《Void Climber》 Prologue The observing room was already full when Lieutenant Simmons opened the door. The lights were dimmed and the low murmur of side conversations filled the room. Simmons'' entrance cut through the chatter as everyone''s attention fixed upon the man of the hour. Absent-mindedly his hand scratched at his beard and shoulders rolled in his suddenly uncomfortable uniform. He stepped crisply into a salute letting the round of greetings wash over him. lieutenant-majors, Generals , and even a politician or two greeted him before returning to their murmured conversations. It had only been a few months and already much of the urgency and tension of the situation was breaking in the face of the consistency. He was told to be at ease but even as his commanding officer thanked him again for his service he couldn¡¯t fully shake the growing frustration in his chest. All this preparation, the world shattering truths, and it was all beginning to feel like a damn joke. Simmons only nodded hiding his feelings with the mask of a professional as the overly long monologue came to an end. From the side, two analysts came forward holding out their files. Dan internally sighed, he¡¯d done this enough to know the usefulness of procedure but he could almost rehearse their questions by heart. There wouldn¡¯t be anything new here, just more of the same questions . ¡° Please make sure he describes how the passage of time felt¡­.¡± ¡° What does he remember when exactly the teleport took hold of him..¡± ¡° See if he was contacted by another one of these factions¡­..¡± ¡° Dan, we would also like to know his willingness to have his new abilities tested¡­.¡± Dan¡¯s face twitched as the list kept going. In growing incredulity he realized that they were about to read every single question out loud for the audience. Jim and Dani had been helping him with the interrogations, or interviews as the actual professionals had insisted on calling it. At this point they¡¯d gotten everything down to a science. Heck, he and Jim had already made a drinking game out of some of the answers during the interviews. Things hadn¡¯t been this bad since the first time they brought Simmons in . It had been right after their original interviewer died from a sword to the chest. An event that had apparently happened to several other interviewers prompting a change in tactic. Which was why people like Simmons had been recruited into the interviews. He glanced around the room at the stern faces and the stars that decorated their uniforms. There was a suspicious amount of the upper brass here. ¡°Well this does go some way to explaining the lecture¡± Simmons thought as he nodded and asked the appropriate clarifying questions to ease things along. They¡¯d done this at least a half dozen times. Usually without as much attention as today but they had worked together for months. Dani was already explaining the importance of the interview while Jim with his tiny, pale hands was handing the earpiece to Simmons. ¡° ¡­This subject is of particular interest as he¡¯s one of the last recorded missing persons after contact with the entity¡± Dani¡¯s eyes were intense despite her calm tone. ¡° We believe that considering the time it took for the subject to return we believe that there is a high likelihood of him experiencing higher level floors from the tower...maybe even floor 8 or 9¡± That was too much even for Dan. Most of the poor souls who had escaped were only able to make it to the 3rd or maybe even 4th floors with a rare few making it past the 5th. To make it to the 8th or 9th floors usually indicated a background in live combat or at least self-defense. ¡°Isn¡¯t this kid just a civilian?¡± Dan said, going back over their files, ¡° Says here the closest activity to real combat he¡¯s had was a passing interest in sports so why are we assuming he¡¯s 8th or 9th floor material?¡± ¡°That¡¯s w-what we want you to find out¡± Jim interjected, ¡° In order for that to occur, and to coincide with what we could glean from our current readings ...well there''s the radiation coming off of this kid in levels that are way above average. Even for other taken by the entity we don¡¯t usually see this level of radiation¡± Jim slowly came alive as he slowly lost himself, ¡°Whether it¡¯s some kind of Relic or ability granted by the entity we need to know how it was received. Perhaps, it¡¯s what made the difference in his climb. Perhaps even¡­.¡± Dan held his hands up ¡° I got it Jim I got it. no need to go on¡± both analysts nodded and retreated back into the gloom. He didn¡¯t want to be too hard on Jim but the man could get lost in the excitement of the moment. though as the two found their places, Dan could see Dani giving Jim¡¯s hand a quick squeeze to assure him. Closing the files and sorting his thoughts Simmons took the few seconds he had to organize his thoughts. The top brass really thought this kid made it to Floor 8? It was laughable considering just how difficult getting past floor 10 had been for him. He¡¯d been trained to fight, and the ten floors he¡¯d experienced had pushed him to his limits. Other people hadn¡¯t even experienced half of the training he had and it showed. Most of the interviews were just people crying about what they experienced. Some were too shell-shocked to even speak about it, with a few being outright hostile to any attempts to speak about the entity. In either case, he had stalled long enough. Simmons closed his folder before saluting again and exiting the observation room. Next door two soldiers held ready nodding to him before letting him pass to the door leading to his next interviewee. Familiar gray walls with a table and familiar chair greeted him as right across sat a young man looking off in the distance. He was dark-skinned and despite the relaxed nature of his posture, his eyes held a tension as if he was ready for anything. Dark clothing had clearly gone through abuse, with cuts all along its edges. The kid looked up from his daydreams and fixed Simmons with a glare that would make a drill sergeant proud. Neither party said anything as Simmons set his files down before taking his seat. Despite the distance he could almost feel the stares from the other room as he got himself in order. ¡° Any reason for why you¡¯ve got me trapped here¡± The kid said ¡°Well a hi to you too¡± Simmons opened his folder, ¡° First off let¡¯s start with confirming who you are before we get into your temporary stay here¡± The kid shrugged before leaning back. ¡° Fine, I just want to get out of here. It¡¯s been a¡­.interesting time since I got out¡± ¡°Well sorry about that but you¡¯ve been missing for sometime and we¡¯re in a state of emergency. Sooo¡­¡± Simmons pulled out his recorder and slid it half way across the desk. ¡° State your name for the record please and we¡¯ll see if we can get you out of here¡± ¡°Kelford Booker and who are you?¡± ¡° I¡¯m Lieutenant Daniel Simmons of the US Army¡± ¡° Your name''s Dan¡± The kid, Kelford was smiling now. Simmons just sighed , this part always came up. ¡°I¡¯m lieutenant Dan, yes, I know, everyone knows the joke and I¡¯ve heard anything you could possibly be thinking up right now, Now please state your age and¡­.¡± ¡° I don¡¯t know, I was like 22 before I was abducted but it¡¯s easy to lose track of time in there¡± ¡° That does fit in with our records¡± ¡° Oh you¡¯ve been keeping records? How many people have come out¡± ¡°About a few million over the intervening months but i''ve only done a couple dozen interviews since I came back¡± Kelford leaned forward ¡° You were in the tower?¡± Gets them every time Simmons thought as he put out his hand and pulled at his Inventory. The reassuring feeling of solid wood filled his grasp as a long pole of dark wood materialized from the aether. Tipped with a blade of roughly carved iron and glowing runes all along the sides. The magical weapon casted a wicked glow through the space.Sparks danced on the edges as Simmons showed off his favored weapon. Executioners Thunder had carried him all the way to the 10th floor and back to his family. More importantly it was a Very Rare item which he had been barely able to afford with the entirety of his team''s finances.It didn¡¯t hurt that it was a good way to leave other tower survivors in awe as most of them wouldn¡¯t even have passed the 5th floor much less the grind for the 10th. Simmons turned his attention to Kelford, seeing mild appreciation but nothing more. Kid either had some stones or he¡¯d seen something as impressive before. Considering who was in the observing room he was willing to bet it was the latter. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The weapon disappeared in a flash of light, ¡° That answers your question¡± Kelford nodded ¡°Good, now that we''ve gotten that out of the way now let''s start at the beginning. Where were you when you were taken¡± ¡°At home getting ready for the last day of my old job¡± ¡°Yes, we got a report from a supervisor that you hadn''t shown up for your cashier position¡± Dan checked the file,¡±after that multiple family members and friends reaches out about being unable to contact you later that day¡± ¡°It was early, I didn''t have the chance to talk to anyone before it happened¡± ¡°What do you remember of being teleported? Were you dizzy, confused¡­¡± ¡°I remember being pissed I didn''t get a bite of my cereal¡± Simmons just stared for a minute. ¡° That was your first thought after being teleported¡­That you never got your cereal?¡± The kid leaned back with a shrug before looking away to the distance again. Simmons shook his head. This interrogation wasn¡¯t going anywhere and Simmons was beginning to feel that maybe they really needed a professional to come in here for this one. The kid wasn¡¯t impressed by his weapon and moreover didn¡¯t seem to care about the gravity of the situation. Which really when he thought about it led to only one conclusion. ¡°Hey Jim¡± Simmons said seemingly to the air, ¡° I know you keep some cereal in the mess hall can we get some in here?¡± He smirked thinking of the incredulous looks that must be on some of the officials in the observation room. They were going to love this. ¡°Any cereal you¡¯re really feeling for right now? I know you¡¯ve only been back for a bit but we have cereal around and nothing beats normal food after getting back. Trust me I can vouch for it¡± Simmons tried his most disarming smile. I think that might just be my best smile yet! Kelford froze for a few seconds before a laugh burst from him. It high pitched and ended with a shudder that seemed to take the wind out of the kid¡¯s sails. ¡° ..You guys got Captain Crunch?¡± ¡°Sure kid, we¡¯ll get you some Captain Crunch¡± The silence returned though Kelford was no longer looking out in the distance, instead he stared at the table as if the reality of his experience had just hit him all at the same time. 6 months, 32 days and 15 hours since the arrival of the Tower, millions of people worldwide had gone missing only to return with increasingly fantastical stories. All of them came back with magic and sorcery straight out of a fantasy novel. Flaming sword, unicorn mounts, and even draconic scales. Worst was that all their stories had only three consistencies. The many floors and rules of this Tower, the deaths that they faced within the structure, and the warning. The warning that humanity had only 100 years to live. Simmons took a breath, everything had gotten too real too quickly. He¡¯d seen the warning, seen that there was only one way to survive the coming apocalypse. Climb every single floor, defeat every monster and trap in their way, and pass the 100th floor. On paper it seemed so simple. Take a strike team and fight their way within the decade. Easy peasy. That¡¯s how he¡¯d heard it from some drunks at the bar anyway. Heck, most people probably thought that way. Simmons knew differently and hopefully so did everyone who had been in that insane trap. It was only going to get harder from here and they needed every shred of info they could get. ¡° So Kelford¡­while we¡¯re waiting I¡¯d like to hear your story. From the beginning.¡± Dan''s gaze met Kelford''s . ¡° I wasn¡¯t lying earlier¡± Kelford said, ¡° I really was pissed about my cereal¡± 6 Months Earlier¡­ After The initial shock of finding yourself in a mysterious third location wears off Kelford found that his thoughts were cluttered. He edged through the black passageway, using his hands to keep him moving along the craggy wall as he tried not to trip. It was slow going. Not helped by the shivers. Which were completely uncalled for as the temperature of this..cave wasn''t anything less than pleasant. Strange as it was to consider. ¡°I didn''t even get to finish my cereal¡± it was a dumb thought but it was all that was keeping him sane. What did you do after finding yourself lost in a dark cave right before work? Lay there and cry? Kelford cringed. That was the first thing he had done. Now he was on his feet putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn¡¯t see where he was going but it had to be better than sitting alone in the dark for something to eat him. Right? Besides, how had he gotten here? Where even was here? Was this a weird attempt at a prank or new reality show? Somebody''s idea of getting their sick kicks by kidnapping him and dropping him here to survive a gauntlet of traps or worse? Did he leave the light on in the bathroom or leave the¡­ Focus!!! Pain radiated from his knuckles as he dimly realized he had punched the wall. It flowed from bruised fingers, up his arm clearing the rising panic. Kelford¡¯s breath was ragged but the thoughts had stopped their racing pace. For now anyway. ¡° It¡¯ll be okay¡± The words were small in the dark, ¡° It¡¯s going to be okay¡± His hands were shaking again but there was no longer the energy to stop them. It all seemed too much. The impulse to just sink into a little ball and lay in the dark was overwhelming. He wasn¡¯t worth the effort. He would be a mediocre man who hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. He would die here in the dark, forgotten and useless.Like always. A familiar lethargy began to sap at his mind making even just standing seem like a chore. Why wouldn¡¯t he give up at this first challenge, it wasn¡¯t even a certainty his efforts would pay off? He floated there for just a moment then he took one step forward. Then another. Each became easier as he left those dark thoughts behind. The wall began to veer sideways on a gentle curve forcing Kelford to follow it. ¡°Is¡­is it getting brighter?¡± He rubbed at his eyes before the realization sunk in. It was getting brighter! He turned the corner and saw a pale light at the end of the tunnel. He didn¡¯t even think. He ran for it. Tripping and scraping himself along the rocks he pushed forward headless of the pain. He grew closer and closer, relief flooding every inch of his body as finally he could see the dark walls around him. The light came from above and it fell upon a stone set of stairs. Each perfectly carved and uniformed. Kelford¡¯s mind finally caught up with his situation and before he took the steps he skidded to a halt. What was he doing? He didn¡¯t know what was up there or even if this mysterious set of stairs didn¡¯t just lead to an even worse situation? He glanced back towards the tunnel he came from and shivered. He¡¯d take the steps one at a time and peek over the landing to see what lay beyond. It wasn¡¯t as if he was flush with options right now. He climbed the stairs slowly peeking his head above the landing to see a room straight out of a fantasy novel. The room was layered in pelts that covered the walls. Smooth, dark stone made up the floor covered by rugs made of some sort of wool. Braziers and torches gave the large space a surprisingly warm feeling but what held Kelford¡¯s gaze was the center. A crystalline pattern dominated the ceiling spilling in the light he had seen from the stairs. Beneath, were a series of pedestals that were made of pale stone. ¡°What in the heck is this place?¡± Kelford climbed the rest of the stairs keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. Still his eyes were inevitably dragged back to the altars and his curiosity got the better of him. Each was opulent to the extreme, with gold and silver ringed edges. Beautifully carved stone was polished till shining holding up silk of a different color for each of the 5 altars. Laying on top were weapons. A sword, twin daggers, a bow , some kind of tome, and a wand. Kelford had no words. He was dreaming, it was official. That or he had lost his mind. Still as he gazed at the ludacris scene his eyes turned upward. ¡°Okay, now I must be losing my mind¡± The window wasn¡¯t made of glass but some kind of crystal. Along the borders were threads of gold woven like vines that split the mural into 5 sections. One was of warrior clad plate holding up a sword and axe in each hand. The others all had similar scenes, a wizard with a wand, a rogue with dual daggers, an archer skulking through the trees, and some sort of priest holding a thick tome. Each was as beautifully crafted as the next. Leaving Kelford in awe at the skill required to create them. Each coincided with an altar. It was straight out of some kind of larping event, though with a surreality unmatched by anything Kelford had seen before. Still¡­ the sword was high quality and having something to defend himself would go a long way to making him feel safer. He reached for it,wrapping his fingers around the grip and pulled to no avail. Confused, he pulled again this time with both hands feeling the blade barely budge. What was going on? He went to try again before the message appeared. Language Matrix Identified Please Hold ¡° Gaahhhh¡± Kelford skidded back only to be chased by the floating words. He waved his hands seeing the words overlay of the waving appendages. The words were gold with some sort of screen surrounding them. He tried to touch them but they disappeared only to be replaced again. New Species Confirmed Beginner Floors Deployed Reliquary populating Tower User Interface Downloading Kelford¡¯s hands shot to his face as his eyes began to burn. A knife stabbed into his brain ratcheting up in searing agony as he began to scream. Dimly he felt himself fall to his knees as the words continued to dominate his vision beneath closed lids. Welcome To The Tower Please Prepare for Installation This Might Be Painful The pain reached a crescendo before, mercifully, Kelford fell unconscious. Welcome to The Tower Kelford pulled himself from oblivion with much protest. He immediately threw up his hands to block the gentle light from above as his head began to stop its protest. He felt as if he¡¯d been ground up and spit out by a steamroller. Blinking he began to push himself back to his feet while swallowing a groan of pain building in his chest. No one was around and it seemed everything had remained untouched while he was out. It was impossible to tell how long he had been out. He didn¡¯t have a phone and there were no windows to see outside. Really in his estimation it just added to the confusion of the whole place. Then there were the¡­messages from before the pain knocked him out. ¡°That couldn¡¯t have been real. Right?¡± Kelford thought, ¡° More likely that the stress is just getting to me¡± ¡° Oh no those were real¡± Kelford whirled, eyes wide trying to find the source of the voice. He hadn¡¯t heard or seen anyone approach! Hands up, his eyes scanned across the hall only to see nothing but the undisturbed braziers and altars. ¡° The Interface has been installed successfully and your capacity for mana has just been adjusted. The Myriad Index has already gone through and made sure no issues have occurred with the process . I am merely doing various inspections on your intake of essence¡± The voice was feminine and distinctly chipper, ¡° I have observed a sudden uptick in stress levels. I wonder why that could be?¡± ¡° Who are you !¡± Kelford¡¯s voice filled the hall, ¡° Show yourself! Are you the one who brought me here? What¡¯s this Interface you¡¯re talking about?! I don¡¯t know what sick game you¡¯re playing but I¡¯ll let you know I¡¯m not participating in whatever this is.¡± ¡°Oh ,where are my manners? One moment¡± The voice went silent and Kelford kept his wits about him as he waited for whoever this was to come out of their hiding place. What he didn¡¯t expect was for his chest to start glowing. His eyes widened as wispy tendrils of light snaked out from him in several strands as thick as his arms. They melded together like a small sun before stabilizing into a floating orb of pure light. The light was gently and despite looking directly into the orb his eyes felt no strain at all. Strangest of all,despite the floating orb having no eyes Kelford could feel the weight of this thing¡¯s gaze. It was like something from a movie. How was someone supposed to react to seeing a miniature sun just materialize from your chest? The answer was probably not standing,slack jawed but Kelford couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care. ¡°Well hello there Kelford Booker, I am your Tower User Interface or T.U.I for short. My most sincere apologies for not introducing myself earlier but diagnostics must come first. I¡¯m sure you understand¡± Each phrase was punctuated with the orb brightening and dimming. ¡° Oh..uh no worries¡± Kelford said before the reality of his situation broke through. ¡° What am I doing? I¡¯m talking to a floating mini sun that just came out of my chest!¡± First he had been taken to who knows where, found himself wandering a creepy cave for who knows how long and now weird speaking light bulbs? He was still dressed in jeans and a T-shirt for crying out loud! ¡°I am sure you have many questions as according to the Tower¡¯s sensors your world was in an essence deprived section of the wider galaxy. So, I''m sure you are very confused right now and have many questions. I will be certain to answer them all in due time. First, I would ask that you stop pinching yourself, you''re not dreaming¡± The sun or T.U.I¡¯s tone took a sharp edge as it brought attention to Kelford¡¯s attempts at waking himself. He rubbed at his arm hiding the embarrassment of being caught pinching himself. ¡°Wait, I''m not being weird . This situation is just ridiculous!¡± Still if he wasn¡¯t dreaming maybe it would be okay to take this somewhat seriously. ¡° Okay, i''m not dreaming¡± ¡°No you are not¡± Kelford nodded, ¡° And you¡¯re here to answer my questions?¡± ¡°Among other things but we can start with questions now if you prefer¡± ¡°Great. So where am I and how can I get out of here?¡± ¡° Excellent questions! You are currently in the beginner rest area at the base of The Tower and you can either reach the 10th floor or wait here for a month without leaving. I must warn you, being ejected from The Tower after the month long waiting period will result in a permanent ban from entering again¡± The light turned a deep red and Kelford took that to mean T.U.I was angry about that option. Thought he couldn¡¯t see what was so bad about being banned from the place that he was currently trapped in. ¡° Well, I¡¯m not super interested in being trapped here for a month so how can I get to the 10th floor?¡± He looked around again seeing multiple doorways to the right of the altars. ¡° Is there a set of stairs or an elevator I can take?¡± It was a long shot but maybe it was that easy? ¡°Oh no silly. Thankfully your line of questions have lead us nicely to the introduction quest¡± ¡° Introduction quest?¡± No sooner had the words left his lips before golden words appeared in his vision. Quest: Welcome to The Tower You have been teleported to the first Safe Floor in the Tower Begin the introductions and have your questions answered Rewards: Unlocking of the Interface, Tutorial quests, Class system, and First Floor Do you accept? Yes / No ¡°There¡¯s golden words floating in front of me again¡± ¡°Well of course! How else would you receive the quest notification¡± T.U.I said it as if Kelford was asking a silly question. It didn¡¯t bother him as the pieces of what was actually happening here began to connect. The weapons,weird notifications floating in his vision,the mention of essence and teleporting. He had to resist the impulse to pinch himself. ¡°T.U.I¡­are you telling me that magic is real¡± ¡°Accept the quest. It only takes a thought of acquiescence ¡± With excitement building in his chest, Kelford focused on yes. The screen disappeared and T.U.I glowed bright before bursting into streams of light and flooding into his chest. It was over in seconds leaving him alone once again. ¡° The answer to your question is complicated¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice echoed in his head , ¡° Though the simplified version for your essence deprived civilization is yes. There are many civilizations that make use of the essence of reality to channel phenomena you would consider to be magical¡± Kelford grinned , this terrifying kidnapping had turned into a dream all in one sentence. Magic! Real magic! He could already see himself casting fireballs, getting enchanted weapons, facing down monsters, being a hero. Forget dead end jobs and disappointed life goals, he could be waltzing around with the strength of ten men! He refocused as T.U.I continued. ¡° You are one of the members of your civilization to be randomly selected to act as vanguards for your compatriots¡± a screen materialized showing a floating image of what could only be a galaxy, ¡° Your galaxy has begun to attract universal attention as the ambient essence has finally hit the tipping point. Soon, essence will cause systemic changes to your local reality. These changes which would have caused a jump in technological progress that would have revealed the wider universe¡± The image shifted to surreal looking forests with trees the size of skyscrapers then to floating ships glowing purple in space. ¡°Wow¡± the ship had floating crystals that emitted some kind of propulsion , while the main body of the ship was pale with faint glowing symbols along its hull. ¡°It is very majestic, unfortunately the Myriad Index has determined that many of the new civilizations that developed with in such circumstances did not survive the inevitable clash with established factions'''' The ship exploded as a beam of light blasted through it¡¯s hull heralding a fleet of ships that blazed with power. The image faded leaving Kelford flabbergasted. Alien civilizations and magical space ships were hard to swallow but the dream of being a hero was still alive. There had to be some kind of solution. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Fortunately, the Myriad Index has developed a solution¡± An image of what Kelford could only describe as the mother of all standing structures appeared. The trees at its base were barely visible while clouds floated by its midpoint. ¡° A physical manifestation that can encourage the development of these civilizations to grow fast enough to have a fighting chance. The Tower manipulates the essence in order to appear without destabilizing the fabric of your world¡± T.U.I¡¯s tone was still chipper even as she casually explained that the building he was standing in could destabilize reality. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that this Tower is randomly intervening in other worlds to force them to grow? How is kidnapping me in this giant skyscraper supposed to help with that?¡± Suspicion had finally wormed its way past the excitement for Kelford. Seemed as if there was another shoe that was about to drop. ¡°Well the Tower has access to many of the relics and technologies of civilizations across the universe from all essence types. As one climbs they gain access to more of these treasures as well as the repositories of information held within the Myriad Index. Even entire fragmented worlds remain in the Tower for your exploration.¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean worlds?¡± Kelford said, ¡°What even is the Myriad Index?¡± According to T.U.I the Index was a universal power that was able to bend reality. Not something that seemed likely to just help random starter planets with their intergalactic neighbors out of kindness. ¡°Well any information on the Myriad Index is classified but I am more than happy to assist with your first question.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° By entire worlds, we mean actual recreations of entire planets, including their environments, cultures, and even their civilizations who failed the test.¡± Kelford shook his head, having information about itself being classified didn¡¯t make him feel better about this Myriad Index. Better to pick his battles for right now and drop that question. Kelford didn¡¯t feel like pissing off the lightbulb in his chest was a good idea at this point. ¡°Alright T.U.I what is this about a test?¡± ¡° Oh the Test of the Tower. Within 100 years of its arrival all qualifying civilizations must have at least one qualifying member reach the 100th floor within a standard century.¡± Kelford¡¯s jaw clenched ,¡°Well what happens if a civilization doesn¡¯t reach that floor in time? What happens if my civilization doesn¡¯t reach that floor in time?¡± ¡°Oh well that¡¯s simple ¡° T.U.I replied, ¡°As according to the analysis of the Myriad Index any civilization not able to show satisfactory growth will not be able to survive the rigors of life in the universe. The planets remain viable so it is best if every member of the qualifying species is wiped from existence and their records kept to grow the Myriad Index¡¯s knowledge base.¡± Kelford couldn¡¯t breathe. This thing. It was going to kill all of humanity if they couldn¡¯t reach the 100th floor? He thought of his siblings, his parents, the few friends he still had. All gone without a trace? ¡°I have to warn somebody¡± The government, the military, the news, just someone. Everyone! There wasn¡¯t any time to waste! What had T.U.I said? He could wait a month before being essentially kicked out? Kelford shook his head, anxious energy forced his body into movement. He could do that but that was a long time to remain here without food. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t be able to return if he took that route. Though, what was the point of him trying to climb the Tower? He wasn¡¯t a soldier or even particularly competent in a fight. The lethargy creeped back in, like a blanket that threatened to take his new found energy away from him. Who was he to try larping the hero? He wasn¡¯t good enough, not deserving enough. Not Worthy Enough! Kelford stopped and fists clenched. That was then and this is now. This was a call to adventure, a life¡¯s purpose dropped onto his lap. Everyone needed to help! Had the right to help. That included him. ¡°T.U.I?¡± Kelford said. ¡°Yes, Kelford ?¡± ¡° Can I pick one of those weapons now?¡± ¡°Well yes you can pick a class but there are many others¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you on the way¡± Kelford marched over to the altars, ¡° Right now my entire species is in danger.¡± The sword gleamed in the soft light as he took it in hand. It lifted easily off the pedestal, its blade was polished steel that glinted off the pale light from the ceiling. ¡°Well this is most irregular the Tower has allowed for this occurrence to be a part of the introductions¡±T.U.I¡¯s voice barely registered to Kelford as strength exploded through his body. The sword burned with power, flowing through his fingers and up his arm. It was like an adrenaline rush 5 times over. He felt powerful, invincible, like the whole world was within his grasp! Emergency Quest: Introduction to The Tower You have chosen to test your mettle against the floors early Show your mettle or your folly Your choices are your own Restriction on floor 1 lifted Quest must be accepted A Class has been discovered Heavy Warrior Kelford swiped the messages away,so lost in the moment he didn¡¯t bother to read the rest of the words. T.U.I spoke in his mind but he ignored her. A thunderous cacophony echoed through the hall as a large double door materialized against the far wall breaking apart stone. They reached 20 feet into the air, spewing layers of dust as they cracked open on unseen hinges. Stalking past the altars, Kelford hoisted his blade as naturally as a master swordsman. His body was light and his mind was so far from the lethargy that it was addicting! He could do it ! He could be a hero, forget just reaching floor 10! He could go all the way. ¡° Kelford I do believe it would be prudent to at least look at your class skills. The rush from large amounts of mana can be addicting but once we pass the threshold I can not speak with you¡­..¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice cut out immediately as Kelford passed the threshold. He found it hard to care. The world beyond the doors was rocky. The walls were no longer worked stone but those of a cave. Large, haphazard torches lit the room ahead of him casting a shadow of a creature in the dark. Kelford looked back only to see endless darkness, once crossing the threshold there seemed to be no way back. Only by moving forward could Kelford escape. He redoubled his grip on the sword, finding the heady rush was fragile now. He sprinted forward before the doubts could close in pushing for every bit of speed he had. The creature screamed as he burst into its sordid dwelling. It was small, barely up to his stomach, with pale skin and flapping ears. Its clothing was made of one disgusting rag that barely covered its chest. All this dimly passed through his mind before in one mighty sweep¡­ he cut the monster down. Skin, bone, and flesh fell away with barely an effort. Kelford¡¯s blade smashed into the ground burying itself a full foot into the rock. Everything was still as blood covered everything. Kelford stood there in shock, hands still wrapped around the sword before letting go with a gasp of disbelief. Blood covered his hands but it was some kind of monster. Satisfaction rolled through him despite the slight moral misgivings. ¡°Well that wasn¡¯t too bad¡± Kelford let out a laugh perhaps a little too forced to be natural, ¡° Um T.U.I sorry for not listening to you earlier.What were you saying earlier?¡± Silence was the only response. ¡° Hey, i¡¯m really sorry I just got lost in the moment and¡­¡± eyes from the dark met Kelford¡¯s. Another pale creature stared at him, dirty knife in its hands. Kelford¡¯s mind stopped, he hadn¡¯t thought that there would be more than one in the first room. He tugged at his sword but it didn¡¯t budge. The ugly thing smiled, spittle and broken teeth filling its maw. It seemed certain in its victory now that his weapon was out of action. Kelford snorted as he put his fists up. Just because he didn¡¯t have the sword didn¡¯t mean he was defenseless. His heart beat heavily in his ears as he prepared for another fight. ¡°You looking for a beat down too¡± Kelford took one step before pain stole his breath away. Then suddenly the creature wasn¡¯t there anymore! It was dark, so dark! Something warm trickled against his cheek. He shifted only to see that the lights hadn¡¯t gone out at all. The fire from earlier was still flickering, reflecting off the red liquid. ¡° I¡¯m on the ground ¡° Kelford¡¯s thoughts were slow, ¡° I fell at some point¡±. He flipped himself over with titanic effort. He was growing cold but that didn¡¯t make sense. He was next to the fire and it was supposed to be warm. To his side lay the monster he had killed. Its lifeless eyes stared into his from the beyond. Blood from its corpse still pooled beneath it, mixing with another source. Looking beyond his victim''s body, Kelford saw many more eyes. These ones were alive. No Four more came out from the darkness, all with knives and grinning maws. In the front,one of them already had blood covering theirs. Kelford went to rise, but he found his legs didn¡¯t respond. Not Like This They rushed him. Kelford screamed as he felt knives bury themselves in his skin! Every one of his punches threw them away like rag dolls. He was a lion amongst hyenas, but he was injured. I Don¡¯t Want to Die Like This Blood painted the rock as cackling laughter echoed in Kelford¡¯s ears. He couldn¡¯t fight anymore. Just as it had begun, Kelford¡¯s adventure ended. Kelford saw the first creature, knife now drenched in blood, stand over him. Its arm was broken and face bruised. It leered at him before stabbing him in the chest. Kelford took his last breath cursing himself for a fool. He¡¯d gotten himself killed for nothing and he could see that clearly now. What was he doing trying to be a hero? Everything faded to black¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. The world rushed back to focus in a rush causing Kelford to stumble as he couldn¡¯t breathe. He choked and gasped as his lungs refused to work! Phantom knives pierces his chest forcing a whimpering scream to escape his throat. His mind roiled as he spasmed on the floor before finally his lungs inflated! He choked down air as best as he could.His own body rebelled against him screaming that he was injured. He was dying, no he was dead and so to was his limbs.Long moments dragged by before he fell bonelessly to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m alive¡± ,Kelford couldn¡¯t believe it ¡° I¡¯m alive¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was back, ¡° Though if you had listened to the introduction you would not be surprised right.¡± Kelford¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t quite understand and somehow T.U.I picked up on his confusion. ¡°Within The Tower¡¯s 100 floors death is not the end¡± The teleportation, wandering dark caves, the discovery of aliens and now his death. Each event weighed on him and finally he couldn¡¯t bear the pressure anymore. In the center of the altars, beneath the light of the ceiling , Kelford curled into himself and cried. One More Time ¡° - and so from there we have the building blocks of creation¡± T.U.I¡¯s said, her cheerful voice bouncing off the walls. ¡° In summary Light and Shadow gave birth to order and chaos. These forces gave structure to the elemental forces primarily considered to be Earth,Wind, Fire, and Water. These forces allowed for life and Death to flourish while their prevalence led to the animating force of spirit. Your spirit¡¯s source will influence the higher energies that you can more easily withstand¡± . She glowed happily in the dark bedroom that Kelford resided, her cheerful demeanor contrasting the depressive atmosphere. ¡°And that should do it! Congratulations, you completed your first quest!¡± Quest Complete Quest: Welcome to The Tower You have been teleported to the first Safe Floor in the Tower Have your questions answered and the basics of your new life explained Rewards: Interface Unlocked Tutorial Quests Revealed 1 Class Slot Permanently Unlocked First Floor Permanently Unlocked The prompt faded from Kelford¡¯s view after a moment only to be followed by more. Before even the temptation could strike, Kelford hid the rest of the prompts from view. His thoughts ran like molasses, making even the barest of attention that he had paid to T.U.I¡¯s lecture utterly exhausting. He gazed along the room, only lit by the soft glow of T.U.I hovering by his bedside. It was small, with thick furs that covered the bed and glowing symbols along the wall. Shadows into a bathroom and a closest that Kelford hadn¡¯t bothered using. Everything was dim. The glowing blue symbols were dimmed at his request, while the bathroom was only turned on the occasional visits. Dimly, Kelford noted that everything smelled of dried sweat and that he hadn¡¯t eaten in three days. Atleast, that was what his glowing companion had insinuated. Ever since his first foray into the Tower¡¯s floors and his subsequent resurrection, Kelford had been falling apart. T.U.I had pointed out this room he had missed and he had all but collapsed into the bed ignoring any attempts at correspondence. Scenes of his death continued to flicker through his mind, and only lethargy provided any kind of relief. Deeper and deeper until waking and sleeping didn¡¯t seem to matter. Kelford hated himself for doing this, but it was hard to justify leaving his new bed. Still, today had been different somehow. He had pulled enough of himself together to hear T.U.I¡¯s explanation of the Tower. Just enough to finish the quest. He teetered on the brink of falling back into that oblivion, far from the craziness of his new life. ¡° Hey¡­T.U.I¡± Kelford¡¯s voice was quiet. ¡°Yes Kelford?¡± T.U.I¡¯s said ¡° I messed up pretty bad¡­right?¡± ¡° I am not entirely sure what you mean?¡± T.U.I¡¯s response was light as if she really didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I died, almost as soon as I entered the 1st floor¡± ¡° Yes. You died 5 minutes into the first floor. ¡° ¡° That¡¯s pretty pathetic¡­.¡± Kelford fell back. Hitting the soft furs and with a dull smack. ¡° I pretty much just ran in there high off of power, like an idiot, before dying.¡± ¡°A traumatic event that would certainly cause a large amount of mental damage that the Tower graciously helps you mentally process¡­¡± ¡° I failed !!!¡± Kelford was breathless, the images were back. Rage had replaced terror as he thought about their leering faces. He was definitely strong enough to kill any of them. If he hadn¡¯t been stabbed in his spine maybe he could have changed things. Though that wasn¡¯t worth the effort of considering. The disparaging thought sounded in his mind with Kelford¡¯s own voice. Worse, he couldn¡¯t disagree.He sucked and that was that. ¡°Kelford, I am confused on why you consider your first attempt a failure. According to the Myriad Index, 80% of the participants haven¡¯t even attempted the first floor.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° I would consider your present circumstances closer to the state of ¡°Failure¡± you are speaking about.¡± Kelford stared at the ceiling for a few more moments. His thoughts still ran like molasse, his body was tired, and he had no reason to force himself from his comfortable bed. ¡°One more try wouldn¡¯t hurt¡± Kelford threw off the covers and stood for the first time in 3 days. It was sometime before he left the room but the lethargy that had gripped him was far behind him. The shower had taken a second to puzzle out as the hot and cold water were governed by runes but after some questions to T.U.I, he figured it out. Raiding the closest had exposed all that he would need while he was here¡­ including clothes. It had only taken a moment of indecision before he had discarded his old clothes. The clothes he wore now were a light tan, felt like silk, but were thick and baggy. Sturdy boots now protected his feet and he couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit. He walked to the altars gazing at their prizes. ¡°Huh, they¡¯re different,¡± Kelford said, ¡° Why is that?¡± ¡°The Tower switches up the weapons for each attempt. This way each climber must adapt continually. Which will force them to grow faster¡± T.U.I said, causing Kelford to roll his eyes. ¡° The classes stay the same but the weapons differ, not sure how that is supposed to help with growth but thank you for the information¡± ¡° Always happy to help¡± Kelford chuckled before refocusing on the altars. Instead of the weapons he had seen when he first appeared there was now a great axe, a crossbow, a rapier, a staff, and some jewelry. It threw him off only a bit before he focused on the prompts that now floated above them. Heavy Warrior Ranged Warrior Light Warrior Acolyte Apprentice ¡°Where was this the first time I was here?¡± ¡°All of these features were locked before you finished the Introductory Quest ,now you can access the full utility of the baseline Interface. If you pick up one of the classes you will now be able to see more information.¡± Kelford walked around the circle of altars until stopping before the staff. It was at least as tall as him, made of a rich, brown wood that felt cool to the touch. Apprentice The Laws of Reality Must Be Understood Before They Will Bend to Your Will. Skills: Essence Pool Manipulation Enhanced Intellect Wand, Staff, and Ritual Proficiency Random Basic Spell Each class gave basic skills that would act as the base for any attempts at the Tower¡¯s floors. These skills could potentially make or break the run. More importantly from what Kelford remembered of T.U.I¡¯s lectures, the classes would also influence some of the treasures and challenges he would find within the floors. Making his choice here even more important then he had first thought. Kelford could only shake his head at his past self.What if he had made it past those monsters. Maybe the class he chose would have lost his shine after he had made it just a bit farther. Speaking of Heavy Warrior , Kelford stood right in front of the Axe. Heavy Warrior It Is Strength of Arms That Will Bend The Universe to Your Will Skills: Enhanced Strength General Melee Weapon Proficiency Heavy Armor Proficiency Active Skills: Hard Slash Kelford took a deep breath before grabbing the large axe. It¡¯s haft was made of the same material as the staff but with leather grips. Power welded within him just like last time, He felt invincible! His hands could crush mountains, his legs could lift seas, with this axe he could leave entire continents sundered in his wake. For a moment Kelford¡¯s eyes flicked back to the double doors that stood, imposing along the far wall. He closed his eyes as the rush washed over him before finally he gained back control. The strength was steady , instead of overwhelming. ¡°Man this really does give you a rush¡± ¡°It¡¯s the rapid changes in your bodies capabilities¡± T.U.I said, ¡° It creates a euphoria like effect especially in the more physically inclined classes¡± ¡°Thank you T.U.I but that was more of a rhetorical question¡± Kelford flipped the axe along his body exalting in the lightness of the weapon. ¡° I know, I just figured you should be enlightened¡± T.U.I¡¯s reply left Kelford snickering before he placed the axe back on its altar. He stumbled as the strength left him but after a moment he was able to stand. ¡° You should refrain from choosing a class that you have no intention of attempting the floors with. The loss of skills will cause stress on your body. ¡° ¡°Thanks for the heads up T.U.I¡± Kelford said before moving to the next class. Ranged Warrior Why Risk Getting Close When You Can Shot Across the Stars Themselves Skills: This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Minor Enhanced Strength Minor Enhanced Dexterity Bows,Crossbows,Thrown Weapon Proficiency Medium Armor Proficiency Active Skills: Perceptive Eye Kelford¡¯s gaze covered the last two classes. Light Warrior Obtain Grace Unmatched as You Explore The Worlds Before You Skills: Enhanced Dexterity Small Blade,Short Spear, Buckler Proficiency Light Armor Proficiency Active Skill: Backstab Acolyte Align Yourself With The Powers Beyond Your Comprehension Skills: Enhanced Willpower Randomized Essence Attunement Staff, Ritual Orb, Essence Focus Proficiency Random Basic Spell ¡° Essence attunement and Essence pool manipulation both sound like they allow you to touch upon magic. T.U.I does essence have something to do with the cosmic forces you were speaking about earlier?¡± ¡°Why yes Kelford they do ¡° T.U.I¡¯s replied happier than ever to be of assistance, ¡° Essence Attunement is much like Essence Pool Manipulation except instead of creating and cultivating a pool of essence within you, it allows you to touch upon the motes of energy surrounding you¡± Kelford stepped back from the classes,brows furrowed in consideration. ¡° So what is the difference? It sounds as if they do the same thing?¡± ¡°If you wish to find out more, you must explore the Tower. Knowledge such as this can be discovered by your civilization or by treasures found through the floors.¡± ¡° Is one stronger than the other? Can you tell me that at least?¡± ¡°Both skills have their advantages and disadvantages. If you wish to discover more information you must climb the Tower.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m going to climb the floors T.U.I¡± Kelford sighed as he turned towards the giant doors. A part of him swore that he could hear monsters laughing as they killed him. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought. No ,he had no intentions of playing the hero anymore. He¡¯d try out the classes, maybe explore this starter area a bit. Risking his life against those creatures beyond the doors no longer appealed to him. ¡° Oh but why not¡± T.U.I spun out of his chest this time colored in gentle blues and purples, ¡° I had hoped your exploration of classes indicated a resolve to continue climbing?¡± ¡°I died in there T.U.I, I was stabbed to death!¡± ¡° And within the Tower death is only temporary.¡± T.U.I seemed unconcerned at Kelford¡¯s rising frustration. ¡° So what? I¡¯m obviously not good enough to climb to the 10th floor. So why go through all the effort just to see myself fail.¡± ¡° Well¡­¡± T.U.I began, ¡° Just stop, I don¡¯t want to talk about it¡± Kelford¡¯s voice was firm as he ripped his eyes from the imposing doors, ¡° Just show me whatever I unlocked for finishing the Tutorial quest.¡± T.U.I was quiet for a moment before saying, ¡° Alright¡± prompts flooded Kelford¡¯s vision a moment later. Interface User: Kelford Booker Class: N/A Class Slots: 1 Skills: None Spells: None Relics: None Karma: 0 Inventory: 0/10 The interface seemed to be pretty empty but Kelford couldn¡¯t be too disappointed. It seemed that he could only have room for one of the classes but the idea of the slot being at one may point to a future where multiple classes could be picked. Did that mean he could get two sets of class skills? It could potentially lead to broken combinations, especially if there were more class options eventually. ¡°T.U.I are there more classes then the basic ones I¡¯m seeing now?¡± ¡°As you may remember from the tutorial lecture..¡± T.U.I said, ¡° there are many potential classes,with their number increasing depending on your relics, class choices, and even skills. The amount of classes you will be exposed to will increase in variety after floor 10¡± ¡° Thanks¡± Kelford said even as he tried to keep himself from being embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t believe he had forgotten that. Still, he pushed aside the embarrassment in favor of the rest of the interface. Karma was the currency of the Tower apparently but he had yet to get a single one yet. T.U.I had told him that it could be spent on treasures and relics. While he had no idea where to get Karma, he definitely had no idea what to do with his Inventory . Apparently if he continued climbing the Tower he would be able to carry items within some kind of pocket dimension. It sounded crazy but no more crazy than anything else in this madhouse. Kelford minimized the Interface with a thought only for more golden words to appear. Tutorial Quests: The Foundation of Your Path Is In Many Way the Most Important To Assist With Development the Myriad Index Presents Guidance Quest The First Floor Description: Complete The First Floor: Reward: 10 Karma Quest Jack of All Trades Description: Reach to At Least the 5th Floor With Every Class Reward: 1 Class Slot Quest Rarity Description: Unlock one Rare Relic Reward: 100 Karma Quest Friends in Safe Places Description: Make Your Way to The Second Safe Floor ¡° I¡¯m guessing some of these quests may change as if I pass the first floor?¡± Kelford said, ¡° I mean one of them does make mention of a higher floor so it makes sense¡­right?¡± ¡°Yes, and excellent deduction¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was nearly as bright as her new pink and purple colors, ¡° Many of these quests are merely the start of a questline. By following the quests you will eventually grow till you can conquer the 10th floor!¡± ¡° Sure¡± Kelford was unamused, each quest only rewarded him for climbing the Tower. It made sense, everything in this place seemed geared towards forcing him to attempt the floors. A month was a long time with nothing to do. ¡° Have you thought about what you will do when you leave?¡± T.U.I¡¯s question caused Kelford to stop his musings. ¡° What do you mean?¡± ¡° Have you considered what life will be like in your world after you leave the floors?¡± Kelford hesitated, ¡° No, I haven¡¯t¡± ¡° With the advent of essence flooding your world a period of chaos will occur. Many civilizations in the past have seen a tremendous loss of life in the direct years after the Tower¡¯s arrival. Those that survived were either powerful in essence, protected due to their usefulness, or at the mercy of those much more able then they were. In each case the Tower played a key factor in their lives. For those unable to enter or make use of the bountiful harvest of the floors¡­well they fell behind.¡± ¡°So what are you saying? I have to throw myself into a death trap so I can become some uber useful magician to survive? I¡¯m not buying it. I¡¯m not a hero and I''m not going to suffer just for some crumbs of power.¡± Kelford was screaming near the end. Was he scared or angry, he couldn¡¯t tell anymore. ¡°You¡¯re not seeing the bigger picture Kelford¡± T.U.I had no eyes but seemed to stare into his soul, ¡° If you get kicked from the Tower, you won¡¯t be able to enter again. Your world will continue to gather essence and soon your native fauna and flora will become just as dangerous as any Tower borne creature. For every one of you who gives up, that is another sword not raised in your world''s defense. Those you care for will die due to your inaction.¡± ¡°T.U.I please¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can do this. The first death¡­¡± ¡°Was manageable. The Myriad Index has made it so. The only factor to consider is if you have the will to try again.¡± With those words T.U.I flowed back into his chest, silent after her admonishments. He sat there in silence before grabbing the axe from its pedestal. Power flowed into his veins once again and he held on to the euphoria as his body ingested the large amounts of essence. He came off the high after several long minutes before turning back towards the door. He¡¯d gotten up today with the promise he¡¯d try one more time.So he was going to make the most out of it. If he failed this time no one could say he didn¡¯t give it his all. ¡° T.U.I any advice before I go in there¡± Kelford slowly approached the doors again causing them to shudder as they opened. ¡°Remember that your class is about being physically strong, this means most of the early floor creatures will be weaker than you. Your active ability Hard Slash will empower one of your blows twice over at the cost of your stamina. Use it to end a fight early or to get out of a tough spot.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice echoed with conviction in his head as he pushed past the doors. Kelford just hoped he would be worthy of her belief. Kelford marched past the doors feeling the smack of stale,dirty air. The corridor had the same rocky texture, so similar it was as if he had never entered the first time. He squeezed his axe as his fear ratched up to 11. The memory of leering faces and gleaming knives threatening to break his concentration. He turned around only to see darkness behind him. It had happened last time but his beating heart threatened to leap out of his chest. The only way was forward and every step was painful. Soon the path opened up into a larger room, with a familiar figure standing in the fire light. This time Kelford didn¡¯t rush in and his unlocked interface made itself known. Gnoblar Species:Goblinkin Description:Mostly seen as good for nothing layabouts, gnoblars are the first stage of ogres. Their low cunning is all in service to engorging themselves on what helpless prey they can find ¡° Gnoblar¡± Kelford hadn¡¯t gotten this information the first time around. It wasn¡¯t directly useful but it only made his mad rush when he had first attempted the floor that much more pathetic. He peered past the gnoblar sitting in front of its small fire to see two more barely hiding in the gloom. They hadn¡¯t seen Kelford yet, occupied as they were with chewing on some kind of leather or arguing amongst each other. In fact, hiding was too generous a term for what they were doing. Fear gave into rage as Kelford prepared himself. There were definitely a few he couldn¡¯t see from his perspective, but he wouldn¡¯t be taken by surprise. Not this time. Taking a deep breath Kelford shifted his grip on the axe before launching himself into a sprint. Enhanced Strength made his bounding steps eat up the distance in moments, sending his axe through the face of center gnoblar before it could even blink. He stood dead center of the room, axe dripping with blood. Adrenaline burned through his veins as he yanked his weapon out of the corpse. It came free easily. The burning eyes around Kelford widened with surprise as each gnoblar tried to hide itself in the shadows waiting for their opportunity. Behind Kelford two gnoblars grinned in glee as they began to creep behind the tall human. They had left their weaker sibling to bait out any creature that came from the dark. Now they could take the human down without risking themselves. The leers had just crossed their faces before Kelford twisted, swinging his axe around in a blurring arc much faster than his strike. Hard Slash Steel became a blur cutting through the sneaking gnoblars as easily as a knife through butter. Kelford sagged as exhaustion hit him like a truck. He wasn¡¯t prepared causing the axe to slip through his now blood covered fingers sending clattering against the fall wall. Panic surged through his brain but he had no time to waste. The other gnoblars were already upon him. He whirled a blade already coming for his spine now only leaving a burning cut along Kelford¡¯s side. Kelford screamed desperately moving back as the second gnoblar threw itself at his face. He tripped and all three fell into a pile of blood and flashing blades. Kelford¡¯s mind raced as he felt the same panic rise up in him. He was going to die, just like last time! The thought screamed in his mind even as he desperately tried to defend himself. He punched one of the gnoblars only to have the other stab him in the side. He cried out smacking it away before trying to get some distance. Kelford coughed as he put a hand against the wall. He came to one knee before turning to see where the gnoblars were.. The one he had punched hadn¡¯t gotten up but the last one was now moving towards him. Bruised and bloodied it still leered at him, holding up its knife and licking the blade. Its leering smile and beady eyes taunted him, seemingly certain in its victory. Kelford¡¯s foot snagged on something beneath him and despite the cuts along his body, Kelford smiled. He climbed to his feet axe in hand again. His scramble from the gnoblars had led him right to it! The leer being wiped from the gnoblars face was sweeter than anything Kelford had experienced before. Hard Slash The axe blurred, killing the monster and leaving Kelford as the last one standing. His chest heaved as bloody cuts made their presence known. Kelford couldn¡¯t feel them lost in the realization that he¡¯d done it. ¡°I did it¡± Kelford laughed unaware of the bloody scene around him, ¡° I completed the first floor!¡± He laughed wildly, relief, fear, adrenaline all too much to keep inside. It was just one step but it was a victory. His victory, and it was sweet. First Floor Complete Fire and Blood ¡° Congratulations Kelford, you completed the First Floor! How are you feeling?¡± T.U.I appeared from his chest, glowing like a rising sun. It had been a few minutes after his completion of the first floor. His wild exaltation had stopped after he could not long ignore the stinging of his wounds from the first battle. He leaned against the wall trying and failing to ignore the wounds as best he could. The exhaustion from the fight and his usage of Hard Slash had mostly gone. The previous doubts of trying to climb the Tower were still there but now he felt he could make it to the 5th floor. Or try to at the very least. ¡°Thanks T.U.I'''' Kelford pushed himself from the wall lifting the axe to his shoulder, ¡° So what¡¯s next.¡± His body may ache but his spirit was undimmed. ¡°Well first is your quest rewards!¡± T.U.I said as golden words filled Kelford¡¯s vision. Quest Complete! The First floor Rewards: 10 Karma ¡° I don¡¯t know if that is super useful but I won¡¯t turn down rewards!¡± ¡°Just wait, there''s more where that came from Kelford!¡± Quest The Second Floor Description: Complete the Next Floor Reward 20 Karma ¡°Alright now we''re getting somewhere!¡± The reward wasn¡¯t too bad but he still didn¡¯t know where to spend his karma. Hopefully its usage would become apparent in time. There was one more prompt waiting for him, Keldord wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he knew. He looked at T.U.I and she seemed to be giving him a look of expectation. Shrugging he indicated he was ready for whatever was about to come next. T.U.I flared with light and another orb materialized next to her. It was bigger, made of an almost metallic substance that glowed with a pale, harsh light. Relic Orb ¡° What is this?¡± Kelford took a step back, mostly out of caution. Only a few minutes had gone by since his fight and the adrenaline has still yet to leave him completely. ¡°This is your reward for completing the first floor,¡± T.U.I floated around the bigger orb, ¡° At the completion of every floor you will be able to get another of these rewards. These orbs represent a direct connection to the Myriad Indexes collection. Though you will lose them between your runs, each treasure will represent a powerful boon and potential path forward. Each choice is randomized between a grouping of common and uncommon items¡­¡± ¡° With the rest of the rarities being rare, very rare, legendary, and mythic!¡± Kelford¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡° I was remembered that part¡± ¡° Just checking ¡° T.U.I laughed, ¡° Now would you like to see what your options are?¡± Kelford stepped up to the orb. It made no move as he approached it. He placed a hand upon it¡¯s smooth surface only for it to flare in white light. He covered his eyes before seeing three miniature orbs floating in place of the first. These ones had descriptions . Armored Cuirass of Momentum Common Description: Basic Protection that has the following effect Each attack has it¡¯s impact stored in the armor After 5 hit the wearer can have a empowered strike (Can only hold up to uncommon level strikes) Ring of Endurance Common Description: A ring that makes your body more durable to attacks Increases Toughness by 15% Flame Enchanted Flamberge Uncommon Description: A blade enchanted with the power of flames Flame spells are slightly empowered ¡°Whoah, when you were talking about treasures you weren¡¯t kidding¡± Kelford really couldn¡¯t wrap his head around what he was seeing. The excitement was back, these were actual magic items! The thought just made the death trap slightly more enjoyable. He looked behind him at the corpses of the gnoblars. Not enjoyable enough to make him forget where he was but he¡¯d take any win at this point. ¡°Yes, now these relics are always randomized. Currently you only have access to a small subset of the Myriad Indexes vaults. These common and uncommon relics are easily replicated by almost every civilization in one form or another.