《Once Again: Evolved》 Prologue I woke up slowly, as I usually did. Turning over, I glanced at the old bedside alarm clock, the numbers reading 1:36PM. Stomach grumbling, I reached out to grab my phone from the night stand. I knew I should just get up and make some breakfast, or at least see if there was anything in the fridge, but I couldn''t pry myself away from trying to find at least one new chapter of my favorite web novels. Finding only a few chapters out, I read through them quickly, enjoying the different world they brought me to, but all too quickly I had read through them all. I gave up on reading, and got out of bed. Reaching up, I grasped for the cord to the light for my ceiling fan, pulling it. As my room lit up, I glanced around, noting with satisfaction my bookshelves filled with books, and my assorted collection of sharp knives and blades strewn across my dresser top. I was proud of my collections, even though I knew that the blades would slowly rust over time and I would only keep a smattering of books when I moved out of my parents house. ¡°But,¡± I thought to myself, ¡°It¡¯s summer. Graduation is a long ways off, so no use thinking on depressing things.¡± I opened the door to my room and entered the bathroom to put in my contacts. It had always annoyed me that I had such terrible vision, but unless I wanted to get laser eye surgery there was nothing I could do to fix it. After finishing my morning routine, I slowly walk out into the kitchen, greeting my mom with a quick ¡°Good morning.¡± As I check the fridge, mom calls out, ¡°I cut you some fruit, and there is some brown rice cooking on the stove for you.¡± I thanked her, and went over to make some egg fried rice. As I was cooking, I glanced up at the TV, noticing it was on the news. But something was off. The anchor seemed panicked, even frightened. My mom was staring intently at the screen, and I caught something about disappearances all over the globe before my mom turned off the TV. She looked at me, worried, and opened her mouth to say something, but I suddenly felt faint. As I closed my eyes, mom called out to me, worry clear on her face. At 2:18PM, darkness took me. Many Years Later As I pierced my spear into the dirt, I wiped some blood from my mouth. I checked my body, and frowned with anger. After all this, after what I had done to get here, to try to fix it all, would I fail now?! But I knew it was too late. A large gash in my chest showed bone, and it was all I could do to stay upright, leaning heavily on the weapon that had been with me through it all. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Besides the crevasse that was my tattered torso, I was missing my right arm up to the bicep, with what looked like a giant tooth mark carved deep into the remainder. Blood was gathering in a crimson pool at my feet, and I was started to lose my vision. A deep, guttural roar echoed through the skies, shaking the ground beneath me. The¡­ Dragon, for lack of a better word, slowly made its way towards me. It was injured too, deeply. Its wings, once long and majestic, were snipped at the bud, leaving it with no chance of flight ever again. Over its head, a small tile read Scrya, Mother of all Winged - LVL.???? As Scrya made its way over, a heavily pocketed mountain crumpled to the ground in a mushroom cloud of dust. There were pockets of earth entirely missing from the landscape around us, with thick scars running like a finely woven net throughout. There was even smouldering flame-like piles here and there, but fully white, like you would see on a blank canvas. It was an almost impossible white, but it scared the once beautiful mountain range just like everything else. Scrya¡¯s wounds were great. Besides its wings, it was also missing one of its sharp, imposing horns, with the other one lodged the wrong way into its left eye. It seemed to be crying tears of dark blue blood down its injured eye, but Scrya¡¯s other eye burned a bloody, fiery red with heat and anger. I knew nothing would stop it from killing me if it could. For I had given it those wounds, and even more, such as a bone deep cut running all the way down its right leg, leaving the hindquarter utterly useless. Scrya was dragging the leg along behind it as it made its way towards me. I glanced once at my Status Screen before turning away. I knew how little health I had left, and I was determined to make the most of it. I would not survive this, not with all the cursesthe beast had placed on me, but I could make sure it would not harm anyone else. I owed her that much. As Scrya came to a halt in front of me, I tore my spear from the ground and rested it gingerly on my left shoulder. I paused for half a second, then proceeded to laugh. I knew I would die. I knew it like I knew my name. I knew it like the feel of the spear in my hand. There was no hope here. And that? That finally set me free. I licked at the blue blood on the tip of my spear, and tasted something uncomfortably sweet. The damned beast had candy for blood. I felt a burning in my stomach, but before I could figure out what the feeling was, Scrya rushed me, bellowing out.
