It was better to follow his previous path, one that he was confident in.


    <h2></h2>


    Even having reached this point in thought, Jason still hesitated. This decision would decide humanity¡¯s future. He couldn¡¯t be careless. Not now. The pressure mounted. It became stifling. It reached the point where he found it hard to breath, and even his eyes had turned bloodshot. Gritting his teeth, he decided to throw caution to the wind and put 2 points into strength, 2 points into agility, 2 points into endurance, and 4 points into vitality.


    <h2></h2>


    He had always fantasized about a path slightly different than his own. One in which he was still a tank but dealt significant damage. It would take specific items and skills to get there, but it was possible.


    <h2></h2>


    Jason stood up and inspected his equipment. After hunting goblins for a few hours, he was now fully equipped in a set of tattered leather armor. It provided a meagre amount of armor, but it was better than nothing. If he sold it outside, it would be worth around a hundred dollars.


    <h2></h2>


    As Jason made his way to the location of the portal that lead to the second floor, he fell deep into thought. To make my path work, I need money. Lots of it. He thought of ways to make money, but all of them required power. Power he currently didn¡¯t have. Forget it. First I should strengthen myself. Jason paused. Wait...


    <h2></h2>


    The floors of the tower were large, much too large. The first floor was especially confusing. It was comprised entirely of tunnels. Guilds had long since mapped out these lower floors and sold the corresponding maps for a profit. Jason recalled that as of this time, the highest floor reached was thirty-nine. That didn¡¯t mean that the guilds had mapped out that high, just that that was the highest floor reached. If he wanted to make money, it was simple. Sell maps of the floors.


    <h2></h2>


    Who was more familiar with the tower than him? He could count the number of people who did on one hand, but that was before he traveled to the past. As of this moment, Jason knew more about the tower than anybody else.


    <h2></h2>


    Being an ascender was an extremely risky profession, especially for the ascenders who were at the top. Having knowledge of the floors would increase their chance of survival dramatically. The top guilds kept most of the knowledge about the top floors to themselves. Only when enough people reached a floor would they sell information.


    <h2></h2>


    If Jason sold a map of the floors which haven¡¯t been fully explored, how much would those rich top guilds pay? He smiled at the thought.


    <h2>


    </h2>