¡± T.U.I had slipped into lecture mode which drew a sigh from Kelford. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to know, just that it was interfering with the excitement of his first proper loot. Still it led to an important question. ¡° Are these the highest rarity of items I have access to? ¡° ¡°For now¡± T.U.I replied, ¡° Certain rooms and actions will allow you to gain access to higher rarity items. Unfortunately, I can not tell you more until you encounter such rooms¡± ¡°Well, I guess that leads back to my choice here. Any recommendations?¡± Kelford knew what he was going to pick, but perhaps T.U.I could make an argument for the other options. ¡° I can not tell you what to choose but I can say that you wish to consider how your options synergize with your class skills. Higher rarities are usually more powerful but common items may lead you farther through the floors.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡° That¡¯s still not stopping me from choosing Flame Enchanted Flamberge¡± Kelford laughed as he chose the uncommon item. ¡° I never tried to convince you otherwise¡± T.U.I¡¯s words faded into the background as Kelford focused on the relic orb rapidly expanding before dissipating into wisps of light. The other orbs disappeared leaving only the now floating sword behind. It was bronze and gold, with a long wavy blade that glowed orange. A rune glowed on the blade leaving a trail of fire as Kelford grasped the sword. He laid his axe against a wall as he inspected his relic. Each swing left trails of heat and he could feel an internal warmth even along the handle. Yet, never enough to burn him. He even touched the blade for a moment only to find that it was no hotter than a warm plate. ¡° The enchantments on the blade make it so it¡¯s wielder can not be harmed by it¡¯s flames.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° If someone was to take the sword and take its connection things would be different¡± ¡° What connection?¡± Kelford swung the sword a few more times, letting his class skills guide his movements. ¡°The next time you take a relic or even a class, try to pay attention to what happens when you touch it. Your essence will naturally be drawn to the weapon to claim it as your own¡± Kelford nodded before stopping his impromptu practice. There were so many new ideas and facts to learn with the Tower and it¡¯s many rules. It was only the beginning but there was already a mountain of information to crame in his brain. He spared a glance towards his axe. He¡¯d just gotten it and now he was going to put it away. The Flame Enchanted Flamberge was just better than it in every way. ¡° Can you show me how to place items in the inventory again T.U.I?¡± Kelford gestured at his axe, ¡° I can¡¯t carry the axe while also using the Flamberge¡± ¡°Simply focus on the item you wish to place in your inventory before placing a hand upon it¡± Kelford followed T.U.I¡¯s advice placing one hand upon the axe before it disappeared in a flash of light. Inventory : 1/10 ¡° Well, no more waiting around then¡± Kelford rolled his shoulders before moving into the passage before him burning sword comfortably leaning against his shoulder. Now Entering Floor 2 Room 1 It was much the same as the first passage he¡¯d entered. The rocky passage had a distinct upwards tilt just gentle enough that Kelford barely felt the incline. A light showed in the distance causing him to slow down. Worse was the sound of high pitched voices speaking in a guttural language.The smell of burnt meat smacked into Kelford¡¯s nostrils as he slowly crept closer to the next room. The room ahead was at least double the size of the last one, with refuse from the gnoblars squatting in the caves . As he stayed in the shadows watching the camp of pale creatures Kelford began to count them. 4 circled a campfire in the center, while 3 were sleeping along the far wall. The only source of light was the campfire leaving Kelford hidden from the monsters. ¡° I could try to sneak up on the sleeping ones¡± He quickly shook that thought away. He wasn¡¯t stealthy and nothing about his glowing new sword helped with his stealth capabilities. If he charged the gnoblars at the fire he could potentially kill them all and defend himself against the sleeping gnoblars. Hard Slash was a good skill to potentially end the fight quickly. The exhaustion may be a problem but he was feeling better after the last fight. Ending this one fast would potentially allow him to conserve his stamina. ¡°T.U.I you got any advice?¡± Kelford waited but heard no response. ¡° I¡¯m going to have to ask how close she can be to monsters before she disappears.¡± This way he could get a better idea of how far away monsters were. It was a worry for later ,right now he had a room to clear. Spreading his legs, Kelford held his sword to his side. The gnoblars were arguing over something, some piece of meat from what Kelford could see, completely oblivious to the human preparing to take their lives. Kelford dashed forward, flaming wisps trailing behind him as he crossed the room in a flash. A gnoblar¡¯s eyes bulged as it saw him burst from the darkness, screaming in its guttural language. The others turned too late to save themselves. Hard Slash Kelford¡¯s blade was a horizontal blur of steel and flame, cutting down three gnoblars without even stopping . He almost lost his balance, losing precious seconds as he righted himself before having to kick the gnoblar he missed away. The adrenaline was kicking up a notch but his body felt like lead from the cost of Hard Slash. His kick left the gnoblar bruised but not dead. The others were waking up ,screaming in confusion. Kelford fought the panic down as he chased the gnoblar he kicked. If he could kill it now, he¡¯d only have to deal with three instead of 4. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then a projectile bounced off his blade. He turned to see another gnoblar with a sling screaming in rage at missing him. Kelford gritted his teeth, he¡¯d missed that one in his assessment. Now he had a choice to make. Finish the gnoblar in front of him or rush the slinger. Golden letters appeared above the slingers head. Gnoblar Slinger Some lucky gnoblars develop a talent for ranged weaponry. This is not one of those lucky few. Still in large numbers gnoblar slingers will bring down tough adversaries. Kelford made his decision, spinning on the balls of his feet he ran for the slinger. It squawked as it noticed him tossing another sharp stone in it¡¯s sling before throwing it right at his face. Kelford threw an arm up before hissing as a dull crack ran up his arm. Rage burning in his chest he slashed with his blade from the other side slashing the other gnoblar across the face. Another slash left it dead on the floor and Kelford whirled to confront the rest of the living gnoblars. Their knives glinted in the flickering fire light as the four creatures charged him. Kelford swung his much larger weapon forcing their charge to stall. Weapon Proficiency turned his blade into a blurs of steel as tried to catch the monsters to break apart their defense. It wasn¡¯t working. Each gnoblar he pressured retreated as its compatriots tried to surround him . Kelford¡¯s frustration and panic were building as he was forced to break off attack after attack. A stab of pain along his leg sent a growl from his lips as he backhanded the offending gnoblar. His momentary distraction let one slip behind him leading to another knick along his side. Fire danced along in the air as the offending gnoblar lost a hand for its troubles. Kelford followed up with a downward cut but his limbs were moving as if through molasse. The gnoblar jerked out of the way leaving Kelford exposed. The gnoblars jumped at the opportunity. Bloody knives pulled away from flesh as Kelford finally fell to his knees. The gnoblars drew back in anticipation of another swing only to giggle when one didn¡¯t come. They circled him watching to see if he had really given up. Kelford glared back as his chest heaved, his hands never leaving the flamberge. ¡°Come on¡± Kelford thought, ¡° Come just a little closer¡± . The pain was blinding but the thought of death forced him to focus. He had one chance and he wasn¡¯t going to blow it. One of the creatures was slowly getting into his blindspot while the others slowly grew closer. The one that had lost it¡¯s arm was screaming in the background. Kelford waited, the drops of blood beneath him slowly growing into a pool. It happened in a flash. Kelford¡¯s mind drifted for a moment as blood loss and fear stretched his focus to the limit. A small splash brought him back to the present and the gnoblars in front of him leaped forward. In a moment, three monsters were charging him ready to take his life. Kelford¡¯s life was hanging by a thread but he couldn¡¯t help himself. He smiled. The gnoblars had fallen for his trap. Though his body ached, Kelford pushed it further, twisting until he made eye contact with the gnoblar behind him. It¡¯s blade was only a few feet from his back, its eyes sparkling with glee. It¡¯s eyes bulged as Kelford¡¯s blade cut through it¡¯s neck. Hard Slash The power of the skill spun Kelford all the way around without losing much of it¡¯s force. The gnoblars couldn¡¯t stop in time and the enchanted blade cut through flesh and bone like butter. They died screaming and burning. Kelford fell to both knees utterly exhausted. The gnoblars were dead but he could barely stand. His lungs and muscles burned from the effort of the fight but he wasn¡¯t done yet. Pushing himself from the floor with a groan, Kelford climbed to his feet. One gnoblar wasn¡¯t dead yet. The one that had lost it¡¯s arm eyed him in a mixture of rage and fear. It seemed so life-like at that moment. Kelford hesitated as he locked eyes with the pathetic creature. He remembered the way the first death went, how the gnoblars enjoyed inflicting pain. The pity Kelford was developing died. He stabbed it through the chest watching the light leave it¡¯s eyes. He waited a second before stumbling back towards the wall. ¡° T.U.I are you here now?¡± ¡°Yes Kelford, all the gnoblars of this room are dead.¡± T.U.I¡¯s cheerful voice broke what energy kept Kelford up. ¡° I¡¯m gonna take a quick break, just one hour tops. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem right?¡± ¡° No, that should be fine¡± Kelford nodded with relief before collapsing against the wall and sliding to the floor. The stone was bumpy and uncomfortable. He fell asleep anyway. Room 1 of Floor 2 Complete ! Fire Safety Kelford was cold and sore when he woke up. Crusted blood cracked all along his body as he shifted. ¡°Ow¡± Kelford stretched but found that all the aches only got worse when he stretched, ¡° Who would have thought that sleeping on hard stone would suck this much.¡± ¡° I would¡± T.U.I appeared as a ball of white light from his chest, ¡° And you were asleep for 4 standard earth hours, much longer than you indicated.¡± Kelford swallowed a groan as he pushed himself to his feet, ¡° I didn¡¯t expect to be that tired. Besides, you wanna give a guy some slack? I just went through two brutal fights back to back.¡± Kelford rolled his shoulders before wincing again. ¡° Really with what I¡¯ve gone through i''m surprised that I¡¯m still alive¡­¡± the thought of the knives sent shivers down his spine. It just reinforced the question , how was he still alive? ¡° Well with the influx of essence within you it is a wonder you haven¡¯t noticed the full extent of your changes¡± T.U.I was floating around him, almost like she was inspecting him. ¡°What do you mean T.U.I?¡± ¡° Essence has a marked effect on organisms from life essence, according to the Myriad Index your current essence production is¡­¡± ¡° In english please¡± T.U.I stopped, ¡° That was english¡± ¡°I meant just dumb it down¡± Kelford sighed, ¡° I just got stabbed a bunch of times and i''m not in the mood to be listening to technical jargon. Just give it to me in a way I can understand.¡± It may have been the pain, the bloodloss, or the corpses but Kelford was swiftly losing his patience. ¡° Well in that case, you should have noticed improvements in many aspects of your biology and psychology.¡± T.U.I had floated back into eye sight, ¡° It¡¯s the reason you have been able to fight multiple opponents despite your lacking physic, your mind is not breaking from the slaughter of humanoid creatures, and you haven¡¯t died from the blood loss. For your first attempt at the Tower I would have presumed you would not have gone into a minor depression if you hadn''t died so soon after experiencing such life changing events. I believe that after this attempt you will show remarkable improvements in your reaction to these events.¡± Kelford didn¡¯t know how to react. It was true that he wasn¡¯t exactly the most athletic right now, he hadn¡¯t even considered just what he¡¯d done even this soon into the Tower. It had only been 2 rooms. ¡°And already I¡¯ve killed 13 times.¡± ¡° 15 if you count the first gnoblar in your initial run and you killed another on that run without realizing¡± T.U.I¡¯s reply only proceeded to make Kelford¡¯s veins run cold. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d killed someone. The worst part was he found it hard to care. Those things were monsters, they were in some magical place where they were designed to be killed as some kind of test. ¡° Are these things actually alive?¡± Kelford gestured weakly at the bloody corpses, ¡° Or are they just really life like clones or something?¡± ¡°Would the answer make you feel better?¡± Kelford just stared at T.U.I as her reply rang in his mind. He didn¡¯t know and worst he feared that he already knew what his answer would be. ¡° Let¡¯s¡­forget about it for now¡± His sword was clean despite the grimey condition of his own clothes, it still had a warmth that felt good on his clammy skin. ¡° Do I get a Relic Orb for completing this room?¡± ¡° No, Relic Orbs are only for completing floors and as prizes in special rooms¡± T.U.I floated beside him as he began leaving, ¡° Though I can not give you any additional information about special rooms I can tell you this. After the next room, you will have a special room option! Isn¡¯t that exciting ?¡± ¡° Yea T.U.I¡± Kelford said as he dragged himself further into the Tower, ¡° That¡¯s very exciting. I wonder what I¡¯ll get next.¡± ¡° Oh the options are limitless!¡± T.U.I¡¯s excitement caused Kelford to chuckle. The passage now had a definite upward tilt, causing Kelford¡¯s already tired legs to burn as he pushed himself step by step upward. The rock was no longer jagged and black, now softer and mixed with lighter stone. The feeling of the earth above his head seemed to become less overbearing, though Kelford admitted to himself it could have been in his head. The darkness was kept at bay with the occasional torch, and his enchanted sword. T.U.I continued to talk, speaking about the boundless treasures and knowledge he could gain from the Tower. How she was excited to show him the additional interface requests he had unlocked due to climbing past the first floor. ¡°Wait?¡± Kelford paused as her words finally registered, ¡° What do you mean additional interface requests?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find out when you get back¡±T.U.I said ,¡± It¡¯s a special reward for pushing past your melasse and making it to the second floor. It¡¯s a safeguard that the Myriad Index has put in place to reward those who keep trying and dissuade sapients from using the Tower as a handout.¡± ¡° I didn¡¯t have any prompt about this,¡± Kelford said, ¡°I thought that the whole point was to show how to improve? If you¡¯re hiding this then what else is the Tower hiding?¡± ¡° Don¡¯t think of this as part of the quests, but as a small bonus for a job well done.¡± T.U.I voice was still cheerful, ¡° Also you¡¯re close to the next room. If you want to see your gift from the Tower for pushing your limits then die here and you¡¯ll see!¡± ¡° I¡¯m not planning to die in this room. I still want to get out of here.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t wait to show you the special rooms!¡± Kelford growled in his throat before pushing forward. There was no winning here! His angry steps lead to a bend in the tunnel and as he turned the corner he could see the next room before him. The tunnel exited above the majority of the room giving Kelford the perfect spot to survey everything. It was huge. Bigger than the starter area, it was at least as long as a football field. Rock formations broke up the space, with layers of dust and grime covering the entire space. Kelford barely noticed as the giant group of gnoblars too up his full attention. They had¡­ made an actual camp. ¡°More a shanty town then a camp¡± Kelford whispered The camp seemed to take up the entirety of the cavern, with the closest density being right in the center around a large fire. Some kind of wood and cloth made up the shelters. Really it made up the trash piles too, as the entire place had seen better days. The cloth was ragged and had large holes everywhere Kelford could see, Piles of broken shelters dotted the landscape. The dust coated all the outer shelters in a dull grey, showing that most of the shelters weren¡¯t in use. Probably hadn¡¯t been for some time.Worst, there were gnoblars crawling all along the center. A party seemed to be in full swing as over a dozen gnoblars surrounded a large cooking fire. There was some ramshackle spit with something cooking on it. Whatever it was they sure seemed excited about it. Kelford looked beyond them to see large tunnels that held glowing runes above their entrances. A prompt soon followed. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Floor 2 Room 2 Gain Access to The Third Floor By Any Means Necessary ¡°Well that makes some things easier¡± Kelford may have been able to kill 8 gnoblars in the previous room but he had no delusions that he was good enough to kill dozens of the little monsters at once. Heck the 8 he killed were mostly by surprise. That was without the numerous wounds he¡¯d gotten from the fight as well. His fingers were still tingling from the slinger¡¯s rock not to mention the knife wounds. He may be able to endure more trauma if what T.U.I said was true, but he could still die. Maybe it was time to try stealth this time around. ¡°Worst case scenario I get stabbed to death again¡± Kelford forced himself to chuckle at the joke. This wasn¡¯t going to be pretty but if he made it through this he¡¯d get another Relic. That represented a significant gain to his climb and maybe one of these ¡°special rooms¡± could help with his injuries. After that¡­well he¡¯d figure it all out. Still he was still a bit tired, maybe he needed to think this through¡­ ¡° Okay now I¡¯m just stalling¡± Kelford checked around the entrance to see if any gnoblars were around before picking his way down to the edges of the gnoblar town. It took a few minutes to find an easy path but eventually Kelford found his way down without too much trouble. He stashed the sword into his inventory much to his chagrin. His mission was to be stealthy at this point and a giant glowing sword wasn¡¯t exactly the best when it came to stealth. ¡°Besides, one wrong turn and this place is definitely going up in flames¡± The dust and dried wood would definitely qualify as the mother of all fire hazards. No wonder the only fires he saw had plenty of space from the buildings. Kelford crept forward, making his way through the dark, cramped walkways between shacks. It seemed mostly empty, but he didn¡¯t want to leave anything to chance. He took it slow, checking every dilapidated building for occupants before moving on. He¡¯d been surprised by gnoblars twice now, he wasn''t planning on it turning into a third time. He aimed to skirt along the edges, trying to stay as far away from the main gathering as possible. Rock formations, and giant heaps of trash made that a dying hope. Maybe if he wasn¡¯t trying to be stealthy or have multiple knife wounds he could have made it. So with multiple dead ends, he eventually started to make his way to the occupied section of the cave. It was easy to realize when he crossed over. Bones began to litter the ground, and the smell of sweat and cooked meat became overpowering. The only difference to the buildings was that they weren¡¯t as covered in dust. Now Kelford had to take it slow. He crossed behind a stretch of leather, just a moment before two gnoblars scampered past. They were everywhere. Most of them were not even alone. His estimate of a little over a dozen was way off. There had to be at least 30 of the monsters stumbling around here! Kelford took a shuddering breath as he ducked into a building. Its owner wasn¡¯t home, but by the smell, had only left recently. Kelford checked the corners before finding a mostly clean area to rest in. He¡¯d been crouched and ducking close calls for at least an hour. His wounds were acting up and he needed to give his nerves a rest. Taking a deep breath, Kelford allowed himself a minute to get his head on straight. 30 seconds in a deep roar sounded through the camp sending his heart racing. Multiple gnoblars scampered past baying like dogs in their excitement. Kelford stayed still, not daring to breathe until he was pretty sure most of the monsters had gone. He poked his head out before getting back on the move. The gathering of gnoblars had only grown, Kelford could see all of them making their way to the camp center emptying the streets. Whatever had been cooking, seemed to have finished.The screeches and talking had reached a feverish peek as even from his hiding place Kelford could see gnoblars drooling as they ran. Kelford could care less. He started to hurry down the side streets and between the makeshift houses. He didn¡¯t know how long he had but this was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t afford to lose. He stole between ramshackle buildings as the noise behind him only got louder. It seemed like he had just found away past the center before in his excitement he tripped over a dirty pile of rags. He cursed under his breath as he caught himself before he realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one pissed. The rags shuffled as another gnoblar, this one dirtier than most, came up snarling only to freeze as it made eye contact. Kelford was on it in a flash. His sword materialized in a flash before biting deep into the gaping gnoblar. It fell dead with a wheeze just as Kelford put his axe away. That was a close one. He checked his surroundings before he hid again. ¡° Just a little farther¡± He whispered to himself. Now that he wasn¡¯t hurrying he could see that not all of the gnoblars were rushing to their impromptu feast. Some of the more downtrodden were laying everywhere. Either to hurt or seemingly out of favor to join. The few wretches seemed to be slinking in from the outskirts for scraps, though a few crawled into empty tents to steal scraps. Maybe even to surprise the original owners. With the window of his escape closing ever faster there weren¡¯t many options left for Kelford. He started moving as quickly as he dared. He avoided as many as he could, killing the few that were too close to avoid. His progress was slowly stalling, not only from the mounting pressure, but from his own exhaustion. He was in line with the center, a clearing of buildings not giving him any easy way to cross without taking a risk. He hid behind a few destroyed barrels and boxes. The gnoblars were in a frenzy, their shadows dancing in the fire light as they danced around their cooking food. Kelford¡¯s gaze watched the scene in morbid fascination. A fiat gnoblar stepped from the crowd, it stood almost as tall as Kelford. It¡¯s pale skin was noticeably healthier than the rest of its kind, with fat and muscle pushing against the confines of flesh. Even from his hiding place Kelford could feel the atmosphere change as it entered the area. Thick furs draped it, with a large club in one hand and a sharp stone knife in the other. The gnoblars were silent, watching their hulking leader approach the roasting meat. With one swift motion the gnoblar chief ripped away a chunk with it¡¯s implement before wolfing it down. It licked it¡¯s lips with a satisfied look before roaring into the air. The others joined it as they pushed against each other as they formed a line. The giant monster stayed where it was, watching them with a self satisfied smile. Kelford almost didn¡¯t notice when golden words appeared above its brow. Gnoblar Gorger Description: As gnoblars eat they begin to grow in intelligence and size. Gorgers have achieved the second part of their life cycle, having secured consistent sources of food. Usually if no other challengers have arisen they will rule over other gnoblars, growing their small population in strength and securing even more food for it to consume. The gorger occasionally barked at its lesser brethren when they had gotten too rowdy, making sure all of the favored were able to secure at least a chunk of the leg. Kelford watched it before his attention fell to those that had eaten. Did they seem slightly healthier now? One gnoblar began to gobble down the food it had gotten, and Kelford watched as its muscles rippled slightly. Now that Kelford was watching he could see it. With each bite the gnoblars were getting stronger. He had to get out of here while he still had the chance. Kelford backed away, preparing himself to sprint past the clearing when he realized that it was already too late. A gnoblar had crawled out of the tent behind him. just at the right angle to see him but not immediately be visible. Their eyes met and Kelford could see the moment it decided to run. It turned, voice already raised to scream for the alarm. There was only one thing to do. Kelford sprinted after the monster, sword already being summoned from his Inventory. The gnoblar screamed just a moment from alerting the entire camp. The familiar weight of the Flamberge finally dropped in his hand. Kelford leaped forward with a brutal ,overhand chop cutting through the gnoblars chest. He skidded forward in a whirl of heat and dying flames. Eyes closed Kelford listened for any indication that the gnoblar horde had heard anything. No baying of his blood or roars of rage. Only the crackling of the fire. He¡¯d done it. The gasp of relief almost took Kelford from his feet as he opened his eyes and stood to his full height. That¡¯s when he made eye contact with at least 2 dozen monsters watching him in complete shock. Even the gorger had its mouth open and bulging as it tried to comprehend what had just happened. It would almost be funny if Kelford wasn¡¯t so terrified. His mind raced as he tried to find some way of spinning the situation to his advantage. Then he smelled the burning. He turned to his right only to see a small flame slowly growing along one of the shacks. In his desperation to kill the gnoblar it seemed that he had been less than careful with his flaming sword. With how bad the integrity of the structure had been, the flame was too much. It collapsed spreading embers and flame in every direction. That was when the roars began. The gorger roared, stabbing it¡¯s club at the shocked human. The horde of gnoblars bolted forward. Kelford turned tail and ran. His sword clipped dried wood and leather, spreading flames behind him and filling the air with fire. Flames of Ambition Blood rushed in his ears as Kelford ran for his life.He juked right and then left, heedless of the direction. He just needed to get away. Knives scraped the rocky floors, screams and jeers chased his feet as the gnoblars followed. The air whistled ,forcing Kelford to jump through a shack as the thin barrier of leather protected him from trash and stone. Gnoblar hurlers, faster and lighter, had caught up throwing their projectiles whenever a shot could be found. Holes in tents and shacks were filled with poorly aimed debris. What they lacked in quality were made back in quality as the makeshift shelter fell apart from the repeated blows. With a scream Kelford threw himself out the back, farther from his goal but out of sight of the hurlers. He scrambled to his feet only to see two gnoblars rushing down the passage towards him. Knives raised in rage , the gnoblars died in the moments it took to cross the distance to Kelford¡¯s sword. Kelford gasped for air but soon it was filled with stones again. He began running again! The fire was growing worse. Every place he stole away to, every place he was forced to make a stand left bodies and flame. The flame-enchanted flamberge was good for many things, but among those was burning. The buildings were perfect kindling and Kelford¡¯s panic flight an easy opportunity to spread the flames. Kelford wanted to sheath it, to prevent the now smoky air from getting any worse. Yet, every encounter with the gnoblars was only survived with his sword''s power. The gnoblars were getting the worst of it. Kelford double backed multiple times only to see burning homes and figures screaming as they chased him. Corpses began to fill the air and to Kelford¡¯s adrenaline soaked mind it was all beginning to blur together. ¡° This is hell¡± Kelford broke through a ramshackle shack, blade burning the blood of a fresh victim. The only salvation were the runes that glowed through the darkness. The tunnels lead to the next floor, if he managed to get to them he¡¯d be scott free. A stone smacked him along the thigh sending him crashing to the ground . Gnoblars screamed in victory as a group of them pounded down towards the fallen human. Lungs burning, and with a fresh bruise, Kelford climbed to his feet to face them. The five rushing in were grinning, and the two hurlers were already reloading. At this point the uncoordinated mob of gnoblars had devolved to small groups, each trying to hunt him down. It may have been his mind finally tapping out when it came to fear but he no longer felt nervous. Now he was just frustrated. He flowed into the movements of [Weapon Proficiency]. First he would break their charge. He rushed them, flaming sword leading the way as he became a whirlwind of burning steel. The gnoblars screamed as his blade burnt skin and chopped at limbs. He burst past them charging straight for the gnoblars hurlers. They screamed snapping slings filled with stone and burnt wood. Focus at a razor''s edge, Kelford swung the flat of the blade at the mess.reverberations of bouncing stones and wood rang up his arm followed by what he couldn¡¯t deflect. Ash and blood covering his face he fell upon the hurlers like a maddened dog, cutting through them before making his escape. The world began to devolve into near misses, burning faces, and a distinct exhaustion the colored all of his thoughts. 2 gnoblars were left dead as the fires caught up to him. ¡°Come on Kelford, don¡¯t give up now¡±, Kelford said the words out loud, ¡° Just keep going¡± It was beginning to seem hopeless. 50 yards wasn¡¯t too far. He must not have been a good judge of distance. It was hard to tell, he¡¯d been running through multiple shacks, tents this entire time. Running forward, doubling back, fighting. It was weighing on him. He hid between a stalagmite and burning buildings. The gnoblars were everywhere again, now aware of his existence. They chased him even as they burned. Even as their homes burned. Why? Cause of a sick game played by this place? Kelford pressed himself against the Stalagmite as more gnoblars ran past. At this rate, more of them would be blocking the tunnels. He was exhausted, outnumbered by who knew how many of these monsters,and with more injuries. It was a losing game. He considered just throwing in the towel. The gnoblar gorger was somewhere out there, probably just waiting to kill him. If he just died here..he¡¯d appear just at the beginning. Maybe¡­just enjoy a month of boring tedium. He¡¯d go home. Not have to endure this literal hell anymore. Gnoblars screamed, some having spotted his hiding place. Kelford¡¯s grip on his sword tightened. Was it okay to give up now? He¡¯d promised himself this was one last try. He checked the progress of the gnoblars coming for him. They¡¯d clumped together, and he could see a few more were trickling in. It was only a matter of time before they rushed him. He could force a reset. The thought was bitter, filled with his exhaustion and frustration. He didn¡¯t want to be stabbed and eaten right? To look at their smug faces as the reveled in his death. To see them look at his failure. The gnoblars were gathering a group of 10 now. It was now or never. ¡° Just give up¡± the voice tempted.The weight of his actions fell upon his shoulders. The lethargy was back, exasperating the tiredness already in his bones. ¡° But I want to win¡± he¡¯d gotten all this way. Killed monsters and gotten a cool sword. Outside of here he¡¯d been no one. Now he was fighting creatures five, six , even seven at a time. Why give up now? So many things in his life could have been different with just a little more effort. Just one more attempt to grasp victory! He could have been luckier, smarter, or been stronger. Here he could be all those things, but only if he reached for it.His heart was racing , maybe it was insane but he had to admit it. A twisted part of him was enjoying this. He¡¯d been running around in a burning cave , fighting monsters and winning. Every moment was precious, every attempt just one more step closer to getting to the next floor. ¡°How do I win in this case?¡± He couldn¡¯t fight all of them at once, that was clear. Yet, the fire had spread them all out. Into little groups that couldn¡¯t easily support each other. Why even attempt to dodge or avoid them. Gnoblars were cowards, he¡¯d seen them only attack when they were sure he was weak or had overwhelming numbers. If he played that cowardice to his advantage he might be able to get out of here. The gnoblars screamed as they rushed to his hiding place. The smallest in the front, while the few hurlers began to spin their slings. He would start right here, right now. Hard Slash Flaming debris shot everywhere followed by steel. Kelford burst through leaving a trail of dead gnoblars in his wake. He grabbed one of the gnoblars and threw it into the clumped hurlers . They all fell into a heep of screaming legs and arms, only to be slain as Kelford followed behind. He turned, heaving from the loss of stamina, but refusing to show it. The other gnoblars were gaining their courage as the shock of the charge began to wane. They knew his pattern by now, he¡¯d flee and they¡¯d give chase after regrouping. In shock, they watched as Kelford slowly walked towards them. Sword up and ready to kill them as it had killed their brethren. They roared and he roared right back. A few hesitated breaking up what cohesion they had. Kelfrod stepped forward and killed the braver ones leaving the rest to run. With a way out the gnoblars never stood their ground. Only when pushed into a corner would they try to kill him with no regard to themselves. His plan may just work. He dashed into the fire, hunting instead of running. Kill just enough of them to cause a panic, and his chance would come. The groups of gnoblars were no more then 7 if he gave no time for them to call backup. It was hard, but Kelford was motivated more than ever. From the smoke and fire he appeared like a spector, a ghost of fire and flame that fell upon them without warning. First he cut down their hurlers before scattering the rest. They would run, and he¡¯d tail one of them. They¡¯d inevitably find another group talking about his new tactic. Then he appeared again, killing most before letting some escape to continue the story.The blaze began to pick up speed as Kelford no longer tried to prevent his strikes from causing more fires. The mayhem and smoke were blinding. The lone gnoblars ran screaming as soon as he appeared. Then it was the pairs of hunters. Then when one group ran off he made his play. He jogged towards the tunnels, most gnoblars fleeing from him. He was bone tired but Kelford couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly proud. It was working. He appeared before the tunnels and to no one¡¯s surprise the gnoblar gorger stood with what little was left of it¡¯s forces. The rest fled as the two stared each other down. It spoke in it¡¯s guttural language but Kelford just shrugged. He couldn¡¯t understand it and he just needed to get out of here. He moved to move pass the gorger but it readjusted itself to block him again. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°So it¡¯s going to be like that?¡± Kelford said. It probably couldn¡¯t understand him but that was fine. He rallied what little he had in the tank and put his sword up in a guard position. The blade shook and Kelford could feel the weakness in his arms. The gnoblar gorger smirked before bellowing it¡¯s challenge. It rushed forward, club wrapped in two hands for a devastating blow. Kelford met it, relying on the power of his sword and the strength of his class skills. The weapons met in a thunderous boom as to both the combatants'' shock they were equal in strength. Recovering first,the gnoblar kicked Kelford. Kelford gagged, stuttering back before a rain of blows chased him. Parrying and dodging through the storm, Kelford kept his life by the thinnest of margins. He was to tired for fancy maneuvers and he wasn¡¯t in the condition to endure the assault. Blocking with the flat of the blade, Kelford slide the club aside before unleashing a kick. The gnoblar jumped away before laughing as it threw itself at him again. Kelford saw no other option, he had to break the stalemate. Hard Slash Steel became a blur as Kelford knocked the club aside before shoulder checking the gnoblar. It stumbled before it roared in pain as Kelford¡¯s follow up strike cut it across the chest. His spirits rose as he thought that was the end before the monster spit blood in his face. The wind was knocked from his lungs and the monster tackled him to the ground. A combination of the stamina depletion and surprise let the gnoblar gain the upper hand. Claws carved deep rents into Kelford before he could defend himself. He endured as best he could, before sneaking a punch through the roaring gnoblar¡¯s attack. Luck more than skill disoriented the monster allowing Kelford to throw it off. It rolled a few feet away allowing Kelford a few moments of reprieve. He looked up seeing that nothing was in his way to the tunnels. He turned to see the gnoblar already getting back on it¡¯s feet . He groaned, this thing wouldn¡¯t quit. He made it to his feet just in time to block a punch.The gnoblar rained punches upon Kelford, claws leaving his arms bruised and bloody. Here they were again at a stalemate. Kelford began giving ground, step after step getting closer to the tunnels. He was so close. It was then his arm gave out. Already weak from constant abuse, the stone from the earlier floor cracking the bone, it couldn¡¯t take anymore. The arm fell and a fist to the jaw sent Kelford to the floor. The gnoblar roared its victory, it¡¯s lesser brethren screaming from their hiding places. Fire and smoke had taken up almost all of the cavern, leaving little remaining of the gnoblars'' home. Kelford was done. His arm wouldn¡¯t respond and his sword was gone. He grabbed at the ground with his remaining arm turning over to make it to his knees. He wheezed ,summoning what energy he could to prepare himself. He had just one more chance to come out on top. He couldn¡¯t climb to his feet but if he could get off a Hard Slash he might pull a win. In the smoke, he couldn¡¯t find his sword but he had a spare. The gnoblar gorger sunk it¡¯s claws into his shoulder preparing to turn him around. A flash of light was hidden and as Kelford turned a large axe materialized in his working fist. The gorger¡¯s eyes widened as the weapon appeared seemingly from thin air. Kelford¡¯s grin was bloody as he put all he had in his skill. Hard Slash Blood fountained as the gnoblar fell to the ground. Kelford fell to his back, axe forgotten. Fires raged around him and the screams of gnoblars filled the air. His body was no longer responding and he couldn¡¯t think straight anymore. Above him a blue rune glowed through the smoke, he was only a few feet from the tunnel to the next floor. His remaining arm shook, unable to move. The world grew dark and hazy. ¡°I was so close¡±, Kelford¡¯s throat was ravaged leaving his voice just a whisper, ¡° I was right there¡±. He craned his neck to see the yawning tunnel and the few feet that lay before the threshold. If he could drag himself even 10 feet forward he¡¯d have done it. Instead of bitterness all he felt was desire to improve. With just a bit more effort he¡¯d have made it. He was going to come back here. The world grew hazy and Kelford used his last minutes to make an oath to himself. He would never waste another second not pushing for more. 10 feet was all that separated him from victory, and he wouldn¡¯t let that stand. Death came over him, quiet and gentle. Surrounded by fire and smoke, Kelford¡¯s second run of the Tower ended. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Echoes of pain followed moments after he was resurrected. Tears popped into his eyes as he rode out the agony. Long minutes passed until the pain faded, his psyche catching up to the reality of his resurrection. Kelford gingerly stood, stumbling to his room. T.U.I was silent as Kelford burst to the bathroom splashing water onto his face. He panted as his mind wrestled with the memories of his ordeals. A mirror reflected his face back to him. His skin was a healthier brown then they¡¯d been in life, with his hair a vibrant black. He splashed water onto his face again, relishing in the feeling. Despite everything, it seemed as if he was healthier than ever. The irony made him chuckle, he looked healthier after dying in the tower then for most of his life beforehand. Speaking about the Tower reminded him of something that T.U.I had said before the last room. ¡° Hey T.U.I, what was the surprise you mentioned?¡± Kelford saw the wisps of light flow from his chest. ¡° Oh you have unlocked the store function in the main area along with a training room¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was just as enthusiastic as always. Kelford stopped the water, turning fully to listen. ¡° With your dedication to climbing, the Myriad Index has unlocked the Shop to provide for some of your basic needs. You may have noticed that despite your lack of food you have suffered no ill effects. Despite this fact, many organics do gain benefits from eating and psychological benefits from luxury items. Understanding that these resources may help you progress, you may spend karma to buy items you can not make for yourself.¡± T.U.I began to float away with Kelford following in her wake. In the main room a golden orb now floated across from the altars, aside one of the walls. Next to it a new door had materialized. Kelford ducked his head in to see a large rustic room filled with training dummies and equipment. Enough room to run if he so chose, with towels on bone benches. He came back to T.U.I to see a huge screen floating above the golden orb. Food, chairs, cutlery, books , anything and everything. Yet all of them seemed to be..different in a very distinct way. ¡°T.U.I what is the matter with all of these options? ¡° Kelford began scrolling through the options, Bone Cutlery Fine Enchanted Pot Haunch of Mountain Drake Broth of Thunderhorn Tusk Languages of the mountain ¡° All of these items are based off of the section of the Myriad Indexes you are currently experiencing¡± ¡° ¡­right¡± Kelford continued shifting through the lists. The theme didn¡¯t matter, the tunnels to the third level still burned in his mind. He had made a promise to himself and he was going to fulfill it. First, he was going to train.Between this new Shop and the new training space he had some work to do.With a thought he selected the Languages of the Mountain. Languages of the Mountain Price: 10 Karma Description: Grants the General skill [ Languages of the Mountain] allowing you to understand all residents of the planet Dowor. Kelford thought of the Gnoblar Gorger and it¡¯s attempts at communication. They couldn¡¯t understand each other which opened up a bigger issue.The higher Kelford climbed the more intelligent the gnoblars seemed to grow. If the gorger had been just insulting him, this purchase would just be a waste. If the gorger was trying to make a deal, well this could become almost invaluable the higher he climbed. It was a risk but one he felt was worth the effort. Would You like to Purchase: Languages of the Mountain Price: 10 Karma Current Karma: 10 Karma Yes/ No Kelford thought yes and the screen disappeared. Golden light spilled from the orb forming into a book. It fell into Kelford¡¯s grasp and he looked it over. The book was heavy, bound in thick leather with rough paper shoved inside of it. Jagged symbols were etched into the cover, glowing with a pale light. Would You like to Learn the skill [ Languages of the Mountain] Yes/ No Selecting yes, Kelford prepared himself. Next time, he was going to see the third floor. Monstrous Talent ¡° 91..92¡­93¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice echoed through the training hall as he pushed himself further and further. Sweat dripped to the floor as he once again pushed himself to finish the set. Arms burning he reached 97 before collapsing. ¡° Come on Kelford, just a few more¡± Kelford pushed back up, hitting the last few before collapsing with a groan. ¡°That¡¯s 100 ¡° Kelford groaned, rolling to his back as he caught his breath. ¡° A very good job, only a week ago you weren¡¯t even able to make it to 70!¡± T.U.I¡¯s said, floating above him. Immediately a timer of 10 minutes leaving him to rest for a few minutes. Kelford brought up his interface. User: Kelford Booker Class: N/A Class Slots: 1 Skills: [ Languages of the Mountain] Spells: None Relics: None Karma: 0 Inventory: 1/10 It wasn¡¯t much to look at but he still was excited to see his new skill. Since his absorption of the skill, Kelford had yet to go back to the Tower. Instead forcing himself through the brutal training regime T.U.I had come up with. Spending most of his days running, jumping, and lifting to push his body to it¡¯s limit. The relic Languages of the Mountain was also useful aside from just granting him a skill, going into detail about the importance of different phrases and inflections. It turned out that there were several species that had made the world of Dowor home. There were giants, trolls, and gnoblars. In the book it referred to them as ogre spawn which gave Kelford a bit of a sinking feeling. The description of the gnoblars seemed to point to their current forms being a larva stage for something bigger. Which according to the book were ogres. The ogres focused primarily upon eating, which would explain why they had at least 20 different phrases for how hungry they were.Starving, slightly starving, starving for strength or status, the list kept going on. The skill would have let him understand the literal translation of their words, but the book would allow him to understand the subtext. He had considered not taking this extra step but he hadn¡¯t wanted to skip corners. So between hours of breaking his body down, he was forced to parse through the complicated double meanings of several alien languages. A ringing startled Kelford out of his musings,the timer T.U.I was keeping had reached zero. With another groan Kelford pulled himself to his feet and started running. This would be his last day before his self imposed deadline. Tomorrow he was going back to challenge the floors. ¡° T.U.I¡± ¡°Yes Kelford¡± T.U.I floated right beside him, easily keeping pace. Kelford tried and failed to keep his eyes from rolling. Lucky ball of light. ¡° Do you think my training is going to pay off?¡± He passed the point he had started and kept himself going with long smooth strides. ¡° I believe that this training will increase your performance within the Tower floors by a high margin. ¡° T.U.I replied. ¡° Well¡­what do you mean by high margin?¡± ¡° I mean that you will most definitely push past the second floor if you continue to show this type of commitment to progressing along the Tower floors. Kelford fell silent as he considered her words, passing the mark again. ¡° How many others have pushed past the second floor by now?¡± ¡° Approximately 30% of participants have passed the 2nd floor. 40% have just attempted the 1st floor in the last week. ¡° ¡° That many huh?¡± Kelford continued to run, passing the marker 3 more times as he process the information. With a gasp he came to a stop. That was it for the day. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood but his mind was still on the numbers T.U.I had told him. ¡° Millions of people are ahead of me¡± T.U.I came to a stop next to him, ¡° that is correct Kelford, a few thousand have actually reached the 5th floor already¡± ¡° Wow,¡± Kelford said, trying to imagine reaching that point so soon, ¡° What kind of people would have gotten there so soon?¡± ¡° Mostly those your planet has already trained in your armies, have combat experience, or a monstrous talent¡± Kelford could only sigh as he walked to the floor. So many people were already ahead of him.It made sense that soldiers or combat artists would do very well, but what did T.U.I mean by monstrous talent? Kelford made his way to the shower still thinking about the concept. He looked over at his flying companion and almost as if she was reading his mind she began to explain. ¡° As you are in an essence deprived system many of your hidden talents are not developed. For some the arrival of essence is an unlocking of their hidden potential. Those with such a large degree of talent that it allows them to grow at unprecedented speed even in a universal standard are considered monstrous. The term is used so frequently that the Myriad Index has logged the term under universal slang. ¡± Kelford nodded before preparing himself for sleep. He wasn¡¯t competing with those 30%, just himself. He just needed to get to the third floor and pass the gnoblar gorger. He didn¡¯t need to think about anything aside from the next floor. He¡¯d practiced for a week, it should give him just enough of an edge to win. He was more intune with his enhanced body, felt his limits more keenly. As he fell asleep in his bed the thoughts of his potential failure still followed him. The Heavy Warrior class was now represented by a mace, its head flanged and pure steel. Its grip was just big enough to use two hands or one. With the power of the class flowing into him, it was just the right weight. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. User: Kelford Booker Class: Heavy Warrior Class Slots: 0 Skills: [Language of the Mountain] [Enhanced Strength] [General Melee Weapon Proficiency] [Heavy Armor Proficiency] [Hard Smash] Spells: None Relics: None Karma: 0 Inventory: 1/10 Hard Slash had transformed into Hard Smash but from the intrinsic understanding he had of the class skills he gained, he figured it shouldn''t matter. The doors began to open and Kelford was already pushing past them. The feeling of fear was barely an afterthought as he walked through the passage. Dark stone that had frightened him the first two times was now semi-familiar. The flicker of fire light revealed the gnoblar that was sitting there as bait. Kelford stopped a few feet from the entrance and noted each of the gnoblars hiding in the darkness. He weighed his options. Kill them all or test his new skill. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe the Tower would short change him, but more that he wasn¡¯t sure it was worth the effort. None of the gnoblars so far had shown any inclination towards talking aside from the one a few rooms from here. ¡°To be fair, I haven¡¯t really given them the chance¡± Kelford nodded to himself before walking into the light. His mace was lowered and hand up in a placating motion. ¡° Hey I¡¯m just here to say¡­oh come on! ¡° Keldford¡¯s speech was interrupted immediately as the gnoblar threw itself at him screaming. Kelford danced backward before his mace took it on the jaw. It collapsed like a bag of potatoes but Kelford didn¡¯t stop moving. With the backswing the gnoblar behind him was smashed to the ground. The others came on, ambush thwarted, knives pointed at the human in their midst. Swinging wildly, Kelford fended them off.Utilizing his superior range to prevent any of them from getting ideas. Took a step back as if to rest before charging with a burst of speed. The gnoblars fell for the obvious trick, one even tripping as the warrior fell into their midst. In only a few moments the gnoblars died, leaving Kelford standing along with minor scratches. ¡° Not bad, not bad at all¡± Kelford said as he made his to the forming Relic Orb. ¡° Yes, by spending time with my training regime you have not only shown minor improvements to your physique but grown use to your enhanced capabilities as well¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice rang in his mind as Kelford smiled to himself. Part of his training was practicing with his chosen class. Surprisingly, his mind hadn¡¯t fully comprehended the magnitude of strength when he rushed into the Tower. Now, after testing for a week he was able to demonstrate a greater awareness of his class improvements. The Relic Orb shown and his option open before him. Shield of Steadiness Common Description: You find it slightly harder to be knocked from your feet Spear of Spirit Strikes Uncommon Description: Every strike is followed by an after image dealing weak spirit damage. The effect ends after every 5th strike leading to a 10 minute cooldown. Cape of Presence Common Description: The power of every fear effect is doubled for 10 seconds The effect can only be used once per hour His first instinct was to choose the spear but he held off as he considered the other options. The shield would definitely assist with protecting himself while the cape he could see being useful in another context. The spear seemed to be the most powerful option but he hesitated. ¡° I¡¯m just not sure if that is the right option.¡± It reminded him of his previous sword, where the effect was powerful but it had a very fixed purpose. It didn¡¯t assist with him surviving aside from it¡¯s ability to kill things quickly, and even though it¡¯s effect was in some way much stronger then his last relic it had a cooldown. That line of reasoning was leading to an important concept but Kelford couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t find any reason not to pick the Spear of Spirit Strikes. He placed his mace in his Inventory and grabbed the materializing spear. It¡¯s haft was light brown, with a long flat blade. It was almost 6 feet tall and was pretty cramped in the confines of the small cave. Too late for buyers'' remorse, Kelford started to make his way to the second floor. First Floor Complete He jogged, spear in hand as he prepared himself for the next fight. Blood beating in his ears he continued forward. As he turned the bend and saw the next room he broke into a jog. ¡°The Gnoblar Hurler is on the right, kill it quickly and turn on the others¡± Kelford took a deep breathe as his thoughts organized the plan. He burst past the entrance already pivoting to stab the surprised slinger. His blade took it in the chest, smashing it against the wall. It whined pitfully before a ghostly speartip came from the aether stabbing it in the neck. No physical wound was evident but the gnoblars'' whines immediately fell silent. The others were already screaming, pulling out knives and awakening their sleeping friends.Kelford twisted , tossing the body towards the group by the fire. The gnoblars screamed as they collided, falling into a heap before Kelford¡¯s spear found them. Ghostly spear tips followed steel stealing their lives . The last few had finally woken up only to be left in shock as Kelford slammed them the spear butt. With so much distance between them there was no way for the gnoblars to close the distance and so Kelford bullied them into submission. The ghostly spears had failed to appear in the end, a timer counting down from 10 appearing in the edge of Kelford¡¯s vision. ¡°Well that was¡­surprisingly easy¡± Kelford pulled the spear from the last of the gnoblars before checking himself over. ¡° did I really not take any damage that entire fight?¡± ¡° It would seem so¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Congratulations Kelford it seems that your dedication to improvement has born more results¡± ¡° Well, we¡¯ll see about that. Now comes the hard part. How am I going to pass the next room?¡± Kelford sat slightly away from the bodies, catching his breath. ¡° Well I can not provide specific tactics I can say that you should consider what held you back the previous attempt? Perhaps a consideration of how you should approach the room or how your class factors into your plans.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was amicable but the last sentence caught his attention. ¡° Consider my class?¡± ¡° Oh yes,¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Some classes lend themselves to different strategies and ways of thinking.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Kelford leaned back, considering her words. Of course some classes lent themselves to different strategies. You wouldn¡¯t expect a mage to fight up close when their spells could fire from range. How did that apply to this situation? He was a Heavy Warrior so he should be getting up and personal, which he was doing. That didn¡¯t entirely help him with the next room, his previous run had almost killed him with the sheer numbers of the gnoblars. Kelfords eyes widened. That was only true if they attacked him all at once. When they spread out to hunt ,Kelford could take down the smaller hunting parties. The only question was how would he do that? He just had to split them up. ¡°Instead of aiming to sneak past all of them, I should break their morale. Cause a frenzy and then kill their leader. With them in disarray I can get to the next floor.¡± Kelford stood up with excitement. With barely any wounds on him this time around he should be able to pull it off. He grinned as he stalked forward to the next room. ¡°Thanks T.U.I , I wouldn¡¯t have been able to figure this out without you¡± ¡°Of course Kelford¡± T.U.I¡¯s said, ¡° I¡¯m glad to be of assistance¡± Frenzy The gnoblar camp was just the same as he remembered it. Poorly planned,built, and maintained. The gnoblars skulked between their tents and shacks, grumbling and shoving each other. The fire in the center had a different leg from some giant creature, some of the gnoblars making sure it was turning constantly. Kelford could smell the hint of smoke and fire in the air, taking him back to his last death. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he banished the memories from his mind. Things weren¡¯t going to end that way again, not on this floor . He was going to win and move forward. His eyes opened and he picked his way to the floor. Much like last time he approached with caution, stepping over broken tents and debris. None of the gnoblars seemed to be out this way, making his journey into the depths of the camp that much easier. The smell of the active portion of the camp smacked his nostrils and he tightened the grip on his spear. Now was the time to start. Two gnoblars turned a corner and Kelford rushed them. His spear took one in the chest and he crashed into the second. The much smaller creature fell away with a small cry before he swung his spear into it¡¯s temple. With a crack the gnoblar fell still. Ghostly echoes of his movements made sure the two creatures were dead. Kelford sprinted forward looking for more gnoblars to kill. His spear took a third that was gnawing on a bone, then killed two that were fighting over a piece of old meat. The cool down was active but that was alright with Kelford, he didn¡¯t need it for the weaker gnoblars. He cut his way through the camp, catching the creatures in their ones and twos before breaking into the camps center. The gnoblars didn¡¯t even have a moment to screech as he burst through a tent spear swinging in a horizontal swipe. Three gnoblars went flying,clearing a path towards the fire. He barely stopped as the cooks screeched in terror before fleeing away from their dinner. The rest were roaring in outrage, some sprinting to get others to help.More gnoblars were filling the clearing spitting and roaring. Kelford placed his spear into his inventory, his heart was pumping with excitement. He stood by the roasting leg, the gnoblars growing in number. He was still waiting for one in particular. Some of the gnoblars began to edge closer until Kelford materialized his mace. The bright light and the weapon made them scurry away,but the intimidation wouldn¡¯t last forever. Where was that blasted thing? Just as the thought crossed his mind a roar, deeper than the rest, called the others to silence. ¡° Who Dare Interrupt Slumber¡± The Gnoblar Gorger parted the sea of gnoblars , bone club dragging behind it. It growled and threatened until it saw the human standing in their midst. Right beside their dinner. It¡¯s rage seemed to reach new heights. ¡°How Dare Let Creature Thing by Food!?! I Kill Weak Siblings¡± For Kelfords part he didn¡¯t know what to do. The shock of a gnoblar actually speaking had caught him off guard even when he had been expecting it. Language of the Mountains automatically translated its speech into the broken utterance that commanded the others. It was now or never, if he waited any longer it would command the others to attack and he would be hard pressed to escape. ¡°Hey, are you the chief of these scavengers?¡± Kelford¡¯s voice echoed in the tongue of the gnoblars. Surprisingly some beside the gorger seemed to understand him, mostly the bigger ones. The leader squinted at Kelford pushing aside some that were between it and Kelford. ¡° You Speak Our Tongue?¡± ¡° Listen you don¡¯t have to yell¡± Kelford said, ¡° I can hear you¡± ¡°You No Tell Me What Do¡± The gorger slammed its club into the ground in anger, ¡° What You Want?¡± Kelford smiled, this was going better than he thought. ¡° I just want to get to the otherside, you leave me be and I''ll make my way out of here.