The fight was finished. The Mother of all Winged lay, headless, under countless boulders that used to make up a mountain. Its head sat, beside me, although three times as big. But I had no time to admire it. I was drenched in the Thing¡¯s blood, and all I could see was a darkness all consuming. I leaned up against the massive head, and as I slowly faded away, I noticed one shiny black tile, superimposed over the blackness.
YOU HAVE EVOLVED
Chapter One I shot out of bed, stunned. I.. I had died. I could still feel the cold seeping into me as I lost blood slowly. So how was I awake? And for that matter, how was I in a bed at all? Nothing else should have been alive. I glanced around warily, ready to fight at a moment''s notice. But then I realized: I was home. Home. How?! It had been untold years since I had last seen this place. Was this an illusion? Was this hell? I looked to my right, and there sat my old dingy clock. The time read 1:36PM. I could feel a slight tinge of hunger in my stomach, and I realized. This was how it had all started. I could still remember the beginning of it all. I knew what came next. ¡°But what if it was a dream?¡± I shook my head to clear that silly thought. Whatever power had put me here, whatever god wanted to screw with me, had given me another chance. A chance to change what I had botched. If it was a dream¡­ but it couldn¡¯t have been. I lived entire lifetimes. I remembered everything clearly, and I could feel the knowledge I had of the place in my my bones. That nightmare of a place was not a dream. It would come again. I needed to prepare.
After jumping out of bed, I quickly put in contacts I had not seen in ages, remembering the advantages they gave me. With my vision clear again, I glanced up, and lookedat the mirror. It was meant to be a quick glance, but my appearance stunned me. I had forgotten how scrawny I used to be. Although, considering I had been working out for a few years, I had a bit of muscle. But even then, Compared to how much training I went through later on? This much was nothing. Not to mention the countless scars and holes that coveredmy older body. Myyounger body had short brown hair, nothing special. With hazel eyes, a boring jawline, and pale skin, I knew I had a lot to work on. I used to be so naive. I frowned at my reflection.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Then, taking a deep breath, I slowly made my wayinto the kitchen. I hadn¡¯t seen her in such a long time, but she was exactly as in my memories. I cracked a rare smile, staring at one of the few people I had truly missed. As I slowly made my way over to my mother, I could feel the sadness all over again. The loss of my family had been one of the harder things to deal with early on, and seeing her again brought up truly bitter feelings. Even then, I knew I didn¡¯t have much time. I gave her a firm hug, along with a quick ¡°good morning.¡± After eating a small meal, I checked the clock. I knew I had a few more minutes to prepare, so I hurried back into my room. I glanced at my weapons slowly, knowing they wouldn¡¯t be too much help besides for points. So I collected the katana, the sword cane, a machete, and a few shorter combat knives. If there was a gun in the house, I would have snatched it up in a heartbeat. For what I wanted, I needed all the points I could get. With that in mind, I grabbed a larger backpack from my closet, and packed the miscellaneous weapons inside. I shuffled through my closet, finding a pair of long black pants and belt to match. I also found a somewhat durable shirt and jacket. The clothing wouldn¡¯t help much, but it was better than nothing. As I was putting on the clothes, I could feel myself shaking. But not from fear, no. I had another chance. A chance to undo the curse on her, and to kill those bastards who- I cut the thought short. The event was drawing closer, I realized as I looked at the clock. The time read 2:16PM. I packed a few more things, such as my laptop, and took a deep breath, holding it. I had a brief flash of worry. What if it had been a dream? What if I was actually just losing my mind? I shook my head, and smiled. I knew it was real, as I could feel the years I had spent there. At least now, I was ready. I looked at the time once more, and let the breath out. It was finally here. I greeted the darkness with a wide, unatural smile, teeth showing. Chapter Two Chapter Two As I stood there, staring blankly into darkness, I waited. I could remember clearly what came next. I sat down, taking a deep breath. If I could just sense the Base Energy before everything, could I use that to my advantage? So I sat quietly, patiently. There it was. That tickle, that tendril of pure power, although difficult to sense, was ever present in the darkness. I let my breath out, and inhaled once more. But this time, instead of air, I took in something more. It had a density to it, like water, but it didn¡¯t clog my throat. It slid down easily, moving through my body, and wrapping softly around my beating heart. Before I had time to do anything with the water like substance, color streaked back into the world, and I found myself sitting on hard stone tile. Across from me sat a creature. It looks like a cross between a frog, a human, and a lizard. It had a hunched back, strange reptilian eyes, a full scaly tail and two arms and legs thick as a tree trunk. The creature seemed to be dyed an unhealthy gray, and if it hadn¡¯t been breathing, I would have assumed it was dead. I frowned. This wasn¡¯t the creature I had last time. I hoped there would not be anymore surprises, or else things might start getting¡­ annoying. As I was pondering, the creature made a loud gurgling sound, as though he was trying to clear his throat. He made a light bow, and with a raspy, almost warbling voice, introduced himself. ¡°I am called Yomera, and I am to be your guide through the start of these trials. I know you likely have many questions, and you might be very confused and concerned, but I will explain everything to you with time. But to start, let¡¯s go about processing your items.¡± He glanced at my backpack while talking. As I sat on the floor, I could feel my back getting lighter, and noticed the backpack had disappeared. I waited as the creature fiddled with something invisible in the air, and before long, a few screens popped up in front of me.
Welcome to the Wandering Tower!
You have been provided with an opportunity to grow in strength earlier than most of the rest of your race, and to pioneer a path that humans will follow behind until your species reaches the final goal or perishes. Best of luck to you in the trials, and remember, don''t Wander too far!
Processing items¡­
You will be gifted points based upon the things that you have on your person, or given equal compensation for items attached to your body.
Items processed!
Mass Produced Katana(usable) 25PTS
Hand Crafted Machete(battle ready) 30PTS
Sword Cane(flimsy) 7PTS
Sawback Bowie Blade(Well Made) 50PTS
Folding BladeX3 3PT
Contacts(Well Made) +3PER
Laptop(High Tech) 40PTS
Total: 155PTS + 3PER
Yomera looked at me, surprise clear on his frog-like face. ¡°You seem to be pretty lucky, coming so prepared. These points are a truly valuable commodity in the Tower, and 155 points to start is close to the upper limit on what is possible. But enough on that, you will have time to look at the shop later. For now, it is important to go over the Stats, perks, and different energies in this place.¡± He motioned to me, and croaked, ¡°Say ¡®Status¡¯ to see your information.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I nodded to him. ¡°¡®Status,¡¯¡± I said out loud, trying to seem surprised when the blue tile materialized in front of me, giving me information about who I was.
Name: Cyrus Age: 19 Level: 1 Race: ????