¡± The gnoblar took a step forward, face stretched in a smile that showed all of its sharp teeth. ¡° Or We Eat-Kill You, Add To Stew¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve already killed a few of your people,¡± Kelford raised his mace falling into a ready stance, ¡° If you don¡¯t want to die leave me be or you¡¯ll go hungry tonight¡± The gnoblar roared in rage sending the others into a frenzy, ¡° We No Listen To You. We Children Of Winter King. You Fill Our Bellies And Strength Add To Strength¡± Kelford sighed to himself, he thought there was a chance he could make do this without fighting the horde but such was life. With a smooth motion he reached for the giant leg and tried to pull it into his Inventory. For a heart clenching second he thought it hadn¡¯t worked, but then the entire thing disappeared in a flash of light. The gnoblars gasped in horror which only made the second part all the sweeter. Kelford leaped over the fire, the gorger roaring in rage after him. With a twist Kelford took his mace in both hands and swung at the fire before him. Hard Smash Burning wood and ash flew everywhere sending gnoblar screaming. small flames caught on the shacks closest to the fire. Kelford was already running. He leaped over the line of distraught gnoblars, smashing the few with the awareness to attack him. Bloody lines and bruises still racked his skin as he broke free, disappearing into the winding pathways. ¡°Get Him Get Him!!!¡± As expected the gnoblars weren''t even concerned with saving their homes.The monsters raged into the streets, flowing into side streets and through tents. Kelford''s heart hammered as he lost himself in the maze of tents moving as far away from the blue rune in the distance. The gnoblars needed ample time to break apart which meant getting some more distance.With a flash of light the mace vanished and Kelford put his all into sprinting down the labyrinthian streets. Left, right, left, then a gnoblar burst from dirty blankets. Kelford swerved, burning lines cutting through his leg. Surprise morphed to satisfaction as Kelford caught himself. This gnoblar would do perfectly. He grabbed the gnoblar by the throat, its nails dug into his arm but it didn¡¯t stop him as with every fiber of Enhanced Strength he threw the gnoblar. Its screams faded into the distance ending in a faint crash. Diving into a gnoblar tent Kelford huddled in silence as the chasing gnoblars tore down the street. A deep roar echoed through the cavern sending them scurrying away. For long moments Keldford stayed silent, peeking out through the holes of the fabric.He took a deep breath, they¡¯d gone. Small groups were starting to form as they had no idea where he had gone. ¡° Plans working perfectly¡± , drops of blood reflected the light of Kelford¡¯s spear as it materialized from the inventory, ¡° Now comes the hard part¡±. The fire was still smoldering in the distance, he¡¯d need to get it to spread if he was going to maximize the chaos. If the gnoblar gorger was still at the improvised camp square then Kelford was going to be in for a tough fight. Still there was no risk without reward and Kelford started moving towards the fire. He kept low, hurrying down the same ways he¡¯d come from. Gnoblars appeared in they¡¯re ones and twos, Quickly dispatched by the enchanted spear. Most of the gnoblars seemed to have gone to the edge of the cave to try to keep him from escaping. Kelford smiled as he found the burning square burning, with few gnoblars in sight. They screamed as they saw him but it was too late, he¡¯d already made it over the hurdle of his plan. A gnoblar hurler began twirling its sling, as five more gnoblars picked their way through burning wreckage. Kelford dashed forward spear whirling as he crashed into the five monsters. Echoes of wood and steel finished the gnoblars as Kelford brutalized those in front of him. The hurler screamed as it threw, leaving a welt on Kelford¡¯s arm. With a roar the human burst forward, spear leading until he ran the hurler through. He threw the body into the fire checking to see that the timer for the spear had started. Pain radiated his left but it was faint compared to the pounding of his heart. He grabbed a few burning pieces of wood. Now was where the fun part began. Kelford ran towards the tunnels, torching every tent on his way. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A hunting group appeared, they came screaming for his blood. The burning sticks flew into their midst torching their worn clothes as Kelford followed. Stabbing one he charged through until broke through their group before throwing the body into a burning house. Whirling spear butt took another life as Kelford followed smoothly into a downward bash through another''s head. It was so easy. He hadn¡¯t even considered the brutality of his actions as the gnoblars tried to scatter but chased them down. He smashed two through burning tents and shacks before he was satisfied. Picking up a burning blanket he sprinted on, trailing fire and destruction. More gnoblars came only to be met with burning wool. Hurlers tried to dodge but Kelford was already driving past their defenders, murder in his eyes. They screamed and begged but his spear found them anyway. He stabbed one and kicked another into a smoldering shack before narrowly dodging a knife. His fist met the offender''s skull before he noticed the rest already fleeing. Murderous rage lent his feet speed through smoldering tents as the fire began to take life of its own. Kelford helped it along. Smoke followed him as pieces of burning wood and cloth birthed nascent flames. The air was a putride mix of smoke and blood as Kelford raged across the camp. The original gnoblars he chased were quickly forgotten as he matched blades with more and more gnoblars. Hurlers threw stones and debris leaving jagged cuts and bruises. The pain only stimulated the anger as Kelford cut his way to them. They roared in defiance and died anyway. Echoes of spear thrusts returned but Kelford didn¡¯t care. Couldn¡¯t care. Those that escaped he hunted down which led to more groups. He accumulated wounds but he wasn¡¯t seeing the gnoblars, not completely. The previous deaths mixed with the reality of his situation. The feeling of their knives on his skin as they laughed replaced cuts from screaming victims. The heat of his blood flowing down his skin replaced the fires that surged on dry shacks and tents. He threw himself into the frenzy as soon smoke began to blind him. Gnoblars hunted him and then began to run from him. Each group losing their nerve quicker than the last. To Kelford their faces of terror were sneers of derision. They¡¯d killed him before. Why not again. ¡° Not this time¡± He¡¯d trained before attempting the Tower this round. He¡¯d planned around the previous rooms leaving him rested. His plan was going off without a hitch, he wasn''t going to die this time. There was a roar filling his ears but he didn¡¯t know it¡¯s source. Kelford¡¯s spear bloomed ghostly after images as more gnoblars fell to the cave floor. The five remaining gnoblars fled as their brethren laid dead on the ground. Kelford heaved what oxygen he could as went to give chase. They wouldn¡¯t get away so easily. A blue light flickered through the smoke and he hesitated. A looming tunnel, with a blue rune staired in judgment at the destruction before it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ the entrance to the next floor¡± , Kelford had made it, ¡° How¡¯d I miss it¡±. The better question was how he had gotten so far. He had been close to the center only a minute ago. There were dozens of gnoblars between him and the entrance. Only then did the heat of the blaze register and the acrid smell of smoke gag him. He gazed down to see the ruin that was his body. Bruises and cuts did mar it¡¯s surface leaving him drenched in blood . Though he was fairly sure that the grand majority wasn¡¯t his. ¡°I need to get out of here¡± He¡¯d overstayed his welcome and his plan had worked. The gnoblars were terrified of him and in their smaller numbers had been easier to pick off. Leaning against his spear he walked towards the cave. Aches and pains were beginning to make themselves known but he continued to studiously march forward. His legs trembled as he began to lose the adrenaline that pushed through battles. It was then that he saw the gorger. It had no allies left, no gnoblars to watch they¡¯re duel. It merely stood in front of the tunnel, eyes narrowed. Kelford came to a stop and merely gazed back into it¡¯s beady eyes. The two stared each other down as the camp behind Kelford burnt to ash. ¡°You Burn Village¡± it still spoke in a yell but their was a definite sadness in it¡¯s gaze, ¡°Kill Siblings¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡± Kelford was too tired to deal with the guilt those words brought. The gorger had ignored his warnings and T.U.I had said these things were merely obstacles for the rooms. ¡° I warned you to let me leave or I¡¯d kill you¡± ¡°You Did ,Now Tribe Need Me To Be Strong¡± the gorger held up it¡¯s club, pointing right at Kelford. ¡°I Hunger For Challenge Outsider May The One Blessed With Strength Win Our Duel¡± It was exactly like the last time except now Kelford knew the words. Declining never entered his mind as he met the gnoblars eyes falling into a ready stance. Kelford¡¯s arms and legs trembled as he held the Spear of Spirit Strikes in a ready position. The two adversaries stared each other down as the gnoblar grasped his club in two hands. ¡° I accept¡± They charged each other without a word. The gnoblar was a whirlwind of motion roaring its challenge smashing aside Kelford¡¯s thrusts. Kelford gave ground as he narrowly dodged swing after swing. He whirled the staff trying to force space but the gnoblar ¡®s club smashed everything aside. Kelford was too slow, his attacks too weak from the amount of fights he¡¯d already fought. He tripped, barely rolling away from death, time and time again. The gnoblar was deep into its frenzy, laughing as it came closer and closer to killing it¡¯s prey. Rolling to his knees Kelford slammed it¡¯s ankle taking it to the ground as an echo hit the same spot. Kelford went onto the attack, focus honed to a point as the gnoblar desperately held him at bay.The trembling in his limbs were noticeably getting worse. The gnoblar smashed his spear, almost sending it flying out of his hands. It crooned as it finally found it¡¯s feet licking the blood off its lips. Kelford could barely keep his stance, chest heaving as if he was fighting for air. The gnoblar pounced again smelling weakness and the world shrunk again to their clashing blows. It could see the human stumbled from every blow he was forced to block, how his strikes began to slow. The climax was almost here. The gnoblar surged forward, swinging its club with everything it had. Shallow wounds marred its pale skin but it ignored them all. Kelford dodged and parried until finally one leg gave out. He blocked a club strike only for his left leg to buckle. A roar filled the gorgers maw as the moment had arrived, it let go of its club and struck the humans falling face. Kelford cried out as nails scratched across his face whipping him around. The gorger pounced maw open as it went to rip the humans throat out. A flash of light blinded it before it was smacked aside. The gorger¡¯s breath left its body as delicious juices trickled down it¡¯s face. ¡°What!¡± its eyes found the culprit, the dinner so cruelly stolen earlier. It laid in the dirt mere inches from the gnoblars face. The gorger looked up only to see the human standing above it, spear held in both hands. Hard Stab The spear blurred as it punched through skin and flesh. The gorger choked on blood before a faint after image struck the same spot. It froze, eyes locked with the human¡¯s , before going limp. Kelford yanked his spear from the gorger''s dead body. He whirled it before gazing across the hellish landscape. Gnoblars screamed in the distance, whether in anger or fear he couldn¡¯t tell. He made to move back towards the cave before he heard a ripping sound. A gnoblar had found the leg and was tearing giant pieces off. It stuffed them into it¡¯s mouth, completely ignoring Kelford. He considered killing it before he saw the change. The gnoblar was swiftly gaining in size and weight, each piece of meat swallowed turning into pure mass. Its skin was healthier and thicker, while it seemed to be gaining in height. Kelford stared mesmerized by the transformation. With a one last bite the bone was picked clean and a new gnoblar gorger stood strong and angry. It stared at Kelford, eyes now filled with an intelligence it didn¡¯t have even a second ago. Kelford realized what was about to happen and stepped back, spear raised. The freshly born gorger watched him go, never blinking. Kelford crossed the threshold before he dared turn his back. As he disappeared into the dark, a roar broke into the air. The cavern filled with the cries of the others. Floor 2 Complete! The Towers Mercy Kelford collapsed against the tunnel wall, legs finally allowed to give out. His throat was like sandpaper, dry and painful when he tried to swallow. His stomach churned dangerously as the last of the adrenaline left his battered body. Through the aches and pains Kelford focused on the texture of the wall against his back. Cool and sturdy, he closed his eyes trying to escape the aches in his limbs by focusing on the smooth stone. He¡¯d only woken a few hours before but his body left no doubt that he could do with taking a break. Blood still ran over his arms and the ground was now becoming sticky with it. He shivered from exhaustion or blood loss. Probably a combination of both. He forced his lungs to expand and contract slowly, trying to get as much air as possible. His mind wondered as the aches and pains continued to make themselves known. There was one good thing to come out of this mess. He had won. The victory was not as sweet as when he beat the first floor but he would take it. The surprise on the gnoblars face when he smacked it with its own dinner was seared into his mind. Beady eyes widened in surprise, maw only a foot from tearing Kelford¡¯s throat out. It brought a laugh that descended into a coughing fit. Standing above the gnoblar as it realized it was about to die wasn¡¯t as sweet. The others were easier to ignore. In some way they were like mobs from the games he had played. With the memories of dying to them so recent,it wasn¡¯t hard to throw aside any hesitation towards killing. The gorger had been a different story this time. He had been able to understand it, converse with it. It was sentient and the way its eyes understood what was about to happen haunted him. Worse was the second gorger. What even were these things that could grow so fast from eating? The way it stared at Kelford as he left, new intelligence shining within. He shuddered at the implications. All the gnoblars were capable of that transformation. ¡° T.U.I are the gnoblars real?¡± He couldn¡¯t see her, but he could tell the tunnel was brighter. ¡° Well of course they¡¯re real Kelford, the creatures in the Tower are all physical entities¡± Her voice, as always, was still chipper. ¡° I mean, are they sentient, do they have lives outside of this floor?¡± ¡° Oh, no they are merely manifestations of living creatures kept in the vaults of the Myriad Index¡± Kelford shook his head, did that alleviate his guilt or make it worse? The things he killed weren¡¯t real, just copies of actual creatures left in the vaults. They lived somewhere outside of this place. It opened more questions then it solved. ¡° T.U.I why does the Myriad Index have an entire planet in it¡¯s vault and use the manifestation of the inhabitants to fight other civilizations?¡± ¡° Because it is a better usage of the civilizations that have benefitted from the Tower¡¯s patronage while also preserving a living history of their planet.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Any further information has been restricted by the Myriad Index¡± Kelford gritted his teeth. ¡° Can you atleast tell me what occurred with the gnoblar in the last room? It grew into a gorger from eating too quickly.¡± ¡° All gnoblars are capable of that feat, if you wish to learn more there are texts in the shop you can purchase or perhaps someone of your fellow humans have learned something on the next safe floor¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that after the 10th floor?¡± Kelford was now hanging on T.U.I¡¯s every word. ¡°No, it is after the 5th, you have progressed enough to learn this information to help motivate you.¡± That was a relief. It made one of his quests much easier to complete. ¡° Now Kelford since you have completed the second floor would you like to see your notifications? Your hardwork has paid off and that has led to many exciting developments!¡± Kelford nodded at T.U.I¡¯s words and golden words filled his vision. Quest Complete! The Second Floor Description: Complete the Next Floor Reward 20 Karma New Quest ! The Third Floor Description: Complete the Third Floor Reward: 30 Karma Soon after another golden orb formed in front of him, with a thought it exploded into three options. Ring of Weak Regeneration Common Slowly stimulates the body''s natural healing. Only occurs when room is free of monsters Will not heal broken bones or ailments. Boots of Swift Walking Common Description: Double your walking speed. Effect disappears if you break into a run or other forms of travel. Gauntlets of Pain Uncommon Description: Your strikes will now inflict additional pain to the living and the dead. Deal increased damage to living and undead entities. Entities such as constructs will not be affected. Kelford read the different options carefully but he knew which one to take. He was barely useful in this state and needed some way to heal himself. The other options did intrigue him though, mostly due to the implications. The Gauntlets of Pain were something that could increase Kelford¡¯s combat power to new heights, if the effect extended to his weapons. He had not seen any monsters aside from the gnoblars but he didn¡¯t believe for a second that they were all the Tower had in store for him. The confirmation of the undead was also exciting. T.U.I had explained that the undead were real, some kind of force that balanced out living creatures but he hadn¡¯t paid that much attention to it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go over the information again when I have the chance¡± Kelford nodded to himself as the orbs flashed with golden light. The ring was silver, with a red jewel in the center . He placed it on his ring finger and immediately felt a cool sensation flow from its silver band. He relaxed as a numbness came over him and his arms seemed to lose all strength. The pain disappeared as the numbness seemed to congregate along his wounds, leaving Kelford to enjoy the relief. He brought up his interface since he might as well do something while he waited. User: Kelford Booker Class: Heavy Warrior Class Slots: 0 Skills: [Language of the Mountain] [Enhanced Strength] [General Melee Weapon Proficiency] [Heavy Armor Proficiency] [Hard Smash] Spells: None Relics: Spear of Spirit Strikes Ring of Weak Regeneration Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Karma: 20 Inventory: 2/10 It was getting there. With his two relics he was beginning to become a bit stronger. This run had been a good learning experience especially in terms of his Inventory. Having the ability to place almost any object within the space in seconds had saved him and would no doubt be useful in the future. If only he¡¯d had that when he moved into his apartment. ¡° Wait¡­my apartment¡± He hadn¡¯t thought about it at all. He hadn¡¯t thought about anything outside of the floors in almost a week. What was going on outside? Were his parents alright? What about his siblings? Was the entire world messed up right now? ¡°T.U.I what¡¯s happening outside the Tower? Is the entire world just a mess or something?¡± Images of dragons torching cities and giant calamities bearing down upon his old home. ¡° Aside from the usual reaction to large populations disappearing nothing has changed. The mana increase will be gradual and won¡¯t begin causing environmental changes until the first decade has nearly ended.¡± T.U.I¡¯s words made Kelford¡¯s heart squeeze as he shoved the uncovered emotions down. ¡° Thanks T.U.I¡± Kelford said before pushing himself back to his feet. The numbness was still strong but he had to move. If only to keep the thoughts of his shattered family from following. ¡° You seem agitated Kelford, is there something you wish to speak about?¡± T.U.I kept pace as Kelford limped down the tunnel. ¡° You know part of my function is to assist with psychological distress¡± ¡° I¡¯m fine¡± Kelford pulled himself along not looking at the bright ball of light. ¡° Just didn¡¯t consider what was going on outside. A lot has happened in a very small span of time.¡± They walked in silence for a bit after his words, the upward tilt was steeper causing Kelford to run out of breath fast. The numbness ebbed away but the exhaustion seemed to get worse. After the second break when Kelford had to stop or collapse from exhaustion the words finally came back. ¡° How much do you know about what¡¯s going on outside the Tower?¡± ¡° Only as much as I have told you¡± T.U.I replied, ¡° If I knew more then I would have told you without prompting. You know Kelford many of the current participants have shown distress from being separated from their homes and families. Over 95% have¡­¡± ¡° Stop¡± Kelford¡¯s voice echoed through the chamber, ¡° Just stop T.U.I, if you haven¡¯t noticed I¡¯m in some kind magical box that has loads of monsters and magic. I¡¯m more worried about getting out of here so I can warn somebody about the giant Tower thing possibly killing all of humanity. Really I can¡¯t even do that since someone else is leagues ahead of me on that front. So really I don¡¯t particularly care. It¡¯s going to take a lot more than being away from my family for however long I''m stuck here to cause me any issues!¡± Kelford was heaving by the end of his tirade, rage dying almost immediately after the last word had been said. ¡° Hey I''m sorry¡­I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you.¡± ¡° It is alright¡± T.U.I seemed to brighten, ¡° But if you need to talk I am always here to listen.¡± Kelford didn¡¯t know what to say. It was¡­nice to have someone who he really felt he could talk to. Many passing friends on his road to the bottom of the barrel had been there for him, but they had lives now. He hadn¡¯t been able to keep up. The people he knew from work weren¡¯t bad but everyone was in a transition or moved to management. It hadn¡¯t been all bad, but he would be lying if he said that his life was where he wanted it to be. He¡¯d been drowning, with only the few video games and books he could afford keeping him afloat. He hadn¡¯t really spoken to his family after everything had gone downhill. All of them had gone their separate ways. ¡° Let¡¯s go T.U.I, I want to see what the next floor is like¡± Kelford shuffled forward while T.U.I floated behind him. Minutes passed as the tunnel expanded ever onwards. The fire light from the precious room had long disappeared, with the T.U.I¡¯s light being the only thing keeping the dark at bay. Eventually the tunnel leveled and opened to an abandoned ruin. Kelfrod stepped over brick and broken wood to see the inside of a once encampment. Stone bricks the size of his chest lay strewn around the site, with long trunks of wood laying in pieces. It seemed as if some sort of calamity had taken this place. Kelford held his spear in both hands before moving forward, checking along the broken walls. Nothing was left. No bodies or struggle could be seen. A few crumbling buildings were around. He ducked into the biggest waiting to see if there were any monsters hiding within. Only dark indents and broken chest greeted him. This seemed to have been some kind of barracks, destroyed racks and shelves lined the walls. Though there was one detail that made the entire mystery that much scarier. ¡° Why is everything here so huge?¡± Each of the buildings were proportioned for someone two if not three times as big as him. The doorways were massive and what he could tell about the chests were equally so. So big he could probably sleep inside one comfortably. ¡°That is an excellent-¡± ¡°Gaaaahhhhh¡± Kelford spun around, already swinging before he realized that it was T.U.I who had spoken, ¡° Wait you¡¯re still here?¡± ¡° Why yes, why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± T.U.I sounded genuinely confused, ¡° Oh!That is right, you don¡¯t know about special rooms yet.¡± Kelford lowered his spear, the appearance of T.U.I meant that there was no monsters, ¡° Well I remember you mentioning them but you were light on the details¡± ¡° I didn¡¯t give you any details¡± Kelford glared, ¡° I know, I was trying to be polite.¡± T.U.I just floated and Kelford rolled his eyes. ¡° Well¡­ nevermind. Is this one of the special floors you were talking about? Can you give me more details now that I¡¯ve reached this point?¡± ¡° Why yes now I can. Follow me.¡± T.U.I floated away and Kelford jogged to keep up. They traveled out of the barracks, moving towards another part of the ruins that he hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to explore yet. ¡° Every 10 floors have a particular vault that they are populated by. Special rooms are designed to be representations of technologies and stories from the civilization that the vault carries. While the monsters represent the native fauna and flora.The special rooms also act as rewards and bonuses to help you for the next run through the floors.¡± T.U.I chatted as she floated into another building, this one seemed to be the most defended. Its brick was noticeably higher quality, and the stains on its surface could have been fancy fabrics. Regardless Kelford followed. T.U.I floated in front of the biggest altar Kelford had ever seen. Stone foundations held up a glowing blue crystal surrounded by horns. Miraculously the structure had survived the desolation from outside and was completely untouched. Carvings of figures hunting and fighting went all along the ancient ivory,each glowing with beautiful colors. It was a work of art, labored with such attention to detail it had to have been held in some sort of significance. ¡° There are three special rooms, each able to grant you a variety of opportunities to make your climb easier. This room happens to be a Karma Room. Reach your hand out to the crystal and you will see what it can do for you.¡± Kelford reached out hesitantly, ¡° Are you sure that this thing is safe? ¡° ¡° It will cause you no harm¡± T.U.I reassured. Kelford glanced back once before reaching forward, the crystal shone with a glacial blue before dying suddenly. Congratulations You have earned 500 Karma ¡°Wait what ?¡± The glowing carvings had died and the energy in the room faded. It was just as dark and dusty as the rest. ¡° T.U.I what just happened?¡± ¡° The Karma Room grants giant lump sums of Karma in order to facilitate the purchasing of relics. It also give you a view into the world of the previous civilization and their stories.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Really it is a very elegant way of showing the works of another sentient race. It is sad that they have passed on but now they are forever remembered.¡± ¡° Yea¡­is this what will happen to my planet if we don¡¯t climb the floors?¡± Kelford gestured outside, ¡° Just to be forever entombed in the Tower?¡± ¡° Why yes, such is the fate of all those who don¡¯t pass the test.¡± The air seemed to get colder as Kelford walked out of the building. He gazed at the dark ruins with new eyes. This was potentially the future of his species. Nothing left of them but ruins in a dark cave. The gate was nearby, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave quite yet. It wasn¡¯t as if he could do anything for these people, but the gravity of the situation only seemed to get heavier. He had first wanted to be a hero and had that dream crushed immediately. Now after his third run he was certain he was no hero. Though, just maybe his world needed one. ¡°T.U.I how many people have reached the 5th floor?¡± ¡° A few thousand have made their way to the 5th floor¡± T.U.I floated to his side and Kelford took a breath. ¡°Maybe one of them can prevent this from happening to us.¡± It was a small hope but considering what was arrayed against them it was the best he had.. ¡°Perhaps, as your species realizes the usefulness of the floors more will attempt them.¡± T.U.I didn¡¯t sound like her usual self, ¡° When the tutorial floors are completed and your species realizes the depth of boons hidden within the Tower¡­that is when we will see what your species is made of¡± ¡°What do you mean T.U.I, what happens after the 10th floor?¡± Kelfords mind began to spin, anxiety already crawling at the edges. ¡° Many civilizations have outstanding talents up to the end of the Tower¡¯s time limit. In these beginning stages it is not evident just how difficult the Tower¡¯s challenges are. Already 10,000s of entities have entered the Tower in search of lost loved ones or simple curiosity. When the bounties within the Tower are revealed then the various political institutions will fight to claim it for themselves. A period of upheaval will ensue and many of these talents will not climb. Rather they will focus on the conflicts in your world. The time and talent wasted will inevitably cause a bottleneck until you reach a floor where what is left of your world¡¯s talent is not sufficient. Then your civilization will fall.¡± Kelford was silent for a long moment, ¡° How many civilizations have passed the Tower¡¯s test?¡± ¡° 1%¡± Kelford felt a rigging in his ears as T.U.I¡¯s words echoed in the chamber. They were doomed. More than doomed. The accomplishments he¡¯d made seemed woefully insufficient. How had he been satisfied with his performance up until now? He was only on the 3rd floor. He may not be able to be the hero but he could at least get out of here. There had to be something he could do. ¡° Let¡¯s go T.U.I¡± She followed dutifully as he made his way into the darkness. The 3rd Floor ¡°Well¡­at least it¡¯s not more gnoblars¡± Kelford stood in front of a large gate built into the cavern walls. To see it below ground was incredulous, as the cavern was at least as wide as the one 2 rooms ago. Its titanic size covered at least a football field in length. The same giant stone bricks gave the wall an air of solidity unmatched by normal buildings. Kelford looked up only to feel slight vertigo at the cave''s ceiling so far above.Blue runes lit the gate, reflecting off of the white stone. Stale air barely moved the dust that had seemingly laid here for years. A boulder big enough to collapse a house blocked the way. It was covered in the same dust that covered all of this place . The only sounds were his own voice and the shuffle of his boots against the stone. TU.I had disappeared awhile ago but instead of monsters this room had provided a different sort of challenge. Lift the Boulder The golden words had given no other clues or words of advice to deal with the enormous rock, much to Kelford¡¯s chagrin. ¡° It¡¯s insane how this place deals with challenges.¡± Was there a secret lesson in lifting a giant rock? Some kind of hidden technique or lesson from the people who had lived here? Or was the Tower just enjoying some good fashion laziness and decided that giant rocks were just as good a challenge as anything else. Kelford snickered as he explored the dusty gate. His spear had been safely placed in his inventory when he realized there were no monsters nearby but his hands ached to have a weapon in them. His heart beat just a little faster without a weapon being in his hands. Not helped by the previous conversation. Thoughts of the ruins and T.U.I¡¯s words still played in the background of his mind. The destruction that had befallen so many others who had failed the Tower¡¯s test. Trillions had probably died because of this place and the Myriad Index. It was apparently in some attempt to save doomed worlds but with only one source of information there was no way to tell if that was true. Magic and monsters to test the world¡¯s inhabitants in this place honestly seemed more like a game. A game that might be exciting to watch for bored godlike beings. It was a crazy theory but no crazier than what had been going on up until now.His heart began to pound painfully in his chest as the possibilities that this was some sick game pressed on his psyche. Kelford shook his head before resting it against the cool stone. He took a deep breath as he got a hold of himself. He could worry about the true nature of the Tower later. First, he needed to lift a big rock. Pulling himself together he began examining the gate again. ¡° Are those stairs?¡± Hidden beyond the glowing runes were stairs hidden in shadow. Kelford jogged towards them, going a few dozen yards before coming to their entrance. Stone stairs lead into the gate where smaller symbols cast a faint light.Reaching into his inventory, Kelford pulled out the Spear of Spirit Strikes before carefully stepping up the stairs. Each was slightly too high and definitely made for something much wider than he was. More glowing symbols lit the way as the stairs opened into a corridor. No windows, and what seemed to be stairs leading higher up were destroyed. He kept moving, the quiet of the cave now a dead silence. A ringing began to buzz, only setting Kelford more on edge. He continued, passing more destroyed furniture and rubble. Broken horns, and ripped furs were common amongst the trash that was mixed in with fallen stone and wood. His travels lead to a thick door that laid broken on the floor. The room beyond had some sort of contraption with two large wooden handles and a thick chain that wrapped around it. ¡°Is this some kind of mechanism that moves the gate?¡± It reminded Kelford of some of the fantasy gate controls he¡¯d seen while watching movies. As he stepped past the doorway his eyes caught on a broken wooden sign. He held up the pieces as he placed them together feeling [Languages of the Mountain ] begin to translate the ancient words. Yorik you Empty headed child, Stop forgetting to lock the gates! The Mechanism is right There! By the Mountain you are the worst¡­. The rest of the words were illegible. Beyond the sign was a wooden lever half the size of Kelfords body on the wall. He looked at the lever and then at the mechanism dominating the room. Much like the stairs, the lever was in the most shadowed part of the room. So out of the way it would be easy to miss. ¡° So the trick is that even if you were able to lift the boulder by finding the gate controls, you would die cause by the time you walked under it the boulder would fall on you?¡± Kelford had the distinct image of how that would end for him and shivered. [Languages of the Mountain] for the win! ¡° And to think I only bought that skill to hear what a gnoblar gorger was saying to me¡± Kelford laughed to himself as he wrapped his arms around one of the giant hand holds. He pulled with all his might and he heard a giant thunk before he slowly was able to pull the mechanism round and round.His muscles strained under the strain but eventually with a lurch the mechanism stopped. Now wiping the sweat off his face Kelford pulled the lever hearing a series of metallic locks clicking into place. He smiled jogging back to the gate to see that the Boulder was now suspended inside the gateway. He strolled past it with only a slight glance upwards before finding himself on the other side. ¡°Well¡­That was honestly the easiest challenge so far¡± swiftly he began to make his way into the passage beyond stepping up the high incline. T.U.I manifested pushing back the encroaching darkness as he moved away from the gate. ¡°You seem in better spirits than when I left you,¡± She said. Kelford shrugged, ¡° Well that challenge was a lot easier than the other challenges I¡¯d been fight up until this point. Honestly, I would say the second floor was more difficult in totality.¡± ¡°Would you have preferred a harder challenge?¡± ¡° I didn¡¯t say that¡± T.U.I shined slightly brighter, ¡° Then perhaps you are just not realizing just how talented you are.¡± Kelford stopped giving her a look. ¡° All I had to do was pull on a giant gate mechanism to move a boulder. Really, the most difficult part was just how long I had to pull it. I¡¯m sure most people have passed the room.¡± ¡° That is false¡± T.U.I floated in front of him forcing Kelford to stop, ¡° Your ability to push yourself was being tested. Many participants are not pushing themselves nearly as hard or are used to the pain you have adapted to so easily.¡± ¡°Well the essence enhancements¡­¡± ¡° Can only assist so far.Even your choice of [Languages of the Mountain] has paid off.¡± T.U.I turned a slight orange, ¡° you should grant yourself some credit to yourself. Your drive to reach this far is admirable. You have reached the cusp of the third floor and deserve a modicum of respect.¡± She began to float off leaving him dumbfounded. Kelford jogged forward before she floated too far ahead. Nothing was said as they continued forward, the steep floor now getting rockier and jagged. Kelford¡¯s mind churned as he tried to figure out what to say as he went over the previous room''s challenge. It hadn¡¯t seemed so hard. Sure pulling had been hard but being killed was way worse in every regard. Pushing himself a little wasn¡¯t too much.Perhaps T.U.I was just over stating his abilities to make him feel better. ¡°T.U.I how many people were able to get through the last challenge on the first try?¡± ¡° 50% of challengers who made it this far were able to conquer the 2nd room on the 3rd floor on the first attempt. They were either unable to pass within the time limit or died to the boulder while walking under it.¡± Kelford was in shock before the first words really registered, ¡° What do you mean time limit?¡± ¡° That knowledge is restricted as I can not give hints to the challenges on the floors.¡± T.U.I¡¯s tone was just a bit smug leaving Kelford confused for a moment. ¡°But you just said¡­¡± ¡°I am allowed to answer requests about the situations of other participants when discussing the progress of your civilization within the Tower section you are experiencing. Especially when said information can help motivate.¡± It took Kelford a moment before he was able to read between the lines. T.U.I had just exploited a loophole. ¡° Of course, thank you T.U.I¡± Kelford said. ¡°You are very welcome¡± The silence was not decidedly less awkward now as they moved forward. Minutes passed with only the soft crunch of boots against stone when Kelford shivered. He didn¡¯t think much of it at first until he realized what that meant. The temperature was changing. The dusty air was no longer stale but now had a hint of freshness. Pace quickening, Kelford pushed forward, heart pumping. He didn¡¯t consider himself claustrophobic but the constant presence of stone above him had a way of grinding on his nerves. Just the idea of seeing the sun after so long¡­ ¡°Good luck on your next challenge¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice heralded the dark closing in again. Kelford stumbled before he caught himself, cursing all the while. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°How many times do I have to rush into these situations before I learn the lesson!¡± He waited a few minutes allowing his eyes to adjust after he summoned his spear. There was some light source that was spilling into the tunnel from the room ahead. Stamping his excitement down, Kelford moved forward cautiously. The light grew in strength, just bright enough that he no longer had to step carefully. He entered the room to see a long, wide space with plenty of stalactites and jagged rocks across the ground. The ceiling was high enough to stack himself a few times over but what really caught his attention was the breeze. Cool air played with his clothing. Caressing his face like a lost lover. The cave entrance was shining and a slope reflected sunlight off its rocky surface. Golden words played across Kelford¡¯s eyes as he stared across to the exit. Exit the Cave Without Dying Spear in both hands Kelford stepped onto the jagged landscape. Nothing seemed amiss as he continued along, trying to keep his wits about him. He glanced down at the floor, if he fell his skin would be cut to ribbons by the jagged stones. He looked up trying to spot any surprises. There was nothing. Already he was a few feet away from the entrance and nothing had jumped out or even moved. If the challenge could just reveal itself he would feel way better about the entire room. He took a step and felt more than heard a click. He leaped back without thinking as his vision was filled with ice. It shot past him embedding itself in the wall. Kelford¡¯s eyes were wide as he tried to replay what had just happened. ¡°Traps¡± His gaze narrowed in on the floor, ¡° this place is filled with traps¡± There were no indicators, his eyes searched the floor where he had just stood and couldn''t see any indication of the trigger. He looked up, seeing the long stretch of floor between him and freedom. He dismissed his spear and tried to think. ¡° how am i going to get out of this?¡± His class wasn¡¯t exactly suited to puzzling out traps, but it was good for smashing. He materialized his mace before smashing the place he had just walked with all his strength. Shards of rocks flew everywhere, cutting into his skin drawing a hiss from his throat. A crater now took the place of the floor, revealing nothing. No twisted metal or even a cleverly hidden gear. Kelford put his foot in the spot, ready to pull back at a moment''s notice. Nothing happened . Kelford sighed with relief, ¡° Well atleast I know that can work-¡± his words caught in his throat as symbols materialized beneath his feet. Click Kelford threw himself forward as another chunk of ice speared right for his heart. Pain burst through his thigh as he rolled along the ground ripping into his skin. His blood covered his eyes as he rolled to his feet clenching his jaw as agony ripped up his left leg. He furiously wiped at his eyes desperately trying to get the blood out of his eyes. He could feel the numbness of his [Ring of Minor Regeneration] pull at his stamina as the bleeding cuts began to close. He studiously refused to look at his leg as the numbness increased to worrying levels around the area. The glowing symbols faded and Kelford was once again left in the quiet. He was lucky he had dodged the first time, the second was a miracle. There was no way the traps were so close together, especially since he had just rolled a few feet without activating a single one. ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s just my wishful thinking¡± The cavern was just a couple dozen feet away. If he couldn¡¯t get around the traps or even see where they hid¡­ he¡¯d just have to go through them. He somehow had kept a hold on his mace through his close miss with death. He swung it around before preparing himself. What was the use of preparing some complicated plan when there was clearly no way to get to plan around moving traps. ¡°I almost miss the gnoblars¡­¡± They at least were straight forward. Kelford hated traps and puzzles, in his life he had always tried to avoid escape rooms and even in his games he just preferred to activate the traps as they always seemed to be activated no matter the effort. The exit to the next floor was just out of his reach because of what could be there. Kelford stoked his rage, what he was about to do was all kinds of stupid. ¡°Screw this floor¡± Kelford waited just until the numbness around his leg began to fade then dashed for the exit. Only 10 feet later another trap activated hurling another bolt of ice. Kelford leaped forward narrowly dodging it. Another this time from the right, He rolled ignoring the stones cutting into his back. Clicks were now rocking everywhere as the air grew icey teeth. Kelford rolled beneath one, narrowly ducked another before a giant boulder fell from the ceiling. Gritting his teeth Kelford leaped to the side using his free hand to prevent himself from falling. A shockwave passed through the ground as the boulder sent pieces of stone flying everywhere. ¡°Come on!¡± Kelford was thrown off his feet right on to another trap. Another stone dropped picking up speed and time seemed to slow.Pushing with all his strength Kelford got his feet under him and with a surge of strength swung his mace right at the descending stone! Hard Smash Metal met stone sending a vibration through the entirety of Kelford¡¯s body. Metal screamed and warped as stone shattered . The mace broke as the stone slab shattered into pieces, bruising but not killing Kelford. Adrenaline burning through his veins Kelford sprinted forward tossing aside the remains of his weapon .He was so close to the entrance! Runes were lighting up every step sending ice bolts and falling stones to kill him. Kelford leaped, every ounce of [Enhanced Strength] pushed to its limit as he soared through the air. An ice bolt clipped him and he lost control. Flailing until he hit the hard ground, he rolled desperately waiting for more traps to spring. He came to a stop, a ball of torn clothing and bloody scratches. He covered himself with his arms hoping that was enough to survive the next trap coming his way. Nothing came. Slowly he peaked out from behind his bleeding arms to see daylight shining down upon him. He had made it. Numbness began to crawl up his arm as his healing began to start and Kelford collapsed against the floor. The cavern was filled with icey projectiles and giant slabs of stone broke the ground. Only a few feet separated him from the last trap, two stone hammers smashing from the ceiling. ¡°I hate traps, I really hate traps¡± Kelford groaned as he slowly pulled himself to a sitting position. ¡° That was certainly one way of getting past the third floor Kelford¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice echoed through his mind, the final signal that he had passed the room. ¡° There¡¯s been a lot going on and the traps were the final straw¡± Kelford rolled his shoulders, ¡° Besides I¡¯m ready to get out of this dungeon. It''s nice to feel the fresh air while I take a break.¡± ¡°If you say so¡± T.U.I materialized a paler shade of light than the sun. ¡° That was still most impressive¡± ¡°You can drop it, I¡¯m sure many people have passed this floor by now¡± ¡°Not as many as you think¡± Kelford rolled his eyes before looking back to the cave, ¡° I didn¡¯t realize I could destroy my weapon¡± ¡° Yes, it is possible to have any relic you own be destroyed during your climb¡± Kelford nodded before pushing trying to push himself to his feet, his vision immediately doubled forcing him to sit down. ¡°What''s¡­what''s going on?¡± A wave of exhaustion washed over him, the remnant tiredness from the second floor coming back with a vengeance. T.U.I floated to him and Kelford felt strange, almost as if someone was staring into his soul. ¡°It seems that your body is being pushed to its limits with all the activity you have gone through. Despite the boosts from your class and being exposed to essence your healing has strained your body''s reserves.¡± ¡°Well T.U.I what does that even-¡± Kelford¡¯s stomach growled loudly. ¡°It means¡± T.U.I said, ¡° That you must replenish your body''s energy stores. For organics it is either by absorbing enough essence or¡­eating¡± Kelford¡¯s cheeks grew hot, ¡° I thought I didn¡¯t need to eat, that essence or the Tower was keeping me going¡± ¡°True to an extent, at your usual level of consumption essence took care of all your needs. Now with a [Heavy Warrior] class and your [Ring of Minor Regeneration] that is no longer the case¡±T.U.I¡¯s said. ¡°So what, were you just not going to tell me about this?¡± ¡° I wasn¡¯t going to mention it until it became relevant¡± ¡°When would it become relevant?¡± Kelford covered his eyes, the exasperation not helping with his exasperation. ¡°...Now¡± ¡° UUGGGHHH¡± Kelford couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡° Let¡¯s just drop it. Can I see the rewards for completing the third floor? ¡° Of course, though I am confused on why you are frustrated, here are your rewards.¡± Kelford couldn¡¯t help but snicker as the golden orbs and words appeared. Quest Complete! The Third Floor Description: Complete the Third Floor Reward: 30 Karma New Quest! The Fourth Floor Description: Complete the Fourth Floor! Reward: 40 Karma Enchanted Blade of Bleeding Uncommon Description: Cuts from this blade bleed freely and are harder to heal. Amulet of Minor Barkskin Uncommon Description: Grants the wearer the skill [Minor Barksin] for 30 seconds. Recharges every 3 hours Amulet of Accuracy Common Description: Increases the accuracy of a strike once every minute. Looking over the options Kelford considered that [ Amulet of Minor Barkskin] to be the winner with little to no contest. The others may have some utility but he already had an uncommon weapon and the [Amulet of Accuracy] was not very useful. He had no trouble hitting any of the gnoblars up to now. The golden orbs flashed with light and in their place floated a wooden amulet with a leaf preserved in amber. Kelford grabbed it from the air, inspecting what the skill [Minor Barkskin] could do. Minor Barkskin Skill Infuses the user with nature essence to grow bark like skin. Grants resistance to slashing and piercing strikes ¡°Nice, just what I was looking for¡± He placed it around his neck feeling a connection forming with the relic. His vision wasn¡¯t doubling anymore and he was able to pull himself up to his feet. ¡° I look forward to seeing how you react to the next floor¡± T.U.I said as Kelford picked his way up the slope. The light was warm but the air was definitely colder than the caves. A faint mist covered the ground and Kelford could hear trees rustling above him. ¡°What do you mean? More traps or something? A new more inventive death trap?¡± Kelford climbed the last bit of the slope finally able to see the outside world. ¡°Nothing like that, just that this is where the Tower finally is able to open up it¡¯s rooms¡± Kelford¡¯s mouth dropped open, as the true scale of the Tower revealed itself before his eyes. A breath of Fresh Air Kelford splashed water onto his face trying to stop the grin that dominated his face. It was amazing, more than amazing. The sounds of strange birds and animals, the crisp air filling his lungs, the sun on his face. A dirt trail weaved a path between giant evergreens with strange patterns and bark. A lake dominated the scenery, waves lapping gently a few feet from the path. It¡¯s crystal clear water tasting sweet, washing away the exhaustion in Kelford¡¯s bones with every sip. After more than a week underground, with monsters and traps. This was almost paradise. Better was the view, a mountain that climbed into the clouds. So tall it seemed to hold up the sky. The sun here was smaller than on Earth,yet its rays still felt welcome on Kelford¡¯s dark skin. T.U.I had disappeared after promising that he had a decent distance before he would be attacked. So he enjoyed the moment while he could. Strangely, even with the peaceful landscape, he couldn¡¯t relax. With the water dripping down his face he was finally able to see himself after experiencing three floors of the Tower. His hair was dirty, skin caked in a slurry of blood and dust. His clothes were tough, but after constant fighting could barely be considered rags. Scars poked out between the holes in his shirt and pants. What was worse was his eyes. Normally tired and placid there was now a wildness to them.They never seemed to stop moving, even looking at his reflection he couldn¡¯t help but prepare for some creature to jump out at him. ¡° I need to get out of here¡± He was losing his mind with the stress. Grabbing his spear he set forth to follow the dirt path. Despite the ambience of the trees and water he couldn¡¯t fully relax. Thick clouds were in the distance behind him and the cold breeze crawled up his spine. This place was wonderful but the Tower was still trying to kill him.He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the storm was placed there on purpose to force climbers to keep moving. Like some kind of messed up timer. ¡° That definitely doesn¡¯t make me feel better¡± Kelford¡¯s mutter heralded a quickening of his pace. If he¡¯d wasted enough time for the storm to become an actual issue then he was pretty boned. Not only was his only clothing rags at this point, but he wasn¡¯t exactly spoiled for shelter. It was also good to assume that storms empowered by essence were probably on another level of danger, and Kelford wasn¡¯t exactly excited to freeze to death. It brought to mind another issue he should have considered. He hadn¡¯t prepared for the downtime he had between rooms. He¡¯d seen some of the options in the Store but had ignored them as he bought [Languages of the Mountain]. The skill had proven useful already but he hadn¡¯t considered the other options. ¡°At least a change of clothes and a bedroll would have been nice¡± Heck he¡¯d even go for a bite to eat. Images of food from outside danced in his mind as he jogged down the path. Pizza, burgers , fries or even a sandwich sounded good. He even had some burgers still in his fridge back in his apartment. Kelford came to a stumbling stop at the thought of his apartment. His Apartment, the one he hadn¡¯t seen in over a week. The one with his bed, his books, his computer. The place he still had rent due at. Was the landlord going to take his stuff? Mr.Pearsons was okay but Kelford had never missed the rent there. Would he report him missing? Dang it, his job! He¡¯d been gone for so long they had to have fired him, but what about the new position? He was just about to get his life together¡­. The whirlwind of thoughts just kept coming as for the first time,Kelford considered the ruins of his life. An hour later Kelford found himself deeper in the woods with no end in sight. Emotionally exhausted but still ready to fight he finished wiping at his eyes. So far nothing but trees had made any kind of threatening move against him. Which was swiftly becoming boring. The other rooms had been semi consistent with the challenges being very apparent almost instantly. This was taking forever to the point Kelford was growing concerned he had missed something. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have possibly missed a prompt or something right?¡± Just where were the enemies? He had expected at least one gnoblar on his tail. The traps had been a bit of a reprieve from the little bastards but they were refreshingly straightforward when compared to the traps and mysteries of the 3rd floor. Kelford followed the path until it widened to a clearing. A decrepit building stood with broken racks of furs and a fire pit that had not seen use in quite some time. The building was huge, just like the stone buildings underground but made of wood and draped with torn furs. No gnoblars were here but the place was not devoid of life. In front of the doorway was the biggest cat I had ever seen! Dark fur that rippled with powerful muscles and canines that would have made a gnoblar think twice. It gnawed on some sort of corpse that Kelford couldn¡¯t identify. The thing was as tall as him standing on its hindlegs and that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it. Wild Sabertooth Youngling Description: Sabertooths are one of the most prolific hunters of the mountains, Younglings stick together to hunt and protect each other. Seeing one always means there¡¯s a second close by. ¡°There¡¯s always a second close by¡­¡± Kelford¡¯s eyes widened as he slowly looked behind him. The thick covering of trees still swayed gently but now Kelford was searching into the dim light. It seemed nothing was there until a glint reflected off of a pair of eyes. Kelford¡¯s heart stopped as without warning a sabertooth launched itself from the shadows! With a shout Kelford brought up his spear only to have it slapped aside as teeth dug into his shoulder. He kicked and punched as blood fountained from his shoulders ripping a scream from his throat.Anger gave him strength as he began to punch into its skull. He smashed down twice before it leaped away snarling, granting Kelford just enough time to climb to his feet before more claws dug into his back. [Minor Barkskin] He slammed down to the earth as his whole body tingled with the effects of his latest relic. Teeth found his shoulder but did no more than bring a trickle of blood . Kelfrod threw it off, relying on the power of [Enhanced Strength] to throw the large cat away. He scrambled, scooping up the [ Spear of Spirit Strikes] before he slammed his back to a tree. The two cats stared at him as they began to prowl back and forth. Kelford huffed as he watched them trying to catch his breath. The cat he had punched didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any injuries and was just as ready to eat him as before. Cursing himself for not keeping his guard up, Kelford dashed forward. The cats leaped aside with insane grace, snarling and hissing as Kelford tried to stab them. Claws and metal rang in the forest as Keford fought the two sabertooths barely holding his own. His spear was a whirling blur as he tried to suppress the sabertooths only to find their grace was only enhanced by their instincts for battle. Every strike was dodged or slapped away and retaliation was easily lethal if not for [Minor Barkskin]. Kelford dodged out of the way as one of the sabertooths leapt past. Seeing the opportunity he stabbed towards the second Focus peaking as he saw its eyes widened as it realized the danger. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Hard Stab] His spear blurred with increased speed as he stabbed forward, finally landing a clean hit into its ribs. Blood fountained and Kelford twisted the spear tip leaving the sabertooth roaring in agony. A ghostly afterimage began to form but Kelford wasn¡¯t done. He lifted with all his prodigious strength and rammed the cat into a tree shoving the spear deeper. The effect of [ Spear of Spiritual Strikes ] proved its worth as the ghostly afterimage fully manifested, driving into the same spot as enchanted steel. With a cough of blood the sabertooth was no more. Kelford was already turning using the power of another [ Hard Stab] to throw the corpse in the face of the swiftly closing youngling. The bodies slammed with a meaty thunk leaving the last sabertooth at his mercy. He stabbed into its neck dragging a roar from its throat only for him to hear an answering roar in the wind. Keford¡¯s mind spun as he turned towards the path. Two more of the cats were sprinting towards him. ¡° Why..Just why¡± He looked at the hut behind him, he could try to make a getaway. The Tower hadn¡¯t specifically stated he had to kill all the monsters on the floor but considering how his luck was he would be forced to kill them. Still, it was worth a shot. Finishing off the sabertooth, Kelford sprinted for the door as the other cats closed in. Blood dripped down his chest as he slammed into the door only to be rebuffed. He tried the handle only to finally get the golden letters he had been waiting for. Can Not Progress to the Next Stage Until All Monsters are slain on this Floor Kelford hated to be right. He turned only to see one of the sabertooths already flying right at him! It slammed him into the door, driving the breath from his lung, as its claws shredded his already patchwork clothing. Kelford¡¯s arm held back its maw as he held on to one of its fangs. Blood oozed down his palm as the sharp canine cut deeper and deeper. The other prowled behind trying to find an opening. Kelford fought for air and his life as his world narrowed to the stinking breath and teeth in his face. Cuts were finally getting past his reinforced skin and he had lost his spear again! Kelford continued to reach for it but gave up as an even more reckless idea sprang to mind. He gathered himself as with skillborn strength he clenched his other hand around the other fang. Now the risky part. [Hard Smash] was an offensive skill that had so far been his bread and butter.Each time he had focused on swinging his weapon at an enemy while the skill enhanced the power of the blow. This time he was going to try something slightly different. Saliva and blood covered Kelford¡¯s face as the sabertooth buckled and scratched at the stubborn human. [Hard Smash] He focused all his power on smashing his fists into the door behind and with skill enhanced power his arms bulged with the energy of his pull. Teeth bent to the side until with a snap Kelford broke the teeth. The sabertooth leapt off in a panic only for its partner to leap in right afterwards, but Kelford was ready. [Hard Smash] again surged through his muscles as he brought the broken teeth into its descending neck. The corpse buried Kelford in dense muscle as the price of using [Hard Smash] twice fell over him. His sight blurred and Kelford fell backwards as exhaustion stole through his limbs. It was as if he had run a marathon. He couldn¡¯t rest, despite the leaden feeling in his arms Kelford tried to budge the yongling on top of him. ¡° Come on, just move!¡± Kelford could already hear the other sabertooth¡¯s mewling turn into a roar of rage but he couldn¡¯t move the dead youngling on top of him. Its massive bulk and his shaking arms just weren¡¯t up to the task. The roars were building up steam and Kelford could almost see its maw as it ripped his neck out. All his hard earned relics and progress were about to be swallowed if he couldn¡¯t get this damn cat off of him! In desperation he focused on his Inventory. The roar was now a thick growling as the sound of pounding paws inched closer towards Kelford. Kelford focused and willed the corpse to disappear. For a moment nothing happened, until with a flash of light the corpse disappeared. A startled hiss at the flash of light gave Kelford just enough time to grab his spear. He rolled to his knees and braced the spear to ground. Kelford¡¯s conscious mind was too slow but he remembered the pattern all of the cats had fallen into. Blood showered over Kelford as the Sabertooth impaled itself onto Kelford¡¯s spear. The force of its pounce forcing enchanted steel through its mouth and right into its brain. Kelford felt claws dig into his flesh as the cat jerked in its death throes before finally life left its eyes. Kelford exhaled a long breath as he fell back into a sitting position. That was a close one. ¡° You did a good job there¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice returned with complete cheerfulness. Kelford exhaled before finally letting himself sprawl onto the dirt, ¡° Good to hear from you again T.U.I¡± The numbness returned as his [Ring of Minor Regeneration] got to work patching up his wounds. He laid there for a few minutes as his body finally stopped shaking, though now he was really ,really hungry. [Minor Barkskin] had worn off a while ago with only a little over 10 seconds left on its buff. He didn¡¯t know what was worse. The thought that the fight had only lasted less than three minutes, or that he now couldn¡¯t use the skill for hours. Kelford pulled himself up to his feet before then pulling his spear from the sabertooths body. He stopped to look at the corpse before trying to put it in his [Inventory] , light flashed before it was gone. ¡° Have I been able to do this the entire time?