Stats
STR: 13 DEX: 10 PER:7+3 INT:11
CON:10 WIS:12
Perks
True Balance Soul Staff
As I looked at the screen, I glanced quickly over the top portion, intent on ignoring it, when I noticed something different from before. Where last time I had a Race of Human, now, it was marked as unknown. That¡­ that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Everyone knew Race was locked from the start, with no way to change it besides cursed rituals that brought many more negatives than positives. But now, not only was I a different race, I was one unknown to the system. The thought brought chills down my back, and I felt a growing terror spread throughout my being. ¡°Please.. please don¡¯t let this be that damned dragon¡¯s curse on me taking effect.¡± I thought to myself. With a quick shake of my head, I cut that thought at the bud. I would make do with what I had, like always. I just had to compensate. I would not let my dreams be crushed once again, especially not before I had even begun the fight. Ignoring the worrisome race for now, I glanced once more through my stats, noting the permanent increase to my Perception with a smile. Everything else was as I remembered, so I stopped my sight on the Perks tab. And I froze. No¡­ No¡­ ¡°NO.¡± The last, I shouted, startling the creature in front of me. ¡°This isn¡¯t possible,¡± I thought as I furiously closed and reopened my status screen, hoping against hope that something would be different the second time. But there it was, ignoring all attempts to make it change. Soul Staff and True Balance. Not Soul Spear and True Blaze, as it was before. How?! Why?! I could have lived with a different race. It would have been difficult, but not impossible. But Soul Spear was my only true companion through everything, and I had True masteries with the spear that I knew I would be able to use again this time around. Not to mention True Blaze, which was my only source of Energy, and one that had helped keep my hatred and power growing stronger with time, instead of letting them weaken with despair. Without these two abilities, I would have to start from scratch. While some might say Spear and Bo Staff are similar, they would be amazingly ignorant of true masteries to make that assumption. At the start, there are similar movements between the two, but the further down a mastery path one walks, the more one forsakes all others for the truth of the weapon they wield. The Spear and the Staff were as far apart as a cudgel and a needle in a fight. I would need to start everything from the beginning. Even more horrifying, I saw with some degree of certainty that even though I would be starting over again from the very beginning, the system could somehow tell, and everything was randomized. I couldn¡¯t use the knowledge of previous trials I had taken to easily grind my way up to my previous power. This was a intense setback for me. That''s not even mentioning that I would have to learn a completely new Energy type, whatever this True Balance Bullsh- ¡°Are you alright?¡± I hadn¡¯t realized, but the frog-like creature had made his way up to me, and was staring into my eyes. ¡°You have been making many different, worrying faces,¡± he continued. ¡°Are you upset by your perks, or is it your stats?¡± I looked up at him and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my perks. Is it at all possible to reroll them? Or even choose new ones?¡± Yomera shook his flabby, scaled face at me. ¡°I am truly sorry, but Perks are something picked specific to each person. They help to round out someone, and the System picks the Energy specifically. It even creates new energies if there is a need, although this has not happened in quite a few millenium. On that note, Let me explain to you the different types of perks that a person can get, and what they can be used for.¡± Chapter Three As Yomera took a breath, I sighed. I knew what was coming, and unfortunately I would have to listen to the whole thing before I could learn anything new. There was nothing I could do in the meantime, so I chose to listen, trying to ignore my growing horror at the setbacks I had just faced. ¡°As you can probably see,¡± Yomera started, ¡°There are two perks. One dictates the energy you may harness, and the other is your most valuable friend in the coming days. You will need to learn to control both, but your soul weapon will come much easier to you. In fact, try calling it out now. You should feel some sort of connection with the weapon in your lower abdomen. Pull it out.¡± I nodded to him, and felt for the area with my hand. I shifted slightly, and pulled. Bit by bit, a long, jade-like staff grew from my stomach. As the Bo Staff grew, I realized it wasn¡¯t made of jade. It was a clouded jade color, but the staff was made of a intricately carved wood. The wood look familiar to me, but it was not an earthly wood. No, I could tell this Staff was made from Jade Wood. It came from the mid-tier floors, and I was surprised to see it here. As the end of the Staff came fully free, I placed the butt down, fully examining it. The Staff was 6 feet long, with a thickness of around 1.25 inches. The carvings themselves were difficult to make out, as though there was a fog moving through them. Yomera looked at my staff, amazement clear on his face. ¡°Soul weapons can be made out of many different materials,¡± he said, ¡°but I have not seen Jade Wood being used as a first stage soul weapon in many years. This can be a great boon to you, or an even greater curse. Especially since this staff has rare markings on it. The Staff will likely grow more powerful if you can learn what it needs from you, but it can also hinder your growth, unlike most weapons. It is unfortunate, this staff, while made of high quality material, has such a murky seal on it. The first few trials will be a great challenge. That is, if you can make it with such a weapon.¡± I frowned at the creature. It was right, of course. This staff was a bigger curse than I had originally thought. Maybe I could just find a spear for myself..? No. That would be the pinnacle of stupidity. If I forsook my Soul Weapon, especially one like this, I would only be dying a fool''s death. I had to make do with what I had. I had to learn the Bo Staff.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Yomera sighed. ¡°If it helps any, the staff itself is a truly fine specimen. If you could learn to use your Energy with it, you could likely unlock much more of the weapon. But therein lies the problem. Energy. Every being in the Tower has it, but, especially at the beginning, there is great difficulty in calling it out. Even in the middle levels, only one in ten has the ability to correctly wield their Energy. Most find it easier to use it through their Soul Weapons, especially those with higher True Masteries. It lets many channel True Energy easier, and incorporates it into their moves. But that is nearly impossible earlier on. So for now, you will have to make do with the Staff. But enough on that, I need to move on to stats. Although honestly, I should have started with that.¡± I grew frustrated. I knew all these things. I needed time to think, without hearing things that I understood likely better than this blubbering frog reptile hybrid. With that in mind, I closed my eyes and said with as much patience as I could muster, ¡°Let me guess. STR stands for strength, and measures one''s overall physical power, showing the force someone can put behind a blow. DEX stands for dexterity, and measures the speed at which someone can move, and their reaction time. PER is perception, and measures sight, and the ability to notice things around you. INT is intelligence, and is how much knowledge someone can retain, and how much Energy they can call forth. CON is constitution, and shows how well the body is put together, and how well it can stay together when being beaten. Finally, WIS is wisdom, and it shows how someone uses the knowledge they acquire, as well as how well energy can be handled outside the body. Did I miss anything?¡± As I finished my tirade, I opened my eyes to find Yomera staring, stunned. ¡°Y-yes. That¡­ that¡¯s right. How did you know all that?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I played quite a few video games back on my home planet, many of which have a very similar layout to this Status.¡± And I lived through this hell once already, I thought to myself. Yomera paused, then nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Then I guess that is it. I can¡¯t really tell you anything else, besides that you will have around an hour to test yourself with a training dummy over there, to see if you can get used to the staff before you are dropped into the beginning trials. Other then that, make sure to try and work towards gaining True Mastery in the staff, and look out for achievements, they will help you much more than you may know. Also, try to not die immediately, it just makes me feel like I wasted my time. Good luck!¡± As Yomera vanished, I looked over to the worn looking mannequin, ignoring the last few words he had left me with. I would survive, I knew. But first, I needed to use the knowledge I had to my advantage. Chapter Four I walked over to the training area, staff held in hand. I needed to at the very least open up the Staff Mastery before the trials started. But first, I wanted to see what I could do with the True Energy I had snatched from the void before coming here. So with that in mind, I sat down, focusing on my breathing. I slowly but carefully felt my way through my body with each breath. I was never much for external energy manipulation, and I would always have my spear to help out, but I had learned a thing or two that applied to both internal and external applications of energy. As I peered inside, I found with a brief hint of surprise the density still surrounding my heart. When I noticed it, so to, for the first time, did the system.
Energy Unlocked!
Congratulations! You have grasped the basics needed to harness your True Energy by gathering the energy inside you. Remember, keep Wandering to survive and gain strength.
Achievement!
New Tower Record Set!