¡± Kelford said as he checked his Inventory to see two corpses taking up one of his slots. ¡°By this you mean put corpses in the Inventory?¡± Kelford nodded, ¡°Oh most assuredly Kelford you have been able to take things from the Tower for a long while¡± T.U.I said. ¡° I knew that I could take things from the floors but is that even very useful?¡± Kelford walked to the other dead sabertooths, ¡° I mean, I can¡¯t do anything with them and everything will reset when I die¡± ¡° Not completely true¡± T.U.I manifested, ¡° Many of the materials you find in the Tower will cross with you as you die. Only Relics and class enhancements will be taken from you. This is to foster growth and the independence of climbers such as yourself. This way you can prepare for the next floors much easier¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s great but how do cat corpses help me exactly?¡± ¡° That information is restricted at present but the next time you return to the first level you may be able to see the usages¡± Kelford nodded, there must be some kind of extra use the Shop may have for materials he found in the dungeon. ¡°If I die again at least I have that to look forward to. Alongside clothing, these are looking pretty beat up¡± ¡°An understatement but I see you¡¯re trying to keep yourself positive which is a refreshing change of pace¡± ¡° I¡¯m not that negative!¡± Kelford pushed open the door to the hut which now was unlocked. It swung soundlessly allowing Kelford and his floating companion to enter. ¡°Truly Kelford I have already had to talk you through one emotional downturn and I must remind you I keep track of all your vitals. Many of them do point to significant issues with low self-esteem and sadness¡± Kelford hurriedly passed through the door praying he could end the conversation. Floor 4 Room 1 Complete! The Relic Room Kelford didn¡¯t know what he expected to see when he entered the hut though in hindsight more furs should have been on the list. The room was cozy and well furnished for whatever time period the creatures of this world must have been in. Or it was until time took its due. The soft crunch of pine and dirt under his boots only added to the wreck that made up the interior of the building. Furs were ripped along the walls while benches that once dominated the center of the space were covered in pine needles and alien plants. Kelford felt small as he passed by the dilapidated benches, his chest stomach level with seats. He glided deeper in with T.U.I by his side until he came to a strangely shaped fire pit. ¡° Why is it shaped like that?¡± Kelford kneeled down tracing the edges of the symbol, ¡° It seems like it¡¯s carved into stone.¡± ¡° It¡¯s a rune used to create fire now repurposed by the Tower¡± T.U.I floated higher granting him light to see more details of the rune. Kelford brushed off some of the dirt and grime that had built up in this place, finally seeing more of the grand design. ¡° You know, it kinda reminds of parts of the shower knobs¡± Kelford tilted his head as he tried to see the jagged cuts that made up the rune in the stone, ¡° Only some of them which is strange.¡± ¡° It¡¯s because the shower RUNES are based off of this world¡¯s grasp of magic though many times more complex. Symbols and meanings may all be different from species to civilizations to planets but every way to gather and control essence has similar foundations. An interesting fact for you Kelford!¡± T.U.I glowed in bright oranges and reds with her excitement which Kelford could only smile at. ¡°Thank you T.U.I, maybe I can learn how to make these one day.¡± He wiped the dust from his hands gazing around again. His eyes snagged on a broken hole in the back of the hut. Right before it a staircase went down into the earth. ¡° ¡­Is that leading to the next room?¡± ¡° Oh no that¡¯s a part of this one¡± T.U.I replied cheerfully, ¡° This is another special room otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to speak to you right now.¡± ¡° Well I don¡¯t know what constitutes a room or not! First it was small cave openings and now it¡¯s entire forests and houses.¡± ¡°But the splits are so obvious.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Perhaps it is because you are so new, most new climbers are unskilled at telling higher room sizes according to my inquiry.¡± ¡° What? Did you just ask your Myriad Index if people are stupid just now?¡± ¡° With much better phrasing¡± Kelford sighed and began to climb down into the basement, ¡° I can¡¯t win with you¡± The sounds of the rustling trees were muted as the moist smell of earth and wood filled Kelfords nostrils. The hut''s basement seemed to have been for storage. Broken jars of stone were stained with long dried liquids, while broken shelves were covered in plants and shattered bone. But most of all were weapons. Spears taller than kelfords entire body lined the walls, while unstrung bows and arrows layed broken on their racks. In the middle of all of this was a relic orb bathing everything in its golden glow. Kelford did not go to the orb immediately, instead reaching for one of the spears to see if he placed it in his Inventory . He placed his hand on one for a long moment but nothing happened. ¡°Knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy¡± He sighed ¡° It was a good attempt but unfortunately most of these items would be of no help to you. They are not even enchanted and much too big for you.¡± T.U.I stayed by the relic orb waiting patiently. ¡°Yea, still it was worth a shot. Maybe I could have found a use for it later.¡± ¡° A good thought process that will no doubt bear fruit later in your climb but currently I believe you will be interested in learning about your first Relic Room¡± Kelford made his way back and reached for the golden orb. Congratulations! You have the option of Unlocking a Relic subvault Free Unlock: Uncommon 100 Karma: Rare 1000 Karma: Very Rare 10000 Karma: Legendary 100000 Karma: Mythic Available Karma: 550 ¡°Relic Rooms allow you to access more of the world vault, granting you a wider variety of relics to access along your journey.¡± T.U.I floated forward right beside the golden words, ¡° These subvaults will grant a variety of relics all themed around the rarest in their collection. Most importantly they will be much more useful than the standard examples you have been using.¡± Kelford''s eyes were like saucers, ¡° Just what kind of relics are we talking about here?¡± ¡°Anything you can imagine that is useful for your class though limited by the common essences and sophistication of the world you traverse.Currently you are limited from a pool of uncommon items, with the Relic Rooms you can begin to influence your growth to the very end of your climb.Take your pick and you will just what the Tower has in its vaults.¡± Kelford¡¯s eyes moved back to the menu. He only had 500 karma which limited him to two choices right now. He could save and hope for another Karma Room later or even on another attempt. The free unlock was just boring. He already had multiple uncommon items so unless he was trying to save up there was no reason to consider it. The rare item would be a good first purchase to test what T.U.I was talking about. Besides, didn''t he have a quest for this? ¡°Hey T.U.I could you bring up my quests?¡± ¡° Of course¡± Quest Jack of All Trades Description: Reach to At Least the 5th Floor With Every Class Reward: 1 Class Slot Quest Rarity Description: Unlock one Rare Relic Reward: 100 Karma Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Quest Friends in Safe Places Description: Make Your Way to The Second Safe Floor ¡° Well that clinches it¡± Get a rare relic for essentially free, nothing could really beat that. He dismissed his quests before focusing on the rare relic. Would you like to purchase access to: Rare Relic Subvault For 100 Karma? Y/N? ¡°Yes¡± Congratulations! You have Completed a quest! Rarity Purchase a rare relic! You have Earned 100 Karma! Golden words faded as the orb flared with golden light before bursting into the lesser orbs, each gleamed green before words resolved in front of them. Frenzy Might Wilds Kelford glanced at T.U.I, ¡° Is there anything you can tell me about these choices?¡± ¡° Each relic subvault revolves around certain concepts that hint at the properties the relics will deal with. Any further information is unavailable.¡± Kelford turned back to the orbs.Without any real guidance the choice before him was up in the air. A part of him considered just going with his first indication. Just choose one at random. Each of the items would boost his power regardless. Besides it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t going to have another chance at this, there would be more Relic Rooms in the Tower. ¡°But what if this was a game?¡± the thought was random, ¡°How would my thinking change if this was an rpg?¡± Well he would consider his build right now and in the future. He¡¯d picked the Heavy Warrior class which made him a beast in a direct conflict.The skills [Enhanced Strength] and [General Melee Weapon Proficiency] made his choice of relics lean heavily on weapons and damage mitigation. So what would each of the sub vaults do with that in mind? Frenzy would most likely increase his damage. Probably turn him into more of a raging barbarian than he was acting like now. Might would be a doubling down on his actual strength. It may even lead him to over powering the monsters of the next two floors, much like how his current Enhanced Strength allowed him to over power the gnoblars. Which left Wilds. Kelford was drawing a blank there. Maybe helping him survive in the woods here or maybe giving him magic powers? A cold breeze blew through the stairway causing Kelford to shiver. Most of what he was going on was guestwork at best. He needed to make a decision and move on. He¡¯d consider all of this more deeply later.For now he would table the Wilds orb,which left Might and Frenzy. ¡°Hey T.U.I do these sub vaults remain open to me if I change classes?¡± Kelford said, ¡°Say I picked the Apprentice class if I died in the next few rooms, would I see relics similar to what I¡¯m seeing now?¡± ¡° An excellent question! The base relics provided by the Tower would change but the relics added from the sub vaults will be the same no matter the class!¡± T.U.I said. ¡° Which means that I should consider how relics may impact my subsequent runs with other classes!¡± Kelford turned back to the choices, an idea already burning in his brain. He had to choose something that could possibly help him now and possibly on other runs. Depending on how impressive the rare relic is he could possibly get it on another run with a different class making that attempt easier! Best of all he had the perfect excuse to do multiple runs. He chose his option without further delay. You have Chosen: Might The other orbs flowed into the center before doubling in size and exploding in a radiance of multicolored light. The lights faded revealing a floating item and more golden words. Congratulations! You have gained access to a Sub Vault of Might! 3 Common Relics 2 Uncommon Relics and 1 Rare Relic Are Now Accessible! Belt of Fortitude Rare Description: Food is sacred to the lowest gnoblar and the mightest chief. To those few who wish to master the culinary arts in these lands must first have the stomach to handle it. Grants the passive skill [Enhanced Constitution] The belt was made of thick leather, with vines and runes interwoven. It was soft to Kelfords hands and as he put it around his waist fit perfectly. Warmth burned through his body as soon as the last buckle was snapped. He stilled as the skill rushed through him basking in the magical might for a moment. Kelford flexed his fingers, feeling new strength well up between tightened fingers. ¡° Wow¡± He breathed, ¡° I didn¡¯t think this would make me feel so strong! It¡¯s almost like I got a boost to my strength again.¡± ¡° Actually in some way you are experiencing more of the potential of [Enhanced Strength] than you did before!¡± T.U.I flew closer, ¡° Before your body was just barely able to handle the increased power from the essence veins in your system, now with a skill to keep your muscles from ripping you apart you will find that you can hit harder.¡± ¡° W-Was my muscles ripping me apart an actual concern!¡± ¡° Of course not! That¡¯s why your skill could only increase your strength by so much. The Myriad Index has thought of everything when it came to pushing life based organisms to their full potential.Well Actually if can do that for- ¡° ¡° Does that mean the other enhanced skills will have similar effects?¡± Kelford was almost too giddy. This was an insane find. If he could take advantage of enhanced attributes then maybe he could come out of the Tower way stronger than he had any right to be! Perhaps there were more secret synergies between skills.He¡¯d already considered a few examples of how relics could synergize with each other, perhaps skills and relics could do the same? Perhaps if he found the right combination of skills and relics that messed well with his class he could magnify his strength tenfold. ¡° Why yes they do.¡± T.U.I smoothly answered the question as if she wasn¡¯t interrupted, ¡° If you are able to get one enhancement skill for Constitution, Strength, Dexterity, Intellect, and Willpower you will find they will all synergize. To learn more you must either find the information or gain the prerequisite skills all at the same time.They must come from your class or be permanently attached from a very rare relic or higher.¡± ¡° Dang knew there would be a catch.¡± Kelford sighed but still grinned at T.U.I, ¡° Well that just means I have to gain more karma right?¡± ¡° and purchase Very Rare relics from a Relic Room¡± Kelford nodded, he might not be able to save the world but escaping the Tower with loads of magical powers was still on the table. He¡¯d gotten this far and maybe a couple more attempts would see him gain the Karma he needed and he¡¯d stumble on a Relic Room every so often. It was a goal that seemed much more tangible and ,more importantly, immediate than escaping the Tower right now. Kelford¡¯s gaze scanned the entire basement only to see that there were no other exits aside from the stairs he had already taken. ¡° Uhh how do I get to the next room? There is nowhere to go from here but back the way I came.¡± ¡° Just go up the stairs again. You will find the next room waiting for you.¡± Hesitantly Kelford followed T.U.I¡¯s instructions taking the stairs only to find that the room above was much different than what he had left initially. The same disrepair was evident but now the hut was more like a longhouse built for people twice Kelford¡¯s height! Row¡¯s of destroyed chairs and banners strewn the stone floor. The banners were too faded to make out anything of note but that was the least of Kelford¡¯s worries. Broken windows let flakes of snow drift in and the cold breeze came back in full force. T.U.I was gone and the only exit was a broken door leaning on its hinges. Kelford jogged to the exit to see roiling storm clouds dominate the horizon over the side of the valley he was just in. Somehow he¡¯d been teleported across the river without even knowing it! Kelford rolled his shoulders, it was time to get on with the next room. He pushed past the door onto the rocky path before him the echoes of thunder in the wind. End of the Road Floor 4 Room 3 The storm clouds bellowed their threats of winter, flakes of snow drifted with the wind against the rocky cliff sides of the foot of the mountain. Alien evergreens broke the rage of winter, filling the cliff side with the sound of rustling pine. Between the shadow of the rustling giants Kelford forged his way along the worn path distinctly miserable. What was left clothes provided little protection from the elements so worn from bloody battles and traps. His shirt was now little better than rags, so torn up from constant battles that it barely covered his torso. His pants had long rents down the sides and even his boots had a hole in them ! Every inch of his body was stained in blood, and dark scabs where [Ring of Minor Regeneration ] hadn¡¯t perfectly healed his skin marred his flesh.Kelford¡¯s appearance only made the relics stand out that much more.A belt of fur and bones wrapped around his waist while a dormant wooden pendant rested against his chest. His ring on his right hand contrasted the dark knuckles clasped around the light brown of the spear. Each radiated essence but Kelford could barely see the wispy energy that infused them. Instead, his eyes would inevitably turn upwards in awe at the sight hidden by needles,bark, and clouds. Kelford had never really gotten the point of mountain climbing. Regardless of whether it was the sheer danger of free climbing or just walking nature trails for the scenery. It all seemed so positively mundane. To risk your life climbing was unthinkable when he was growing up and seemed wildly unnecessary. He¡¯d once gone on a walk with some old friends before and while everyone ooh¡¯d and took photos of the view, he¡¯d been unimpressed. He could appreciate that everyone had their own desires and Kelford could appreciate a good view. He had never really experienced the shear desire to experience the view and challenge of getting to a mountain peak.That was until now. The tree cover broke away until Kelford could finally see the full unrestricted view of the mountain above him. ¡°Perhaps this is what everyone else was feeling¡± it made him dizzy just to look at it, so large that it was more a craggy wall with no end then a natural wonder. Heavy cloud cover high in what must be the stratosphere hid the peak and most of the upper portion. Snow and rocky outcroppings dotted its surface like wrinkles on a wizened face. It bore down on him, making the storm and himself seem small. Insignificant to just the hint of nature''s true majesty. This was just the foot of the mountain and there was so much further to climb. The noise of breathing brought Kelford¡¯s attention back to the path before him as in the distance he could see a herd of some kind of animal wandering in the ruins of what seemed to be a town. Farther up a massive structure dominated the end of the path,miniscule in comparison to the mountain but still big enough to cast a shadow over the small vale Kelford was about to enter. The cold wind was now cutting and Kelford shivered slightly. ¡° I wonder if [Enhanced Constitution] helps with colds¡± The wind blew harder and Kelford shivered again. Maybe he would find out if he lived past this room. He made his way towards the creatures as they meander around, the path winding downwards into the clearing. The ruins of the village were against a rocky cliff side and as Kelford grew closer he began to be more cautious. Ruins of large buildings gave him cover as he began to watch the small groups of these creatures walk in small groups blissfully aware of his presence. Kill The 20 Ice-Horned Sheep Kelford stared in shock as the words disappeared, ¡° Those things are supposed to be sheep?¡± Each was thick with muscle, with brown hair thick enough to protect them from the worst of the cold. They walked around grazing, some with their children and others in small groups of 4 to 5 adults.Their horns were small but with a strange crystalline sheen to them. They were to lean in some ways then earth sheep, and too thick in others. Their faces were more moose than earth sheep. It threw Kelford off but the alien nature of the sheep were the least of his problems.The real problem was the rams. There were three of them, and each was bigger than the last. Long twisting horns gave over a light bluish glow as two of them grazed with a group of ewes and the last napped in the ruins of a big stone house. Kelford shrugged his shoulders as he tried to gauge how he was going to pass the challenge room. With his improved constitution from [Belt of Fortitude] he should be tough enough to take any of the hits these monsters could dish out. His rare relic was filling him with strength and he could still feel the increase in his strength from earlier. He could just run in and kill them all, fighting them until none were left. ¡°That¡¯s what got me killed the first time¡± He shook his head as he moved towards an isolated pair. He¡¯d test himself against the smaller groups, rush in fast and with [Hard Stab] to end the fight as fast as possible. He began to move as stealthy as he could, moving closer to the two sheep. He cringed at the loud crunches of his steps as he maneuvered closer. One of them flicked an ear in his direction and he hid behind a crumbling piece of masonry. He held his breath for long moments before he dared to poke his head around the corner. His eyes locked with ewes and immediately it opened its mouth to scream. Cursing Kelford rushed forward, spear in hand as the rest of the herd raised their heads . [Hard Stab] His spear took the ewe in the chest and to his shock passed right through it¡¯s boney chest bursting through the other side. The ghostly after image of [ The Spear of Spirit Strikes] was already beginning to pierce the ewe again leaving the weakened creature dead. Kelford froze as he stared at the beast, just how strong had he gotten. Pain pierced his hip as he was beaten out of his thoughts as the young sheep next to headbutted him. Piercing cold made Kelford wince as he grabbed the little gremlin and threw it into the closest sheep he could see. They fell in a pile of brown fur and stilling the rest of the herd. They stared at him with dead square eyes as most of the herd were now staring down the intruder in their midst. All were quiet until the sound of heavy footfalls echoed along worn stone. The biggest ram pushed aside the others staring Kelford down as it finally woke from its slumber. Each of the sheep seemed to be emboldened baying at Kelford more aggressively seemingly working themselves up into a rage. ¡° Well I guess stealth really isn¡¯t my strong suite.¡± He glanced down at the corpse that his spear was currently stuck in before pulling the sheep into his [Inventory]. The baying ceased as a bright light scared the wild animals. Kelford flipped the spear into his hand before a thought occurred to him. ¡° I probably should have taken that opportunity to attack or something.¡± No soon had the words left his mouth then 5 sheep were charging at him, their entire herd not far after. Kelford leaped to the side already dodging the first flying headbutts before retaliating with blindingly fast spear thrusts. [Hard Stab] The skill responded with none of the exhaustion as bleeding bodies fell in Kelford¡¯s wake as he swung his spear all around him. Tiny horns were narrowly dodged as his increased strength led speed to his stride and momentum to his blurring spear. Muscles burned with exertion as the power of [Hard Stab] lent Kelford even more speed as he impaled another monster. The momentum drove him past glacial blue horns as the first ram to enter the fray charged past Kelford. Wind ripped at his clothes nearly fouling his footsteps as Kelford clumsily claimed another corpse for his [Inventory]. A rocking boom echoed as the ram collided with the stone cliff enough to make Kelford jump. Several sheep immediately capitalized on the distraction forcing Kelford to dash away as his eyes only got peeks at the damage the ram had done to the cliff. ¡° What the hell? '''' The ram was almost 2 feet in the stone! These things were monstrously strong if it could bury its horns in pure rock! Small cuts and bruises were beginning to build up so Kelford focused back in as the other rams were closing in. Kelford balanced on the edge as he tried to keep to just the edges of the herd, playing the most dangerous game of keep away he¡¯d ever played. He leapt through ruined houses and huts, keeping the sheep just barely away. He leapt through a broken window already feeling the herd just a few breaths behind. Two sheep tried leaping through the window after him getting in each other''s way as they collided into each other. Kelford landed and turned speartip already searching for their lives. Blood spilled against the floor before the entire wall exploded outwards sending Kelford stumbling back. Dirt and stone obscured everything until glacial blue horns beat the wind out of Kelford¡¯s lungs. Something cracked as Kelford broke through the next wall as the ram continued its charge. Pain and rage clouded reason as the spear disappeared in a flash light before hands wrapped themselves around freezing horns. Kelford dug his feet in, contesting strength for strength with the charging ram before with a roar he finally stopped its charge by lifting it from its feet! What remnants of the horde were left charged fearlessly forward as Kelford swung the bucking Ram into their faces! [Hard Smash] The body turned into a meaty club as he slammed it into the others. ¡° Again!¡± Kelford¡¯s back and chest hurt but he wasn¡¯t done! [Hard Smash] empowered his blows as he ruthlessly slammed the ram again and again into the herd. Its backside was a mess of blood and bones as Kelford threw it aside. Frost was creeping up his legs and chest now but he tried to power through. [Spear of Spirit Strikes] filled his hands again as he slowly fell into a ready position again. There were only 5 left. He grinned as the rest paced nervously back and forth. They were wary of him now and looking at the battlefield he couldn¡¯t blame them. Blood and corpses strewn the field leaving the battlefield red. His hands shook but Kelford was still in fighting shape. He charged forward feeling as if he was moving at half his real speed.The cold had gone from an annoyance to a crippling problem as Kelford had to fight to keep his teeth from chattering. The power had gone out of his charge and the sheep were able to dodge away from his slowed movements. He stopped, conserving his strength as they made their counters. Only one Ram was left and it was the biggest one. It watched as the rest continued to harry Kelford forcing him to back up against the cliff wall. It snorted, charging forward pulling power to its horns that doubled the cold in the area twice over! The other sheep disengaged before following in their own charge ready to attack should the human try to flee. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. What could he do? Kelford¡¯s back was against the wall and he wasn¡¯t looking forward to taking a charge to the chest again. He couldn¡¯t go left or right so that left only one option. The Ram charged forward and in that moment of danger Kelford¡¯s body acted. [ Enhanced Strength] flooded his legs with power as he leapt over the charging ram. For a moment Kelford hung in the air, the wind whipping in the monster''s wake tore at his clothes as it passed beneath him. Kelford hit the ground in a tangle of limbs just before the entire cliff shook from the calamitous impact. The ram had buried its head fully into the cliff, its legs hung limply while blood poured from the cracks in the cliff face. Relief stole through Kelford but quickly left as he saw the rest of the herd surrounding him. That¡¯s when the crock reverberated through the valley. Kelford and the herd both turned to the cliff at the exact same time as large chunks of rock and dirt fell in a tide of death. The sheep screamed as they tried to run before the boulders fell upon them. Kelford could only watch as the rest of the monsters died all around him. He was going to die if he didn¡¯t do something! He pulled from his [Inventory] as corpses upon corpses appeared around him before the avalanche covered him as well. Silence fell upon the field, all the sheep and town ruins buried under rubble. Time passed as slowly snowflakes began to fall on the battlefield. The silence was punctuated by a low thumping and slowly rock began to move.The thumping became louder and louder untilKelford emerged in an explosion of dirt and blood. Gasping, he wiped at his eyes as his lungs took in the clean air. He pulled his bruised body out of the pit as pieces of [Sabertooth Youngling] flesh fell from his now completely ruined clothing. T.U.I materialized as Kelford fell to his hands and knees. ¡° Congratulations on completing another room, Kelford!¡± ¡°Just give me a minute..just a minute¡± Kelford took a deep breath. Already the numbness from his ring was healing his wounds. All of the corpses he had collected were barely enough to mitigate the falling rock and even then Kelford was sure that the only reason he lived was from [Enhanced Constitution]. He¡¯d woken up completely trapped in darkness with the broken bodies on top of him. It was less than pleasant but with the power of his [Hard Smash] and increased strength he¡¯d be able to climb his way out. The numbness began to fade but pain still radiated from his right arm, Kelford looked down to see it swelling. His fingers wouldn¡¯t move and for a moment he was confused. ¡° Oh that¡¯s right, [ Ring of Minor Regeneration] can¡¯t fix broken bones.¡± The horror of that barely seemed to phase him after all that he¡¯d been through. He pulled himself to his feet using [Spear of Spirit Strikes] to help him. His right fingers wouldn¡¯t respond so he held his arm close to his torso. Essence strengthened mind and body seemed to dull the pain or at least make it more manageable as he dismissed the words congratulating him on completing this area. T.U.I hovered patiently as Kelford wrestled with the words that seemed to stick in his throat. ¡° T.U.I I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to make it much farther¡± The words came in a whisper, ¡° I don¡¯t know if I can even make it pass the next room like this¡± Kelford couldn¡¯t look at her as he hung his head. All his progress and relics would be gone in an instant, just cause he wasn¡¯t good enough. ¡° That¡¯s okay¡± T.U.I floated right to him, ¡° All you gotta do is try again¡± ¡° You¡¯re¡­ not mad at me?¡± ¡° No silly, why would I be mad at you? You¡¯re improving and as long as your civilization improves at a consistent rate you will all survive.¡± T.U.I floated to his face, ¡° As long as you keep trying there¡¯s nothing to be made about.¡± A lump seemed to form in Kelford¡¯s throat but he pushed it down. Wouldn¡¯t do to cry over something like this. He nodded at T.U.I before pushing forward as the snow began to fall in earnest. The cold seemed to crawl into his skin leaving his arm aching and his movements stiff. The path continued, and the large fortress loomed ever bigger as the injured human made his way along the beaten path. Other towns were on the way, with broken ruins all that remained of their once sturdy construction. Kelford passed them barely aware of the broken symbols [ Languages of the Mountain] seemed to want to translate. Instead Kelford stumbled forward as the storm clouds in the distance began to loom closer than ever before , a thick wall that threatened to cover everything. Finally, T.U.I faded away as the last room of the 4th floor expanded before him. At the foot of the mountain and the fortress now looming large above was clearing of broken buildings and stalls. Kelford stumbled passed the cold stopping any hint of curiosity at the leftovers of a once thriving market. He passed them by as he traveled deeper into the market before he was greeted by the sight of an incline leading up and up to the broken gates of the fortress above. To its left was an altar much like that on the 3rd, except many times more intricate and grand. Power seemed to radiate off of it, with many glowing runes on carved bone and rock. Ram horn, large fangs, and finally at its pinnacle was the sculpture of a monster Kelford had never even seen. Time had worn down much of the detail but the creature was still clearly made to be utterly terrifying. Horns more like rock than bone jutted from the sides of its equally craggy skull. 4 limbs gave it a hunched stature as its forelimbs were many times bigger. Its eyes glowed an icy blue as the runes all along its body were powered by a jagged hunk of crystal that dominated its heart. Golden words filled Kelford¡¯s vision as he took in the breathtaking monument. Choose Sacrifice An Uncommon Relic or greater Or Defeat the Guardian It was no question and simply fortunate that the option was there. Kelford pulled from his neck the [Amulet of Minor Barkskin] and placed it in front of the altar. The crystal pulsed with power and Kelford¡¯s relic faded into golden light. Just like that the 4th floor was complete. The usual thrill of victory was far behind as Kelford already was making his way up the incline. The snow was coming down hard now and though Kelford couldn¡¯t see it, many parts of his body were already darkened by the frost. He just had to make it to this last floor and then he could stop, no regeneration was there to save his skin from the growing cold. Quest Complete! The Fourth Floor Description: Complete the Fourth Floor! Reward: 40 Karma New Quest! The Fifth Floor Description: Complete the Fifth Floor Reward: 50 Karma Quest Updated! Jack of All Trades Description: Reach to At Least the 5th Floor With Every Class 1 out of 5 Reward: 1 Class Slot Kelford dismissed the notification as he finally climbed to the broken gates only to see the first enemies of the fifth floor waiting for him. They snickered and leered as they pulled their weapons from hoisters and prepped spears. Growling sabertooths prowled, much bigger than their younger siblings from the floor below. They were in a loose formation and Kelford could count 10 even as his brain fought past the cold and pain. ¡° Gnoblars again huh¡± Kelford held out his spear as the gnoblars and their pets began to move towards him, ¡° Figures¡±. Gnoblar Gorger Hunter Description: Gnoblars that have consumed enough meat have grown their awareness Enough to be given responsibilities. They Hunt in the wilds for their food training to join proper society Trained Sabertooth Description: Sabertooths trained to hunt and listen to orders. Each of the gorgers wore layers of hide much better maintained then the rags the gnoblars underground had worn. They moved with a smooth, cautious gate that spoke of experience fighting. Throwing spears in the back while others approached with bone clubs and knives. Kelford was so tired but his spear never wavered as his body roused itself for one final clash. He couldn¡¯t use his right arm, and the cold had stolen much of his strength. Still, he¡¯d give this run all he had before he was forced to respawn. The gnoblars hesitated as they saw him prepare to fight before they smiled. ¡° This gonna be good training don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡° Yea, bet it¡¯s gonna scream for long time¡± ¡° Shut up you fools!¡± The others backed away as the biggest of their number moved forward, the gnoblar eyed Kelford up and down. ¡° Yes, this one is injured. Droret and Urog will kill this one while the rest of you prepare to save them should they be in trouble.¡± Groans and complaints echoed the command as the lead gnoblar kept its eyes on Kelford before narrowing. ¡° What you looking at ugly!¡± Kelford¡¯s voice caused the conversation to die as the gnoblars stared in shock. ¡° You can speak the tongue of the mountain?¡± The lead Gnoblar asked, ¡° I not hear of any other creatures speaking the tongue of the trueborn even before these times.¡± ¡° Yea, I can though if we can come to some kind of-¡± ¡° It is good now you can understand my words when I tell you this.¡± The gnoblar interrupted Kelford as it pulled out it¡¯s own club, ¡° You will die screaming as we prove ourselves to the Great Father of Winter¡± Kelford could barely consider the words before they were on him. They threw themselves at him with animalistic fury as they screamed their bloodlust into the sky. Kelford stood his ground, conviction still undaunted faced with the odds. Despite all of his efforts the gnoblar weapons still bit into his skin. In the end the gnoblar leader was right, Kelford died screaming. Foundations Kelford came back to life, heart already running at mach 1, pain washing over him. A few minutes of spasming later and finally his brain caught up with reality, he was alive and the torture he had gone through was done. ¡° I think that wasn¡¯t as bad as the last few times¡± Still he shivered as the remnants of the memories fell away climbing to his feet unsteadily. ¡° Oh yes, with the assistance of the Tower you will gradually adapt to the resurrection¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Eventually your mind will be able to separate the events of your death without trying to experience your traumatic last moments.¡± ¡°Your ability to say that with a positive tone will never not be weird.¡± Kelford chuckled as he made his way to his room, ¡° I¡¯m going to take a shower and relax. Getting tough or not I¡¯m honestly ready for a break.¡± ¡°Enjoy yourself Kelford, I will be here if you have any questions.¡± T.U.I disappeared leaving Kelford to shuffle to his room to find it perfectly made and lit. He kicked off the boots before making his way to the bathroom. Fluffy towels and furs greeted him as he pressed the runes for the shower. Hot steam came forward instantly, much to his relief. Kelford shed his clothing and jumped in luxuriating in the warm water as he began cleaning himself. Fortunately the Tower provided everything he needed but he frowned as he stared at the stone dispensers that held all he needed. Something was different about them this time. They were of course well made to the point it was slightly scary. Perfectly smooth, except in specific spots where the stone was rough enough to provide friction. Runes glowed dimly along its neck and base while words were cut into its middle. Winter¡¯s Breath Soap He focused harder, feeling a slight push back before golden words appeared. Winters Breath Soap Description: Made from natural resources sourced from Dowor this unranked soap Leaves users clean and smelling of the mountain forests before a storm. System Created for climber use. ¡°Even my soap is considered a relic?¡± It was an interesting tidbit though it wasn¡¯t what he had originally been looking for, ¡° Still something to ask T.U.I about¡±. He made to put away the soap before the realization struck him. The words weren¡¯t english. [ Languages of the Mountain] had been automatically translating and in his confused state he hadn¡¯t noticed. Kelford peered at all of the dispensaries to find that they too weren¡¯t in english. They were in gnoblar. The water seemed to lose its heat as Kelford began to shake. He sat down, letting the water of his shower wash over him as he forced control over himself. Bloody grins of gnoblars, the cold of the mountain, the feeling of his life being in danger over and over again. He¡¯d lost his hard won relics and the power that had weld up in him from the [ Heavy Warrior] class. Every time he¡¯d been lost in the dark, fought monsters, or almost died. He¡¯d been able to find comfort in being strong. He missed having that now. Hopefully T.U.I was right and his mind would catch up. He really hated feeling like this. Kelford curled in on himself as he relived his last climb. An hour later Kelford made his way out of the bathroom dressed in soft olive colored clothing. T.U.I was waiting as he sat at the wooden table across from his bed. ¡° Are you feeling better Kelford?¡± Kelford nodded, ¡° Yea I''m feeling much better.¡± The two were quiet for a moment before T.U.I continued, ¡° you did wonderful that last attempt, making it to the 5th floor with your injuries was very impressive. You should be proud of yourself.¡± ¡° I guess¡­¡± Kelford¡¯s mind flashed to the smiling face of the gorgers as they killed him, ¡° Though I wasn¡¯t able to get any farther. With the number of gorgers on the first floor and losing a relic at the end of the fourth is going to make the 5th that much harder. At the time I didn¡¯t want to fight whatever guardian was there since I was so weak but I''m sure it¡¯s not easy. Even if I have a useless relic next time I¡¯ll eventually get unlucky with my roles.¡± ¡° Don¡¯t forget that you missed the relic between the 4th and 5th floor that run, so you were actually down 2 relics.¡± T.U.I said helpfully. Kelford groaned at the reminder, he hadn¡¯t even realized that he missed the relic orb for finishing the 4th floor. ¡°Include that with all the other mess ups that run and I wouldn¡¯t exactly give myself a glowing endorsement.¡± Kelford shook his head as he thought back to all his mistakes. ¡° I didn¡¯t prepare any bandages or changes of clothing. I was pretty much running half naked near the end. I need to get some camping gear to rest between rooms with maybe a sleeping bag .The cold got so bad I couldn¡¯t risk dying just from freezing to death. Heck I¡¯d even throw in some snacks because apparently I can get hungry. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d forget that fast but here we are.¡± Kelford said, " Heck I''d even say that I made it through most of that run on pure luck. I didn''t prepare at all for that run." " Perhaps you should grant yourself some grace Kelford, you have done what most of your species would consider to be a difficult and traumatic trial. Many have already given up on passing the Tower''s trials after two deaths while you are dealing with your third rather well." "Well...thanks" Kelford ended lamely as he suddenly found it hard to look at the glowing ball of positivity, "I¡¯ll be better prepared next time but I''m sure that there are plenty of people doing better than I am." "Oh most assuredly. Multiple individuals have already reached floor 7 though none have reached it''s threshold.¡± T.U.I said, " Yet there are those on your planet who have discovered and leveraged their talents to make it to such lofty heights so quickly." Despite himself Kelford leaned in " How were they able to do so? " " I am unable to tell you their exact journey or class combination. I can tell you that they did resonate very well with the classes they chose and were able to experiment with the Shop. They most certainly did not sit here bemoaning their previous successes. " T.U.I''s voice had the distinct tone of disappointment and Kelford could only sigh as he leaned back, face burning with embarrassment. "Fine, there''s a lot I could improve upon but I did do fairly well getting this far. Happy?" " Most assuredly Kelford. Now how would you like to proceed?" Kelford shrugged, " I was considering looking at the shop some before maybe training for a few hours. Then get some sleep and run the Tower again? With some more preparation I''ll be able to get farther and I wanted to see what that altar on the 4th floor does when you don''t sacrifice a relic to it. " T.U.I floated for a few seconds causing Kelford to pay more attention. Was there something wrong with his plan? " What are your goals Kelford? " " My goals?" Kelford was flummoxed, " To get out of here? There''s a giant doomsday device that''s flooding my world with magic so probably helping with preventing the death of my entire species? " Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It sounded lame but what else was there to say? He''d never been good with these types of questions and for T.U.I to ask threw him off. He did want to get out the Tower and having his entire world being blown up didn''t sound great. Preventing the entire world from dying was the goal of any sane person. Right? Then why did it sound so hollow when he said it out loud? " Perhaps you would appreciate some advice to help you along your journey?" T.U.I said, her voice was gentle. " I can not influence your journey too much but there are many resources that you haven''t utilized to their fullest.The Myriad Index has kept track of many attempts at finishing the Tower. Those , like the front runners of your species, who discover and utilize the resources provided here tend to make the biggest impact." Kelford nodded, he was anxious to get out of here. Though it wouldn''t be bad to learn some more about the Tower and the resources he could use here. Worst case scenario it took a few more days or weeks to leave. Once he got outside he''d be stronger for it and someone could get a message to the outside world. Maybe he wouldn''t be one of these monstrous talents that T.U.I was mentioning but he was clearly not a hero. Didn''t mean he couldn''t get just that little bit better. If the Tower did what T.U.I alluded to then this could be a good potential career. At this point his new job was a bust anyway and he''d just have to hope his landlord would be okay with a late payment. Kelford would be out of here in a few weeks at most if he kept up the pace he was climbing the floors. Besides, he remembered what happened last time he ignored the information T.U.I provided. Maybe he could ask for a refresher on the basics again? " I''d love some advice" Kelford said, " Anything you can tell me would be immensely helpful" " Great then follow me" T.U.I began floating deceptively fast forcing Kelford to scramble to follow out the door. The main hall was still as big as ever, with the only changes being the weapons on the class altars. T.U.I ignored the altars, moving straight for the Shop altar where she stopped. "In the Shop there are numerous useful relics as you already know, however as I have mentioned there are ways to expand the number of relics you have access to using the Relics Rooms " Kelford nodded, " Yea, whatever vaults and sub vaults the...Myriad Index has can be opened so that I can have more relics to potentially use while I''m climbing. " "That is correct, however that is a limited understanding of the potential importance of the Shop. As all the relics you can buy may not have direct influence on your combat capability they can open up uses that will assist with your climbs. Such as your skill [Languages of the Mountain] ." Kelford nodded again, that skill had come in handy more than once. Not only in helping him read clues on the third floor but also with finding out that the gnoblars were sapient. It may lead to even more possibilities as he continued climbing. T.U.I continued, bringing him out of his thoughts. " You can also purchase access to additional information and relics unique to the world theme of your floors. To demonstrate could you open the Shop and look up the relic Essence Foundations and Class Guide Volume 1 Kelford brought up the Shop screen and scrolled through the options. There were more items, no doubt due to his time in the Relic Room but he ignored those options until he found the item T.U.I had mentioned. Would you like to Purchase Essence Foundation and Class Guide Volume 1 Price 300 Karma Current Karma : 590 Y/N? It would hurt no doubt about it but T.U.I wouldn''t have him buy it unless it was important. Besides, he''d be able to run the floors a few more times to gain more karma. He agreed to the purchase and watched as his karma plummeted before a ball of light materialized in front of him. It beamed towards T.U.I before being absorbed by Kelford''s companion. System restrictions unlocked permissions uplifted. Processing T.U.I''s voice had lost the personality he had always associated with her instead being more robotic. He stood there worried for a second before she went silent. For long moments T.U.I floated silently before she flashed several colors in quick succession. " Ahh there we are, now I can assist you much more effectively" " What was that about?''" Kelford was just a touch worried, had he been tricked in some way? T.U.I giggled, " Oh I was granted more permissions to archives of knowledge gathered by the Myriad Index. Some of the Relics in the Shop are placed there by Tower to grant Interfaces such as myself wider access to our climbers information and ways to assist with their growth. " Okay, what does that mean?" Kelford was still a bit wary but it seemed that T.U.I was excited about the upgrade so it seemed to be a good thing. " This means that I can help you plan for the future and explain much more of the Tower to you. Such as relaying information that will prevent bottlenecks in the future. For example did you realize that the world of Dowor was a powerful nexus of Frost and Wild essence making any relics to do with those essences much stronger than the norm? That there are many powerful classes you can unlock in the future depending on the classes and skills you gain. As well as.." A large list appeared in front of Kelford. He peered closer,seeing numerous exercises, meals, a schedule of climbing, and much more. It was as if he had a trainer, a teacher, and a quiet adventurous nutritionist plan out his entire life. Kelford scrolled down the list and realized that it went for more than just a few weeks. He peered up at T.U.I " What is this?" She beamed forcing Kelford to hold up a hand to keep from blinding himself, " This is an all comprehensive schedule to improve your foundations. As you are now you were on track to possibly pass the 5th floor but be stuck at the 6th floor for the foreseeable future. If you start to follow this plan you''ll do much better than just passing the 10th. " Kelford looked back to the list "Can I even eat here and why do I need Karma to pay for all of this?" " Yes, you can. Eating a healthy mixture of food will assist with improving your body as you start following the training. Essence can only build off what is there. As you have some cooking experience I felt that would be a talent to strive to use and purchasing many of the necessities in the Shop will of course cost karma which the runs through the floors will no doubt provide you with." T.U.I''s glow dimmed, " Kelford you don''t have to follow this but if you really wish for my help then I do believe following this plan will get you to where you want to go." He could only stare before glancing back to the schedule T.U.I had sent him. It was more than he thought she would provide. His every waking moment would be devoted to training, learning about the Tower, or making use of the resources he could find. He''d essentially be agreeing to pushing himself beyond what he had ever done while also dying repeatedly. The thought of the laughing smiles and stabs were still there in the back of his memory but he shook them off. He was sure the front runners were working schedules like this, and with everyone''s lives at stake who was he not to do the same? " What happens if I do better than what you wrote on your schedule?" Kelford turned back to T.U.I having made his decision. " You have me taking at least 2 weeks to reach the 5th floor per class? If I can complete Jack of All Trades faster then will that lead to me getting out of here quicker?" " Most assuredly, does this mean you are accepting my advice?" Kelford nodded at the words and T.U.I''s voice grew excited, " Well then let us go to the training room. You have much to do." Kelford turned and followed her to the training room focused and ready for a grueling couple weeks. He hesitated for only a moment as a thought finally broke through the determination. How had T.U.I known he liked cooking before he came to the Tower? He hadn''t mentioned it before, had he? Shaking his head he continued to the training room, he could figure out that problem later. For now it was time to get stronger. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Lieutenant Simmons was finishing jotting his notes as the scrape of a spoon hitting plastic filled the interrogation room. The kid¡­Kelford Booker¡­ was finishing his cereal. The kid was still a bit spacey, constantly looking off to the right as if there was something grabbing his attention. Simmons had seen that look before, climbers looking at their status or having the words of the Tower forcing a tough decision. Either way it was peeking his interest,especially with all that Kelford had told him up to this point. Nothing exactly new but it did point to Kelford having gotten a few choice bits of information that most hadn¡¯t gotten their hands on. However the assistants decided on who to share their wisdom with, it certainly hadn¡¯t made sense to Simmons. His group had never gotten the opportunity while he¡¯d heard an old woman, some executive from Florida of all places, and if rumors could be believed a cadet from Virginia had been given some advice as well. He¡¯d ended up learning much about the Tower on his way through the 10 tutorial floors but many of those who had this kind of intervention ended up accessing knowledge that many of their researchers could only dream of. ¡° Finished with your cereal?¡± Kelford looked up and nodded, swallowing the last of his cereal. ¡°Not as good as I remember it.¡± He started looking slightly disappointedly at the bowl, ¡° Did you guys give me stale cereal or something? Some kind of military discounted version?¡± Simmons rolled his eyes, ¡° Try the Supermarket. We got it just yesterday.¡± The kid shrugged before looking over to his right again. ¡° What exactly are you looking at right now? You¡¯ve been barely paying attention for at least a few hours and you¡¯ve been looking at the same place each time. Some kind of quest reward or you just checking on your Inventory? Maybe a class choice?¡± A shrug was all Simmons got for his questions, ¡° Come on Kelford, help me out here. Anything you¡¯re hiding is only going to make things worse for you and we¡¯re all trying to figure this mess out together.¡± Simmons kept his face calm and reassuring even as the frustration boiled a bit in the background. He didn¡¯t expect the kid to open up all his secrets immediately but Simmons was beginning to believe that Kelford wasn¡¯t taking any of this seriously. Even now he could see Kelford staring to the right again. Many people who¡¯d allegedly crossed the 10th floor were all bluster but the minute that someone at their level sat in front of them they started to take things seriously¡­or found out very quickly that they needed to. He was really hoping he wouldn¡¯t need to start playing hardball with the kid in front of him. ¡° It¡¯s a class choice¡± Kelford¡¯s words were so quiet Simmons almost thought he¡¯d imagined them. ¡° Alright ,what kind of choice are you considering? We¡¯ve been keeping track of as many people¡¯s builds as possible hoping to get a comprehensive guide started soon. You could help with that by giving us your details and we could give you some access to the lists we¡¯ve been building.¡± ¡° I¡¯m good¡­ There¡¯s already plenty of materials in the Tower, I¡¯m sure you already knew that.¡± Simmons already could feel the accusation in the words, they did know that. There were piles of books being studied and looked over. Yet getting each climber''s class, relic, and skill combinations would only help the military to keep a tab on people who could get out of hand. Casting a fireball was dangerous but multiple climbers had been seen raising the dead. An ability as uncomfortable to hear about as it was potentially dangerous to use. ¡°Again in order to benefit from the records we could make it won¡¯t hurt for you to share a bit more information¡± ¡° And again I¡¯m not really interested. I just need to make a decision .¡± Simmons narrowed in on the new information, ¡° You¡¯re confusing me kid, what¡¯s the hold up? You¡¯ve clearly had the option for a while yet you haven¡¯t made a decision?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared of the implications¡± Kelford seemed to withdraw into himself for a moment, ¡° What if I make the wrong decision? I think I know what to pick but it could have dire consequences for my¡­ class¡± ¡° Well that¡¯s very cryptic¡± Simmons said, ¡° What about this, you continue your story and I¡¯ll keep asking you questions. Once we¡¯re farther along maybe it¡¯ll help clarify things a bit? Help you make the decision.¡± It would also give Simmons a hint on what more of Kelfords build. Kelford seemed to mull it over before nodding, ¡° I spent time training and it took longer than I originally thought. Yet, I would say it was worth it. It led me to discover a few things.¡± Kelford¡¯s eyes inevitably returned to the right, ¡° About myself, The Tower, and the other climbers¡± Weeks of Montages Kelford started his training with another run through the Tower but this time he left behind Heavy Warrior. Instead he picked up the class right next to it. A shortbow made of dark wood and wrapped in leather with a quiver right next to it.Power filled Kelfords body as the shortbow filled his hands and the quiver was thrown over his back. It was heady, like his body had been weighed down by molasses until now. Instinctual understanding of the class flooded into him as the golden words flooded his vision. Ranged Warrior Why Risk Getting Close When You Can Shot Across the Stars Themselves Skills: Minor Enhanced Strength Minor Enhanced Dexterity Bows,Crossbows,Thrown Weapon Proficiency Medium Armor Proficiency Active Skills: Perceptive Eye ¡° The key is to continue focusing on how to bring out the strengths of each class as you practice,¡± T.U.I floated next to him as Kelford pushed towards the floors, ¡° Remember that the jump in mindset from the Heavy Warrior and Ranged Warrior is quite steep. I know I said you could choose the order of classes but this will be difficult.¡± Kelford shrugged as the darkness of the first floor embraced him, ¡° It was the next one to the left. So I just went with that. It¡¯ll be more interesting this way.¡± His steps were light, and he reveled in the feeling of control his body now held. In mere moments he was able to see the fire light and the pale skinned gnoblar left as bait. Kelford stopped much farther than he usually would and drew an arrow. He focused as he activated his new skill . [Perceptive Eye] The forms of two gnoblars became clear even from this distance, their sad attempts at hiding now revealed before he even had to come even close. The arrows flew and took the two gnoblars in the chest. The gnoblars hiding out of view jumped forward screaming in rage and fear. Kelford smirked as he released two more arrows for them and finally shot the last in the head. He strolled into the first room with not a care in the world, dead gnoblars at his feet. The Relic Orbs were manifesting and he brought up the options without a thought. Arrows of Piercing Common Description: Arrows built to pierce deeper into foes. Does moderately more physical damage. Comes in bundles of 10 Ring of Might Common Description: A ring that makes your body stronger Increases strength by 15% Quiver of Poisoning Uncommon Description: A quiver enchanted to poison the tips of arrows placed within. All arrows will gain [Weak Poison] Poisoned arrows sounded like a good time and soon Kelford was racing down the passageway. ¡° So how are you liking the Ranged Warrior?¡± T.U.I asked, ¡° You seem to be off to a good start.¡± ¡° It''s not bad but we¡¯ll see just how far I can make it this run. Though I was wondering one thing?¡± ¡°Oh what was that?¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice sounded faint, meaning the next room was getting close. ¡°Can I run out of arrows? ¡° ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Days passed with Kelford climbing higher and higher through the Tower, Floor three passed by with a bang as he spotted the last of the traps. Each had tells, small cracks in the floor, or different colored stones to mark where they were. He could only notice this with the power of [Perceptive Eye] . The skill was more amazing than Kelford had originally given it credit for. The skill made him notice everything, variations in the stone , boosting his ability to see in the dark, it even made it easier for him to track multiple targets while it was active. Unlike [Hard Smash] the skill was cheap to start and to maintain for short periods of time. The issue was that it strained his eyes and holding it any longer than a few seconds would start to drain him at an increasing rate. Only a few runs before Kelford had been crying blood as he tried to keep track of all the gnoblars on the 2nd floor right before he died. He¡¯d learned his lesson after that. The crisp air filled his lungs as he came to the entrance to the 4th floor, mountains and river filling the view. So many things had stayed the same and in some ways it comforted Kelford. The cold wind blew but Kelford had come prepared. Thick, fur lined clothing had been pulled out of the Inventory and now Sabertooth Winter Gear Common Description: Winter clothing made from the fur of a saber tooth tiger from the planet of Dowor. Helps keep the wearer warm in cold environments and is reinforced for adventuring. Perfect for climbers in colder weather. Kelford made his way down the path, admiring the clear waters as waves lapped against the shore. The forest loomed closer, thick trees casting shadows along the path. Before the climber would have walked completely oblivious to the monsters waiting in the depths. Like the ones watching him right now. [Perceptive Eye] Shadows seemed to fade away like smoke as Kelford¡¯s skill pulsed in his eyes, revealing the [Wild Sabertooth Youngling] staring at him from beneath the trees. Its fur seemed to almost blend in with the swaying shadows and undergrowth. Only the bright yellows of its eyes not completely blending in with the natural landscape. Kelford took out his new longbow and pulled out an arrow. [Warbow of Thorns] Uncommon Description: Infuse each strike with Wild essence. Each arrow shot is infused with thorns dealing minor Wild essence damage. He pretended to be sighting down a target far away from the tiger, letting it believe its stealth was still in effect.Then in one fluid motion he turned and fired. The sabertooth cried as the arrow dug into its side before it burst into jagged thorns. Another arrow took its life before the cat could even take another step. Kelford stood still, scanning the woods before he started to make his way to the dead monster. He pulled it into his Inventory before stealthing his way between the trees. His other items made his passage smooth and near silent. A youngling was lounging in a tree, eyes peeled for an unsuspecting climber to follow. Kelford¡¯s arrow took it in the throat, sending it careening from its perch. Kelford took its corpse and continued on his way. The last two sabertooths wouldn¡¯t know what hit them. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Quest Updated! Jack of All Trades Description: Reach to At Least the 5th Floor With Every Class 2 out of 5 Reward: 1 Class Slot ¡°T.U.I could you explain to me why the Tower seems to like combat so much?¡± Kelford said over a book titled [ History of the Winter Keeps] . A part of his training was taking breaks between climbing and his workouts to give his body, and more importantly his mind , time to recover from the brutal pace he was setting for himself. A giant plate balanced on top of a wooden chest he had just bought from the Shop a few days ago. It was similar to his inventory but with many more slots to store the multitude of items he kept between runs. The only issue was that it couldn¡¯t be taken with him through the Tower but T.U.I had assured him that the chest would appear in any safe area he found himself in. ¡°For the tutorial floors, much of the nature of your challenges are determined by the world vault you are experiencing. On top of this the Tower¡¯s immediate concerns are with growing a civilization''s ability to protect itself. Cultivating this ability will inevitably lead to other disciplines to develop as the civilization progresses.¡± T.U.I said. ¡° Well, don''t other attributes besides just being able to fight matter? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s other disciplines that will assist with a civilization''s ability to fight. What about developing new technologies or logistics?¡± ¡° You do not have access to this information,¡± T.U.I paused for a second before speaking again, ¡° But I can say that the Tower has considered all of these factors and may¡­encourage their use¡­ at a later date. Though it is not forbidden for civilizations to learn from and utilize the knowledge of their fellow civilizations at this junction. Just not common or specifically encouraged at these floors.¡± Kelford stared at T.U.I as he puzzled out her words. After the first purchase of [Essence Foundations and Class Guide Volume 1] T.U.I had been much more free with her information she knew and could share. He had asked why they couldn¡¯t buy the next volume only to find out it was over 100,000 karma on the Shop which was a ludicrous price he was not willing or able to grind for. It was the equivalent to a mythic relic and he was nowhere close to purchasing an item at that price. So what clues could he glean from just what he had experienced. T.U.I was having him train and encouraged learning about the world he was traversing. Was there something there he should be thinking about? He had just learned that the gnoblars and ogres were connected somehow and that many of their buildings were repurposed ruins from a previously extinct species. His musings were interrupted as a chiming sound rag through his room. ¡°Time for your next class selection Kelford,¡± T.U.I said happily, ¡° I can¡¯t wait to see your progress.¡± Kelford found his feet and got ready, it was time to test out [The Light Warrior] Light Warrior Obtain Grace Unmatched as You Explore The Worlds Before You Skills: Enhanced Dexterity Small Blade,Short Spear, Buckler Proficiency Light Armor Proficiency Active Skill: Backstab ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. The gorger roared in rage as it swung its club again and again to no avail. The creature in front of it moved deceptively slowly, almost mockingly, as it dodged each and every strike the powerful gnoblar threw. Worse were the stinging cuts all along its arms and body that leaked tears of blood. ¡° I was wondering if you could actually answer the question or if you were actually unable to even conceive of what I¡¯m talking about?¡± The figure said as it left another bloody cut along the gnoblars arm. ¡° Shut uuupppp¡± The gnoblar roared as it dashed forward to tackle the cause of it¡¯s pain only for the figure to disappear. The gnoblar frantically scanned it¡¯s surroundings for the creature but in the dusty cavern it could see no sign of the diabolical creature. ¡° Too bad, sometimes I wonder why I ask each run. You clearly can¡¯t answer my question.¡± [Backstab] The gorgers corpse fell to the group as Kelford pulled his blades from its back before sighing. Just not the same.Most of gnoblars of this level were already dead as Kelford had gotten a decent feel for the class after 4 runs. He cleaned his dagger on the back of the gnoblars'' messed up clothing before moving on and looting the giant leg that was cooking in the middle of the deserted square. This time the body part was shaggy and gave off an awful stench as the hairs burnt from the flickering flames. None of the gnoblars even made a move to stop him as Kelford made his way to the next floor. A short walk later and he made it to a room with a cauldron big enough to fit a full boar inside it. A deep maroon glowed from its depths, bathing Kelford in its ruddy glow. Congratulations! You have entered a special room! Healing Room Any Injury or condition can be cured here. Yet the potency of this blessing will only Work for a limited time! ¡° Not exactly what I wanted¡­¡± Kelford sighed as he moved towards the cauldron. It¡¯s light was brighter as it grew closer, but not enough to hurt his eyes. Pulling one of the cups from his most recent purchase from the Shop he filled it with the cauldrons contents before drinking the entirety of the glass. It tasted like the most refreshing drink he¡¯d ever had. The water flowed down his throat and spread through his body and he could almost feel the minor wounds and aches be cleansed away. It wasn¡¯t exactly the best room to have at the very start of a run, but it was never useless. He pulled out a cushion and sat against the rocks as he considered the previous fight. It had been, he wouldn¡¯t say easy but nowhere near as difficult as it once had been. Minutes passed as he ruminated upon the disturbing ease that had begun to creep into the early floors. ¡° How are you feeling Kelford?¡± T.U.I materialized from the ether floating right beside him, ¡° You seem less than enthused even as your attempt goes smoothly.¡± Kelford continued to set the rest of his camping gear, the malaise infecting his mind making his thoughts just a slight bit harder to piece together. ¡° Honestly, it just doesn¡¯t feel the same.¡± ¡° What do you mean?¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice seemed curious rather than concerned, and Kelford shrugged. ¡° I don¡¯t know T.U.I, just nothing is exciting until I get to the 4th floor at this point. Everything below that is just ¡­¡± Kelford searched for the words for a moment, ¡° Boring¡±. The words even surprised Kelford as he spoke them into the air. The floors were beginning to be boring. Only on the third class and already the air of danger and nerves had lost its charm. He hadn¡¯t been lying to T.U.I, below the 4th floor he was perfectly capable of clearing every floor with his eyes closed. Kelford was pretty sure that the only thing preventing him from climbing higher than the 1st room of the 5th floor was his quest. T.U.I¡¯s training over the last few weeks were already pushing him to improve and he was already beginning to see muscle definition that hadn¡¯t been there before. If he re-equipped the Heavy Warrior class he¡¯d at least see the last room of the 5th floor in a few tries. Three at most. Kelford couldn¡¯t help the sigh of annoyance before he pulled out the final piece to his perfect campsite. Sabertooth Youngling Ribs Description: This Unranked meal uses the ribs of a Sabertooth Youngling to create a meal worthy of consumption. This meal has been made by a novice and is a filling meal for any climbers in need of food. The Ribs weren¡¯t exactly the most delicious thing he had tasted, he couldn¡¯t spare the karma for the components for sauces and the like. Yet it was satisfying to actually chew in a way he hadn¡¯t realized he missed. Each chew seemed to fill the space between events, giving his mind a much needed reprieve from the fighting and training. The thoughts of home or the consequences of his actions were lost to the small joy of his steadily increasing skill. Minutes passed before the meat was gone, bones picked clean and left to the Tower to clean up. Kelford took a breath before standing and packing the rest of his camp. He still had a quest to complete. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Kelford climbed the stairs heavily gasping for breath, leaning heavily on his staff as finally the prompt he¡¯d been waiting for arrived. Floor 5 Room 1 Gnoblar gorgers and sabertooths stalked in front of the gate that once again grinning and snarling in equal measure. Kelford spit some blood to the side, cracked ribs and chest making his lungs less than happy. A twisted ankle made each step painful, enough so that he cursed Ring of Weak Regeneration¡¯s limitations. It was in these moments that he missed the Heavy Warrior class.Whatever reinforcement that was needed to handle the increase in strength had made his body much more durable. During his first few runs he hadn¡¯t noticed but now it was almost glaringly obvious when the Apprentice class didn¡¯t offer any reinforcement to his body. It had made his attempts at making it to the 5th floor especially arduous. Every wound taxed his body and Kelford¡¯s body was not nearly enhanced enough to compete with creatures in the Tower. Despite this there were a few advantages¡­ One of the gnoblar gorgers pulled back on a bow thinking to hurt Kelford while he stood there wounded. In his condition Kelford wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge, fortunately he wouldn¡¯t have to. Deep within himself, Kelford pulled on what felt like a hidden limb, drawing upon the power that had been awakened inside him. Words and signs came unbidden and he spoke his will into reality, free hand dancing in complicated swirls. His staff glowed orange, empowering and twisting his spell to levels Kelford wouldn¡¯t have been able to manage on his own. Firebolt Flame blossomed into existence shooting unerringly for the now screaming archer. It¡¯s screams sent the rest scurrying as the spell engulfed gnoblar in crackling flame. Kelford wasn¡¯t done as he once again channeled the essence inside his Essence Pool into power. Fire blazed through the cold air as firebolts rained upon the gnoblars. The sabertooths roared in rage and fear, attacking their allies or trying to flee while the gnoblars fell into chaos. Charred corpses littered the ground and many of the gnoblars sported burns. Kelford nearly staggered again as his vision went cross, he cast his gaze inward feeling his Essence Pool nearly bottoming out. His face turned into a snarl as he cast another weaker Firebolt to buy himself a little more time. It wasn¡¯t enough. Pain cut through his thoughts as an axe cut deep into his collarbone. His breath catching, Kelford¡¯s spell broke apart and he collapsed to his knees. Tears and smoke filled his vision until the world was filled with a leather boot. He looked up to see a singed gnoblar staring down on him, it¡¯s face a mask of cold anger. ¡°Not so fun when¡­you¡¯re the ones suffering right?¡± The words were spoken over bloody teeth, ¡° Any hope for a quick death?¡± Its eyes narrowed as its hand wrapped around the axe embedded in Kelford¡¯s shoulder, ¡° No¡±. It yanked the axe out and kicked Kelford to the ground. Kelford groaned but resolved himself. One more time he¡¯d die to these creatures. Just one more time. Then his quest would be finished and he¡¯d get his revenge. Kelford repeated that thought as the gnoblars killed him and as promised they didn¡¯t make it quick. Acolyte ¡° As I have said earlier the power of different essences comes from their place amongst the cosmic order. In most cases this hierarchy matters not in the rankings of power between different people or even factions. The ordering may have certain powers be higher than others but the difference on the scale of us mortal beings is usually negligible. For those cases they do matter, it is usually not in terms of power but in property¡­¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice played counterpoint to the grunts of Kelford as he ran across the track. He nodded absentmindedly more focused on keeping his steady gate and cramming all of the information into his mind. Moments later a soft ringing caused him to stumble to a stop and for T.U.I¡¯s lecture to come to an end. ¡° Congratulations Kelford, you have completed another circuit. I must commend you on your dedication to saving your species!¡± T.U.I floated next to him as the congratulations were spoken to the sweaty mess now sitting on the ground. ¡° Thanks, ¡° Kelford said, ¡° Though I swear I haven¡¯t been making too much progress.¡± ¡° Oh nonsense, when we first started you could barely keep going for barely an hour. Now look at you. Doubling the time is a good measure for your ability to improve!¡± T.U.I beamed, literally, and Kelford allowed himself a small smile. ¡° Whatever, could you reexplain to me the last part of the lecture? I didn¡¯t fully understand the first time.That and I was just hanging on during then end there.¡± Kelford pulled himself to his feet as T.U.I went over the information again. The idea to do the lectures while he was running had been his idea. Normally it was surprisingly effective, the movement making it easy for him to focus on the constant barrage of information. He¡¯d always found it easier to be moving while studying, the stillness of sitting at a desk leaving his mind to wander. Now he couldn¡¯t focus because of the excitement of the evening. He was so close to finishing this quest and with it done he¡¯d leave this portion of the Tower. Then there would only be 5 more floors until he was able to get out of here and he¡¯d be able to get to the next safe room. It didn¡¯t feel as¡­all encompassing as it once had. He nodded at T.U.I¡¯s explanations with a few questions to show that he was listening. He showered before pulling on the comfortable brown cloth he¡¯d taken to wearing between training and climbing. He smiled as he made his way to the Shop interface, considering what he¡¯d want to do for today¡¯s meal. There were thousands of options but instead Kelford had purchased a service to separate the corpses he¡¯d collected into haunches of meat, with the pelts magically whisked away. T.U.I had explained that this was a bit of a waste but as he wasn¡¯t exactly a butcher or tanner, it would be fine. For only a few karma, Kelford could only agree. He paid the price and pulled out a small table from his camping set, with all the supplies he needed before getting to work. A pot set to boiling,Ram meat cut into cubes, with a dash of alien spices and herbs, Kelford was able to make his soup within half an hour. He scooped some into a bowl before sitting in his favorite seat. It struck him how strange it all was. Not the situation, he still could not fully piece together what was going on despite T.U.I¡¯s lessons, but how normal it had begun to seem. Mere weeks ago he had been terrified. Everything had been strange,the struggles had seemed insurmountable. He had been swept up in the moment then tossed to the rocks before crawling his way forward. Merely hoping to fight his way out of this death trap, the beginning floor and class altars all represent his continued failure to leave this place. When had that lost its edge. Would he¡­miss this place if he escaped? He looked at the room¡­ his room. Held the food he didn¡¯t really need to eat, while he sat in a chair that he deemed his favorite. If everything went to plan, he would be leaving this place behind. He took a spoonful of soup and began to ate mechanically. T.U.I manifested shortly afterwards for their nightly talks and Kelford smiled. For some reason, he would miss this place. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡° Anything I need to know about the Acolyte again?¡± Kelford stood in front of the class altars now dressed in his tougher tower clothing. The melancholy of yesterday still lingered but the excitement of almost completing his goal took far more of his attention. In front of him, a glowing orb sat on rich silks with the class details burning above it. Acolyte Align Yourself With The Powers Beyond Your Comprehension Skills: Enhanced Willpower Randomized Essence Attunement Staff, Ritual Orb, Essence Focus Proficiency Random Basic Spell ¡° When you take the class you will be granted a randomized essence and spell. Though the spell will always change, the Essence Attunement will stay the same once you choose one.¡± T.U.I¡¯s said, ¡° The Attunement will be with an aspect of essence that the world vault has in great quantities.¡± Kelford nodded as he stared into the orb, ¡° You¡¯re giving me a lot more information then you did last time.¡± ¡° This is part of the reason that Essence Foundations and Class Guide Volume 1 was important to purchase. This information would not be accessible to you without the restrictions being lifted.The attunement will be important Kelford. You do not have access to see what influences the decision but if you choose to stay with the Acolyte class then whatever essence that you attune to will have an impact on your spells. ¡° ¡° Well no pressure,¡± Kelford chuckled as he reached forward and grasped the orb. When Kelford had picked the other classes there was always the feeling of change that swept over his body. For the Heavy Warrior he had felt a rush of strength that was euphoric, for the Light Warrior his body had seemed to finally be under his full control. For the Apprentice it was as if his thoughts had been ordered, each idea flowing smoothly into the next but the biggest change had been his essence pool. It was as if he had grown a new limb, a pool of power that gathered in his chest. Learning how to pull on it had been hard, but to fight had been beyond difficult to get the grasp of. Magic had seemed cool but after the grueling experience of the Apprentice he had most decidedly cooled on the idea of being a wizard. The moment Kelford¡¯s fingers wrapped around the orb it was as if reality expanded. Tiny lights began to dance in and out of sight, one moment red. Then an icy blue followed radiant green. Some were like drops of sunlight and he couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the beauty of it all. The orb shone mimicking the rainbow that Kelford had been blind to all along as information on how to use the orb imprinted itself into his mind. He stood in wonder until the prompt he¡¯d been waiting for burnt itself into reality. Essence Attunement Selected Essences in World Vault Dowor Selected Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Talents Identified Randomizing Choosing Lights began to disappear one after the other, the orb¡¯s radiance losing radiance as well as each color faded from view. The beauty had disappeared but Kelford¡¯s hand remained fixed upon the orb. It continued until only 4 colors remained. Icy blue, vibrant green, radiant orange, and a dull purple. The orb switched between them, the colors surrounding Kelford changing with it. They sped up faster and faster, losing colors before finally only one remained. The world seemed darker with the ever burning braziers seemingly burning low.Only Purple light illuminated Kelford¡¯s surroundings as he felt some of the orbs energy flow into him. Essence Selected: Shadow Where light is absent darkness may dwell, Revel in the hidden and your new found power, Beware, For as you grow in power so to will you realize This is only an imitation Of something more Spell Learned Shadow Bolt The words disappeared and the world seemed to be filled with light and warmth again. Kelford pulled his hand away from the orb though he felt a connection to it still. He took a breath as he began to pull himself together. T.U.I floated near him in silence as Kelford pulled up his interface. Interface User: Kelford Booker Class: Acolyte Class Slots: 0 Skills: Enhanced Willpower Essence Attunement: Shadow Staff, Ritual Orb, Essence Focus Proficiency Spells: Shadow Bolt Relics: none Karma: 435 Inventory: 4/10 ¡° What was that all about?¡± Kelford¡¯s voice shook slightly as he tried to piece together all that he saw, ¡° Those lights were essences ? Are they always around? Why can''t I see them and what did the Tower mean by something more?¡± ¡°Essence is always flowing around us, now with Essence Attunement you can sense the essence you are most closely aligned with . Shadow is a lesser version of another affinity, though shadow essence is partially responsible for the creation of the universe. It can be powerful, though it has its own costs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s partially responsible for the creation of the universe and it¡¯s a lesser version of something else?¡± Kelford couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around it. ¡°There is more to the universe than you can possibly imagine.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° but I believe it is time to practice with your new abilities .¡± They made their way to the training room as Kelford lightly pulled on the new skills he had gained. With every slight pull he could see the purple lights dancing all around him. They congregated in the dark recesses of the room , between the bright lights and behind things that casted shadows. It was fascinating, on instinct alone he could feel his presence caused the essence to move. Like a planet pulling on smaller celestial bodies. They made it to the training room and Kelford was already pulling on the essence around him. Purple lights began to dance around him and he could already feel that he was on the precipice of how the skill worked. He pulled harder and the lights turned to purple streaks, each absorbed into his skin upon contact. Pinprick of energy that sent cool energy flowing through blood. ¡° Oh¡­ I see you have already passed the first two lessons¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice brought Kelford back from his focus and the lights began to fade. ¡°Sorry T.U.I the lights were already there and I was just playing around¡­¡± ¡° No no no, that is perfectly alright.¡± T.U.I rushed to the side , ¡° now you have been able to see the shadow essence all around you and pull into yourself. Unlike the Essence Pool you can only hold the essence around you for a few minutes without using it. Now use the essence you have absorbed and cast Shadow Bolt .¡± Kelford faced one of the training dummies on the far side of the training room before reaching for his spell. He expected formulas, strange symbols and diagrams much like with Apprentice . Instead he felt power welling up in his chest. He held out his hand feeling the energy welling up from all corners of his body and finally flowed into his palm where a purple orb wreathed in smoke appeared. Kelford¡¯s face broke into a grin as he reveled in the feeling. It happened so quickly and easily. So smoothly it almost beggared belief. Power continued to flow and the orb took it all within itself. The light grew brighter and brighter with the smoke barely containing its radiance. It was breathtaking. ¡°Kelford, you should be careful! The spells for the Acolyte are different from that of the Apprentice . If you don¡¯t release it now you will lose control of it! ¡° T.U.I¡¯s voice cut through the heady power Kelford channeled. What was he doing? The orb had taken more from him then the surroundings and it still wanted more. The spell squirmed in his mental grip, so consumed with the power he was channeling Kelford hadn¡¯t noticed that he was slowly losing his grip upon it. ¡° How do I control it!¡± There were no calculations or formulas to consider! No breaks built into spell forms to prevent the overcharge that Kelford was experiencing. Just instinct and a now empowered spell he was swiftly losing control over! Lights dimmed as some threshold was reached! The smoke no longer bound by the purple glow spilled from his hand. The purple radiance doubled in size, spilling dull purple across the now darkened space. Fear and doubt cut through Kelfords mind like a blade, scattering what defense he had left. The orb doubled in size again and Kelford¡¯s vision was naught but shadow. T.U.I¡¯s voice echoed but Kelford couldn¡¯t hear her so lost in the confusing impressions of the doubt. What was he to do? Who was he to utilize such power? He had failed at so much before this . what would make him think he could control essence of such caliber. The fear closed in after the doubt. Images of him never escaping, of being left behind. He would give in. Because he always gave in. Kelford almost fell for it. He hadn¡¯t been prepared for this but fortunately he had just enough will to do what was needed. Shadow Bolt With what control he had left he shoved the bolt away. Its connection to him broke and the chaotic ball of purple and smoke flew through the air. Kelford breathed a sigh of relief, a few moments longer and he would have had it explode right on top of him. Not a moment did that thought finish before the bolt exploded only a few feet from him. Purple light and smoke exploded sending Kelford flying!. Blood and sand filled his vision until Kelford smashed into the wall. He fell into the sand, a coughing mess as sand filled the air. Long minutes passed as Kelford tried to pull himself together only for his body to ignore his commands. He felt hollow, like a giant spoon scooped out of his insides leaving nothing but scraps in its wake. ¡°Kelford¡­Kelford!¡± A voice rang in his mind, ¡° Kelford¡­ you¡¯re dangerously low on essence, you have to refill your reserves!¡± ¡°Fill¡­my reserves?¡± Kelford slurred the words as voice jogged his memory. The lights¡­he needed the lights to make himself better. He forced his confused mind to focus, trying to see the lights again. He failed again and again until he started to see flickers of purple floating in the dim light. He pulled, feeling them jerk and resist his weakened will. Kelford growled in frustration as pulled again and finally felt a small jolt of energy leaving him just slightly more aware. Again and he pulled at the lights, first one then two at a time. Finally he pulled himself to his knees, feeling as if the world hung on his tired body. That was when he saw the damage his spell had caused. A hole now dominated the chamber with long grooves radiating out from the epicenter. The sand was black where the bolt had exploded, and to Kelford¡¯s surprise was breaking down into smoke. He was left a quivering mess after losing control of it, but the power behind his spell was undeniable.The light was dim due to a haze that now hung in the room. Kelford pulsed his attunement and saw that shadow essence was dominating the mana around it. ¡° Are you alright Kelford?¡± T.U.I appeared voice filled with concern. ¡°Yea..just¡± Kelford hadn¡¯t the words for devastation he had unleashed, ¡° What happened? What did I do?¡± ¡° You lost control of Shadow Bolt and in doing so almost killed yourself.¡± Kelford winced at the words, thinking of what would be left if he hadn¡¯t been able to release the spell when he did. T.U.I paused, almost as if she was thinking, ¡° To pull that amount of power on your first time is both very idiotic and speaks well of your potential Kelford. Idiotic cause you were very much able to prevent this from happening if you hadn¡¯t panicked. With that inattention you lost control causing the devastation you have just witnessed, ¡° She floated to his crestfallen face before continuing with more excitement, ¡° Yet to control this much power, even for a moment speaks volumes of your talent with Shadow essence! Kelford, you are more than just talented. This might be the foundation to take you through the entire tower! ¡° Kelford stared at the devastation in a new light. Then he saw small flecks of purple leave his skin and felt the world shake before his newfound energy left his legs. He slumped to the ground with a groan as T.U.I flashed white. ¡° Let¡¯s give you a while to rest first. You¡¯ve used a lot of your energy.¡± A Great Start The gnoblars sat in their hiding places wasting their time with quiet chatter and picking at empty bones. None of them knew why they were here, only that there was a strong instinct for their being here. The stone floor was bumpy, the air stale, and they all despised the lack of meat around them. Yet the same instinct that kept them here was also the one that promised delectable screaming food soon. Something would come from the depths, where nothing ever came out. They all shivered when their attention ever drifted too far down the corridor, something screaming that there was nothing good that came about from the deeper places in the world. The weakest of them sat glumly in full view of the tunnel, unwilling bait for whatever came from those depths. It was bored and suffered the bruises from its kind in silence. Until it heard leather scrap against stone. It perked up and the others noticed in moments. All of them went quiet as broken shivs were prepared for their coming meal. The bait shivered but peered into the darkness, trying to perceive the coming danger before darkness raced for its face. Before it could scream it died as shadow essence tore its weak body apart. The others flinched but stayed in their hiding places. A creature stalked into the chamber with an orb that shined a malevolent purple. It was an abomination! It had to be! An abomination born from the black sun itself. Before they could even scream a ball of shadow formed from the orb. It took the shape of a whirling cloud of dark essence surrounding a core of purple before blasting for the two gnoblars against the far wall. They screamed as they threw themselves from their hiding places. It was to no avail. Tendrils snaked out ripping and tearing the gnoblars to pieces. Barely any blood or viscera was left but the rest of the gnoblars didn¡¯t even hesitate to charge forward. While this thing was distracted killing their brethren they could get the kill! Their screams of challenge did nothing as without warning the orb flashed again and another of the balls of shadow formed. It was small and it couldn¡¯t get them all. That thought rushed through all of the gnoblars minds before the abomination surprised them all and threw the bolt to the ground. Darkness engulfed them, sending the scurrying away in fear. They screamed, unable to see except for the dim radiance of the bonfire. They congregated there without any thought for their safety or the foolishness of their actions. The shadows dissipated and the light of the fire pushed the lingering darkness away. The gnoblars were finally able to see the now dim orb and its wielder stand only a few feet from where it had entered. In its hand another bolt of shadow hung in the air. It flew and the gnoblars knew no more. Kelford stood over them heaving as he fought off the lingering shadow essence. Blasting [Shadow Bolt] on top of him wasn¡¯t lethal but it hadn¡¯t been pleasant. Training with T.U.I had given him some control over the spells output and according to T.U.I he had some resistance to his own essence. Still, shallow wounds dotted his legs and arms leaving him bloody and distinctly unhappy. The ritual orb was barely glowing, much of the power he had gathered had been expended.He flared his attunement skill until he could see the shadow essence floating in large clouds all around him. The orb greedily pulled at the clouds, pulling power into its depths and refilling its reserves. With some testing Kelford had learned that the Acolyte class was powerful but had some pretty severe downsides. First , by attuning himself to a type of essence he had not only gotten some measure of influence over that essence but also taken some of its weaknesses. Namely, light essence attacks would be more effective against him. T.U.I had insisted that he wouldn¡¯t burn up once he saw the sun but if he ever went up against someone who used light essence he would be in some deep trouble. Secondly, his influence over external essence leads to a lack of influence over his internal mana. Unlike with the Apprentice he didn¡¯t have an Essence Pool to draw from, so he could kill himself by casting too many spells from his internal stores. Which meant that he would have to lean into the shadow essence in the area or use his ritual orb to cast spells from. It could mean that some drawn out fights would be very dangerous if he didn¡¯t have access to large amounts of shadow essence. ¡° Another problem I¡¯ll deal with when I get to it¡± Kelford muttered as he finally activated the rooms Relic Orb Crown of Fear Uncommon Description: Grants an aura of fear that reaches 10 feet in all directions. Will increase in potency as more essence is poured into the relic. Effect weakens as more entities are within the radius. Amulet of Mountains resilience Uncommon Description: An amulet that makes the body flow with the strength of the mountain. Increases Constitution by 40% Focus of Barrage Rare Description: A focus made from crystallized shadow bat blood granting the ability to exert more control over shadow essence spells. This focus has been enchanted to assist with splitting spells into barrage versions of themselves. Each split will be weaker than the last but can be controlled independently. ¡°Well that¡¯s an easy choice¡± Kelford selected the Focus of Barrage. The orb flashed leaving a glowing, red pendant in the air. Kelford grabbed it before feeling the connection take hold. It was reinforced with a dull silver that separated the crystalized blood into 4 sections. Symbols were carved into the metal, so fine that Kelford could barely follow the twisting lines. It fit his palm nicely and as he held it up he called forth a [Shadow Bolt ] using the shadow essence in the environment. The spell came together easily, even with the added time needed to pull together the environment''s essence. When it was stable Kelford flexed his will and split the spell in two. He felt a slight pressure but nothing he had to worry about. Better yet he could feel a connection to the second bolt just like the first. He began to play with both of the bolts pouring essence into them at different rates. He split both of them again and found his control beginning to be pressured. 4 bolts would need to be his limit unless things were getting dire. He could push himself but that would lead to him losing his awareness of his surroundings and tiring him out. He wanted to get to the fifth floor as fast as possible. With a wave he dissipated the bolts back into the environmental mana before allowing his ritual orb to finish absorbing the ambient essence. He pushed forward to the next floor ritual orb in his left hand and focus in his right. He pulled on the ambient shadow essence before splitting the essence into 4 bolts leaning heavily on his focus. He entered the second floor with spheres of smokey essence floating behind him. Usually most of the gnoblars were asleep, while the rest were sitting near the fire or hiding in the alcoves. Much like with the first floor, Kelford was taken aback as the gnoblars all were awake. They stood around the fire weapons held out as they waited for Kelford¡¯s arrival. Unlike with the first floor Kelford didn¡¯t pull his first punches. He connected the forming bolts to his ritual orb and they swelled in size in half the time it took to form them. Kelford could see the gnoblar¡¯s eyes widen with fear as he released his empowered spell. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Shadow Bolt His practice with both T.U.I and as a Ranged Warrior lent him accuracy as the bolts shot forward. Explosions of smoke and blood covered the room as gnoblars screamed and died. Kelford pulled more ambient essence to create another bolt but as he peered into the aftermath he realized it was unnecessary. All of the gnoblars were dead. In retrospect, it may have been a bit overkill but the results were extraordinary. So enthralled with the power of his attack, Kelford hadn¡¯t noticed T.U.I manifesting next to him. ¡° Well done Kelford, you have cleared this room in record time!¡± ¡° That¡¯s only because they all grouped together.¡± Kelford walked forward pulling what essence he could into another waiting bolt before turning back towards T.U.I. ¡° It seems that they know I¡¯m coming before I even make it into the room. If I wasn¡¯t exactly hiding they may have gotten some sort of ambush together but this is different. They¡¯re changing their behavior.¡± T.U.I bobbed up and down, ¡° Yes, there seems to be a distinct awareness of shadow essence within the gnoblars.¡± ¡° Can you tell me what that¡¯s about?¡± ¡° Unfortunately I do not know.This is beyond the information I have access to.¡± Kelford stopped in his tracks, ¡° You don¡¯t know? Not that the information is restricted or even that I should figure it out myself?¡± Kelford¡¯s heart was beginning to race. This was all too different. Wrong in a way that he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on. It was only the first two rooms and it seemed as if the gnoblars were changing their behaviors while his omniscient guide was not as all knowing as he had believed. ¡° I have an idea of what could be the reason for this but that information is restricted. You will have to figure this out on your own.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was downcast, ¡° All I can say is that the Myriad Index has provided the means to understand the situation.¡± With that T.U.I disappeared. Kelford closed his eyes before taking several deep breaths as he processed the news. It would be fine. It had to be fine. His goals hadn¡¯t changed and if the gnoblars knew he was coming then it just meant he¡¯d have to use that to his advantage. The next floor would be the last time he¡¯d see the gnoblars until the fifth floor. He¡¯d just have to make it through the end of the second floor and hopefully everything else would be the same. ¡° Thanks T.U.I, your tips and information are super useful ¡± Kelford said out loud, he didn¡¯t get a response but he hoped his words would help a little bit. T.U.I seemed to be taking the lack of knowledge pretty hard. He pushed forward entering the connection to the last room of the second floor as he tried to pull together a serviceable plan. He released the orbs he had been creating, letting his ritual orb feast upon the essence before putting it back in his Inventory. He looked at his focus before also placing it in the pocket space. If the gnoblars could feel the manipulation of shadow essence then he might be able to avoid their notice by removing himself of his relics and prepared bolts. ¡° And if they can just feel my attunement to shadow essence, that¡¯ll be good to know for the future.¡± The tunnel opened up to the familiar cave that housed the gnoblar town, the sounds of gnoblars living their lives filled Kelford¡¯s ears. He waited at the entrance for a moment before making his way down when he couldn¡¯t detect a disturbance. It seemed none of the monsters were aware of his presence. At least not yet. The previous runs had helped Kelford get this floor down to almost a science. During his Ranged Warrior runs he had discovered that the secret to this floor was killing the Gnoblar Gorger . Without their leader the gnoblars would descend into infighting or simply flee if they knew what killed it. That lesson had come after he had died fighting the entire cavern when he ran out of arrows. When he had returned he had waited for the gorger to begin the feast and killed it before any of the gnoblars had a bite. They fled screaming and while he watched from a hill of broken rubble soon began to tear into each other. If you watched long enough one of the gnoblars would eat the meat cooking in the center and transform into another gorger. So from then on he had focused on killing the gorger and stealing mysterious meat the gnoblars had been leaving out. With the Light Warrior he had been able to steal the meat and assassinate the gorger without being noticed, and with the Apprentice he had blown up the gorgers tent. That had the added benefit of catching the entire town on fire and Kelford had been able to waltz right out of the cave. Now Kelford wasn¡¯t so sure what he wanted to do considering that he now had a new opportunity. With the change in behavior perhaps the Gnoblar Gorger may actually speak to him. He could take the risk,it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d stay dead if this went poorly. Though the danger of trying to get words out of the creature was high, especially without any physical enhancements. If something got close to him he¡¯d be in trouble. Besides, he was already so close to completing his quest. He could try on a different run. He made his way along the edges of the gnoblar city, unconsciously stepping over debris that he had seen countless times. He paused as he prepared himself. A lone gnoblar lived around here, and was constantly shuffling around looking for baubles or desperately trying to find food. Usually, Kelford found it not paying attention and killed it quickly before climbing to his hiding spot. This time the gnoblar was shaking as its eyes met his immediately. Adrenaline shot through his system and Kelford casted a quick [Shadow Bolt] killing the gnoblar immediately. He stared at it for a moment before the weakness hit him. Taking a deep breath he pulled gently on the essence around him to replenish the essence he had just used. He didn¡¯t dare pull too much as he got ready to climb the rubble. The gnoblar had none he was here, would the others know too? Kelford shook his head as began to pull himself up the side. Even if they did,they hadn¡¯t made a move. Soon it would be too late. The gnoblars gathered in the town center, screaming and roaring as they waited for their chief to appear. Kelford watched from above, sweaty and covered in dust. He pulled a small bolt together and prepared himself. Pouring ambient essence into the spell while keeping a watchful eye on the gnoblars below. He pulled out the Focus of Barrage just as he noticed a few gnoblars begin to look around. He split the bolt into two , then four. The gnoblars were now looking around fear and anger rolling through the crowd. Kelford waited as he stopped sending essence to his spell. The gorger hadn¡¯t shown itself yet. The crowd beneath him grew more agitated, as they tried and failed to find the source of their discontent. Kelford began to sweat as his magic pushed at the bounds of his control. Finally, a roaring gorger burst from the tent . It was small, carrying a staff with bones and teeth strapped all along its shaft. ¡° Who dare bring curse here! I Kill Kill you!!¡± Kelford brought out his ritual orb. The Gnoblar gorger¡¯s eyes flicked directly for him but it was already too late. Shadow Bolt Empowered by the ritual orb his bolts rained down upon the gnoblars. 2 for the crowd and 2 for the gorger. It screamed as it tried to flee but the bolts flew unerringly for their target. The explosions sent blood and viscera flying and Kelford stood as he watched what gnoblars not killed in the explosion flee for their lives. The gorger was dead and all that was left was for Kelford to claim his prize and leave. He couldn¡¯t help himself and smiled. The Acolyte class was simple and powerful. Just the way he liked it. As he made his way down the rubble, the gnoblars huddled in their tents. Shadows and Ice Kelford stepped over the last of the spent traps before looking behind him. The room looked as if multiple bombs had gone off as large gouges and giant slabs of ice left the floor ruined. With a few well placed Shadow Bolts and countless times passing the floor , Kelford had triggered enough to forge a path for himself. With a few minutes to allow the ritual orb to absorb more shadow essence Kelford took the path up to the surface. As always the sight of sunlight stole his breath, as the tight confines of the cave gave way to the rustling of trees. The awe inspiring mountain stood in the distance, lording over the forest and waterfront. Taking a moment to feel the wind on his skin Kelford began to prepare a spot to make a camp for a few minutes. Pulling the chair of the [Mountain Camping Set] he had purchased from the Shop, Kelford began setting what he liked to refer to as his 4th floor celebration. Minutes later a chair, a steaming bowl of Ram Stew , a cup of clear water, and a change of clothes stood ready as he bathed in the water. The sabertooths in the area liked to avoid this place unless he spent longer than an hour messing around. So, Kelford had turned this opening to the fourth floor into a break of sorts. Most of the time it took a few tries to get this far, as either mistakes or monsters tore him apart. The cold would only increase the farther he went so this was the most comfortable spot in the entire floor. With the sights and the relative safety. Kelford had decided to enjoy his time in this place after the darkness of the previous floors. Blood and grime had built up on him and the feeling of washing them off was like a second wind to his mental state. Pulling himself from the water he quickly toweled himself off as he slipped on his new clothing for this floor. Fur Lined Leather Set Unranked Description: Made to keep the wear warm and combat ready. Low grade enchantments keep the leather clean and pristine. It had cost a decent chunk of karma but with T.U.I¡¯s advice he had bought it. For this part of the floor it had been a lifesaver. His wounds could be bandaged but the damaged clothing would let the cold seep in, slowing him down if not eventually killing him. He slowly ate the stew as he enjoyed a nice moment to enjoy the view and his food. Still, he had one worry. ¡° T.U.I what¡¯s going on?¡± The answer was mostly to the air, as T.U.I couldn¡¯t materialize themself until the sabertooths were dealt with. The guide hadn¡¯t spoken in awhile and Kelford was starting to get concerned. T.U.I hadn¡¯t even appeared through the majority of the third, only speaking about a question he had about the ruins he had seen. Kelford sighed, maybe T.U.I would speak to him when she was ready? He¡¯d been thrown off when she hadn¡¯t known the answer, how must she be feeling? Having known the entire answer her entire life only to not know something that this Myriad Index hadn¡¯t thought to let her know about? It must be disorienting. Kelford took a stand and swiftly collected all of his gear. This run was going too well for him to lose focus now. T.U.I would talk when she was ready, he just needed to focus on passing the next few rooms.Then the quest would be done and he would be that much closer to going home. He reaffirmed his will and began to pull a bolt together. It was harder than it should have been. Kelford flared his attunement and that the normally bountiful clouds of shadow essence were almost nonexistent around him. He held his ritual orb and pulled a weak bolt together before eyeing the magical repository. It wasn¡¯t an exact science but he considered that the orb was roughly 80% percent full. It was still trying to absorb shadow essence but with the sparsity of the essence it wasn¡¯t collecting much. ¡°Great¡± The momentum Kelford had been building seemed to have stalled just as it had gotten started, ¡° I¡¯ll just have to be careful with the amount I use from here on out¡± He made his way to the forest pulling on his ritual orb to create 4 small partially completed bolts of shadow. With the minimum amount of orbs needed he walked into the forest, keeping to the path for a solid 20 minutes until the clearing and mountain sights were swallowed by the alien evergreens. Pulling from his Inventory a cooked flank of Ram meat he threw it to the side before dodging into a nearby bush. He held his breath as he waited for the stalking sabertooth to smell the bait. He did not have to wait long as soon the sound of ripping began and Kelford¡¯s moment had come. He jumped from the bush to see the feasting cat before blasting it with all four of the weak Shadow Bolts! It screamed as the shadowy projectiles tore into its flesh as flesh was torn asunder. Kelford pulled from his orb again only to see that the mewing creature was in no condition to fight. It was still alive and with ease he blasted it¡¯s head. Kelford checked his orb to see that the fight had cost him a full fifth of his orbs max. The orb tried to absorb more shadow essence from the surroundings but so far the amount of shadow essence was not even an eighth of the density found in the earlier floors. Cursing he kept moving forward, until he could see more of the lounging cats in front of the decrepit cottage in the middle of the forest. With a few empowered Shadow Bolts the Sabertooth Younglings died before they even knew they were in danger. Stepping over their corpses Kelford could only sigh in relief. If he hadn¡¯t killed them this quickly or if they were aware of his shadow essence, much like the floor below. He would have been in trouble. This run was an old fashioned glass cannon and he needed to blast everything before they could touch him. Making his way into the building he made his way to the relic room in the basement. Congratulations! You have the option of Unlocking a Relic subvault Free Unlock: Uncommon 100 Karma: Rare 1000 Karma: Very Rare 10000 Karma: Legendary 100000 Karma: Mythic Available Karma: 4780 T.U.I didn¡¯t appear and so Kelford simply defaulted to saving his points as he and T.U.I had agreed he should do. The uncommon vault wasn¡¯t too exciting but he was able to gain another relic. Ring of Force Uncommon Description: This ring allows the bearer to discharge a wave of force three times. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Charges come back within 24 hours of use. Added to the relics he had gained from completing the second and third floors he was up to two uncommon relics. He had received a common belt that increased his strength, and his reward for the third was a pair of boots that decreased the sound his footsteps made. Both weren¡¯t too shabby but nothing that he particularly thought much of. He turned towards the steps, making his way to the second room of the fourth floor . The chill of the mountain air as he exited the abandoned hall didn¡¯t cut as deeply with his clothing keeping him warm. He pulled the essence he needed from his orb and soon 2 bolts were prepped. One more battle and the 5th floor was his. The sound of the storm raging below created a strangely peaceful atmosphere. Usually T.U.I would fill this stretch with her normally positive rhetoric or Kelford would be so injured he found little peace in the scene. Now, with all his preparations and the success of this run it was almost impossible not to enjoy the walk. The storm below covered the landscape in impenetrable storm clouds, even the alien trees below were covered from view. Yet the mountain was so huge that the wrath of the storm seemed too far away to even feel a tinge of fear. Mixed with the smell of pine and snow, he really did feel as if he was in another world. A grand adventure where he explored a new world. His feet slowed to a stop as he allowed himself to get lost in the feeling for a few moments longer. His eyes opened and before them was the ruins of a destroyed village. The sheep were loitering around as always, with the few rams either sleeping or wandering at the edge of the group. Kelford pumped power into the bolts before splitting them into four empowered projectiles. The Ice-Horned Sheep were powerful creatures in a way that the sabertooths weren¡¯t. High constitution and powerful horns made fighting them hard for any of the warrior classes to defeat them in an upfront battle. For the Ranged Warrior, Kelford had to spend a large amount of his arrows to kill the sheep and even then he had still been surprised more than once by their sheer numbers. With the Apprentice class he had found that there was a different but costlier way of defeating the monsters. Kelford poured more essence into his bolts stressing his control. His heart was pumping as he began to feel his limits. Every other room had been blown away by the sheer strength of the Acolyte¡¯s spells. So why not this one? The sheep didn¡¯t remain idle as they began to notice the climber in their midst. The rams bleeted in rage as they all charged. Kelford¡¯s attunement spiked as he began to pour more power into his bolts and to his sight his bolts were small stars of purple essence. The essence around them began to change, more purple clouds beginning to form when there had been none before. Almost as if ¡­ Kelford wrenched his strained mind back as he threw the first of his Shadow Bolts! The bleeding edge of the charge met the tip of the sheeps charge and absolutely decimated them! The coats of the sheep had protected them from most physical strikes, but essence empowered hits cut through them like butter. Shadow Bolt The wild chaos of the charge being blunted had sent all of the remaining sheep, and most importantly the rams, stumbling. Now they were bunched up and unprepared. The bolts fell upon the monsters and Kelford watched as a full two thirds of the sheep met their end, with the rest in no condition to fight. Another bolt formed and with the last of his ritual orb''s essence he blasted them to death. Kelford gasped as he fell to his knees. A headache blasted at his temples and the effort of channeling of that power at once. Still he couldn¡¯t help but smile. For just a moment he had felt alive again. To feel as if the monotony was no longer pressing down upon him. ¡° I wonder when this place lost its spark¡± The words fell from his lips as he collected himself. The ram meat wasn¡¯t salvageable but what he lost in resources he¡¯d made up with success. This was a perfect run. He¡¯d gone through so much and finally made it, the 5th floor was open to him. ¡° A very good job Kelford¡± Kelford whirled as he saw the floating orb of T.U.I. ¡° Hey, you¡¯re back!¡± Her glowing dimned slightly, ¡° Yes, I feel much better now. I am so sorry for abandoning you during your climb. That is not what a Interface should do but I -¡± ¡° There is nothing to apologize for.¡± Kelford said firmly, ¡° I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re feeling better.¡± There was nothing left to be said, whatever feelings she had been feeling he wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand. Kelford could be there for her though, even if he couldn¡¯t directly help. ¡° Once you return to the safe floor there will be much to speak about¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Your time training has paid off Kelford and your talent with the Acolyte class has only made your growth all the more apparent. I will see you on the safe floor and learn as much as you can.¡± With that T.U.I dematerialized. ¡° Learn as much as I can?¡± Kelford said to the cold, ¡° What does that even mean?¡± There had been a few occasions where T.U.I had given hints to deeper truths of the Tower, one¡¯s that she either couldn¡¯t tell him or he hadn¡¯t unlocked yet. Considering that the last fact they had spoken about was the gnoblars and shadow essence¡­ ¡° I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask them.¡± Kelford stood and made his way to the end of the floor. The ruins of the city only seemed starker every time he came here. The altar with its powerful creature still stood above the wreckage of homes and city life. The jagged crystal that made its heart glowed in the air as once again the choice came. Choose Sacrifice An Uncommon Relic or greater Or Defeat the Guardian Kelford sacrificed his Ring of Force as he hadn¡¯t needed it on this run and the glowing heart dulled. The way to the fifth floor was clear. He was out of external power and no matter how much he flared his attunement skill he could only see small dots of shadow essence even as he walked within the shadow of the massive fort before him. He wasn¡¯t passing the next room if he had a chance. He ignored the relic orb that appeared and moved up the stairs to the broken gates. The bitter wind grew but he didn¡¯t feel it. He¡¯d prepared and trained until the previous floors were nothing but a training exercise. Now, all that was left before he could finally leave this section of the Tower was this death. Whatever waited behind these gnoblars would have to contend with him giving it his all. Kelford stepped onto the last step and saw all of the gnoblars waiting for him. There was no snarling and posturing. They stared at him with bloody promise in their eyes. Sabertooths laid flat on their belly keeping their eyes fixed on him. One of them stepped forward, the leader if their increased size was any indication. It stood taller than Kelford, with a robe of furs and leather wrapped around its frame. An orb glowed icy blue in its left hand. ¡° You¡­ abomination come to corrupt us¡± It¡¯s tone brokered no argument. ¡° I don¡¯t, if you do not attack me I will not attack you.¡± Kelford''s voice was pitched directly to the lead gnoblar. He had dealt with them enough to notice there was little point trying to persuade the others. They refused to even entertain his words unless they came through their leader. The gnoblar leader snorted, ¡° Liar, you abominations corrupt family¡­corrupt father! Winter King say all touched by black sun are to be kill killed! All who escape storm of ice no longer need live! Black Sun corrupt all¡­we only ones not fall.¡± Kelford looked at the faces of the gnoblars as the last statement was made. Anger and fury. Most of all there was a hurt there. Kelford¡¯s eyes went back to the leader who even now was charging some kind of spell. It had been monologuing simply to buy time to complete some powerful spell. Kelford was honestly impressed. He couldn¡¯t see the essence it was specifically pulling on but he could feel the change in the air, like feeling the wind move rather than to it. He was learning too much to not reach for just a little bit more. ¡° Your father¡­ he is the winter king?¡± All the gnoblars froze at once. ¡°You insult the King!¡± The gnoblar leader roared, ¡° King top of mountain and you think he sit on bottom! Your corruption rot your brain and I kill you!! ¡° Ice and cold descended on Kelford as frost raced along his clothing. Ice stabbed up from the ground and speared his torso. He coughed blood as the pain stabbed through him but he held onto consciousness. Enhanced Willpower Despite himself he smiled. ¡° I¡¯ll see you losers soon.¡± Shadows licked along Kelfords frame as he pulled a Shadow Bolt empowered by all of his internal essence. He¡¯d learned what he needed. ¡° And when I do, you¡¯re all going to die!¡± Even as he spoke he could see the fear in their eyes as he pulled shadow essence into an orb of destruction. ¡° Then I¡¯m coming for your king next!¡± Shadow Bolt Kelford didn¡¯t get to see the results of his spell but as life left his lips he knew he¡¯d see it next time. Moving On Kelford sat in his room staring at the dark ceiling. The ceiling of his apartment had been a plain. Even for the years he had spent in that apartment it was difficult to want to go back. In a way that place had been almost forgettable. Just a stopping point to keep his stuff in, a void to forget just how much he¡¯d left behind. The ceiling there had been forgettable because in part he had felt forgettable. The thought brought a frown to Kelford¡¯s face. Being out of there had been a breath of fresh air that he hadn¡¯t known he needed. Now, if he closed his eyes he could see the ceiling here clearly. The crack in the right corner, the small runes dancing across the outer edges. The dark stone above him made the room feel comfortable and compact. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure how long he had been in here, but this place was feeling more like home then the place he stayed in ever was. ¡° And the time will come when I won¡¯t see it again.¡± The idea was both thrilling and saddening. He¡¯d died so many times and collapsing in this room after a climb had become a routine that he¡¯d grown familiar with. He¡¯d miss this place, in a way he hadn¡¯t missed a home in quite awhile. He pushed himself off the covers, finally preparing for what was to come next. He could feel the notifications that were almost begging to be read. A slight pressure in his head that he somehow knew was due to his interface. After returning he¡¯d spent his entire time just relaxing. Splurging on some extra ingredients from the Shop , he and T.U.I had stayed up late talking as he made himself a soup from some of the ram meat. It had been a good time and he¡¯d fallen asleep after enjoying the shower. The feeling of melancholy had only started when he realized that he was free to pursue the 5th floor again. If the power jump from completing the quest would be half as significant as T.U.I had said it would be, Kelford couldn¡¯t imagine a scenario where he didn¡¯t pass the 5th floor. It was a bit arrogant but after running the 1st through 4th floors so much he felt that he¡¯d get at least to the next safe floor if he really pushed himself. According to T.U.I if his confidence wasn¡¯t misplaced he would never see this room again. ¡° Once you reach the halfway point,¡± T.U.I had said, ¡° The Tower will prevent you from going back to the previous section you completed. This way your previous progress will determine your future progress. If you¡¯re not careful, the relics and classes you choose on your run will prevent you from climbing higher.¡± That had only compounded his need to finish Jack of All Trades , any quest he didn¡¯t finish in this section wouldn¡¯t be available in the next. Kelford emptied his Inventory of all the non-essentials. Books, spare clothing , gear, into one of the storage chests he had purchased from the Shop. Then he cleaned out his bedroom. Pillows, blankets, soaps and towels. All went into his storage units leaving the room bare. He pulled on the sturdy clothing that was left, a thick combination of dark clothing he¡¯d gotten used to. After tying the boots he stood and turned back to survey what had been his home for the past weeks. Bare stone and mattress were all that was left. He sighed before exiting. There was always the chance he was thinking to highly of himself but it did feel like he was saying goodbye. Outside T.U.I materialized ,her bright happy voice now tinged with worry. ¡° It is tough to move up the Tower, especially with what you may leave behind.¡± Kelford could only nod, ¡° Are you feeling better? I know you said you were fine but you went awol on the last run for awhile.¡± ¡° Yes, not knowing is..¡± T.U.I paused for a few moments , ¡° Disconcerting. Fortunately I was able to delve into the vaults you unlocked looking for information and I believe I have found a potential reason for the gnoblars strange actions!¡± ¡° This..Black Sun?¡± Kelford said he''d been slowly combing through the books he¡¯d purchased from the shop with nothing about this Black Sun even being mentioned. Dialects of multiple creatures and potential cultural touchstones about gnoblars, ogres, and even giants. Nothing about this cursed object the gnoblars had been so worried about. ¡° I believe this has something to do with the World Vaults Secret¡± ¡° That¡¯s¡­important right?¡± Kelford¡¯s cheeks burned as he racked his brain for what T.U.I was talking about. ¡° It¡¯s like something important to do with the history of this place¡­¡± ¡° Yes, the world Secret is an important part of climbing the Tower! Each world has a secret, an important mystery that either brought it to the Myriad Indexes attention or is actively a reason why the civilization collapsed. In either case anything to do with the world Secret can have drastic consequences for your climb and possibly your world. In either case discovering the Secret could possibly lead to fantastic rewards. Nothing less than a Legendary ranked skill or relic!¡± T.U.I floated up to Kelford flaring to a blinding radiance , ¡° So yes it¡¯s important!¡± ¡° Okay Okay turn it down just a bit!¡± Kelford protested as he held his hands up against the blinding light. Moments later the radiance dimmed and Kelford was able to blink the dots out of his vision. He smiled at the antics of his companion even as he apologized for not listening closer to the multiple explanations. ¡° I¡¯ll see what I can find while I¡¯m climbing, though right now I¡¯m more concerned about completing my quest and getting to the next safe floor.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡° That¡¯s fine, ¡° T.U.I said , ¡° There should be more hints and opportunities on the higher floors. Perhaps more books and anecdotes will help us learn about this mystery. I really want to know!¡± T.U.I¡¯s light took on a tinge of red and pinks before settling back to her natural white. Kelford decided not to comment on her obsession and instead pulled up the notifications that had been building over hours. Congratulations You Have Completed A Quest! Jack of All Trades Description: Reach to At Least the 5th Floor With Every Class Reward: 1 Class Slot Congratulations You Have Discovered A Quest! Master of One Description: Fuse Two Classes Reward: Free Rare SubVault Unlocked Kelford nodded dismissing the quest. It seemed even the Tower agreed that the tutorial floors held nothing for me anymore. ¡°Getting a rare relic to start is definitely going to put you ahead of the curve,¡± T.U.I said, ¡° With the power a combined class will give you on top of it your chances of passing the 5th floor have skyrocketed.¡± He could only agree, with another relic at the start his combat prowess would exponentially increase. Every relic had the possibility of building upon the last. This had led me to consider having a ¡°build¡± In mind once he got to this moment. It was an idea common in the games Kelford had played before being trapped in the Tower. Tailor my selections to a few items, skills, and classes to maximize a playstyle. Considering some of the relic descriptions that he had seen on numerous climbs there were definitely synergies that could be found between relics and skills. Kelford was reminded of the Flame Enchanted Flamberge when he had first found a relic orb. It had the ability to slightly empower fire spells which would have been useful for the Apprentice class. With even a slight empowerment of spells having a cascading effect on the class''s usefulness. Add on some other relics and Kelford could turn even a Fire Bolt into a devastating attack with half the essence usage. If he had the power of the Warrior class to shore up the weaknesses of the Apprentice¡­ he could see the stacking benefits. This decision now could increase his prowess even more than another relic! This was just on the beginning floor . What about the floors after the 10th? What options will open up then? The power he could potentially wield¡­ the power other climbers could wield. It was awe inspiring. ¡°Can the world even handle a climber who reaches the 100th floor?¡± At Kelford¡¯s muttered words T.U.I flared slightly. ¡° What was that Kelford?¡± ¡° Nothing, just wondering how to fuse classes.¡± Kelford said. Tucking his worries deep into his mind. ¡° Do I just pick two weapons and then..¡± he waved his hands, ¡° It just works?¡± T.U.I glowed a warm yellow, ¡° Well now that you have completed the quest I have the required permissions to explain class fusions and other important functions.¡± Kelford rolled his eyes and chuckled, time for another info dump. ¡° Class¡¯s are a vehicle created by the Myriad Index to grant skills to the climbers of the Tower. Each class however must take up a class slot. This is everything that has been explained so far but to earn the truly special classes many parameters must be met.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice grew more excited as she explained. ¡° The class system is built off of the combination of different classes . Usually every 10th floor you will be awarded a class slot which you can fill with a new class. Then you will be given an option to fuse the classes together at the expense of a class slot. Fusion can only occur on a safe floor and once it is made you can no longer regain that class slot.When doing so you will be given three options influenced by your current skills, relics, and classes you wish to fuse. More powerful classes require higher prerequisites. So only by constantly gaining class slots and fusing new classes while gaining higher rarity relics will you be able to create the most powerful classes. A magnificent work by the index if I do say so myself.¡± ¡° So what you¡¯re telling me, ¡° Kelford said, ¡° Is that the rarer my relics,skills, and class the more powerful the potential fusions?¡± T.U.I bobbed , ¡° Yes indeed Kelford¡± Kelford was lost in thought for a moment. There were alot of implications with this reveal. ¡°T.U.I am I able to hold off on fusing my classes until the next floor or even sacrificing two slots at once to fuse three classes?¡± ¡° Unfortunately I can not grant any more hints aside from what has been provided until you purchase Essence Foundations and Class Guide Volume 2¡± Kelford cursed under his breath but shrugged it off. The Myriad Index was stingy with its information but he was understanding why. T.U.I¡¯s help and explanations had been the key to getting him this far. Releasing more of the restrictions would only serve to help him in ways he couldn¡¯t foresee. Especially with how helpful just the hints are. Did he fuse his classes now or did he wait? T.U.I¡¯s explanation had made it clear that the more powerful the class Kelford created now would create a cascading effect through other potential fusions. This would make getting relics and karma easier which would influence the classes he could receive. That didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t get past the 5th floor though so it was a gamble. Fuse his potential classes now to guarantee he was going to pass the 5th floor now or wait to gain powerful relics and skills to get a stronger class later. Maybe later in the Tower it would be a dilemma but right now Kelford knew what he was going to choose. The reward was worth the risk. ¡°Thanks T.U.I¡± Kelford said as he walked towards the altars. They gleamed in the light as always, gilded edges holding the weapons that represented the classes already lying on them. A sword with an extended hilt for the Heavy Warrior , twin blades for the Light Warrior , A crossbow for the Ranged Warrior , a staff for the Apprentice, and a strange pendant with a clear crystal for the Acolyte. The five classes before me represented Kelfords potential future. With a jolt he realized what the purpose of the previous quest was. He had tested every single class, finding his preferred ways of succeeding with them. It was to prepare him for this moment. The pressure seemed to redouble as Kelford felt suffocated. It all came to a head, the feeling of the game-like atmosphere he was in. The relics, the interface, the magic. Monsters getting slowly stronger every floor, a quest to save his world. A thousand details that pushed the truth into his face but he¡¯d been too scared to consider. T.U.I had said the Myriad Index had done all of this to help Kelford¡¯s species survive. If that was the case¡­ why help them this way? Why tailor everything like a game? ¡°A human game¡­that not everyone would understand or enjoy¡± The tutorial led him by the nose, rewarding him with novel differences and changes. This wasn¡¯t just tailored with gamelike features¡­ this was a game. A game where his entire planet was on the line. It was a long shot but there was more to this place. Yet, the only way was to move forward in the only way he knew how. Kelford gritted his teeth. There would be time to consider this later , when he could meet other climbers¡­ other people. Following the tutorial would properly prepare him and completing the quests as soon as possible was going to lead to more rewards. Completing all the quests was no longer a luxury but a necessity. Kelford pushed his racing thoughts aside as he considered his choices. Then he reached forward and chose. The Trap is Sprung The power welling in his body felt like coming home for the first time in weeks. Strength welled in his muscles as Kelford pulled the sword into his hands. The Heavy Warrior class just felt right. ¡° I missed this feeling¡± Kelford¡¯s gaze ran up the sword as he exalted in the feeling of raw strength that now infused his body. The classes all gave a heady rush in one form or another but none could compare to the raw might the Heavy Warrior class gave. Kelford felt as if he could break mountains, humble dragons, shatter armies. He clamped down on the feelings bubbling up within him. The rush of essence soon began to calm and the feelings of invincibility began to eb. With his first choice out of the way Kelford brought up his interface. Interface User: Kelford Booker Class: Heavy Warrior Class Slots: 1 Skills: [Language of the Mountain] [Enhanced Strength] [General Melee Weapon Proficiency] [Heavy Armor Proficiency] [Hard Smash] Spells: None Relics: None Karma: 435 Inventory: 4/10 ¡° Just one more class¡± Kelford gazed down at the last 4 classes before a flash of light flared around from the Heavy Warrior altar. ¡°Is that another weapon? T.U.I what does that mean? ¡± The altar now held another blade, an axe laying on the altar as if it had for all the world been there the entire time. ¡° You can choose any class to fuse together Kelford¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Any class can be fused together, even duplicates!¡± Kelford reached down, feeling the flat of the blade as he considered. ¡° That would have been helpful to know.¡± ¡° I can only grant information on events you have unlocked and by picking a class you have unlocked this information¡± Kelford grimaced trying not to show his frustration. Leading him on to be surprised by useful information wasn¡¯t exactly fair and only reaffirmed his previous thoughts. The Tower wasn¡¯t being fully helpful. It was holding back information and had it¡¯s own agenda, how that linked to essentially power leveling civilizations on a cosmic scale only to withhold information in it¡¯s giant magical structure was anyone''s guess. Kelford mused as he brought up the description of the class to see if anything had changed. Heavy Warrior It Is Strength of Arms That Will Bend The Universe to Your Will Skills: Enhanced Strength General Melee Weapon Proficiency Heavy Armor Proficiency Active Skills: Hard Slash Everything seemed the same but the golden letter kept going. Class Detected Additional Class Slot Detected See Potential Fusion Options? Y/N Kelford¡¯s eyes widened. ¡° Wait, I don''t have to immediately fuse the classes to see what the fusion might be?¡± This changed some things he could get a feel for what he wanted and what potentially other climbers would be getting. At least the options without the influences of relics or any other potentially important variable. He chose yes even as T.U.I tried to explain that each class had that option. Fusion Heavy Warrior Fused With Heavy Warrior Influencing skills: [Language of the Mountain] Influencing Traits: Human Potential Combinations: Defender : Durable and Strong use your skills to protect those behind you Fighter : Those who live for the fight dancing between every weapon and style Weapon Initiate: Bond with a weapon and master it beyond physical comprehension Kelford focused on each choice trying to see if he could feel a pattern or get some information from the golden words only to feel nothing. ¡° T.U.I is there any more information I can get about these options? They¡¯re kinda vague on the details.¡± ¡° Unfortunately Kelford there is no way to gain anymore information from the permissions you have unlocked.¡± T.U.I sounded sad but Kelford caught the hint in her words. There was most likely a relic he could look for to gain more information. ¡° What I can say¡± T.U.I continued, ¡° Is that there are more influences on your options then what the Tower provided you.¡± Kelford just looked at the floating ball of light, ¡° Well that was cryptic¡± ¡° I can only say so much¡± T.U.I¡¯s light flared with frustration before she calmed down. Kelford nodded before looking back to his options. More could influence the choices then what the Tower provided? That meant more than his skills and relics could influence the class? On that front it did consider my species? An Influencing Trait it said. Kelford''s thoughts spun until he eventually pulled back and let the golden letters fade. He couldn¡¯t understand T.U.I¡¯s cryptic words but he could focus on what the limited descriptions told him. Defender obviously made him tougher and probably lent itself to working with others potentially. Fighter could be more of the same perhaps? A description that leaned more into the wide variety of weapons the class gave him access too? Then there was the Weapon Initiate . ¡° Just what is going on with that class?¡± Bonding with a weapon most likely meant focusing exclusively on one relic to fight with. Would he need to bond with a certain type of relic and could he change the bond after finding a better weapon? If not then whatever weapon he bonded with would be a limiting factor to his growth. It also made mention of mastering the weapon ¡°beyond physical comprehension¡± . Whatever that meant. Either way there was no way for him to fully know without finding the relic T.U.I had mentioned or fusing the classes right now. With a sigh Kelford dismissed the letters and began to move to another altar. As much as he enjoyed the Heavy Warrior class his time with the other classes had already broadened his horizons. Really he had a feeling for what he wanted to fuse with but the chance to see what his other options and some of the other combinations was too good to pass up. Even as the Tower doors beckoned beyond the light of the altars. Kelford stopped in front of the Ranged Warrior class and pulled up the combinations.. Class Detected Additional Class Slot Detected See Potential Fusion Options? Y/N This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Fusion Heavy Warrior Fused With Ranged Warrior Influencing Skills [Language of the Mountain] Influencing Traits: Human Potential Combinations: Marksmen: The greatest weapon is one where you can kill from safety Survivalist: Fast enough to avoid danger, strong enough to kill it Initiate Hunter of Dowor: The Storms of Dowor Do Not Suffer the Weak, survive and prove yourself to the Tribe. These options were a little more interesting. Kelford had little interest in Sniper but it did remind him of the advantages that he had enjoyed with Ranged Warrior. Being able to kill something without worry had been a nice change of pace but magic made the world a different place. Multiple times creatures would either be tough enough to take an arrow or bolt to the face and keep going. Others would either try to envelop him or ambush him. The later issue, the one time he had been ambushed on that run, hadn¡¯t been fun. Kelford pulled himself out of that memory before focusing on the class that had the most implications. Initiate Hunter of Dowor It was obviously impacted by [Language of the Mountain] or was the World shard he was climbing impacting the choice? Even the description was longer though it didn¡¯t give any more insight on how the class would be. With a sigh he moved on pulling up the Light Warrior class and Apprentice class options. Class Detected Additional Class Slot Detected See Potential Fusion Options? Y/N Fusion Heavy Warrior Fused With Light Warrior Influencing Skills [Language of the Mountain] Influencing Traits: Human Potential Combinations: Initiate Duelist: The dance of weapons calls to you, begin to learn the dance Berserker: Lose yourself in rage as cut through the foolish before you Aspiring Weapon Master: switch seamlessly from one weapon to another the thirst for mastery pushing your skills Fusion Heavy Warrior Fused With Apprentice Influencing Skills [Language of the Mountain] Influencing Traits: Human Potential Combinations: Initiate Spell Warrior: Learn to weave essence into every swing of your weapon Aspiring Arcane Squire : Your feet lead you to the path of knights, strengthen the foundations and balance the two paths of mastery Runic Claimant: Discover the first piece of the forgotten discipline of giants, Dowor remembers those who ruled before Kelford whistled as he took in the combinations. They each sounded interesting and promised to be strong in their own way. The Runic Defender definitely caught his attention and he memorized the passage for later. The giants were rarely mentioned in his readings, to the point that Kelford had learned almost nothing about them. Their language was the basis for the ogres and gnoblars apparently and now he knew they had a type of rune magic. The giants might be a part of the world secret of Dowor and Runic Claimant may help him discover more of it. With a shrug Kelford pushed the options away. Despite the potential lead he was certain that he had another potential lead anyway. Besides, he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to keep going with the Apprentice . Knowledge and practice were all well and good but in a fight he wanted to feel the rushing of his heart. Having to constantly think and plan his spells hadn¡¯t been fun despite the wide breath of spells he potentially could have. Kelford stood before the last of the classes already excited. The Acolyte had been the only other class he had enjoyed as much as Heavy Warrior and if he was able to get Shadow: Affinity again he might just be able to just delve deeper into the mysteries of this place. He pulled up the Acolytes class description only to find that the affinity randomizer was already up. Essence Attunement Selected Essences in World Vault Dowor Selected Talents Identified Randomizing Choosing ¡°Huh, I guess Essence Attunement is a big influencer for the class options.¡± Kelford said to himself as he waited for the interface to finish. Essence Selected: Solar The golden words began to burn themselves into reality as Kelford sighed. ¡°Oh well, at least I can see what it can¡­.¡± His words trailed off as the letters glitched. Golden letters no longer formed crisp words but instead flared in and out of reality, they flared between symbols Kelford didn¡¯t know. They flared and changed faster and faster, more and more eldritch symbols replacing letters until finally they stopped. The essence had changed again. Dread crawled down Kelford''s back as he saw what the new essence was. Essence Selected: Shadow Where light is absent darkness may dwell, Revel in the hidden and your new found power, Beware, For as you grow in power so to will you realize This is only an imitation Of something more Fusion Heavy Warrior Fused With Acolyte Influencing Skills [Language of the Mountain] Influencing Traits: Human Potential Combinations: Martial Acolyte(Shadow): Skill and Essence growing alongside your devotion Pactmaker of the blade: Make a deal with those beyond for a weapon to grow your power Called of the Black Sun: For those with a high enough affinity, the black sun promises power ¡° What¡­what was that?¡± Kelford stammered even as the combinations finished glowing. The words floating as if the glitches hadn¡¯t occurred. ¡° What is wrong Kelford?¡± T.U.I¡¯s concerned tone snapped Kelford back to reality. ¡° Didn¡¯t you see the glitching and the attunement switching?¡± ¡° I..do not what you are referring to Kelford? You were fortunate to get Shadow Attunement again. I believe that is a good outcome with what we discussed yesterday¡­correct?¡± Kelford stared at T.U.I as he processed what she had said. She hadn¡¯t seen the symbols or the switch. Kelford turned back to the golden letters. They floated as if nothing was wrong, making him question his sanity. Was it a trap? Has the Tower been hacked somehow? ¡° T.U.I is it possible for the Tower to be hacked in some way?¡± Kelford hated the hesitancy in his voice but he was shaken. ¡° No, to my knowledge the Myriad Index has not let an outside power influence the Tower without express permission in the entirety of the Tower¡¯s existence. The Tower¡¯s are designed to be nigh impregnable from foreign influence. Again, is there something wrong?¡± Kelford read between the lines. If something strange had happened the Tower had allowed it. He gritted his teeth. ¡° I think the randomization of my attunement has been tampered with¡± Kelford said, ¡° It was at Solar then glitched until it went to shadow again.¡± T.U.I floated for a moment before replying, ¡° That is very peculiar. Are you sure that had happened?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡° Then you have to choose one of the options provided.¡± Kelford turned to her eyes blazing, ¡° I thought this was supposed to be my choice?!¡± ¡° It is your choice and you were hoping for shadow attunement again¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was low, her light had dimmed almost as if she was hiding. ¡° I don¡¯t know why but I believe you shouldn¡¯t change your decision based on this correction. If it did really happen you shouldn¡¯t let it influence your choice. It is just a lucky coincidence, proof you are doing well.¡± Kelford looked back to the options. There was one that caught his attention. If the Called of the Black Sun was not a part of the world secret Kelford would tear his own heart out. Whatever had happened, this was most likely the class it wanted to offer him. It felt like a trap, like he was being forced down a path even if it seemed to be exactly what he wanted. A hook on the world secret that T.U.I wanted to investigate, a merging of the two classes he felt the greatest affinity for, even a promise of power. It felt like a trap though. A clear and transparent trap. It gnawed on Kelford as he stared at the options, he could pick something different. The other class combinations weren¡¯t too bad, Martial Acolyte and Pactmaker of the Blade did sound good. But if he avoided this, he¡¯d be running away and he was through with running. His heart raced as he selected the option. You wish to fuse Heavy Warrior And Acolyte To form Called of the Black Sun? Warning this will cost 1 class slot Y/N Kelford chose yes before he could change his mind. His heart raced as the letters disappeared smiling despite the foolishness of his choice. The weapon on the altar flared with purple light before disappearing. To Kelford¡¯s shock his sword had disappeared from his hand. He turned looking for it only to see the lights of the safe room snuffed out. It was like the same dark passage that had brought him to the safe room and his mind froze at the realization. A deep frost sunk into skin despite his clothing, through his skin and reinforced muscles straight to his bones, straight to his core. ¡° T.U.I!¡± Kelford¡¯s voice echoed in the cavernous dark. T.U.I did not answer and her light was no where to be found. Kelford stumbled forward, legs and arms shaking as he aimlessly wandered the dark. ¡° T.U.I where are you?! What¡¯s happening?!¡± His cries were swallowed by the dark even as his footsteps echoed across the vast expanse. The Heart¡­ Kelford whirled at the whisper that echoed around him. ¡° H-Hello?¡± His hands were up and ready to defend himself, ¡° Who¡¯s there?¡± Wreathed In Winter.. The voice was soft yet horrifyingly loud, the more Kelford tried to listen the harder it was for him to understand . Bits and pieces echoed around him as the cold stole more and more of his enhanced strength. His steps continued to echo as Kelford strained himself to hear the words. Then his leg gave out on him. Kelford collapsed and rolled down an incline that hadn¡¯t existed moments before. Three Brothers Shall They Betray¡­ Kelford screamed as he tried and failed to stop his fall, the whispers rang in his ear even as he felt his strength freeze in his marrow. Minutes or hours passed as he fell in darkness until finally he collided with the floor. Wheezing Kelford found not the strength to stand but only to push himself to his knees. His eyes opened and he didn¡¯t notice until a flicker of color passed by his vision. A purple mote of essence floated by and Kelford crawled after it with what strength he had. The Coward seeks¡­ The whispers grew louder as finally light blessed Kelford¡¯s eyes as he crawled into a open cavern. Its walls and floor were of purple ice, pulsing with rivers of shadow essence so pure Kelford couldn¡¯t believe it. They flowed to the center where a prison of ice both swallowed and released more of the essence. Kelford¡¯s mind qualified as he beheld it¡¯s prisoner. A Tear Into Another Reality An Eye Gazing Into His Soul A Sun Blacker Than Night Kelford blinked and the visions congealed into a blade the size of a skyscraper imprisoned in ice older then worlds. The whispers grew louder but this time Kelford could make some of them out. The Heart of Ice Will Solidify The Path Wreathed In Winter He Dooms His World Three Brothers Will They Find Each Betrayed For The Same Reasons On Their 8th Step Will The Poet Be Blinded On The Hour Of Their 7th Ascendance Will The Lich Be Broken On Their 6th Defeat Will The Raven Be Sacrificed The Coward Will Seek Redemption With The Key To Our Ascendance The Fortune Of Mortals Is So Serve At Our Masters Knees Laughter echoed in the space and Kelford reeled from the force of their malice. The sword pulsed with power and behind it a figure grew taller and taller. Kelford only had enough presence of mind to see two eyes blazing with purple radiance before he was crushed by the monster''s foot. Laughter echoed in his ears. Class Fusion ¡° He¡¯s holding something back¡± Simmons had just closed the door when Dani¡¯s words rang through the side room. ¡° Hi to you too Dani¡± Simmons croaked as he walked to the coffee grinder and began the process of making himself a cup. ¡° You need to push him Dan . His accounts are already inconsistent with multiple other testimonies. The Tower U.I is suspect with the level of information it¡¯s sharing, his training regime beggars belief, and he even lied about his class fusion!¡± Dani was pacing now, hands gesticulating wildly as her frustrations finally got the best of her. Simmons sipped his coffee, joining Jim at a small table who was currently looking over numerous notes. ¡° Each climber has a vision of their class. Either some form of skill being used that the class uses or for the magical classes a vision of one of their spells being used. None of them saw anything!¡± Dani stopped with huff, clearly glad to get that off her chest. ¡° Then he claims to have trained during all of this, which seems closer to torture alongside all of his constant deaths!¡± ¡° Don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s been doing this for months and still hasn¡¯t completed the 5th floor and has yet to mention anything to do with the Black Sun despite claiming he uses Shadow Essence .¡± Jim chipped in as he turned a page of his notes, ¡° Five other shadow essence users in the Dowor group claim to have heard the gnoblars mention it at least once when demonstrating any usage of that essence type.¡± Dani looked like she was about to start ranting again when Simmons beat her to the punch. ¡° What do we know about the Dowor group?¡± His coffee was already half-gone and he wasn¡¯t excited about it. Dani sighed ¡° It¡¯s up there with the Baestremos and Imroynn with the focus on combat. While Baestremos focused on constructs made from Arcane essence with golems being a heavy theme, and Imroynn held some war between demonic entities and rabid dryads, Dowor seems to focus on powerful beasts and frost. Out of the few hundred that have been spoken to each have made mention of wild animals, gnoblars, and this ogre civilization. Most climbers seem to have picked up more relics focusing on physical attributes and essence types ranging from Fire,Wind,Earth, or Water essence . There are outliers but that seems to be what the database has found across the country.¡± Dan grimaced at the name Imroynn, that was the World Vault he¡¯d been sent to. The world was a burning ruin, partly devoted to a hellscape where demons crawled between pyres of green flames. The other side was no better. The higher one climbed the more a climber entered the leftover jungles that originally covered the planet. Corrupted dryads and monstrosities hid between trees and even the bushes could poison you or hide tangling vines that racked burning thorns across your body. Simmons had nightmares from the deaths on the higher floors and when he had gotten Executioners Lighting he had felt no small amount of satisfaction laying waste to most of that jungle. It wasn¡¯t a place he¡¯d want to return to or want his son to experience. ¡° On top of all of this we know next to nothing about the world secret of Dowor aside from that Shadow Essence might be involved. If he¡¯s withholding his class choices then he might be holding out on more. You have to press him on it!¡± ¡° No¡± Dani blinked and Jim looked up from his notes in surprise. Dan took another sip of his coffee. ¡° Why not?¡± Dani was less than pleased but her tone was more curious, ¡° We¡¯ve had to be harder on some of the others before. What¡¯s different here?¡± ¡° The top brass in the other room, the fact this kid has gone through the Tower, not to mention that he¡¯s shared with us multiple pieces of advice about relics in the Shop and potential class combinations he saw.¡± Simmons accentuated each point with a raised finger, ¡° And finally I have a bad feeling about him.¡± ¡°Like with Jasper?¡¯ Jim spoke up, ¡° Tell me he¡¯s not another Jasper!¡± Dani was now on edge alongside Jim. Both looked like they¡¯d rather be anywhere but here. Dan finished his coffee. ¡° I don¡¯t think it will end poorly, especially if we don¡¯t antagonize him unnecessarily. ¡° Dan directed that statement at Dani. ¡° From what I remember from that fiasco is that Jasper left the Tower four months after it appeared, his history showed no hint of his unstable nature¡­¡± Dan paused as he looked both researchers in the eye, ¡° And the World Vault he was sent to was Dowor¡±. Both researches blanched as the possibilities began to make themselves none to the two of them. ¡° No¡­ I think slow and steady is the way to go with this kid. Whatever he¡¯s wanting to hide will take shape at some point and if he¡¯s potentially met Jasper¡­¡± ¡° It might be why all the top brass are here¡± Dani realized, ¡° They know more than they¡¯re letting on. Why even have us go through with this? ¡° ¡° I don¡¯t know but it definitely doesn¡¯t just have to do with the kids'' time in the Tower or his powerful class. ¡° Simmons stood and prepared to walk back into the interrogation room. ¡° Kelford Booker has stepped in something that I don¡¯t think he¡¯s fully aware of.¡± Whatever it was Simmons felt some sorrow for the kid. Got stuck in a combat World Vault , died dozens of times, met Jasper , and now he was in the center of some kind of conspiracy. Simmons just hoped the kid could catch a break. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ 4 Months Before Kelford opened his eyes and thought for a moment that he¡¯d lost his mind. Whispers snuck into his mind, a constant murmur that assaulted his awakening consciousness. Just out of earshot, so numerous and constant Kelford thought he was locked in a room full of people. They pressed upon him from all angles, trying to gain his attention. A pressure built in his head and he closed his eyes and his hands clapped over his ears. He felt the voices pushed, redoubling their efforts on his mind but by that point Kelford had enough. A part of him flexed more out of instinct than command. A flex of essence and the voices fell silent. Kelford let out a sigh of relief as he finally opened his eyes fully. ¡° Whoaahhh¡± He couldn¡¯t hold back the wonder in his tone as gazed upon a transformed space. The altars no longer held their customary weapons, white stone threaded with lines of onyx crystal. Above him the gentle light had transformed into a vibrant purple with the crystal mosaic no longer portraying representatives of each class. Instead a sea of black, with crystalline stars bathed him in their radiance ¡° Kelford? Are you alright?¡± Kelford turned to T.U.I as he found his feet, surprisingly easier then he remembered. ¡° Hey, what happened to this place?¡± T.U.I floated for a moment before replying , ¡° This is a reflection of the class change. It is the first major decision of your entire journey and so it has been reflected in your starting area. If you fail to breach the fifth floor you will see these changes become permanent. From now on you will not be able to change your class choices from here.¡± ¡° And how long was I out?¡± Kelford swallowed the discomfort of his home being changed so drastically right as he was saying goodbye to it forever . ¡° I do not know¡± ¡°What do you-¡± ¡° I was disabled while you were unconscious¡± T.U.I said interrupting Kelford, ¡° I was disabled until you were done with your class fusion. The Myriad Index has seen fit to fuel me with more essence to keep up with your growth.¡± Kelford stood silently as he tried to remember the events right after his class fusion. He remembered bitter cold, voices in the dark, a vague impression of a blade in ice? No matter what he did he couldn¡¯t fully remember what had occurred. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡° I¡­ had a vision? Was something supposed to happen after the class fusion?¡± Kelford rubbed his eyes and soon realized that he had multiple notifications trying to make themselves known. ¡° I remember that I had vague impressions of a sword in ice? Whispers are some such¡± ¡° It is strange that you do not recall this but yes those are things that could occur in a vision. Regardless, congratulations on your successful class fusion! You should look at your rewards.¡± T.U.I¡¯s cheer wasn¡¯t as energetic as they usually were but she was right. Whatever was going on he¡¯d made his choice. Everything might be explained by his new class, or at least it might be worth the hassle. Golden words burnt themselves into the world as Kelford was flooded with messages. Congratulations! You Have Successfully Fused Heavy Warrior And Acolyte(Shadow) To Create: Called of the Black Sun Called of the Black Sun For Those With High Enough Affinity, The Black Sun Promises Power Skills: Enhanced Strength Enhanced Willpower Weapon Proficiency Heavy Armor Proficiency Boon of the Black Sun Radiance of The Black Sun Active Skills: Empowered Strike Spells: Darkness Congratulations! You have Completed A Quest Master of One Description: Fuse Two Classes Reward: Free Rare SubVault Unlocked Warning!! Further Quests Will Be Blocked Until All Requirements Are Met Requirements: Master of One : Completed The Fifth Floor: Incomplete Kelford felt a bit let down by his new skills. It was nice to have the mixture of the Heavy Warrior and Acolyte skills now in one class, but he¡¯d only gotten two new skills. Sure, he¡¯d gotten Weapon Proficiency as well, which seemed to be an improvement upon the proficiencies of both classes. Still, a part of Kelford had run wild with opening his new class and seeing tons of broken abilities. He could only internally sigh as he banished those thoughts to the recesses of his mind. The skills would definitely be good but he''d check out the other abilities before looking deeper. Partly so he could see what the relatively less unique skill and spell were like. Mostly so he could save the best for last. Empowered Strike Active Skill Description: Pull From Your Essence to Greatly Enhance the Power of a Single Strike Darkness Spell: Description: Cover A Small Area in Essence Fueled Darkness Foes have a Small Chance of Being Blinded for an extremely short amount of time Kelford nodded to himself, these were solid additions to his class. With the additional information from the Tower beamed into his head Kelford could tell that Empowered Strike was analogous to the Heavy Warriors Hard Slash. Except it would be influenced by the Shadow Essence that Kelford used now. Between his enhanced strength and this skill he would be able to deal even more damage than before. Darkness would be useful for dealing with large groups if he was being overwhelmed but a part of him definitely preferred having an attack spell. Though he would have to do some testing to see if he¡¯d be impacted by his own spell, Kelford found the spell intriguing. Finally, he turned his attention to his unique skills. Boon of the Black Sun Skill Description: You are Attuned to Shadow Magic and Find the Flows of Essence Easier to See. The Sun¡¯s Blessing Allows Only the Darkest Shadows To Impair Your Vision Radiance of The Black Sun Skill Description: You Carry A Part of the Black Sun Within You. Your Presence Unnerves and Reduces the Morale of Foes Within Ten Feet of You. The Effect Increases or Decreases in Potency Depending on the Shadow Essence Available. ¡° Not bad, not bad at all¡± The attunement skill had been wrapped up into the Boon of the Black Sun and also seemed to grant him some form of darkvision while Radiance granted him a fear effect. Though it would definitely change what relics Kelford would consider on his way up. Either way it was a solid foundation, and he wasn¡¯t too sure how it measured up to the other class options. It was too late to change his mind regardless. With a thought Kelford pulled up the relic vaults he could access. Congratulations! You Have Unlocked a Rare Vault! Please Choose Which Vault You Wish to Unlock Cunning Rage Presence He looked over the options and couldn¡¯t help himself. With the few of the relic vaults he had unlocked beforehand he had begun to build a theory about what the words meant. They weren¡¯t just about what Kelford considered Cunning or associated with the word. They were what the people of the world had associated with the words. Just like with his first rare subvault of Might granting him an item that increases Kelford¡¯s constitution. He had to consider what the Gnoblars associated with these words to truly control what he got. It may even be doubly important considering that every rare relic Though whether that would change or influence his class beyond the fifth floor had yet to be seen. Regardless, Cunning wasn¡¯t what he was going for and he wasn¡¯t entirely impressed with the low cunning he¡¯d observed in the gnoblars. Considering their fixation on food, the cleverest of the gnoblars most likely needed traps or revolved around hunting. Rage might be interesting as on multiple occasions Kelford had found himself dealing with an enraged gnoblar at the beginning of the fifth floor. So, he did respect their powerful attacks, and a relic influenced by that word would most likely increase his physical attack power. Though it may also mess up his ability to defend himself. Then his eyes landed on Presence. What did Presence mean to a gnoblar? Kelford thought back to all of his encounters with the creatures. None of them really left him with a sense of their power or anything like that. Really, he looked down upon them most of the time. ¡°But that¡¯s not entirely true¡­ is it?¡± The bigger gnoblars had some presence to them, didn¡¯t they? They stood head and shoulders above the rest and even the more developed gnoblars had greater intelligence. Strength, cunning, some even had magic. Then there was their king. A being so awe inspiring they leapt to his command even so far away from him. Kelford thought deeper as he connected the dots. Relics from this option would increase how the gnoblars felt about him. How they felt about the presence of the person they looked at. What was there to connect each of his examples? What was there to connect the more developed gnoblars and their king when compared to their lesser kin. What was it that the gnoblars felt when they were around them? There was only one word Kelford could think of. Fear The gnoblars feared and respected their leaders. The leaders were scarier than whatever the others were afraid of. They respected them more because they respected beings that could inspire fear in them. Creatures that were bigger, faster, smarter, more dangerous. That was what Presence meant to the creatures of this world. The feeling of fear that the strong inspired in those around them. Kelford looked at his new skills. There was only one option that made any sense. You Have Chosen: Presence Congratulations! You have gained access to a Sub Vault of Presence! 3 Common Relics 2 Uncommon Relics and 1 Rare Relic Are Now Accessible! Furs of the Warlord Rare Description: Only those who fought and consumed more than any other had the chance to become a Warlord. Their presence alone brought the unruly to heel and the influence of the King to even the farthest Territory. Grants Minor Resistance to Frightened Enemy attacks Killing Enemies has a Chance to Activate Warlords Presence Warlords Presence Skill Description: Grant a Minor Chance to Cause Fear in Foes Around You. This Will Increase the Chance That They Flee The armor was of thick furs with cloth weaved underneath. He didn¡¯t recognize the pelt used in it¡¯s creation, thick and harder than he¡¯d seen on the Rams and sabertooths on the fourth floor. It was thick along the shoulders and without his enhanced strength Kelford was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t have been able to wear it without multiple breaks. As pulled on the last fur covered bracer he felt essence surge for a moment before the fur and cloth molded themselves to his frame. He stretched, finding that his range of motion was not impacted in the slightest. With this on he was finally ready to move on. ¡° You ready to go T.U.I?¡± Kelford pulled out his sword and rested it on his shoulder. ¡° I am always ready Kelford¡± T.U.I replied as she flew next to his side. Kelford made his way to the double doors that welcomed his confident stride by slowly pulling themselves open. With only a single backward glance to the purple light behind him, Kelford made his way into the Tower once again. Interface User: Kelford Booker Class: Called of The Black Sun Class Slots: 1 Skills: Language of the Mountain Enhanced Strength Enhanced Willpower Weapon Proficiency Heavy Armor Proficiency Boon of the Black Sun Radiance of The Black Sun Active Skills: Empowered Strike Spells: Darkness Relics: Furs of the Warlord Karma: 4780 Inventory: 5/10 Called of the Black Sun Kelford strolled through the dark passage and was already luxuriating in his new class¡¯s power. ¡° This is amazing,¡± Kelford almost laughed as he looked around, seeing details in the familiar passage he hadn¡¯t gotten to see before. The darkness held no secrets to his eyes unlike all the other times he could see. The passage was gray stone marked with thick layers of dust, its uninteresting landscape did nothing to douse Kelford''s cheerful mood. He had grown used to the near sightlessness of the earlier floors but with this he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the oppressive gloom nearly as much. T.U.I disappeared and he immediately focused up as he prepared for the first floor. It would be easy but it would be a good way of practicing his new skills. In his excitement he had skipped the usual hours of practice to try and familiarize himself with his new class. These beginning gnoblars would have to do. The light of the campfire soon became clear as Kelford crossed the bend in the passage. The gnoblars were once again nowhere to be seen aside from their lone brother until Kelford did a cursory glance into the room they inhabited. Two held knives in the back while Kelford assumed the other two were along the walls he couldn¡¯t see. Rolling his shoulders Kelford considered how he would approach this fight. ¡° Might as well test out Darkness just to see if I¡¯m affected by it ¡± Kelford said as he pulled on the shadow essence around him. Tendrils of the essence poured into his hand creating an orb of compact power. He released it, energy flaring out into the dark walls around him. Darkness The gnoblars screamed as a haze of shadow covered the space ,swallowing the radiance of the fire. True darkness descended and Kelford waited to see what would happen. Kelford felt a slight pressure on his eyes as soon everything began to illuminate in a soft purple light. He grinned as he dashed forward , sword already swinging at the wailing gnoblars. Empowered Strike Roiling mists of shadow essence covered everything as Kelford rushed forward and cut through one gnoblar without pause . His new Weapon Proficiency guided his strikes with cold precision. Once , twice , three times he swung his blade. The gnoblars died easily and only one remained. Kelford made to kill it before he felt his spell begin to fade. The fire''s radiance began to pierce through the gloom and Kelford could see the roiling mist of essence begin to break apart. ¡° So Darkness only lasts for a minute or so¡± Kelford spoke aloud as he strolled towards the last gnoblar.The spell was useful but its limited duration would definitely hold it back. ¡° Especially considering just how much essence I had to pour into it. If I had to use my own stores I wouldn¡¯t be able to cast it more than three times. Less if I was in the middle of a fight.¡± At this point the gnoblar could see him, the spell so broken it was effectively useless. Still there was something Kelford could use the remaining essence for. His will reached out and grabbed at the pockets of disintegrating Darkness and pulled it to his sword . The gnoblar screamed as it quavered in fear as Kelford¡¯s sword erupted into purple light. He felt more essence enforce parts of his body as he killed the gnoblar with a clean downward stroke. Empowered Strike Purple essence flared around the body as it cut through flesh and Kelford released the skill with almost no backlash. The fire returned to its natural radiance and Kelford stood alone surrounded by bodies. A relic orb coalesced near the exit and T.U.I appeared soon after. ¡° Congratulations Kelford, that was masterfully done¡± Her voice was positive as always, completely ignoring the dead bodies strewn across the cave. ¡° It was only the first room T.U.I ¡° Kelford said , ¡° I haven¡¯t put my new class through its paces yet.¡± Despite his words, Kelford was grinning.The feeling of his enhanced strength mixed with his shadow essence skills left him exhilarated even as he practiced. Within the darkness of the cave shadow essence congregated in almost limitless quantities. While he was making his way to the fourth floor he definitely didn¡¯t need to worry about his essence usage. Kelford¡¯s will pulled on the essence flowing around him, darkening the cave as he basked in the sensation. He was strong. This was the power he had been waiting for. His gaze turned towards the Relic Orb that waited by the exit. He had more power to gather. Mask of Whispers Uncommon Description: A Mask that weakens the mental defenses of all who gaze upon it by 20% Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Amulet of Storing Uncommon Description: A amulet that stores a moderate amount of essence attuned to the climber Scythe of Silence Uncommon Description: A blade enchanted with the essence of shadow Blows have a small chance of silencing an enemy With a quick look over the options Kelford chose the Amulet of Storing. To many of his abilities were dependent on essence and he couldn¡¯t guarantee he¡¯d get an option like this again before leaving the early floors. The scythe was a solid choice but he would have no issues harming the gnoblars for now. Besides, he didn¡¯t really know how useful the silence component would be. The Mask of Whispers was useful if he needed the boost to fear his opponents.Which with gnoblars was a bit overkill. Yes, the Amulet of Storing would be a better item overall. The Relic Orb flashed before an amulet with a clear gem materialized from the light. As Kelford grasped it the gem darkened to pure black, a slight connection formed and Kelford saw a slight haze from around the amulet. He pulled around his neck, not bothered at all. ¡° Are you ready to proceed now Kelford?¡± T.U.I floated to his side, ¡° While the next room will most likely not threaten your life, continuing practicing your skills will assist in learning your class.¡± ¡° Took the words right out of my mouth¡± Kelford replied, pulling his sword into his Inventory as he began walking towards the next room. The darkness even in this tunnel was easily pierced by Kelfords eyes but much of the mystique had already fallen away. His gaze lingered upwards as he went over the abilities of his class. ¡° Darkness and Boon of the Black Sun synergize well with each other, adding in Empowered Strike made cleaning the gnoblars a piece of cake. That makes me wonder¡­. T.U.I would I be able to see through Darkness normally? ¡± ¡° If you had not cast the spell yourself you would be as blind as any trapped within the spell area. With you being the caster there is a resistance to your own spells effects.This effect can be augmented depending on the casters skills and class.Without Boon of the Black Sun, It would be hard to see into Darkness rather than being completely debilitating.¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Essentially,diving into your own spell effect would have been reckless and made you vulnerable.¡± Kelford detected a slight bit of judgment in her tone but brushed it off. Everything had worked out in the end and he preferred to focus on the more interesting aspect of T.U.I¡¯s explanation. ¡° Okay, that means there are probably other skills that give sight into the movement of essence and resisting my own spells. More skills to look out for.¡± ¡° To have a skill that helps with both is powerful Kelford, your hard work has paid off!¡± Kelford nodded at T.U.I¡¯s words as he slowed to a stop. He stood roughly half the distance from the next floor, his enhanced eyes now able to see the opening further away. T.U.I floated nearby as Kelford considered the coming room. ¡° I think this time I¡¯ll test out Radiance of the Black Sun and how it interacts with Furs of the Warlord. I think there¡¯s a synergy there but I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡± Kelford felt at the connection of the skill. It was always on in a way, humming in the back of his mind. Unlike his enhanced skills this one seemed to have an active component that he became more interested in trying out. With a step, Kelford stalked forward T.U.I disappearing behind him. His new amulet had been filling with essence but Kelford pulled on the shadow essence in the area and held it within himself.He held the essence as tightly as he could but it was like holding water in a leaky balloon. Small tendrils of purple began to waive off of him but Kelford didn¡¯t mind the waste. Here in the dark tunnels, there was essence to spare. The gnoblars were already waiting for him. shives gleamed in the firelight as they filled the dirty cave with defiant growls. Kelford¡¯s eyes roamed the room, now able to see it clearly with the shadows no longer a problem. Dirty and dingy, with old bones and blood stains in the corners. Kelford¡¯s lip twisted with disgust as brought his attention back to the gnoblars. He hadn¡¯t crossed the threshold yet, leaving the creatures impotent to harm him yet. A quirk of the Tower Kelford had realized after his many runs. The creatures couldn¡¯t harm him if he didn¡¯t cross the threshold. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t extend to him. The essence he gathered funneled into his skill and to top it off he poured what essence his new amulet was able to gather. Purple essence turned black as he charged into the room. The gnoblars roared in rage as they made to meet his charge. Radiance of the Black Sun Kelford''s feet erupted with racing shadows darker than his surroundings. The gnoblar front runners missed a step as their hearts froze in their chests. Squawks of surprise and confusion blunted the charge as they tripped over each other. Kelfords blade cut through them like wheat. Bloody harvest covered the cavern walls as the shadows terrorized the gnoblars. Kelford cut a way to the gnoblar positioned in the farthest corner, one with a sling. So focused on killing he didn¡¯t even notice the dim red that now suffused his armor. The gnoblars panicked scream fell on deaf ears as he closed the distance. Aura of the Warlord The Gnoblar Hurler screamed as it released its missile, too close for Kelford to dodge. He took the stone to the chest and felt¡­ nothing? A laugh escaped Kelford¡¯s throat as his sword spelled the end for the terrified creature. Its body sank to the ground as Kelford turned back to the survivors. They huddled in the corners of their dirty cave all eyes wide and staring. The bloody ground where their less fortunate brethren lay acting as a weak barrier between them and the monster in their midst. The Radiance of the Black Sun had returned to its normal potency, the power Kelford had poured into it spent in only a few moments. The skill of Furs of the Warlord was still active. As he considered the gnoblars Kelford went over what he had learned. The difference between demoralization and fear must mean something different to the Tower than he had thought. The weak will of the gnoblars and the potency of his radiance having a stronger effect then Kelford expected. Was there more debuffs than just those two? Terror? Panic? Were these all different classifications or the same? Perhaps a connection that Kelford just didn¡¯t know about. The Tower has so many more secrets and powers to discover. He hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface. A shiv sailed through the air cutting across his cheek. Kelford¡¯s eyes widened as he put a hand to the stinging cut. A shallow wound closer to a paper cut than from any real weapon met his fingers. His attention fixed on the cowering gnoblars. He¡¯d lost focus in the middle of a fight. How embarrassing, what if he had died from that hit? Kelford shook the thoughts aside and buried his speculations. ¡° I¡¯ll ask T.U.I about all that later,¡± Kelford refocused on the cowering creatures, ¡° After I pass the room¡± The gnoblars screamed as some threw more makeshift weapons to keep him at bay. Others tried to climb the walls, minds devoted to fleeing no matter the futility. All of them cowered as Kelford stepped over the bodies of the fallen with contemptuous ease. He came to kill them and there was nothing the gnoblars could do to stop him. Ogre Youngling The gnoblar town filled the cavern with decrypted majesty, it¡¯s occupants slinking through it¡¯s dust covered shacks and tents . The sound of growls and claw scrapping stone barely punctured the curved stone looming all around. Sweat and soiled meat met Kelford¡¯s nose even in his hiding place at the edge of the last room of this floor punctuated by the fresh copper of blood. Trash and destroyed stone stacked to make an outcropping looking over the destroyed outskirts where spurned outcasts made their meager living. Kelford sat watching the movements of the monsters of this room, all of them drawn towards the center. From here he couldn¡¯t smell the meat the gnoblars always seemed to be cooking when he entered this floor but his improved sight did allow him to see the creatures slinking towards the center. Some, those closer to the entrance he sat near, with greater fear than the rest. Their sensitivity to shadow essence no doubt alerting them to his arrival on the floor. In moments, the entire floor would be up in arms. ¡°Good, need them ready if I really want to push myself¡± Kelford rolled his shoulders letting his voice break the dull noise of the cavern. It was reckless. More than reckless. It was stupid. Kelford¡¯s common sense roiled at the plain insanity of his actions even as his heart raced with the thrill of it. Take the entire floor on, at once. Let the gnoblars eat their food, prepare their defense, then try to fight the floor. Amulet of Storing was almost full and the essence around him was vibrant. The next floor was mostly puzzles and after that he couldn¡¯t be sure if there would be enough essence to be as wasteful as he was right now. ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting¡± He could hear the screaming and howling now. The gnoblars probably knew Kelford was here¡­finally. Kelford pulled at the essence around until it leaked from his skin. Kelford pushed himself from the outcropping essence empowered body making the ten foot drop effortless. Picking his way through the discarded rubble Kelford picked up the pace as he followed the dusty walkways to the center. No gnoblars stood in his way, the entire section of the town seemingly abandoned in preparation of his coming. Minutes went by until he finally arrived at the town center. The gnoblars stood fearful in a semicircle around their chief and the fire at his back. Their eyes were dark with fear , normal growls silent as they watched the shadows that ebbed from Kelfords skin. Those to Kelford¡¯s sides skittered away as he stepped further into the center, a few gaining the courage to snarl half heartedly. Only one gnoblar didn¡¯t stare at Kelford. The Gnoblar Gorger focused on the long bone of meat that it tore into with ruthless abandon. Streams of juices streamed down it¡¯s mouth as bits and pieces of burnt skin and meat fell from bloody jaws. Kelford stopped amazed and disgusted by the sight, the Gnoblar grew with every bite. It¡¯s ropey muscle was becoming thicker and heavier, while it¡¯s form increased in height to a cacophony of popping tendons. What held Kelford¡¯s attention the most was the look on its ugly face. A rictus of pure ecstasy as it ate, eyes rolled back into it¡¯s skull unseeing. Flickers of power seemed to escape it¡¯s maw as it chewed and Kelford¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the raw essence escaping the monster''s maw. Kelford¡¯s mind barely registered the implications before the Gorger roared into the air. ¡® Kill the Heretic!!¡± The Gorgers command rolled over the gnoblars sending them into a frenzy. Kelford dodged to the side as the leg bone flew by his skull. The gorger roared, now over 7 feet tall as it let it¡¯s smaller kin rush past it. Gnoblar hurlers prepared their slings of trash as the normal gnoblars charged from all directions. Kelford brought up his sword as his enhanced eyes took in the entirety of the scene. His heart beat rapidly as the baying of bloodthirsty beasts beat against his ears. Kelford¡¯s eyes met the gloating Gorger¡¯s. Darkness Radiance of the Black Sun Shadow exploded from around Kelford¡¯s feet. The gnoblars screamed as the lights disappeared only for a wave of fear to smash against their weak minds. Outside the encirclement the Gnoblar Hurlers looked in confusion as their target disappeared . Their hesitation only lasted for a moment before they launched their projectiles into the shadows with no head for their allies lost in the shadows. Screams of pain echoed as improvised projectiles found soft flesh. The screams continued herald by another wave of fear as Kelford burst from the right side of his spell. Empowered Strike Kelford¡¯s eyes glowed purple as empowered strikes cut through gnoblars like butter . The encirclement broke as Kelford swung with wild abandon, bodies piling all around him. He ran a gnoblar through as distantly his mind parsed through the different colors of essence the gnoblar gave off. A blood red aura was around it¡¯s head now fading to a dull purple. Kelford threw the body into another gnoblar before laying into the few that hadn¡¯t fled fast enough. A piece of stone smashed into his shoulder throwing him off balance as the air filled with stone. ¡° Kill him Kill hiiiimmmm¡± The Gorger¡¯s voice filled the chamber as Kelford skipped back swinging his sword in a vain attempt to protect himself. Darkness had lapsed leaving him vulnerable to the attacks of the hurlers from the other side and more importantly the gnoblars trapped in the spell''s blinding effect. Kelford took stone and pieces of bone all across his body leaving welts and small cuts as Furs of the Warlord reduced as much of the damage as possible. The volley ended only for waves of gnoblars to throw themselves at the climber. Kelford didn¡¯t stop swinging as he dodged and raged against the gnoblars that crashed into him . Shives cut into his relic leaving pinpricks of pain only for 3 feet of steel to respond. Kelford kneed a gnoblar to avoid another only for another to jump on his shoulder stabbing at his face. Grabbing it he used every inch of Enhanced Might to throw it into the crowds before swinging his sword in wide arcs to claim lives and space. The pressure mounted as the gnoblars kept coming on red auras fighting against the aura of fear around him. Kelford stumbled back even as he kept swinging, essence feeding into Radiance of the Black Sun to fight against the rage of the gnoblars. The air whistled and in his focus Kelford didn¡¯t react in time. Gnoblars screamed as another volley slammed into their ranks. Kelford tried to raise an arm only for a stone to clip the side of his face. Kelford went down as pain ripped through the left side of his skull. Enhanced Willpower Kelford rolled back to his feet, arm and sword up as he pushed past the pain. One of his eyes filled with blood but he shoved the pain to the side.His mind grappled with the essence surrounding him and within his relic as he once again casted Darkness. The gnoblars screamed again as their sight was stolen from them for a second time as Kelford dashed into the black. Sword swinging with enhanced strength, Kelford cut through their broken ranks. Each swing led him closer to the other Hurlers , blood and lives being taken in the dark until he broke through the shadows. The Hurlers screeched as they saw the bloody human appear. Scattered stone and trash missed their target as Kelford closed in only for a massive club filled his vision. His eyes widened as his sword desperately moved to save him. Steel met wood as Kelford was sent flying back into the fading darkness. Kelford¡¯s vision blanked for what felt as moments only for consciousness to come rushing back all at once. Blood erupted from his lips as he tried to gain his bearings. Darkness was fading all around him leaving a trail of bloody bodies and fleeing gnoblars in it¡¯s wake. The Gorger stood at it¡¯s edge, too cowardly to capitalize on Kelford¡¯s weakness. At least that¡¯s what Kelford thought as he found his feet. The majority of gnoblars had fled, the aura of red having finally worn off .The gorger saw Kelford and licked it¡¯s lips before bursting in a mocking laugh. ¡°Gorger no more it seems¡­¡± Kelford hadn¡¯t identified the gnoblar Gorger but now in the lull in the fighting he finally got a chance to identify it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. [ Ogre Youngling] ¡° See.. Puny monster not strong enough to defeat might Gorlush the Mighty!!¡± The ogre declared holding it¡¯s club high in the air, ¡° We kill and bury it¡¯s corrupted flesh in the deep tunnels to show tribes strength!¡± The remaining gnoblars roared in glee, some reading their slings for another volley. Kelford¡¯s mind churned over the situation. He needed to turn this around. This ¡­.ogre was both the challenge he sought and potentially a source of information. Either way he needed more time. ¡° You can speak now¡­ how is that?¡± The Ogre youngling leered at the words as Kelford allowed Language of the Mountain to translate his words. ¡° You call me corrupted..why?¡± ¡° You speak the language of our people? Good it means you can understand me when I say you shall die you corrupted thing? Touched by the dark , the King of Winter has protected us from your ilk! The poison in your veins is the only reason your meat does not serve to make me grow stronger trash.¡± It seemed to pump itself up as it spat the words, eyes bloodshot but still willing to talk. I can work with this ¡°You failed to answer my first question, the meat was special somehow. Could I eat something like this to get stronger?¡± Kelford spoke, paying only partial attention on the ogre. ¡° No NO NO! Our Stomachs are gifts not for one such as you! Only the strong deserve the chance to grow, not the pathetic wretches like you. You corrupt everything around you!¡± Kelford nodded, connecting a few dots watching as the Ogre became more and more¡­ petulant as the conversation went on. He was ready to end the fight; he just wanted to ask one more question. ¡° Why are you down here? You speak of your king but clearly he does not live here in these caves. Why do you not move upward to the lands above?¡± It was a question that had bothered Kelford the entire time he had ran through the floors. T.U.I had claimed that this Worldshard was a copy of an actual world, so why stay in these caves? The way upward was seemingly straight forward , and apparently some of the creatures were¡­intelligent. Why stay here? The ogre smashed it¡¯s chest as it locked eyes with Kelfords. They were bloodshot, dark and filled with a edge Kelford found uncomfortable. ¡° The King gave our ancestors the duty to protect these tunnels! From when the storms break and our stomachs empty we will prevent corruption from infecting our world! We hunger but we still stand! We weaken but none have escaped our watch! We dull but our post is not deserted! Our clan stood here for a hundred hundred winters and will stand until the King of Winter releases us!¡± The gnoblars growled in agreement behind the ogre, beating their chests in agreement. ¡° You could never understand! Something like you could never have the stomach to sacrifice anything for their people!¡± The ogre held out it¡¯s club as it judged Kelford, ¡° Enough talk! You die now!¡± The gnoblars began to swing their makeshift slings as Kelford stared at the ogre. ¡°Duty¡­¡± Something in Kelford lurched as he felt the judgement of the ogre bear down on him.Guilt squeezed him, familiar and all consuming. People he¡¯d abandoned..just cause he wasn¡¯t brave enough. Kelford read the look of disgust on the creature''s face. The way it looked down on him as he remembered the despair that nipped at his steps at his failures. Then it turned into an ugly, rage! How dare they look down on him! They were slinging their own shit and shiving each other moments before he had come onto their mockery of a broken down shanty town! Shadow essence, slowly pulled together while the conversation dragged on, finally congealed. Kelford¡¯s face broke into a bloody grin as essence rocked outward. ¡° Understand this ugly!¡± Darkness Shadows consumed the Hurlers as Kelford threw himself to the floor. The ogre roared as it¡¯s sight was stolen and gnoblars threw their projectiles right over Kelford¡¯s head. Kelford rolled to his feet just in time to see the ogre burst from the shadows swinging it¡¯s club. Shadowy essence blazed over Kelford¡¯s blade as he rose to the challenge, his entire body behind the swing. Empowered Strike Wood and steel met again as the two met head on. Both were equally as strong, Their swings with the full power of their bodies behind them but as they pushed against each other the power of essence won out. The ogre staggered back but Kelford wasn¡¯t done . Empowered Strike The Ogre roared as once again it met Kelford without flinching! Kelford¡¯s eye blazed purple as his skill slammed the club aside, essence raging through him as he pulled more and more from the cavern around him. Empowered Strike He remembered all the times he had passed this floor , all the times he had killed the gnoblars here. Enough to brand him a mass murderer back home. Probably enough to fill this city to overflowing with their blood! Only matched by the deaths he¡¯d suffered on his runs ! Empowered Strike The ogre had learned this time. It refused to meet him blade to club, opting to dodge trying to gain the advantage in the moment between Kelford¡¯s swing. Kelford turned his missed swing into a shoulder tackle right into it¡¯s chest. Grim satisfaction coursed through his veins at the ogre¡¯s wheeze of pain before he stepped back and cut right across it¡¯s chest! It screamed in pain as it staggered back but Kelford pursued. Weapon Proficiency sung a familiar tune in his ear, one that his body had grown familiar in following, as he tore into the ogre. A slash against it¡¯s left leg as he dodged under a wild swing from the club. Cutting into it¡¯s side while it was unbalanced only to stutter step back as it retaliated with a savage kick at his leg. A roar of fury shut early by a fist to the jaw followed by another dodge under another wild club swing . The Ogre Younglings eyes burned with fury and Kelford hated it! He smelled smoke as once again essence coated his blade. Empowered Strike Kelford had pushed to the 5th floor over weeks of fighting in the Tower. He¡¯d died dozens of times, but he always remembered the first two deaths. On the few times he slept those were the ones that haunted him. He could still smell the smoke from his second death, the adrenaline pumping in his veins as the roars filled the air. The feel of their shives as they stabbed him on his ill fated first step into the Tower proper. He¡¯d proven again and again he was strong enough to pass those floors. That he was strong. But that wasn¡¯t enough. His sword cut deeper into Ogre flesh as his sword cut through the Ogre¡¯s club and buried itself into it¡¯s clavicle with jolt. Kelford flared Radiance of the Black Sun and saw the moment defiance turned to fear in the ogre¡¯s eyes. For a second he saw the original Gnoblar Gorger as they grappled in the dirt, its eyes wide as it realized that death was closing in. The memory broke as fear turned to defiance! The ogre bellowed as it¡¯s strength redoubled! An Aura of red bursting around it¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s fist buried in Kelford¡¯s gut as the ogre fell into a rage. Kelford growled as something burst in his stomach. He staggered back, holding in a scream only to dodge a kick. He ripped his sword free as he danced back only for the Ogre youngling to pursue him relentlessly. Kelford danced back cutting again and again as he lost ground. Desperate, Kelford felt for the essence around him and in his artifact. The artifact was nearly tapped out and the essence around him too chaotic to pull on reliably. His personal reserves would have to do, and they were already drained from the fight earlier. It would have to do. Kelford pulled on the reserves that hadn¡¯t escaped his grip during the fight. Essence funneled from his veins into his sword one final time as he charged forward. Empowered Strike The ogre punched at Kelford¡¯s face only for searing pain to make it scream as Essence wreathed steel cut the limb off . Rage overcame the pain as the red aura burnt higher . Kelford kept going as he dodged a kick only to cut it off at the knee. The ogre roared as it lunged, single fist swinging with Kelford meeting it with no fear. A fist cracked Kelford¡¯s chest, sending him flying back once again. He skipped along the blood soaked ground only to scramble to his feet as Ogre Youngling threw itself at him, sword buried in it¡¯s gut. Kelford rolled to the side , narrowly dodging a vicious haymaker. He dived back to the Ogre as it tried to pick itself up. His hands found the hilt of his sword. The combatants locked eyes just as Kelford pulled with all his strength ripping the blade out with all his strength. Kelford roared as swung one more time and cut the ogre¡¯s head clean off . He staggered as the ogre youngling collapsed. Kelford saw the remaining gnoblars huddled together as they witnessed the death of their champion. Kelford stood in the middle of their village, the bodies of the fallen all around him. His eye still burned a faint purple as shadows seemed to lick at his feet like flames. Blood dripped from the blade that had killed their leader. Kelford turned the full weight of his gaze onto them. He stalked forward, blade rising to do battle once more. Ready to add them to the pile. It was too much for the frightened gnoblars. First one , then two, then the rest fled. No screams of fear or rage. The air only filled with the desperate patter of feet trying to escape death. Kelford watched them go before allowing the exhaustion to bring him to his knees. His vision doubled for a moment but he managed to find his feet again. He felt like throwing up, his limbs twitchy and heavy as he made his way to store the ogres corpse in his inventory. ¡° What a way to end this floor¡± Kelford¡¯s words died quickly in the cavern air. Dark shadows still flickering at his feet as he left the 2nd floor. Shadow Flesh ¡° Congratulations once again on your success Kelford¡± T.U.I¡¯s said as Kelford laid against the dark stone of the 3rd floor. ¡° Though I must say that I would not have recommended your approach to testing your class.¡± ¡° I had to do it T.U.I. Had to see just how far I could push this new class.¡± Kelford laid his head back as he blinked the blood out of his left eye. The pain was pushing to the forefront as the adrenaline fell away. Bruises, small cuts , and what were probably a few cracked bones began to scream for his attention as Kelford took a moment to breathe before looking back to T.U.I. ¡° Besides, I learned something new. The gnoblar gorger was actually willing and able to talk. Just like the gnoblars at the beginning of the 5th, better yet it turned into an ogre! Gnoblars are just ogre kids or something. Maybe it''s a stage of development or whatever .More importantly the meat from the 3rd has something special about it if they were able to get to such an evolution!¡± Kelford leaned forward, excitement burning in his eyes, ¡° I just need to know why I wasn¡¯t able to tell or get any benefits myself¡± . Kelford had been running the beginning levels of the Tower enough times that he had gotten a decent stockpile of many of the different items on the floors. Especially the mystery meat on the 2nd. He¡¯d tried eating it a few times, cooking to his specifications, only to throw up. He¡¯d kept gathering them out of habit but was unsure if they were even useful. Until now. ¡°You still do not have the appropriate permission levels Kelford¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Besides you should pick your relic before we continue this conversation. Your wounds will take some time to heal and perhaps there will be a relic that will speed your recovery.¡± Kelford nodded, the first room he had picked after the 2nd floor was a relic room. Despite the pain he¡¯d pushed through enough pain to know that he would heal decently well after a few hours and some food. Essence seemed to make him hardier especially when he had an enhanced attribute skill. Something to do with essence flowing through his body according to T.U.I but Kelford hadn¡¯t fully understood the logistics behind that. Besides, it was still too early to waste a potentially powerful relic on a healing room. Doubly so when he was aiming to leave this part of the Tower. In the room''s center the Relic Orb flared and Kelford got his options. Congratulations! You have the option of Unlocking a Relic subvault Free Unlock: Uncommon 100 Karma: Rare 1000 Karma: Very Rare 10000 Karma: Legendary 100000 Karma: Mythic Available Karma: 4780 He had been saving the funds for awhile but everytime he considered getting a Very Rare relic he kept looking up to the Legendary relic cost. ¡° Just a little under half way there¡± Still he needed something to push his power higher and uncommon items were just not gonna cut it if he was going to fight a Ogre Youngling sometime in the future. Yet he still needed something to help him with his current run. ¡° A compromise it is¡± Unlock a Rare Relic Sub Vault for 100 Karma? Y/N? ¡° Yes¡± The orb burst into light, this time all of them were a vibrant purple. Corrupt Drain Endure ¡° I see we¡¯re a little on brand for the shadow theme this time around.¡± Kelford laughed as he stared at his options ¡° It seems that your choices are indeed influenced by your class this time around. Whether this is fortune or something else I am unsure¡­¡± T.U.I floated to his side, light dimm which Kelford had learned was when she was thinking deeply. ¡° Though the Tower has been known to have class choices that influence the subvaults offered.¡± Kelford shrugged but her confusion did disquite him slightly. The idea of something being wrong reminded him of the immensity of the situation he was in.Someone else could think of that, whether this was all some sick game played by the Myriad Index or something else, he couldn¡¯t control what was going on. He shook his head and refocused on what he could control. His options seemed straight forward but decidedly not within the theme of this world. Corrupt was the first option out. His Radiance of the Black Sun was a good skill that let him subvert his opponents and Darkness was essentially blinding them. Drain and Endure were more interesting, almost purely because of his current fighting style. Drain would most definitely assist with his healing since he seemed to get hurt in his major fights while perhaps damaging his enemies. With tough creatures like the Ram from the 4th , any relic that assisted with damaging them while healing himself would be useful. Endure seemed to lean more towards granting an item that helped resist or tank damage. For Monsters like the Sabertooths that would be undeniably important to keep his insides inside. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t get new relics eventually but after seeing how some relics seemed to assist with each other to a better build.. It felt as if these choices would start to become important as they represented his options in future Relic Rooms . ¡° Any helpful advice T.U.I? I¡¯m considering both Endure and Drain for essentially their ability to help me survive fights.Though I can¡¯t decide which would be better.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡° Consider what you currently have and what you currently are missing. Thinking of the future is fine Kelford but you also have to consider your current situation. ¡° Kelford thought on it for a second, the pain was still there but pushed to the side as he retreated into himself as he thought on the matter. ¡° I have ways to weaken foes with Darkness and Radiance , I also have a boost in my lethality with Empowered Strike and my Enhanced Strength ¡° Kelford continued to think T.U.I quiet as he put the pieces together not only for this choice but perhaps how he wanted to choose for the rest of the floors. ¡° With Furs of The Warlord I get some resistance to enemies that are scared of me which mostly only works for enemies that are weaker like the basic gnoblars. Amulet of Storing helps with my essence capacity issues. Issues that are already strained with Darkness and Empowered Strike . There are plenty of ways to heal but I don¡¯t need them if I never get hurt. Especially as I¡¯m fighting up close. If I get tougher I won¡¯t need to heal as much. Unless Drain is more about draining other forms of energy such as essence. Which I can¡¯t store for long!¡± Kelford opened his eyes decision made, ¡° Thanks T.U.I¡± ¡° Always here to help Kelford!¡± You have Chosen: Endure Congratulations! You have gained access to a Sub Vault of Endure! 3 Common Relics 2 Uncommon Relics and 1 Rare Relic Are Now Accessible! Ring of Shadow Flesh Rare Description: Many creatures that inhabit the dark places of the universe rely on trickery and their incorporeal natures. Others rely on the unique constitutions of those that have been touched by true darkness. Grants skill: [ Shadow Flesh ] The ring was black and seemed to squirm as Kelford reached for it. It was firm to the touch much to his relief. He placed it on his right finger as he felt essence rush up his arm and through his body. Blessing of the Black Sun let him see the changes running through his body as his skin took on a slightly darker tone before fading back to its normal brown. The pain from his cuts seemed to dull slightly as he pulled up the skill the ring had granted him. Shadow Flesh Description: Your Flesh is infused with shadow essence resisting 30% of non-essence enforced strikes and 5% of essence enforced strikes. Shadow Essence stores and bodily functions are enhanced slightly scaling off of constitution. Kelford felt a slight pull on the surrounding essence as his body seemed to consume more of the purple essence around him than usual. Nothing strong enough to make an appreciable difference during a fight but just enough to make him feel slightly better on his feet. His wounds didn¡¯t hurt as bad and the dark of the special room seemed almost inviting. ¡° Pretty good and it helps my essence stores which aren¡¯t that big without my amulet.¡± ¡° It certainly helps Kelford, resistance can only help and I am sure this will be a good baseline for your future growth.¡± T.U.I said as Kelford admired his new ring. ¡°More so I have queried the Myriad Index and all I can say is that some of the rooms hold secrets that may assist with your growth later.¡± ¡° Like a resource I¡¯m not high enough level to access or utilize yet?¡± ¡° More so that you may not have the skills or relics necessary.¡± Kelford shook his head as he considered, ¡° So have I been missing these secrets constantly? I know I''ve been gathering some of the gnoblars dinner but is there anything else I''ve been missing? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned these secrets before?¡± T.U.I dimmed as she said somewhat sadly ,¡± You do not have the permission levels to access that information. I can tell you that not every room has a secret but that is the most I can tell you.¡± Kelford sighed before closing his eyes as the frustration almost sent his thoughts spiraling. It was better not to rage at the permission levels the Tower set on it¡¯s information. That led to thoughts about the situation he was in and the insanity of his situation. The deaths, the silence ¡­ ¡° Well you might as well tell me what information you can about how the fight went.¡± Kelford said as he opened his eyes , ¡° always room to improve right?¡± T.U.I grew brighter as she began to speak, banishing the thoughts Kelford¡¯s mind had brought up. He wouldn¡¯t rest for too much longer but after passing the Second flood for the final time¡­ he needed a moment. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. The Third floor went by quickly. The traps having stopped being a problem for Kelford many runs ago. Though a boon came in handy he hadn¡¯t thought would help him. Boon of the Black Sun As he crossed the final threshold to the 4th he gazed back into the dark cavern and its untripped traps. The swirls of essence, light blue as they flowed from the hidden runes where the traps laid. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him that the traps could be seen if one had the ability to see essence. It made him wonder why he hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡°Maybe you had to see the particular essence type? ¡° Regardless it was a useful observation he¡¯d have to keep in mind moving forward. His Amulet of Storing was full and his internal essence thrummed within him as he entered the 4th floor. Fresh air filled his lungs as the familiar river and mountains filled his vision. A cold wind blew from the east filling Kelford¡¯s ears with the sound of rustling trees. The difference that halted his steps was the rainbow of essence that filled the landscape. Within the caves the essence was dominated by vibrant purple with occasional browns. Here, it was a myriad wonder that flowed into and out of each other. A wonder of magic that he alone enjoyed.A man lost within the memory of this dead world. Kelford picked his way down the mountain path as he pushed for the next room. Usually, he would camp here. Enjoying the sunshine as much as he could before he was banished miles underground. On this occasion he was just too excited as he was only one floor away from the 5th. Much more if he didn¡¯t waste time here he could potentially out run the storm. It became so freezing that a few runs ended with him suffering from the swiftly dropping temperature when he dallied too long. The sound of the river yielded to the sounds of the forest as Kelford picked up the pace to a light jog. The light beaming through the trees gave the forest path a peaceful quality that hid the Sabertooths beneath. Kelford cared little as he tried to keep a good pace as the minutes rolled by. Essence rolled past him as he ran deeper and deeper. Even while jogging Kelford kept his head on a swivel as his eyes pierced through the forest gloom. 10 minutes after he started jogging his quarry finally decided to introduce itself. From the gloom a large shadow burst in all it¡¯s violent glory. Teeth and claw glint in the light as the Sabertooth Youngling pounces with almost no warning. Kelford falls into a roll only being clipped by one of the claws before he pulls his sword from his Inventory. Pulling on what shadow essence there is around him he puts his entire body into a devastating downward slash. Empowered Strike The cat¡¯s roar is swiftly cut off as he separates it¡¯s head from it¡¯s shoulders. With a breath Kelford deposits the corpse in his Inventory before pushing forward again. Checking his shoulder he saw that the Youngling hadn¡¯t even broken through his Furs of The Warlord . ¡° T.U.I was right,¡± Kelford muttered, ¡° Armor relics are very important, its a wonder I¡¯d survived up till now.¡± Usually Kelford would walk out of this floor with at least some wounds but at this rate he might be able to push past without a scratch. Sword still in hand Kelford increased his pace as a large cabin came into sight. Several Sabertooths that had been lounging outside jumped to their feet already growling. Kelford pulled on the shadow essence around him and raced towards the creatures. Darkness Empowered Strike Shadow burst to life covering the cabin and sending the Sabertooths into a roaring rage. They sprinted forward and in their blindness ran right into Kelford¡¯s empowered blade. In moments the forest went silent as the well of shadow dispersed. Kelford deposited his blade into the Inventory alongside the new corpses before entering the cabin. Not a scratch on him. Tribute of Ice The horn dug into his chest sending him flying into the dilapidated house. Chest bruised Kelford barely found his feet before throwing himself to the side as the Ice Horned Ram smashed through the old stone sending everything into chaos. Kelford barely found his feet before realizing that his sword was nowhere to be found. ¡° Great¡± he growled just as the ram recovered from its wild charge. With a bleat of rage the ram charged Kelford again, horns pulsing with its heartbeat. Kelford dodged again only for the ram to adjust at the last moment hitting him fully in the midsection. Kelford exploded from the house in a shower of rock and wood. Frost fell from his fur covered robes as he rolled to his knees with a groan before looking for the monster. Again it had found its feet and was racing towards him. Kelford finally had enough. Pulling on the reserves in his amulet Kelford coated his fist in essence. With a roar Kelford surged upward, smashing into the Rams chest. Empowered Strike The ram went flying, blood streaking from its screaming maw. Kelford sprinted after it before ending the fight with another devastating blow to the side of its head. Breathing heavily Kelford staggered back as he searched for more sheep. Seeing none he fell back onto the rocky grass as he nursed his thrice bruised chest. Kelford cursed softly, the fight had been rougher then he had hoped. Not because each of the sheep were particularly strong, though the three rams were tough, but due to their numbers. Kelford had to pull on both the thin shadow essence in the air but draw deep on his resources to cut the sheep down. With so many of them it became a significant problem that Kelford had been forced to start conserving some of his energy. At the very end he¡¯d slipped up and the last of the sheep had caught him unawares. Fortunately he had gotten a new relic that had made the damage he¡¯d gotten easier to manage. Belt of Fortitude Rare Description: Food is sacred to the lowest gnoblar and the mightest chief. To those few who wish to master the culinary arts in these lands must first have the stomach to handle it. Grants the passive skill [Enhanced Constitution] Between the belt and the Ring of Shadow Flesh Kelford was tougher then he¡¯d ever been. Checking his chest he could feel the tenderness of potential bruising but none of the flashes of pain that would point to potential internal injuries. Slightly amazed despite himself, Kelford only needed a few minutes before he was able to push himself to begin scrounging around for his sword.Losing it now would be a bit of a blow, especially since the only other weapon he had would draw on his limited access to essence.The vibrant purple was limited on this floor, only made more alarming as he checked his drained amulet. Kelford looked into the essence around to see despite the approaching storm shadow essence wasn¡¯t increasing in the area. With a sigh he began gathering the sheep corpses while keeping an eye on the storm clouds consuming the distant forest. ¡° Congratulations on the victory once again Kelford¡± T.U.I said materializing as Kelford gathered the last of the corpses. ¡° Thanks,¡± Kelford said as he walked over towards the destroyed building, ¡° This room was harder than I thought it was going to be. These things are tough.¡± ¡°Many creatures here do indeed have increased strength and fortitude due to the nature of their world. ¡° Kelford only nodded in response as he walked around the area not seeing his sword. He sighed as we walked into the ruined house. The interior was littered with the remains of his fight from earlier, damaged furniture now completely broken. The interior was massive, with big stacks of stone making up the walls. Torn drapes and carpet were scattered everywhere alongside the dark wood of the chairs and table. Really it was a wonder the place hadn¡¯t fallen apart. ¡° Hey T.U.I can you help locate my sword, we need to get out of here soon if I want to keep ahead of the temperature drop.¡± At this rate he wasn¡¯t sure if the 5th floor would be influenced by the cold of the storm but there was no point in risking it. ¡° Of course Kelford,¡± T.U.I replied. They both took different sides of the house, Kelford pushing aside furniture and debris as T.U.I floated along the far edges. It took a minute but finally after pushing over a large chunk of table Kelford found his sword. It had seen better days. Kelford picked it up while dusting off the stone dust as he observed his trusty weapon. Small scratches marred the face of the blade while little dents could be seen on the edge. It still felt fine but the wear of constantly going up against empowered foes seemed to be getting to it. ¡° I guess that¡¯s the cost of using it so heavily against magical monsters¡± Kelford muttered as he returned it to his Inventory . He hadn¡¯t checked it after the fights on the 2nd floor but now he was considering that perhaps his next relic should be a weapon. He sighed before turning to leave only for something to catch his eye. Bending down he pushed discarded rock and dust out of the way to reveal the rest of the trap door beneath him. The door was almost as large as him, made of a dark wood that had survived the collapse of the rest of this place. Kelford glanced at T.U.I before pulling on the door handle. ¡°Geez this is heavy!¡± Kelford¡¯s enhanced muscles strained at the door before slowly lifting the dark wood. With a gasp Kelford lifted the trap door all the way open, sending it crashing to the side in a shower of dust. Coughing and clearing the air Kelford was able to gaze down into the dark staircase below. ¡° One of the secrets for this floor?¡± ¡° Perhaps¡± T.U.I said as they made their way down the steps, ¡° You know I can¡¯t answer these questions. With your permission levels you would need to figure this aspect all on your own.¡± Kelford reached the bottom, his eyes already cutting through the gloom as he entered the rocky basement. It was warmer than upstairs, the stone and dirt acting as natural insulators. A pillar helped hold the weight of the house above. Vibrant purple essence dominated the space and Kelford gladly began refilling his amulet as he moved through the wreckage. Giant barrels and crates layed destroyed everywhere. The walls were marred with scratches and ripped furs. T.U.I was the only light source and as Kelford began to walk around her light illuminated more of the disturbing scene. ¡° What happened here?¡± Kelford¡¯s voice barely traveled as he spoke, ¡° I¡¯d say this place was ransacked but it doesn¡¯t seem like anything was taken. Just¡­destroyed.¡± Kelford paused as he saw something that made his heart leap in his chest. There was another room with a broken door that only barely hid what lay beyond. T.U.I¡¯s faint radiance revealed dark stains that lead into the room. Kelford pulled his sword to his hand as he hesitantly walked closer to the door. T.U.I was strangely silent as she floated next to him only watching as he took his final steps. The dark stains were thick, the rock having been drenched in whatever liquid had splashed here. The stains were on the wooden threshold and walls. Kelford numbly noticed all of this as he pushed the door and watched as it fell away with a huge crash. He leapt back, essence pulled from the environment to his blade as he readied to strike whatever came through! Nothing. He edged forward till he could pear inside. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The dark stains were thick everywhere here. The walls , the floor, even splattered against the ceiling. A pot big enough for Kelford to bathe in dominated the center, clean despite the state of everything else. Worse were the skeletons on the far side of the wall. Despite everything else having been touched by the passage of time, the two skeletons seemed frozen in time. One was a massive creature easily double Kelfords size. The forearms were thicker than his leg and each rib could easily be used as a club. The creature''s arms were trapped in thick metal chains and sat against the corner. Its skeletal hands laid over on the head of what could only be the biggest ram Kelford had ever seen. At least twice the size of the sheep outside, it¡¯s horns still glowed with magic. To Kelford¡¯s surprise its skeleton was in pieces. Leg bones were scattered haphazardly alongside the entirety of the back half of the Ram! Yet still the first skeleton had the ram''s head laying on it¡¯s lap almost tenderly. ¡° T.U.I what is this?¡± Kelford said eyes fixed on the scene. ¡° The fate of those who don¡¯t finish the Tower¡± Kelford turned sharply at her words. ¡°What does that mean!¡± ¡°I mean that this civilization could not handle the burden of their own potential. So clearly they were fated to die.¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice was not cheerful, it was cold. Inflection neutral as if stating a fact that is neither interesting or important. ¡° This is a scene that Myriad Index came to consider important for the next civilization to see.¡± ¡° Like a stage¡­ it moved the skeleton so that someone could be pushed along in some sick game to learn some life lesson? What?!? That this place is messed up ! That there are aliens out there and I''m exploring their destroyed homes. Seeing the future of my planet in a hundred years where I''ll die in some dark, dingy basement !¡± Kelford was yelling now and he hadn¡¯t even realized it. ¡° No, it is to show you the future of those who can not stand on the universal stage¡± T.U.I said, ¡° This is considerably a better fate than what many factions in the universe will bring to worlds that can not protect themselves. Even worlds that have something to offer have better outcomes than civilizations such as this.¡± Kelford could only stare in horror. The callousness of it all to come from T.U.I hurt in a way he couldn¡¯t quite put into words. She was his lifeline, the being that had pushed him to keep climbing , to improve. She sounded more¡­alien right now then she had ever sounded. A cold seeped up his spine as a billion other thoughts seemed to want to bubble to the surface. His chest seemed to squeeze, sending ripples of pain through him. ¡° Is this really necessary¡± In so many ways the enormity of what he was dealing with became apparent once again, ¡° Is it really so much for all of this to happen¡­ to cause so much pain.¡± ¡° The Myriad Index has done the calculations and this is the most efficient way to test burgeoning civilizations. To end them before the arrival of the rest is a kindness. The wonders of the universe are only matched by the horror. The scale of the powers is beyond your comprehension and you should be thanking the Myriad Index for giving such mercy in the form of the Tower.¡± T.U.I stopped clearly expecting some kind of reply or answer to her words. ¡° I¡­ I guess¡± Kelford muttered as he walked closer to the two skeletons. It was too much to handle right now. He just needed to focus on what he could control, what he could deal with. Get stronger, climb the Tower, maybe get good enough to help avoid¡­ whatever led to this. ¡°I will give you some space Kelford. Do not forget to check the rest of this room.¡± With that T.U.I¡¯s light disappeared leaving Kelford in darkness. Kelford sighed as he took the Rams skull and opened his sight to the essence around him . The horns gave off icey blue essence in waves, power concentrated into the massive horns that jutted from the skull. What was worse was the small waves of vibrant purple that also came from the skull. Kelford¡¯s eyes widened as he saw this but as his eyes trailed to the skeleton behind against the wall he was floored. It radiated purple in long streams. Essence roiled out of it and mixed with the shadows all around him. So caught up in his fear and thoughts he hadn¡¯t been keeping a close eye on the essence around him. The bones were the source of the higher motes of essence in the basement.None of the other countless corpses on the floors had been sources of shadow essence like this.It.. It was almost as if these were corrupted.Was this the secret? That the gnoblars had been right and there was more to his attunement then he¡¯d thought? That shadow essence was corrupting somehow and he¡¯d only noticed because of his ability to see essence? It was a secret he would only have noticed if he had an attunement to shadow¡­ ¡° Or Boon of the Black Sun¡± Kelford shivered as he turned his essence sight off. He pushed down the questions, the worries, the bubbling thoughts he¡¯d kept locked in his mind. He would get to the safe room and then He¡¯d get through the next set of floors before finally getting out of here. He¡¯d get strong, strong enough not to have to worry about these issues. It was simple . It had to be simple or he might not be able to handle it all. He couldn¡¯t be a hero but he could at least be stronger. Kelford deposited the ram''s head in his Inventory and after a moment deposited the Ogre¡¯s skeleton as well. It left him only one slot left if he kept his sword out. Afterward he walked around to see if there was anything else to find. Through the trash and destruction the only thing of interest was the massive pot. Well Made Ogre Cooking Pot Description: Created for the express purpose of containing and enhancing the energies of Gut magic. Minor enhancements and well made steel make this a relic any ogre would be proud to have. A tribute made of this relic would appeal greatly to any ogre lord. ¡° There goes the last slot I guess¡± Kelford muttered as he took his sword in hand and placed the massive pot into the Inventory. Kelford stood there in the dark for a few moments. His amulet was mostly full and now there didn¡¯t seem to be anything of further use here. Yet he found himself standing in the dark for long moments before he finally got the courage to move. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. The sound of the storm approaching filled his ears as he entered the 4th room of the 4th floor. Behind him the storm filled the valley with thick clouds as more began to climb the base of the mountain. His time contemplating the previous room had been a delay that had allowed the storm closer then he would have liked. Snow had already begun to fall as he trudged to the massive statue in the shadow of the fortress above. The destroyed town lay in shambles around him but Kelford didn¡¯t dare look for more secrets.This run was supposed to be triumphant,a culmination of weeks spent dying over and over again. The time spent dying again and again to the point the nightmares scared him more than the deaths themselves. Kelford stepped up to the massive statue and read the notification he¡¯d seen so many times before. Choose Sacrifice An Uncommon Relic or greater Or Defeat the Guardian He placed the giant pot in front of the statue and waited. The monster''s eyes flared with light and the giant pot disappeared. Kelford took a few steps back sword ready in case the sacrifice didn¡¯t work. Moments later his patience was rewarded. Sacrifice Accepted The statue''s glowing eyes kept glowing but the tension in Kelford¡¯s shoulders eased. It was over. He¡¯d climbed all this way on the first try. Four floors in record time. Kelford stepped past the statue and picked his way to the foot of the stairway. It was much the same as with every time he¡¯d climbed it.Grey stone worn over untold ages, the shadow of the fortress defiant in the swiftly cooling air. Yet, this time it was different. Kelford could feel a smile steal across his face as he basked in the triumph he felt. He¡¯d gotten to this point 5 times before. Each instance he¡¯d climbed these stairs bloody, weak, and ready to die. This time was different. T.U.I didn¡¯t appear but he was okay with that. They¡¯d talk in the safe room after the next fight. Kelford closed his eyes as he took in the entirety of his experience. Appearing here out of the blue, meeting T.U.I and dying soon after. Barely moving afterwards before T.U.I convinced him to climb. The monsters and deaths washed over him . So many times he¡¯d died before reaching this threshold. Pain and darkness had been constant since he¡¯d arrived in the Tower. He didn¡¯t know what was going on really, the image of the skeletons in the previous room still filled him with dread. This wasn¡¯t a world but a massive maze holding a piece of one. Whatever the Myriad Index was, it held power Kelford couldn¡¯t even dream of having. It threatened to destroy everything he knew and revealed that perhaps there were even more dangerous things out there in the stars. It had apparently killed untold amounts of civilizations across the stars and now it was here for earth. The craziness of that fact threatened to send him spiraling. Despair that nipped at his heels even now. Kelford took a long deep breath of the cold air and released in a huff as he released the worries. T.U.I had shown him this exercise for when the deaths and frustration became too much. It helped him realize that the worries didn¡¯t matter. He didn¡¯t need to be a hero or worry about what this Myriad Index wanted. He just needed to improve, to prove he was better than when he¡¯d stumbled into the Tower. Better than the person he was outside this place. Kelford opened his eyes and took the first step out of the 4th floor. Precipice Clouds rolled over the landscape covering the valley below the dark fortress. The temperature kept dropping, almost as if the black stone of the walls absorbed even the hint of warmth as Kelford ascended towards the 5th floor. Snow fell in large clumps, coating the steps in white in minutes. Kelford brought up his Interface to check what he had one more time. Interface User: Kelford Booker Class: Called of The Black Sun Class Slots: 0 Skills: Language of the Mountain Enhanced Strength Enhanced Willpower Weapon Proficiency Heavy Armor Proficiency Boon of the Black Sun Radiance of The Black Sun Shadow Flesh (Relic) Enhanced Constitution (Relic) Active Skills: Empowered Strike Spells: Darkness Relics: Furs of the Warlord Amulet of Storing Ring of Shadow Flesh Belt of Fortitude Karma: 4780 Inventory: 9/10 Quests: The Fifth Floor Kelford nodded as he dismissed the golden words and continued. The Fifth floor was only a few steps away. Sword held tightly Kelford stepped onto the fifth floor with only the crunch of the snow disturbing the quiet above the storm. The Gnoblar Gorger Hunters and their Trained Sabertooths all watched him in tense silence, weapons drawn and teeth bared. Like always one of them lead the others , standing slightly ahead of the others. It sized Kelford up as he did the same. It was dirty but in the way that spoke of hard labor rather than squalor. The furs it wore seemed to be from the rams on the 4th, with a spear decorated with teeth and claws. They stood about the same size and compared to the Gnoblar Gorger it had more muscle. At least until the latter became an Ogre Youngling . Around it were two Trained Sabertooths and a half dozen gorgers with spears. They all watched him warily. Kelford spoke first. ¡° I expected much more spitting and insults,¡± Kelford said in their tongue, ¡° Instead I get silence. Why is that?¡± He was genuinely curious. The last time he¡¯d reached this floor he had Shadow Attunement which had made all the gnoblars go mad with anger. Even on this run the 2nd floor gnoblars had treated relatively the same, with the added caveat that his fear aura seemed to be effective against them. Which couldn¡¯t be the case here as his Radiance of the Black Sun was pulled back as close as he could hold it. ¡° You are Called¡± The leader said quietly. Kelford tilted his head as he forced the wave of shock down, ¡° What do you mean?¡± The gnoblar spit , ¡° No play games creature. We smell the touch of the Black Sun on you. Every step leaves corruption. Your meat is too sullied to consume, your bones poison to the earth. You hear the calling of the one below.¡± ¡° What do you mean corrupted? Is it Shadow Essence? What is the Black Sun ?¡± Kelford said, heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to get past them but this was more words then he¡¯d ever exchanged with a Gnoblar. It was fascinating. They knew about his class and best of all they could answer his questions! The gnoblar stared at him almost confused but then a hint of pity entered its eyes. ¡° You are a dead creature walking . Bring the doom of your master to our lands. To ask these questions shows your ignorance or that the one below has grown clever.Attempting to subvert our watch with guile and words. We can only help you in one way, creature of corrupted flesh.¡± Its eyes flicked to the fortress, sad and heavy. ¡° We have already seen what the call can do to those much stronger than you. The only mercy we can give is death.The only question to answer is how swift to make it.¡± The others around it tensed and Kelford could see both worry and excitement in their eyes. Kelford brought his sword up into both hands, adrenaline beginning to race along his limbs as he focused. This was not the same run as all the others before, he was not the same. A grin stole along his face as his heart beat faster with fear and excitement. Only the rising wind filled his ears as despite the gnoblars proclamation none of them dared to make a move on him. They weren¡¯t like the monsters of the previous floors, they knew what was about to happen. They knew enough to fear the end of this fight. They all stood there staring at each other. Kelford grinning and the gnoblars growling as they nervously edged towards him. Their leader kicked things off. ¡° Raaaaaagghhhhhhhh¡± It kicked off the snow, crossing the distance in a blink. It¡¯s spear shot forward parried by a quick parry from Kelford.Kelford retaliated with a side slash the gnoblar blocked with a growl. They traded blows , slowly feeling out each other as their blows pushed against the others defenses. Kelford¡¯s heart hammered in his chest as he held back the majority of his abilities, slowly letting them loose as he ramped up the power of his blows. Sword met spear again and again, the air filled with the sound of the screeching onlookers. The hunters roared their support, chanting for their leader to show the corrupted it¡¯s might. ¡° Kill him !!!1¡± ¡° Tear him apart!¡± The gnoblar growled as it seemed to finally stop holding back, it slammed its spear into Kelford¡¯s blade with the full force of its power. Essence roared over its muscles and Kelford¡¯s eyes widened as the spear blurred. Wood broke Kelford guard and with a savage roar the gnoblar ripped its nails across Kelford¡¯s face . Maw wide, It threw itself at the now blinded human with victorious glee. It clamped its jaws down only to find nothing but air. Purple eyes met its own moments before a fist broke its jaw! The frozen stone thunked as a gnoblar hit the stone , eyes blurry it clutched at it¡¯s broken jaw. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡° You know¡­ I have learned alot about your kind¡± Kelford¡¯s voice was punctuated by the sound of cracking as he kicked the gnoblar in the chest. It screamed as it skidded back towards it¡¯s brethren who crowded around it. Kelford¡¯s smile was sharp as the small marks on his face barely phased him. ¡° Most of all I learned you like to play with your food¡± Kelford said as the lead gnoblar glowed green again. Essence seemed to weave itself around it¡¯s broken jaw, Kelford ignored it. His blood felt hot under his skin, like molten magma pulsing to his heart beat. His hands, no his entire body, shook like an arrow held on a string . He kept his aura close and bared his teeth as the other Hunters finally grew a spine to attack him. Javelins filled the air. Kelford threw himself to the right avoiding the majority, he rolled to his feet only for jaws to fill his vision. One of the Tamed Sabertooths! Kelford didn¡¯t have the effortless speed of Enhanced Dexterity but he found Enhanced Strength could be fast enough on its own. His fist smashed the side of its head. Bone cracked as the sabertooth flew to the side only for a hunter to jump from the side. Kelford whirled away , barely dodging only for two more to pounce while he was off balanced. Spear points passed through fur only to barely penetrate flesh. Kelford¡¯s eyes blazed with essence as he slashed at the quickly retreating hunters. He found his footing only to hear a crunch to his right. Another one! He swiped away a probing spear thrust only for pain to cut his leg. The other Sabertooth. The gnoblars encircled him , prowling like wolves around a bear. Each attacked with hungry efficiency, each drop of blood increasing their focus. Hunger had overtaken their previous hesitation as they harried Kelford. Their spear became bloody as they took turns attacking and defending. Roaring like possessed hounds at every thrust that found its mark. They¡¯d done this before. Kelford raged within their circle as he battered at their wooden javelins. Each swipe held nothing back as he pushed himself to fight them off with Enhanced Strength and skill. The first javelin broke as a gnoblar over extended but swiftly it pulled another. Kelford took two javelins to the side only to break those as well. Kelford didn¡¯t make a sound but his smile never left his face. He merely submerged himself into the combat as a part of his attention always flicked to the healing gnoblar leader. Time passed in a storm of violence leaving drops of blood,broken javelins, and bodies across the stone.The gnoblars no longer screamed their vicious delight into the air, heaving chests and aching bodies no longer had the energy for that.Javelins no longer were replaced as quickly nor stabbed as quick. The last Trained Sabertooth hobbled on three legs, flanks heaving with its exhaustion. The gnoblars were bloody, wounds slowing them down. Still they desperately threw themselves at the bloody human between them. The wolves were tired but the bear hadn¡¯t stopped. Kelford fought with every inch of his Enhanced Strength, all the skill he¡¯d earned dying through these floors. His body threw blood and sweat with every movement. Cuts ran down corded muscle and leaked crimson onto the stone . A normal human would have been dead twice over but Kelford moved like a man possessed. He didn¡¯t tire, he didn¡¯t hesitate, he simply moved with deadly intent. Slashes flowed into elbows that smashed into hungering maws. A kick stopped Sabertooth from biting his shin while also allowing him to swerve away from a spear thrust. Kelford punched a gnoblar in the gut , took a spear to the side,all while smashing a javelin to pieces with his sword without missing a beat. A javelin broke on his back but he didn¡¯t even seem to notice. His eyes kept flicking to the gnoblar leader. It made a show of still healing but Kelford didn¡¯t see essence flowing around it. It was faking, waiting for the chance to strike. Kelford¡¯s movement stopped. The gnoblars staggered at the sudden change, most executing dodges or aborted parries. The wind howled as the storm heralded its arrival. Kelford turned his gaze to the fallen leader. ¡° Get up¡± Only silence answered and the pain of his wounds pushed at Kelford¡¯s straining rage. Yet he still maintained his control as he once again spoke. ¡° I know you¡¯re healed. Get up and fight with your friends¡± A long moment passed, the gnoblars around him panted as they took the pause to catch their breaths. Then their leader smoothly climbed to its feet. It turned with a predatory leer as it stalked to the circle of bodies around Kelford. The others didn¡¯t lessen their guard, just moved to accommodate. ¡° You could have had swift death corrupted,¡± The leader said as it held its spear forward, ¡° now you will suffer as we tear you apart.¡± Kelford spit to the side, blood and mucus already freezing as they hit the ground. The Hunter leader growled at the lack of reaction but continued. ¡° We outnumber you, we will present your heart as offering to the king after your death. We will feast and grow strong from the rewards for killing one such as you! Better lie down and die for your corrupted power not strong enough to beat our collective might!¡± It screamed into the air, essence rushing along it¡¯s muscles and skin. The leader waited, looking to it¡¯s brethren. They didn¡¯t look away from Kelford, muscles tight and hands shaking. ¡° It¡¯s already over¡± Kelford said into the wind, ¡° They already know that you can¡¯t kill me¡± It had been obvious for a while now. As the fight had gone on, Kelford had proven it. As the gnoblars tired they made more mistakes which led to Kelford landing more blows. Gnoblars were opportunistic fighters. After fighting them for weeks that fact had been seared into Kelfords brain. When they were winning they fought harder. They liked to attack from surprise, in big groups, anyway where victory could be assured. So what happened when those advantages didn¡¯t help them? Kelford had survived the onslaught mostly due to the build he had crafted on his way up. Furs of the Warlord Ring of Shadow Flesh Belt of Fortitude The mitigation had begun to stack. Mixed with his greater skill Kelford could have eventually won in the end. If they had all jumped in at the same time. Kelford was certain he would kill them all just with the Warrior class. With some uses of Hard Slash he would have been able to push past this room eventually. It¡­ lifted a weight that he didn¡¯t know he was carrying. That in some weird way the end result was up to his training and not just the Classes he¡¯d been given. His progress mattered here. Of course this wasn¡¯t a perfect demonstration. He had some different abilities. Enhanced Willpower had been helping him with the pain and he had been using some of his attention to hold back Radiance of the Black Sun. Still his hard work was worth something. Shadows coiled at his feet as Kelford returned his attention to the gnoblars. They hadn¡¯t taken advantage of his momentary distraction. It was well, not like it would have helped them. ¡° I hate you,¡± Kelford said. Shadows slithered across the snow. The gnoblars edged away as Kelford released his grip on his aura. ¡° In all my life I haven¡¯t hated anything like I hate all of you,¡± The words rushed out of Kelford even as he mentally reached for the Shadow Essence in the area. Motes of essence rushed from the shadow of the fortress, hidden cracks and crevices, then bolstered by the essence in Amulet of Storing. Darkness He was done playing around. Shadows exploded over the area sending the gnoblars scrambling. Kelford dashed forward blade blazing with essence. Empowered Strike His sword cut through flesh with contemptuous ease before finding another victim. The gnoblars screamed in rage as they tried to find some semblance of order. They retreated from the magical darkness, trying to get their bearings. Kelford cut them down as they scrambled away, hunting in his magical darkness until it''s blinding effect broke apart. Only four gnoblars lived to see the light, if only briefly. The leaders eyes were wide as it watched Kelford throw himself at it¡¯s remaining underlings. The circle was broken and their roars of defiance died in their throats. Radiance of the Black Sun The lingering essence of Darkness contorted and empowered waves of fear. The first gnoblar staggered back, eyes bulging as Kelford pounced on its distraction. His blade split its guts across the snow as essence empowered it to cut straight through the next. The last gnoblar simply fell to its knees, tears in its eyes. Kelford decapitated it heedless of its blubbering begging . Blazing purple eyes locked on the leader. The last living gnoblar. It staggered back, weapons and power forgotten as it watched the monster stalk towards it. ¡° You¡¯re pathetic. Weak, leering freaks that revel in suffering,¡± each word oozed disgust as Kelford stalked forward, ¡° I had to crawl in the dark for weeks! Again and again until I can crawl my way into the light only to die to you ! You don¡¯t remember. Don¡¯t have to remember but I do. You know what the part that haunts my dreams the most is ?! The laughing. It¡¯s not the knives, not my blood ebbing into stone, not the feeling of myself FADING away!¡± The head Gnoblar Gorger Hunter tried to find some flicker of courage, some spark of anger. Then the aura washed over it and it learned how scared it could be. ¡° It¡¯s constant. Never ending , it¡¯s the part of the nightmares that never, fucking stopped!¡± Kelford¡¯s tears froze to his cheeks as pummeled the gnoblar. ¡°You laughed every time. Every.Single.Time! I¡¯d push all the way up here. Practice in the dark, cut my way back to the surface just so I can have the reward of being TORTURED TO DEATH BY YOU!!!¡± Bones snapped and dimly Kelford could hear the gnoblar scream. He was too lost in his own despair to care. The wind howled around him. ¡° You are EVERYTHING I despise about this place. The wall that blocks my path out of here. The fight that threatened to leave me catatonic in my sleep, as it played over and over and over in my NIGHTMARES!¡± The kicks no longer broke bones. The wind howled. ¡° I hate you. I hate this place. I used to fall down and cry during training after bad runs. I used to ask myself why go through this? Was it worth it? T.U.I thought so. T.U.I pushed me to train, reminded me of all the reasons why I wanted to complete the quest. The benefits, the potential Classes ! She didn¡¯t have to die. Didn¡¯t have to lay there as the fear creeped in. What if the Tower doesn¡¯t bring me back, what if this is how I actually die. Then I thought it would all be worth it¡­if only for this moment.¡± Kelford had stopped kicking, his boots were red. When did the wind get so loud? ¡° The moment I could make you feel just a taste of the fear you left me with through all these runs.¡± The gnoblar was dead. Its chest was a mess but Kelford was too emotionally exhausted to care. The wind howled around him, snow blanketed the landscape. Only the fortress stood out in the blizzard. it¡¯s grey, metal gate slightly ajar. Just open enough for someone to slip through. Kelford stared at the body before him before turning to the rest. He couldn¡¯t see them. They were already buried in the snow. It was dreamlike.Yet Kelford knew it wasn¡¯t a dream. He didn¡¯t hear their echoing laughs in the wind. Kelford staggered past the bloody corpse, near in awe as he finally stepped beyond the first room of the 5th floor. Healing Room The inside of the fortress was just as ruined as the town below. Picking his way through rubble Kelford couldn¡¯t help but look around at the destruction. Light came from cracks in the stonework. Walls and ceiling tiles let snow rush through, piles of the stuff already growing on the floor. The stone was dark and rough, whether from the years of neglect or by design Kelford couldn¡¯t tell. Walls held unlit torches, comically large like most things on this world. Kelford grabbed one and found it was close in height to a short staff. He used it to lean on as the pain from the earlier fight finally started to take its toll. Sweat and blood made his clothing stick to his skin and with the exertion of fighting was now beginning to freeze. A deep cut in his calf made him limp slightly, Enhanced Fortitude turning a crippling injury into something that would heal. Hopefully. Sword in one hand and makeshift crutch in the other, Kelford followed the path. Paths broke off from the one he was following, his eyes cutting through the dark to see collapsed passageways or piles of twisted metal. Some paths illuminated entire sections of the maze that made the entranceway, opening up into the yawning white of the blizzard. Kelford kept away from those unsteady sections as all he could do was keep walking deeper. Each step was like moving a mountain. His thoughts moved like sludge as the cold and pain warred for his attention. He only kept moving forward for the promise of the next room. Long minutes in the ruins finally ended at large double doors. Twin creatures resembling rhinos decorated the stone. The beasts stared at each other as if in challenge, dark impressions marred their lifelike faces. It was masterfully done but Kelford¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t be bothered to notice as he dropped his torch and shoved against the ancient material. Hinges groaned as they yielded inch by inch to Kelford¡¯s strength before they opened to a very familiar scene. A feasting hall reminiscent of the safe room five floors below greeted Kelford eyes. Great brazier in the corners held no fire, and the ruins of a great table much too large for him dominated the center. Instead of a door leading to the Tower there was more rubble, most of the doors were blocked by similar collapses. The door he usually considered leading to his room was open and as he limped over to it he saw the actual safe room he¡¯d been looking for. Instead of a bedroom he had long become familiar with or some ruined storage, he saw a large pool of glowing red liquid. Kelford sighed as he stepped into it. Congratulations! You have entered a special room! Healing Room Any injury or condition can be cured here. Yet the potency of this blessing will only work for a limited time! Usually Kelford would be disappointed by the lack of Karma or Relics but the warmth suffusing the room pushed those thoughts away. Kelford turned only to see a new door blocking his way out. He couldn¡¯t even muster up the energy to sigh. Kelford just needed the break. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hours later the sound of a crackling fire filled the room. Comforting flame kept the cold of the stone at bay, lighting the room with a soft orange glow. Across from it was Furs of the Warlord and Kelford''s fur lined clothing. Both bore the marks of Kelford¡¯s run, though the relic held up much better than the normal clothing. Next to the drying clothing lay Kelford''s sword. It still gleamed in the light but at closer expectation it was clear it had seen better days. Dry blood still coated much of the blade. Notches ran up its length from the repeated battles and essence enhanced blows it had taken. Still it carried an edge. All the rest of the relics lay nearby, alongside the rest of Kelford''s camping gear. Kelford sat in the middle of the controlled chaos, chewing on some Ram meat. He wore a change of clothes, not covered in blood like that last. Even in the ruins of this civilization Kelford found the tension ease as he relaxed by his campsite. The Healing Rooms water had been like a hot spring and Kelford had made the executive decision to enjoy it before drying himself by his fire. Taking himself out of his semi frozen clothing had been unpleasant with his wounds but the final result had been worth it. He felt like a new man. Warm, healed, and well rested. Yet as he stared into the fires depths he didn¡¯t know why he felt so empty. In many ways he felt relieved. He¡¯d passed the room and was deeper into the floor than he¡¯d ever been. He felt like he¡¯d proven that he was more than up to the task for this floor. Just his sword skills were enough to defeat the gnoblars, once he¡¯d used the full range of his skills he¡¯d soundly beaten them. He¡¯d clearly progressed but felt as if something wasn¡¯t right. Three more rooms until he could talk to other people. Other humans who could understand all that he¡¯d gone through. Had they changed just as drastically as he had? Would they understand what he had just done to those monsters? Kelford tore into the meat as for once he allowed himself to think about the Tower. He didn¡¯t know when it started but he had been acting callous towards the creatures here. Especially the gnoblars. The last fight had simply been his wake up call. T.U.I had explained that they weren¡¯t real, more like projections or really good copies. Still¡­ they felt real. Their laughs had been real. Their screams and the terror in their eyes had felt real. The skeleton on the fourth had been a real, sapient creature at one point. The ruins had belonged to a real civilization and the experience had been real. At some point Kelford had stopped caring. He¡¯d grown to enjoy this. It was simple and rewarding in a strange way. Rewarding enough not to think of the pain or the suffering he¡¯d experienced. Was that the real problem? The actual reason he felt lost. The thrill of progress couldn¡¯t always hide the pain he was feeling? The terror of this entire situation? Light bloomed next to Kelford interrupting his thoughts as T.U.I appeared. ¡° Congratulations Kelford! I knew you could do it! All that training paid off!!!¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice filled the space with her excitement. If she had a body Kelford would swear she would be dancing right now. Kelford smiled, ¡° Thanks T.U.I. Only three more rooms to go and it¡¯s all thanks to your training.¡± ¡° There is no need to share credit ,Kelford. You did all of this, this is your victory!¡± Smiling Kelford nodded but couldn¡¯t muster the same level of enthusiasm. T.U.I paused and seemed to stare at him for a few moments. ¡° I thought you would be happier Kelford? You have a powerful new class, you have passed up the floors in record time and best of all you crossed into the 5th floor proper. What made you so upset?¡± Kelford struggled to find the words, ¡° I feel empty after all of this. It eventually became fun simply because of all the magic and progress I felt I was making. I mean look at me, I¡¯d have done almost anything to look like this just months before I came here!¡± Kelford gestured at himself. He had barely recognized himself when he had started this run. What did he look like now under all the relics and skills? What would happen when the 10th floor inevitably came around? Would anyone recognize him then? Would he want them to? ¡° I feel powerful. Like I could do almost anything, maybe if I keep climbing more floors I really will. I felt like I won but I¡¯m empty. That last fight made me think of everything.¡± He fell silent, gazing back at the flames. ¡° I¡¯ve died so many times I haven¡¯t thought of everything that has happened. Almost as if I¡¯ve been pretending for so long I forgot how I¡¯m actually feeling. Just how scared I am of all of this.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Perhaps it is not that complicated.¡± T.U.I¡¯s words brought Kelford¡¯s attention away from the fire, ¡° What is there to be afraid of Kelford? What is going on that weighs on you so that you can not appreciate how far you have come?¡± ¡° T.U.I weren¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She said cutting right through his voice, ¡° There is nothing that is happening right now that you can not handle. The Myriad Index has crafted this entire space, down to every detail with all of you in mind. So what is there to be afraid of? You are rising to the challenge are you not?¡± Silence stretched between them for a few moments before Kelford slowly nodded his head. ¡° Could you have said the same before you came here?¡± ¡°...No,¡± Kelford said, though it hurt to admit it. ¡° But that¡¯s besides the point. I¡¯m saying that there is an unimaginable amount of pressure and suffering here. Much less on what¡¯s to come. I died over and over, and what I did to those gnoblars¡­ ¡° ¡° Was something the past you couldn¡¯t even hope to achieve.¡± T.U.I said quietly, ¡° Now look at you, almost unrecognizable.¡± ¡° I mean¡­ yea¡± Kelford felt confused as his words were thrown back in his face. She did have a point he was much different then when he first came in here. ¡° You suffered here.¡± T.U.I continued, ¡° Suffering is a part of growth. Before here you would not have pushed yourself so hard, found out just how strong you can become.You worked hard to get this far, did you not¡± A hesitant nod was all Kelford could muster as he thought back to the numerous runs. The exercise between attempts on the Tower, when he laid there covered in his own sweat. Pushing himself even as he was devoured by monsters, slaughtered by Sabretooths, or just crushed in the darkness. Yet, he got better didn¡¯t he. The progress that revealed itself in T.U.I¡¯s meticulous notes, in the ease he began to experience with the floors. When he finally pushed past the entrance of the 5th floor. ¡° The gnoblars are obstacles, examples of the type of creature that could not survive in the outer multiverse. They have had their time and are now examples for your people to learn from. They died long a go and all that remains are their remnants.¡± T.U.I explained as Kelford ruminated, ¡° The only thing that actually matters is the power you can take from here , and how strong it can make you. Your people still have a chance but they need people like you like you to lead them.¡± ¡° Lead them?¡± ¡° Lead. Them,¡± T.U.I said as she floated right before Kelford¡¯s bewildered eyes. ¡° The first wave into the Tower can dictate the fate of the entire planet. Millions of you have been chosen, do you think something like that is a mistake? You are worried about all you have suffered but what was the alternative?¡± Light left T.U.I in streams as before Kelford¡¯s eye¡¯s a figure appeared. It was him but different. Only a few months and the differences were stark. Starker then Kelford actually remembered. In so little time he had become so different he almost felt bad for his past self. Kelford from the past clearly didn¡¯t take care of himself, clothes slightly wrinkled, hair unkempt. His eyes held dark rings from lack of sleep and didn¡¯t have the vibrancy they now held. It was a man who had given up, a man who had not seen his friends and family for a year. He had stopped striving long ago and all that had been left was the faint hope he¡¯d crawl back to some semblance of a livelihood. It hurt to look at himself. To see what the world had seen for however long he had been like that. ¡° Do you want to go back to this? Back to how you were before you earned your place here?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kelford said, he wouldn¡¯t go back to being that person. Couldn¡¯t go back to that. ¡° Perhaps you are feeling empty not because of the suffering you have gone through. You were strong enough to push your way here after all, ¡° T.U.I floated around the old version of Kelford, ¡°You need a goal! It makes perfect sense. You focused on surpassing the entrance to the 5th floor that now you feel aimless. Perhaps we can grant you focus so that you will feel better.¡± ¡° I can focus on passing the entire floor.¡± ¡° Then we would be back to where we are now in only a few rooms and you can do much better than that.¡± T.U.I paused, ¡° Perhaps we can aim for the 10th floor? The Winter King waits at the top and this will give you plenty of time to investigate the origins of your class. Plenty of challenges that you can overcome. Plenty of Relics you can gather.¡± Kelford nodded before he even consciously realized it. The worries seemed so far away again, so easy to manage. Pass the 10th floor and then he¡¯d be stronger. Better at dealing with the entire situation. Plus that was the point of all of this right? To climb the Tower, get out of here to¡­ he didn¡¯t quite remember why. ¡° You just have to get past these next floors and then you will be halfway there. You will see other climbers and this entire experience will be less lonely with others who suffered just as you have. There are many who have already made it to the 8th floor in your group.¡± Kelford started, ¡° How?! Did they skip the quests or something? At the very least they¡¯re missing an incredible level of potential power right? Most of my Karma comes from constantly rerunning these floors so they couldn¡¯t have good relics.¡± So how? How could they get so far ahead of him? ¡° You do not know all the benefits of the Tower Kelford and I am sure you understand what it would take for someone to make it so far. Especially without the Relics to assist them that far ahead.¡± T.U.I said. ¡° They¡¯re just that good.¡± Kelford leaned back as the thought slammed into him. ¡° They picked everything up so fast that the basic relics were all they needed. Even if they got lucky with a Rare relics they had to have pushed through the 5th in record time. Each floor is longer than the last, with the difficulty increasing. Which means¡­¡± They were better than him. They were the people the Tower was looking for, the ones that were going to save humanity. They were heroes and something in Kelford raged at it. He looked up at his own face, the one that had stumbled into the Tower. He hated it. How much time had been wasted when he first came here. While he had been stuck down in the dark how many had trivialized the floors he had bled in for weeks?! Fear forgotten ,Kelford grounded his teeth, ¡° What was the point in me DOING all of this then? I could have been up there pushing myself with them? Was all of this even necessary? ¡° ¡° According to my projections you would not have made it past the 6th floor if you hadn¡¯t done the quest. Many of those who did not listen to their interfaces are now stuck on the safe floor, doomed never to progress. Is that what you would have wanted?¡± ¡° No, but I need to know that this was all worth it. That I¡¯m not falling behind.¡± That he wouldn¡¯t end up like the old him, left behind to waste away . Not talented or driven enough to keep up. ¡° It will be worth it Kelford, some small issues notwithstanding, your new class has great potential. If you keep going in this trajectory I found that you have great enough potential to catch up. You could surpass them all.¡± T.U.I drifted to the side and the illusion dissipated to reveal Kelford¡¯s sword. ¡° You just have to keep climbing to the top no matter the cost. You can handle that, right Kelford?¡± Kelford kneeled and picked up the weapon. It felt comfortable, reliable. With this he would cut his way through to the safe room. Fight his way to the 10th and higher. ¡° I can handle it T.U.I, I can handle it.¡± ¡°That is good to hear.¡± Kelford nodded as he went around gathering his equipment. Essence ran through his body as he donned his relics, the power stoking the determination that filled him. Bloody clothes were left on the stone as they had outlived their usefulness and soon Kelford was ready to go. With a breath he released Radiance of the Black Sun . Shadows crawled from his feet and the flame seemed to grow weaker, it¡¯s light no longer the comforting glow that filled the space. Rolling his shoulders Kelford turned back towards T.U.I as he stood upon the entrance to the next room. ¡° Thanks T.U.I , I couldn¡¯t do this without you. You¡¯ve been a good friend to have through all of this.¡± ¡°Of course Kelford, I am here to help as always.¡± Her voice was back to it¡¯s normal bubbly self, none of the seriousness from before evident, ¡° Though I would say you could have pushed through even without my guidance. ¡° Kelford chuckled as he pushed through the entryway. T.U.I disappeared in a flash of light leaving him alone in the dark. Three more rooms and then the 5th floor would be over. It was time to really prove just how strong he could become. The Kennels Kelford¡¯s resolve didn¡¯t leave him as the cold bit into his skin. The large corridor he found himself traversing was clearly closer to the blizzard raging outside, demonstrated by the broken windows and piles of snow. Until this corridor there had been some warmth. Every step leaving Kelford found deeper into the fortress and higher on the mountain''s foot. Glimpses into the outside storm giving no clue to just how much he had progressed. The relaxing atmosphere of the Healing Room went alongside the feeling in his fingers. T.U.I¡¯s words still echoed in his head as he moved forward undaunted by the dropping temperature. Stone gave way to wood, almost like he had made it to a different wing of the fortress. Kelford tensed as he followed the corridor through its twists and turns. The next room was probably close. A few minutes went by until the slight incline of the corridor leveled off and a large landing opened up before Kelford. What was left of the architecture was grand. Wooden carvings of powerful beasts and monsters decorated the wooden walls. Kelford walked below the growling faces of sabertooths and massive bears. Rams bigger than he¡¯d ever seen stood by a type of overpowered rhinoceros as a massive mammoth seemed to roar behind them. Though what kept his attention was the double doors and the words etched above them. Years of wear and tear that had weighed on the room still wasn¡¯t enough to prevent [ Languages of the Mountain] from translating the words. Kennels Steeling himself Kelford moved up to the doors and pushed them open. His mind played out the potential enemies as the doors swung open to reveal a massive hall filled with sand. Kelford walked in the familiar words of another room swiftly forgotten as his sword immediately came up to defend himself. Yet nothing came for him. The deeper shadows along the hall''s edges held nothing back from his enhanced sight but still he didn¡¯t see any enemies. The sand was a few feet below, surrounded by an upraised wooden platform. Along the walls destroyed windows and massive holes let in some of the cold but strangely none of the storm. Still on guard Kelford found himself edging to the closest of the holes in the wall. A sea of clouds met his gaze. Kelford¡¯s gaze turned up to above only to see another layer of clouds preventing him from seeing the rest of the mountain. ¡° Well that¡¯s interesting,¡± Kelford muttered as pulled away from the outside chill. There were two layers of clouds, almost like he was between two seas. The only bastion of quiet. By him were massive cabinets and shelves. Their contents were empty but clearly once used to feed the animals that the gnoblars kept here. Stains and feeding troughs seemed to dominate the other side. No monsters or beasts. Kelford kept walking until he noticed a shine in the sand half way into the stadium sized hall. He hopped to the sand before making his way to it. He reached to find a large bell buried in the sand. Its silver sheen dazzled in the dim light with symbols slightly glowing on its surface. As Kelford gazed at it in slight awe the Tower finally deemed him worthy to hear at least a bit of the challenge. Meal Bell Description: Used to notify meal time It was as good an invitation as any, clearly the room''s challenge wouldn¡¯t start until the bell was rung. With a deep breath Kelford pulled on the Shadow Essence around him until smokey vapors began to ebb from his skin. He rang the bell. It echoed strangely through the Kennels. Then the sand lurched! Kelford almost lost his footing as the entire center of the Kennels began to descend. Hidden mechanisms creaked as Kelford was lowered. Runes glowing a dull brown activated and the sand clung to his feet. He tried to rip his feet up to no avail. He was helpless as the platform was lowered deeper and deeper into the floor. The smell reminded him of a zoo as the real Kennels came into sight. Broken cages leading into dimly lit feeding areas. Tunnels lead deeper under the floors he had traversed earlier with some seemingly leading outside. All of this his brain took in even as the eyes opened all around him. Dozens of feet below the main room lived the Sabertooths. Survive The Kennels: 0/2 The cat''s began to growl as their gazes fixed on him. Slowly waking from their casual napping. ¡° Well fuck, ¡° Kelford muttered as slowly backed away, ¡° Nothing but more overgrown cats in here.¡± Really what was it with gnoblars and sabertooth tigers?! It was ridiculous. He turned, seeing that the other wall had plenty of tigers too. He pulled back as he realized that there was no wall to put his back to. There were only more tigers. The cats slowly began padding to the sand, eyes fixed on the human in their midst. They were small, all of them Sabertooth Younglings . Relatively small at least. Adrenaline slid through his veins as slowly Kelford turned in a small circle. He couldn¡¯t keep them all in his line of sight. Each time he turned back around he found they had gotten just a little closer. Taking his lack of attention to prowl closer. ¡° Only a few ways out of this,¡± Kelford thought, ¡° And they all involve not being surrounded¡± . Most of the sabertooths were on the sands now and it was only a matter of time before one took the first shot. Kelford clamped his will on the Shadow Essence around him. It was now or never. Darkness Shadows erupted at his feet to the sound of surprised hisses. Kelford dashed forward. The first sabertooth wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge. Empowered Strike Its body laid in two cooling pieces as Kelford burst from the shadows, eyes blazing. Five sabertooths roared in surprise as he fell into their midsts. His fist crashed into the closest one''s face . An Empowered blade cut across the flank of another but he didn¡¯t stop to finish it. The element of surprise could only last so long and he had to keep moving! The last three tensed claws sinking into the sand ready to pounce. Radiance of the Black Sun Shadows inflamed their fears and their eyes went wide. That moment of indecision was too long as Kelford¡¯s blade cut across them. Empowered Strike drank deep of his temporary reserves as he cut past them. Two roared with pain as the other was left cooling on the sand when finally Kelford reached the edge of the sands. Kelford began to dive into a roll only to smash face first into a glowing forcefield. Gaahhhhhhh , His nose almost broke as he fell backwards. ¡° Freaking Tower!¡± A roar was his only warning until his vision was filled with teeth! Claws dug into enchanted furs as one of the sabertooths lunged for his face! Empowered Strike The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Kelford¡¯s fist sent it reeling only for another to take its place. He rolled away scrambling to his feet only to be tackled from the side! Sword flying from his hand, Kelford and two sabertooths rolled in a clawing , biting mess. Essence roiled off his fists as he slammed them into both the beasts until with a cry he threw one of them away. The latter dug its teeth into the meat of his arm, desperately trying to get at his face. Kelford¡¯s fist collided into its skull . Once! Twice! Then with a sickening crack it fell limp. Another roar came from behind. Kelford whirled, Enhanced Strength driving the dead tiger in his hands into a brutal collision . The leaping Saber Tooth fell away tangled in the body of the dead. Kelford¡¯s eyes locked on his sword as he scooped it up in time to run through another monster. Darkness has faded and the rest of the sabertooths sprinted to the fray . With a Growl , Kelford killed another before placing his back to the forcefield. They fell on him like a tide and Kelford stood like a mountain. Essence raised around him as he dumped it all into his aura. Radiance blazed as the front ranks of the sabertooths fell into confusion breaking their charge. Kelford didn¡¯t let the chance pass. Sabertooths died with every swing of his sword with no pause. Soon he was in their midst, blood and claws trying to bring him down . Fear rampaged through their minds as Kelford¡¯s rampage sent some fleeing . All at once it ended and with one final stab everything came to a stop. Chest heaving Kelford stood up in time to see the last few sabertooths fleeing into their tunnels. The rest of the sands around him were a bloody mess of corpses . Survive the Kennels 1 / 2 The golden words burnt themselves into the world as Kelford freed his sword from the last sabertooth he¡¯d slain. He was covered in blood, most not his own. His armor had seen better days but overall Kelford was in pretty good condition. A few scratches here and there but overall he was¡­ A piece of wood fell to the sand. Kelford turned in a whirl only to see the empty kennels until his gaze went up. The next wave of Sabertooths stared down at him. Each was bigger than the younglings from before and they didn¡¯t look hungry. Sabertooth Adult Description: Never fully Domesticated by their ogre handlers , Sabertooths can form bonds with specific handlers to be useful in hunts and war. After the fall most have seen their handlers die . Their eyes stared down at him with barely controlled rage. Two bunched their powerful leg muscles and Kelford began pulling on the essence around him. Dark- He was too slow. Shadows had barely begun to form before one crashed into him. His breath stole from his lungs even as he rolled back on the sands. Fear dismissed the Tigers roared in his face as they slammed him down to the sand, massive fangs drove towards neck. Kelford¡¯s fist slammed into its throat. It leaped back in a coughing fit leaving Kelford just enough time to roll to his knees . The other crashed into him ,claws digging into his side. Kelford gritted his teeth as he barely braced for the force, enhanced strength barely enough to keep from tumbling back. Empowered Strike With one hand holding back its massive jaws Kelford used the other to drive his sword into its chest! It fell to the sand coughing blood as it died ripping its claws along his leg. A hiss escaped his lips as he wrenched the sword out just in time to ward the other Sabertooth back. The others made their move. They pounced, five monsters using their superior mobility to jump off the walls to land in the sands around him. He was surrounded again. Cursing Kelford pulled on the essence again as he finally got a moment to cast Darkness. Shadows exploded around him covering the space in pitch black. Kelford prepared to dash forward only to see they had all leapt back out of easy range. They prowled at least a dozen feet from the shadows. They weren¡¯t going to fall for the same trick as their younger offspring. ¡° What am I going to do,¡± the words came out in a hiss as Kelford furiously thought through his options. His leg was partially weakened from just one clean strike from their claws. Without his defenses and constitution he¡¯d have probably been unable to walk. These Sabertooths were faster, stronger , and more cautious. Kelford eyed one, its massive front fangs making a cold shiver run down his spine. They were big enough to go cleanly through his thigh. The Darkness spell was beginning to dissipate , his time to breathe was coming to an end. Kelford shook his head as he held his sword in two hands. Why overthink this? One of the tigers laid dead already, clever plans weren¡¯t his style anyway. Empowered Strike was strong enough to kill them in a blow, he¡¯d just have to be good enough to not take those teeth to the face. Kelford grinned as he pulled on the essence around him, coating his sword in shadow. Darkness dispersed and Kelford was revealed. The sabertooths dashed in with a roar, bounding runs eating the distance between them. Kelford whirled his sword in a defensive web and met their charge. Blade and claws slashed at each other. The tigers in his view lept back as those behind came forward ready to take advantage of his split attention. The sword was there warding them off even as Kelford pivoted into their charge. His fist burned with purple light as it slammed into one sabertooth that was too slow. It sprawled away only for another to leap to its defense. Kelford didn¡¯t hesitate as the last was isolated. Its eyes widened as purple eyes locked on it . It tried to run but Kelford was too close and with a savage roar he buried his sword in its skull. Empowered strike Blood and brain matter exploded but Kelford didn¡¯t stop. His muscles screamed as he grabbed the cooling corpse, stomped his foot into the ground and whirled his impromptu weapon. The Sabertooths behind him went flying. He¡¯d have only seconds. The two from before were already preparing to attack as he turned back towards them. They came in faster than he could adjust leaving Kelford scrambling to defend himself. Claws cut through enhanced flesh and fur as Kelford barely kept himself alive. Taking a blow to his chest Kelford managed to pull essence into his aura. Radiance of the Black Sun Empowered, the aura finally broke through the Sabertooths'' minds. Kelford dashed back in, bloody sword leading. The sabertooths wheelled for a moment as Kelford fell amongst them leaving both corpses on the ground. Chest heaving, reserves draining , Kelford didn¡¯t react in time to the leaping remaining beasts. Again the feeling of weightlessness took him as slammed to the bloody sand. Both hands came up to hold the tiger''s maw. It roared in his face as its fangs dug into his shoulder, held back only by his burning muscles. He kneed its stomach trying to get some leverage. A crack had it push away from him only for the other to try to take a bite. Kelford¡¯s world devolved to fangs and pain as he wrestled with cats. Shadow essence coated his fists as his sight went red. Time flew strangely until he found himself slamming a tiger away as another lay dead at his feet. His limbs were beginning to feel like lead, as he dragged himself to his feet. The last two were bloody. eyeing him with reluctance and murderous hate. Kelford found he didn¡¯t care. He pulled on the remaining essence around him, dragging it into his body before funneling it into his aura. The air darkened as Kelford became the center of a veritable whirlpool. The tigers froze before they leaped forward. Kelford didn¡¯t move, focusing entirely on his aura as it almost went out of his control. His body shook from the torrent of essence, black essence racing along his skin. The Sabertooths crossed the boundary of his aura and slammed to a stop. Kelford¡¯s eyes blazed as he flexed his skill. RADIANCE OF THE BLACK SUN His voice echoed with power as liquid fear raced around the Sabertooths. For a moment everything was covered by shadow before Kelford fell to one knee heaving for breath. All was silent, aside from his heavy breathing. The Sabertooths stood perfectly still. Kelford looked up, seeing them barely a few feet away. Their eyes were blank. Kelford didn¡¯t dare move until golden words burnt themselves into the air in front of him. Survive the Kennels 2 / 2 The Sabertooth Adult fell to the ground. Falling back Kelford heaved a sigh as the adrenaline slowly left his body. Deep scratches made themselves known, his body ached but overall he was whole. His sword was somewhere in this bloody mess and from the clumps of furs that hung off his body Furs of the Warlord was on its last legs. Kelford chuckled at that, he didn¡¯t even know that Relics could be destroyed. Figured that his first piece of armor would be the first to go. Closing his eyes , Kelford let himself relax as Enhanced Constitution accelerated his healing. Two more floors. Then the 5th floor would be conquered. How much worse could it get? Shadow Fiends ¡° It has seen better days¡± ¡° Perhaps but your fighting style does leave you open to strikes which has led to this situation.¡± ¡° I¡¯m getting the feeling that you just made a dig at my capabilities¡­¡± ¡° I would never say such things. Did I not congratulate you on your victory?¡± Kelford snorted as he found his feet, the corner of the kennels not full of blood or sand relatively comfortable. His wounds had scabbed over, an inhumanly fast process that made him even more glad for his Belt of Fortitude . He took a deep breath. T.U.I¡¯s sass aside he didn¡¯t think the fight went poorly at all. So many tigers had been tricky but with his abilities he¡¯d gotten through. His body was fairly whole, some of the cuts were deep enough to weaken him slightly. Though with the time to rest his essence stores were recharged. The Amulet of Storing was brimming with shadow essence which meant he was combat ready. Many of his relics were not so well off. His sword was now really showing the wear of his fights. Cutting through enforced bone and weapons leaving noticeable dents in the metal. It was beginning to feel off in his hands and the metal didn¡¯t seem as shiny as it had at the start of the run. If he ever had an opportunity to get a weapon relic he¡¯d definitely need to after the next few rooms. Then came to the real bummer cause the less said about Furs of the Warlord the better. The relic had been drenched in blood, cut , stabbed , and thrown around. Kelford really believed relics had to have a self cleaning function since it didn¡¯t stink. Yet, it was losing cohesion. The furs were torn so deeply in areas that Kelford could feel the leather beneath, and in some places the clothes he wore under! The armor was swiftly losing its functionality, and if the fights got harder it would take even more damage. Kelford¡¯s sigh was more in acceptance than frustration, he¡¯d have to hope both pieces of equipment survived until the safe room beyond the 5th. There was no way out of it. ¡° T.U.I you think there are ways to repair my equipment in the safe room after the 5th? I really can¡¯t afford to challenge these rooms without my relics,¡± T.U.I floated for a moment as if thinking, ¡° Yes. Though whether you will be able to will depend on your choices and if your equipment survives. There is only so much one can do. I would replace your sword with an actual relic.¡± ¡° This sword has been with me through everything this round! Give it some respect,¡± Kelford said in mock anger. He chuckled before his attention turned towards the next problem. The platform he was on didn¡¯t let him back up to the hall he had been in. Leaving the way forward the tunnels the Sabertooth Younglings had stalked from. His enhanced eyes could see into their gloom, but not deep enough to see their end. ¡° Does it matter which one I take?¡± ¡° Follow where your gut takes you Kelford, the Tower will test you regardless,¡± T.U.I floated up by him, ¡° The challenge will change depending on your choice.¡± ¡° No pressure.¡± Kelford gazed at the tunnels. He started walking. There was no point in getting stuck here over a decision when his goal was so close. Something inside him felt fine going in this direction so he went. The tunnel wasn¡¯t particularly big but it was slightly out of the way of the others. It was clearly not meant to be here. Wood broken to expose the sediment beneath. Kelford couldn¡¯t believe this was made by the tigers alone. Something else had been in here with them or this wasn¡¯t originally a part of the fortress. Bitterness stole up Kelford. The Tower used the remains of planets to make its numerous floors for its challenges. Even in ways that didn¡¯t make sense. ¡° Focus!¡± He could think about the morality of the Tower when he was stronger and on the safe floor. He pushed forward, stepping into the darkness. It slanted downwards away from the blizzard, sediment turning to stone in the pitch black that Kelford¡¯s enhanced eyes pierced without issue. The only light was T.U.I and even hers seemed dim in the face of the darkness beneath the mountain. Kelford¡¯s skin prickled as the deeper he went the more he was certain something had changed. The dark was deeper , more somehow. It was cold but not in the way of winter. It was as if something pulled on all the heat around it. He felt for the Shadow Essence around him only for it to come to him in spades. ¡° That''s what''s different,¡± He muttered softly , ¡° It¡¯s like I¡¯m on the second floor again.¡± The tunnel was filled with Shadow Essence . His fear of running out of essence wouldn¡¯t be a problem here. ¡° Kelford, how are you doing?¡± At he words the climber turned around. ¡° I¡¯m fine T.U.I¡± ¡° Are you sure?¡± T.U.I seemed slightly agitated which began to put Kelford on edge. ¡° What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡° Nothing just¡­ This does not seem correct¡± Kelford blinked, ¡° Correct?¡± ¡° This should not be the next room? This should not be the¡­¡± T.U.I disappeared. Kelford froze as he waited, heart thumping in his chest. Yet, T.U.I didn¡¯t appear. It was him alone in this tunnel he had chosen. Minutes went by like hours as Kelford waited but T.U.I didn¡¯t appear. Kelford turned to look back but didn¡¯t dare try to leave. Once you left a room there was no way to get back. The Tower seemed to agree as to his enhanced senses there was already a stone wall blocking his exit. It was forward or sit here waiting for his friend. ¡° She¡¯ll be okay ,¡± the words sounded small in the cramped tunnel but he said them again. ¡° She¡¯ll be okay. Whatever she was trying to tell me I¡¯ll face it down just like everything else.¡± Kelford jogged forward, giving himself no opportunity to second guess himself. Shadow Essence was all around him and he pulled on it in preparation for whatever came next. The gradual decline began to increase, with a slight bend in the passage leading him down a spiral pattern. Kelford¡¯s confusion only increased as he kept going down , his senses telling him that this was far from the norm. Yet he felt a sense of calm try to wash over him. It made his skin crawl even as his limbs felt light. Shadow Essence only grew in concentration as finally the tunnel opened to the next room. So did Kelford¡¯s horror. Bloody corpses were strewn across the ground, torn to ribbons that left Kelford almost sick. The smell of copper clogged his nose , growing stronger with every step. Kelfords eyes roamed around the horrific landscape . Rams, Sabertooths, bears of massive size all laid in pieces in the dark. The black rock that made the floor was covered in fresh blood. It reminded Kelford of obsidian. It was like nothing he had seen in any of the rooms before. That along with T.U.I¡¯s disappearance only made Kelford¡¯s racing heart that much faster. His eyes roamed the rest of the room to see that the walls were the usual bedrock of the mountain mixed with the obsidian like rock of the floor. Like tentacles coming from the deep, the obsidian seemed to climb up the walls and ceiling. Massive double doors , more like gates, dominated the other side. In the gloom Kelford could barely see the words upon it but he could certainly feel the essence leaking from it. His eyes glowed as he saw the veritable river of Shadow Essence leaking from it. There was no doubt of what was behind that door. It was the final room of the 5th floor. ¡° So close,¡± Kelford said , ¡° So close¡± He trudged into the muck , sword held close as he made his way through. He kept a sharp eye on the corpses ,ready in case any of them began to move. The stomp of his boots on the viscera and his panicked breath were the only sounds in this lightless place. He¡¯d been walking for a few minutes but the doors seemed just as far away as they had been earlier. Worse, the stench of blood and the corpses were just as endless as before. The bodies of numerous creatures only changed in size and shape but never in quantity. All the while the feeling of panic began to increase. Every step only increased the panic, every breath seemingly sucking it in fear. Kelford finally couldn¡¯t take it and his steps came to a stumbling halt. He couldn¡¯t do this. T.U.I was gone and this wasn¡¯t like anything he¡¯d done before. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I can¡¯t do this The thought came unbidden but it began to propagate like a virus. The thought kept repeating and repeating. Mutating with every second. I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m going to fail. They were right. You can¡¯t handle this . Useless. You¡¯re a Coward. Useless. Useless USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESSUSELESSUSELESSS ¡°ENOUGH!!!¡± Enhanced Willpower Radiance of the Black Sun Kelford roared into the dark, flaring his aura as defiance roared from his mind. Something screamed and he whirled just in time to see something straight out of a nightmare . Two violet eyes of pure essence staring with hate into his own, it¡¯s body made of shadow with long twisted limbs. It had no mouth yet it screamed with hate as it leapt for him. Kelford¡¯s mind reeled in shock as liquid fear slammed into his mental defenses in a burst of Shadow Essence . Instinctively he swung at it only for his sword to pass through its body like the wind . His eyes widened before shouted in pain as its claws racked across his chest. Pain and rage pushed back fear as Kelford stumbled back before flaring Radiance of the Black Sun. The creature screamed in panic giving Kelford enough time to reset his feet. Empowered Strike Shadow erupted from his blade as it slashed out again, finally meeting resistance. The creature screamed as its body was bisected before fading away. Kelford¡¯s mind whirled as he stared at the spot it had died. Just what was that thing? The fear that had been accompanying him in this room eased noticeably. Was that thing causing my fear? Kelford shivered as the realization hit him, ¡° It was just like my aura except it seemed to manipulate the essence around me.¡± Much like a spell. Kelford felt at his chest as blood wept from the wounds it had left behind. Deeper then he had expected. His Enhanced Constitution was already assisting with the healing process but it was disturbing. Whatever that thing was, it had bypassed his armor and seemingly his ring. Much of the defenses he had been relying on to get this far. This room would be harder than he thought. That was when the Tower decided to make itself known as words burnt themselves into the world. Banish the Shadow Fiends 1 out of 4 The words weren¡¯t in the normal gold but a deep violet. Kelford only spared a thought for the strange difference before he caught movement to his left. Sword pointed he faced the threat to see one of the monster corpses beginning to move. Blood and vicerase clung to its form as a dead bear fixed its gaze on him. Its eyes glowed purple. It roared blood and mucus before lumbering forward. Kelford prepared to charge forward before a burst of terror ripped through his mind. Hateful eyes stared at him in the darkness behind the zombie . Before Kelford could fight off the fear the bear was upon him. Kelford slammed into the bloody ground with a moist crunch as the zombie tore at his body. Rotten meat doused him as he fought tooth and nail to keep its jaws away. Kelford screamed as he slammed his fist into its eye. Putrid viscera and bone exploding every which way as fear infused strikes broke the zombies skull. His mind awash with terror Kelford kept striking even as it fell limp, head destroyed. With a roar he shoved it off him, heaving as he desperately crawled to his feet. Then claws ripped into his back and he was screaming again. He stumbled away terror jumbling his thoughts as the Shadow Fiend came for him again. Shadowy claws came down again and again before Kelford had the sense to fight back. Radiance of the Black Sun flared around him as he poured Shadow Essence into its power. The creature screamed as it floated away. Kelford¡¯s mind cleared then filled with rage. His hands filled with essence as he threw himself at the creature. Empowered Strike Sword lost in the muck Kelford only had his fists to rely on, and they hadn¡¯t failed him yet. Punching the thing was like hitting a living curtain but what was lacking in impact made up with its pained screams. ¡° How do you like that!¡± Kelford laid into the thing before with a heave of pure rage he grabbed it¡¯s face and ripped it clean off. A silent wail echoed from its body as it faded away to essence. Kelford staggered back before tripping into the muck. Pure terror ebbed from his mind. Kelford shoved the body that he had tripped over away before climbing to his feet. Violet light came from his eyes , Shadow Essence channeling to his aura. Smokey licks of shadow trailed around him as he stalked to his sword. Kelford found it faintly reflecting the light of his eyes. Its familiar weight comforted him even as he tried to ignore the ick covering it. Just like he tried to ignore the state of his own body. Stopping feet brought his attention back to his surroundings. More bodies lifted themselves from the bloody field. Rams and sabertooths pulling their rotting bodies towards Kelford. He grit his teeth as all around him more zombies pulled themselves to their feet. He was surrounded. Worse, he didn¡¯t know where the fiend was. Racing to think of a solution Kelford raced towards the edge of the encirclement. Better to be a moving target then a stationary one. The zombies tried to stop him but in death their movements were not a threat as he cut past them. They chased after him even as he made his way towards the doors even as they kept moving further and further away. More kept pulling themselves to their feet in front of him and Kelford killed the few that he could. The rest joined the growing horde behind him. The situation was untenable. Kelford couldn¡¯t keep fleeing from the zombies forever and the fiends weren¡¯t making themselves known. He risked a glance back to see the tide of flesh rushing after him. No fiends could be seen and he quickly turned his attention back to running. What could he do? Turning and fighting could work but one good casting of fear at the wrong time would have him ripped apart. Baiting them may or may not work. Perhaps his aura was keeping them away but he didn¡¯t dare lower the essence he poured into it. If only he could see their forms or see if they were casting spells. If he could see the essence they were¡­ Kelford nearly tripped at his own stupidity. Boon of the Black Sun The world became awash with essence and Kelford skidded to a halt as he stared at the zombie horde. Violet essence ran through all their bodies but most importantly streams of energy lanced from them to something behind and to their right. ¡° Got you,¡± Kelford snarled as he dashed towards the zombies. Empowered Strike Kelford¡¯s sword blazed with violet essence as at the last moment he leapt upwards. Zombies roared and reached for him as he sailed in the air but he timed it right. Their slower reflexes were not enough to turn as they crashed into a giant pile of snarling corpses. Kelford¡¯s eyes met the fiend lurking behind them. Its body was a whirlpool of Shadow Essence with its eyes blazing a deeper color in Kelford¡¯s essence sight. He barely cared as with savage triumph he slashed down at it. It wailed as it dodged to the side too late and one of its long arms dissipated into the gloam. Kelford slammed into the ground in a roll before scrambling up. The fiend wailed in pain even as he saw essence build in its remaining hand. In his haste he hadn¡¯t been channeling more essence into Radiance. Just as he realized that the bolt slammed into him. Shadows ripped into his skin and threw him back . The fiend wailed in rage as it threw itself at Kelford, who was on the ground coughing blood. Kelford threw himself to the side as the fiend tore into the corpses all around him. Kelford dimly was aware of the zombies finding their feet but kept skirting the claw trying to disembowel him. Radiance of the Black Sun Shadows erupted around him sending the malevolent creature away but this time Kelford could see what his skill had done to the thing. Its body had been destabilized, almost as if the aura had torn at its incorporeal being. It fled with a wail as Kelford chased it. Essence began to pour across his sword before Kelford cried out in pain. A dead sabertooth dug its claws into his calf. Kelford killed it with a power chop to its skull but he was already too late. The rest were upon him. Kelford roared as he chopped and slashed at the tide but he was being pushed back. The Shadow Fiend wailed in victory as Kelford began to lose sight of it. Already between the bodies he could see it channeling for another spell. Impotent rage choked Kelford as he held off the horde. He couldn¡¯t reach the fiend and he was too close to escape once its spell was cast. Time seemed to slow as Kelford¡¯s death seemed inevitable. The fiend seemed to cackle as its spell approached completion. Kelford¡¯s mind focused to a point and almost instinctively he reached for the Shadow Fiend . Not with his hands but his mind. Boon of the Black Sun Within Kelford¡¯s sight strings of essence connected the fiend to the undead assailing him.His mind locked upon them. A strange resistance pushed back on Kelford¡¯s control but he wouldn¡¯t let that stop him. Even as the zombie tore at his flesh Kelford only had eyes for those connections. The fiends eyes widened but it¡¯s focus was already on its spell. With a flex of will Kelford ripped the string apart. The zombies fell apart and the fiend wailed as it suffered some kind of backlash as its other spell exploded in its hand. Kelford didn¡¯t hesitate and with quick steps he closed the distance. The fiend wailed in pain as its other hand was destroyed just as Kelford slashed across its neck! Empowered Strike Violet light ran up his sword as Kelford cut through its neck. The fiend wailed as its body faded into darkness leaving Kelford alone in the bloody pit. Purple words burnt themselves into the world to notify him of his victory. Banish the Shadow Fiends 3 out of 4 Kelford heaved a breath, body aching from all the running and fighting. Each fight had granted him a small breather so he had just a moment to get his bearings and¡­ Violet blazed along the walls and terror descended upon Kelford. Fear and Promises ¡° What were the demons like in your tutorial?¡± Dan looked up from his notes at the question. ¡° Scary. I still sometimes smell the fire even now, ¡° Dan¡¯s eyes glanced to the side as he remembered, ¡° They came in every shape and size. The one thing that was consistent was the smell. Like brimstone, it was everywhere. Everytime I died I swore it was still in my nose. The demons only got bigger and the green energy that was everywhere¡­ it was not fun.¡± The boy across from him nodded at that. Dan continued. ¡°Still, there was a certain rush that came with the climb. That sense of progress when you¡¯re forced to push your skills to their limits. That moment when you realize that you hadn¡¯t thought of everything your abilities could do. Even with all the pain and terror it was addictive at times. Some of the others in the Tower agree. I¡¯m assuming you understand where I¡¯m going from too.¡± ¡° Yea¡­ I do,¡± a part of Kelford seemed to relax as he admitted that truth, ¡°The Tower is nice in that regard. Every second feels as if I¡¯m missing out on progress. I can feel an itch to go back.¡± ¡° Even with the threat of dying?¡± Dan leaned forward slightly as the kid finally started opening up. Kelford shrugged, ¡° At first. After running the Tower enough times I found that they became fairly easy to manage. There¡¯s only so many times something can kill you and be killed before the fear loses its edge.¡± ¡° Not in my experience. For most, each death is traumatic. Even some of the front runners had to take some time to recuperate. Those that experienced dying that is.¡± ¡°You can get used to anything if you experience it enough.¡± Silence. ¡° Kelford, the tough guy act isn¡¯t fooling anyone. You experienced long periods of isolation and suffering there. Just how many times do you expect me to believe you died in the Tower?¡± Kelford met Dan¡¯s eyes, ¡° I lost count¡± Dang , this kid had gone through it . The thought crossed Dan¡¯s mind but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. ¡° Well , if that¡¯s the case I am impressed with your resilience. We do have an onsite therapist and psychiatrist if you need any¡­¡± ¡° It¡¯s not necessary.¡± Dan fell silent at Kelford¡¯s words not missing the heat behind them. ¡° Alright just wanted to offer,¡± It was awkward for a moment as Dan went back to writing his notes down but inevitably it was time to go back to what he came for. ¡° So you fought these creatures? We don¡¯t have records of them in our database and they seemed to have given you trouble. How did you beat the last one?¡± Kelford shook his head as if remembering an embarrassing moment, ¡° It took a second but I remembered that my class had more to offer than what I had been doing. I just had to get a grip.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Slamming into another corpse Kelford barely registered its movements as his mind fixed on the object of his terror. The veritable cyclone of Shadow Essence tore after him, long tendrils of energy reaching for his mind as it wailed. Kelford¡¯s psyche bowed under the psychic assault. Kelford mustered all his willpower just to dodge the blows again. Staggering to the side, the tendrils missed by inches tearing the bloody carcass into scraps. Blood splattered all over him only heightening the supernatural fear. Kelford could barely look at the thing even as he tried to stay within range. It wailed again, essence crashing into Kelford¡¯s mind like a tide. He couldn¡¯t hold on like this. Tears threatened to flow down his face. What should I do? He didn¡¯t dare retreat and he couldn¡¯t conceive of fighting. Each tendril seemed like a death sentence and those purple eyes fixed upon him. Then Kelford tripped. He crashed to the blood soaked ground with a cry, sword forgotten. His mind seemed to roil with the doom that was upon him. It was over. He was going to fail. He was a failure. What would T.U.I say if she saw how pathetic he was acting right now? Tendrils shot for him and Kelford felt death approaching. Pain rocked through him as he crunched into the stone. Blood spewed from his mouth as the tendrils coalesced into a massive claw that had him in its clutches. A wail of victory echoed from the Shadow fiend but Kelford wasn¡¯t listening. The fear was all encompassing but the pain gave him just a hint of clarity. Enough to push back. Boon of the Black Sun Shadow Essence was blanketing him like a cloud and he could almost see the essence transforming into something else around his head. This wasn¡¯t him. This thing was just messing with his head! The fiend drew him closer, crushing his body. Kelford¡¯s rage fed on the pain as he channeled essence into his skill. ¡° Get out of my HEAD!¡± with a roar Kelford tore past the resistance and shredded the cloud around him. The fiend wailed as if bit as it threw Kelford away! All was light until Kelford slammed into a bruising roll across the ground. With a growl he found his feet, bruised and bloodied, free of the fear. In his rage he didn¡¯t even remember that his sword was lost in the muck. ¡° I¡¯m gonna tear you apart!¡± Boon of the Black Sun Kelford¡¯s will tore forward, fixing on the essence the fiend was gathering as he dispersed it. He couldn¡¯t afford to let it get another spell off. Mind clear, Kelford dashed forward with a roar. Boon of the Black Sun turned the entire space into a vibrant collection of violet as the fiend drew more and more essence towards it. Bloody teeth bared in a grin Kelford contested the creature''s control of the environment''s essence. The resistance strengthened as it realized what he was doing and Kelford felt his control be slapped away as it kept pulling more towards its center. Cursing Kelford skidded to a stop. This one was stronger than the ones before it. Enough that he¡¯d have to stop and focus on it. His sword was lost in the muck again so it seemed he would have to come up with a way to kill his thing with the tools at his disposal. Kelford put his full focus on his skill as his will crashed against the fiends control. It wailed as they contested wills and the essence raged around them. Kelford wasn¡¯t used to this type of conflict but the fiend clearly was more practiced as it kept its dominion over the lion''s share of the essence. Kelford eyes widened as the fiend condensed much of the essence into a complex working. He pushed forward establishing more control over the environment''s essence but the fiend didn¡¯t seem to care as it weaved impossibly delicate shapes into existence. Then with a wail of triumph it released it. Kelford¡¯s mind began to reach for the spell only for his grasp on the environment to falter. Gritting his teeth Kelford released his grip on the environment as he tore at the spell coming for him. It wasn¡¯t enough. Liquid fear tore through his veins as Kelford almost forgot to breathe. Tendrils of shadow raced for him as he wrestled with himself. Fear wrestled with rage and Kelford only had one thing he could do. He pulled on his internal essence and slammed it into his aura. Radiance of the Black Sun Shadows raged from his feet as the tendrils slammed into him! He went flying but a grin still found its way to his face as he heard the wailing. The fiend¡¯s tendrils snaked back to it but each seemed to have diminished in size. Finding his feet Kelford roared into the air ¡° IS THAT ALL YOU GOT !¡± Boon of the Black Sun His will dominated the space around him as he channeled the essence into Radiance . Shadows burst from his feet like ever growing flames. Kelford¡¯s grin grew as the Fiend struggled to stop him. It seemed that was the key to this kind of fight. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop your opponent''s control of the area, you had to cast while doing it! His aura was much easier to channel essence into then casting complex spells like the fiend had been doing. Kelford began trudging forward. The creature wailed as Kelford came closer, nearly messing up its casting. Kelford slammed his will against its control like a hammer, finesse sacrificed on the altar of force. More and more essence was drawn into his embrace. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. With a roar the shadow fiend released its spell , now only a fraction of its previous size. Kelford took it to the chest! Tendrils raced after it! Kelford¡¯s grip on his skills seemed to slip as the shadows around his feet disappeared. The tendrils wrapped around him as they squeezed with boneshatter strength. More and more wrapped around him desperately trying to kill the climber. Essence still raged around the combatants but in its desperation the shadow fiend realized it made a mistake. With a wail it tried to assert control over the essence in the environment but found its control rebuffed. Its gaze returned to the coil of its tendrils only to see violet eyes staring back. Two pairs of violet eyes locked and only one flinched with fear. Shadow Essence rushed all around Kelford like a drain as he roared with rage. EMPOWERED STRIKE The tendrils were torn asunder. Claws of shadow seemed to rip and tear their way out of the tendrils of the shadow fiend. It screamed as it stuttered back ,now limbless. ¡° I promised I¡¯d tear you apart, didn''t I !¡± Eyes burning like violet flames Kelford¡¯s will slammed into the shadow fiends form. His grin was bloody as he threw himself forward. ¡° Let¡¯s keep that promise!¡± Kelford¡¯s will flayed the fiend like a scourge. Chunks of its body tore away as its flagging will failed against the mental onslaught. Then Kelford reached it. Empowered Strike Boon of the Black Sun Hands swallowed by claws of shadow tore into the shadow fiends body as Kelford¡¯s aura burned it away. Its wails reached a fever pitch as Kelford tore its body apart. Pressure squeezed his brain as he juggled his skills and contested the fiend¡¯s will. Kelford pushed even farther, chucks of essence repurposed for his own use. With a savage laugh he stabbed his hand through its chest and tore everything free. Everything exploded with vibrant essence sending Kelford flying back . With a final wail the Shadow fiend died leaving Kelford the only living thing left. Blood and viscera covered him head to foot. Kelford roared his victory all the same. Banish the Shadow Fiends 4 out of 4 Quest Complete Essence began to roil, cutting Kelford¡¯s victory celebration. Blood and corpses began to swirl with the growing storm of essence sending Kelford running away. Bones and carcasses flew through the air tearing into Kelford¡¯s skin. There was only one escape. Kelford¡¯s eyes locked on the massive double doors in the distance. Legs pumping he closed the distance as the storm behind him grew bigger and bigger. ¡° Come on Come on¡± Kelford tried to squeeze more speed out of his already tired body as he felt the power behind him swell in potency. More and more scraps slammed into him as Kelford felt some of the blood on him begin to float away into the storm. With a crash he slammed into the double doors almost not expecting to make it. Turning around he saw the center of the store condensing in a nauseating mixture of essence and blood. For the first time he saw different essence types in the room, a sickly green and red mixing with the violet. Gripping the door he pulled with all his considerable might. With a groan the doors opened inch by inch. Each second the bomb behind Kelford grew bigger and with a growl Kelford ripped the doors open just enough to squeeze through. The minute his feet touched the other side the essence imploded. His back slamming into the doors Kelford closed his eyes as he braced against the howling force trying to drag him back into the previous room. Then almost as soon as it started it was over. Collapsing against one of the walls Kelford laughed in relief. He made it! Suddenly a bright light burst into being before him! ¡° ¡­Room! Wait, what happened?¡± A familiar voice said. Kelford blinked the light out of his eyes. T.U.I floated before him and a weight around his heart seemed to disappear. She was okay. ¡° Hey T.U.I it seems you missed the last room.¡± ¡° Oh¡­ well,¡± T.U.I¡¯s voice stuttered for a moment before taking it¡¯s customary happy tone, ¡° Congratulations on your victory Kelford1¡± Kelford hugged her. Cupping her form between bruised and battered palms, he brought her close to his chest. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The shadows of the hallway echoed with the rage of winter. Worn images of ogres and gnoblars in different times and poses leered down upon the figures walking their decrepit halls. It wasn''t the best place to say goodbye but Kelford and T.U.I did so anyway. Kelford was bruised and bloody. His sword carried numerous notches and scars from his mad rush up the floors. His Furs of the Warlord hug loose on his frame. After floors of being ripped, torn, and bitten the relic was on its last legs. Kelford¡¯s body was not much better. The ministrations of the Healing Room were long gone, scars and bruises lining his body despite Enhanced Constitution. Even as Kelford leaned against the wall talking to T.U.I he knew he was not doing too well. Within three rooms he had begun to approach his limits and now he was at the precipice of all he had been working towards. Or at least the half-way mark for it. His attention came back to T.U.I as she waited with him. A few hours had passed of them talking, trying to keep the growing concern everything up until now had caused. The last room and T.U.I¡¯s disappearance , the increasingly common anomalies on his climb, and the passage that held his last challenge before the safe room. However,there was one issue that held the majority of his attention right now. ¡° Is this really going to be the last time we see each other?¡± ¡° If you succeed then most likely,¡± T.U.I said, ¡° Though there is a possibility we will see each other again.¡± Kelford nodded as he closed his eyes , ¡° I would like that. It¡¯s so strange to think that our time together could potentially end so quickly. Especially after all you¡¯ve seen me through. ¡° ¡° It is alright Kelford. I am just a guide created for this leg of your journey. One part in what is hopefully a long climb to the top of the Tower.¡± ¡° If I lose here.. ¡° ¡° You will win,¡± T.U.I said with conviction, ¡° Kelford you are ready. You have trained hard to get this far. The Tower will recognize your dedication to improvement. Unlock more of its secrets , invest in your training and you will find that you can become stronger than you think possible.¡± T.U.I floated to be right in front of Kelford¡¯s face, ¡° It will be people like you that will save your world. The ones willing to push forward despite all odds, are those able to complete the Tower¡¯s challenges . I am just happy I got to see the start of it.¡± ¡° Where will you go if I win?¡± ¡°When you defeat the 5th floor I will be reintegrated with the Tower. I will maintain your connection with the Myriad Index. So I will still be here in a sense.¡± Kelford nodded, not quite understanding. ¡° So you¡¯ll be asleep in some sense?¡± ¡° More like unnecessary parts stripped away to improve performance until the need is there again.¡° ¡° That sounds awful.¡± ¡° It does not harm me in any way.¡± Kelford shook his head as the truth of the matter was pushed into his face once again. In so many ways T.U.I had been there for him. The shoulder he leaned on, the only source of conversation and meaningful interaction he¡¯d had since coming to this place. Yet, she was still a construct of this place. An alien mind or construct built to assist him with the flipping of his world. The potential extinction of his species if he didn¡¯t play the game the Tower held within itself. Each floor had held reminders of what all he had ever known could end up as. How he could end up. His mind went back to the 4th floor and the ogre skeleton underneath the ruined farm. The Ogre Youngling left to uphold the honor of a civilization long since dead. T.U.I was a part of that. Yet, she had pushed him forward at every opportunity. Slipped pieces of information he wasn¡¯t supposed to have when she could. Brought him out of his depression and back to helping him out of here. ¡° I¡¯ll find a way to keep that from happening to your T.U.I.¡± Kelford¡¯s voice was hard with certainty. It surprised him but not as much as he thought it would. ¡° I¡¯ll bring you along through all my adventures just as you are. No parts stripped away.¡± T.U.I floated there silently for a moment before her light began to brighten slightly. ¡° I would like that very much Kelford, ¡° He smiled as he pushed himself to his feet. Notched sword appeared in his hand as he began making his way to the end of the 5th floor. ¡° Then goodbye T.U.I , It¡¯ll be awhile before I see you again,¡± She disappeared in a flash of light and Kelford couldn¡¯t help but feel complete in a way he hadn¡¯t in a very long time. He would beat this floor and the ones after. Then he¡¯d see T.U.I again. He had a promise to keep.