Record - Fastest to awaken Energy
Time - 10 Minutes from start
Reward - 10 free stat points
I paused in my breathing, stunned. I had gotten achievements before, sure. I had even beaten a few records that I was especially proud of. But 10 free stat points? While that may not seem like much to most, on level up most would only get a single stat point automatically distributed to their most important stat. The system always decided, not the Wanderer. So for me, 10 free stat points meant not only 10 free levels, but 10 free levels in any stat I wanted, at any time I wanted. Earlier on, training was actually more important than leveling, since the higher the stat the more difficult it would be to raise it through training. So if I saved these points, and used them only when I truly needed¡­ the possibilities I had, just based on this single record, were endless. I smiled a savage grin. I could play some nasty tricks on those bastards too. As I ignored the excitement rising up, I stood. For now, I needed to try out my staff, to see if I could learn anything about it with the time I had. So I walked over to the training dummy. I reached the mannequin slowly, stopping in front of it. I shifted as I grasped the staff, taking the basic stance I had seen before from others. I breathed in, slowly, before striking out with lunging strike, sliding the wood along with a thrust like I had done hundreds of thousands of times before. But it felt¡­ off. The tip of the staff struck the dummy with a solid thump, but the movement felt strange to me. I swung the staff in a sweeping motion by instinct, as though I was decapitating an opponent. I missed, obviously, the staff swinging harmlessly in the air. Then I stopped, abruptly. I slammed the butt of my staff down on the ground, jarring my hand.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. While I held the staff, all I could feel was my spear. But the movements felt awkward, as though I was forcing my way through. I lunged too high, aiming for the the heart, which would kill if used correctly with a spear, but would only knock the wind out of someone with a staff. That¡¯s not even mentioning the decapitation move I attempted. This would not work. I was always aggressive with my movements when I had my spear, attacking first, aiming for vitals. I could tell that while I could do damage with the staff, I would need to aim for the head, trying to stun, deflect, and counter attack. I had seen others fighting with a staff, always keeping it in motion, always prepared to flow from one attack into a deflection of some sort. The Bo Staff was much more about¡­ balance. Absolutely different than the fiery passion I held for my spear and the Energy I pushed through it. The sharp change in fighting styles after so long was jarring. I had realized the difficulty of learning a new style and weapon before, but I underestimated the true challenge I faced. It would almost have been better if I had no knowledge. Almost. My long years of bloody combat had beaten into me many things, but one of the most important things I had learned was the ability to adapt. So I set my shoulders, and slowly brought my staff up again. I would work on this slowly but surely, until I couldn¡¯t hold the wood in my hands anymore. Like I always did. I had survived much worse than this.
I lay, arms trembling as I gasped for breath. I had forgotten how out of shape I was before everything started. At least compared to my older body. I had pushed well past the limits that this body had, and even gained a point in strength in that time, amazingly enough. I had started slowly, practicing movements I had seen others do many times. The movements had felt strange to me, but I had stuck to it, slowly increasing the speed until my body shook with exertion. But I still wasn¡¯t pleased. This was barely manageable, I realized. I would need to work on training as much as was possible in the coming days, no matter what. But time was up. The trails would soon start, shoving me head first into a hell I had barely passed through the first time, staggering through as I watched others around me fall, bloodless, to the ground. Yet I had survived back then, without any true knowledge. I had to thrive now, to truly accomplish the goals I had set for myself, and to gain true vengeance. I took one last glance at the screens that floated in my vision.
True Staff Mastery Unlocked!
Congratulations! You have grasped the basics needed to properly wield your staff in combat. Remember, keep Wandering to survive and gain strength.
Achievement!
New Tower Record Set!
Record - 124th Fastest to unlock True Mastery
Time - 50 minutes from start
Reward - 2 free stat points
¡°Every little bit helps.¡± I thought with a mirthless smile. I had hoped to break the record for this too, but obviously others would have great knowledge over the weapon given to them. It was different with True Energy, something that only existed in the Wandering Tower. But that was fine. I could make do, no matter what. As I lay on the ground, I prepared myself mentally for what was to come. And everything went dark once again. Chapter Five I had forgotten how annoying the Tower could be with its teleportation trick earlier on. They loved to do this to newcomers, relying on the mystical feel to stun people. I shook my head, remembering how stunned I had felt at the beginning. Now it just seemed like a silly joke, one that is repeated so much it goes sour. But I knew I was almost done, and I would finally be back in the action. The color flooded back in, and this time, so did the sound. I appeared in a crowded market place, under a large pavilion. Everywhere I looked, people pushed and pulled to get where they wanted to go. There was heavily packed sand underneath my feet, and dust floating lazily through the air, but I ignored all this as I studied the buildings lined up on either side of the road. They looked like typical old fashioned buildings, some made from timber and others made from stone. There was plenty of variety to the buildings, with some showing things such as armor, others showing weapons, and others still tempting the people walking by with food. With the large variety of buildings and narrow roadways, it was quite easy to get lost amidst the bustle of people and shouting of peddlers. But I knew my way through this area, even after all the time spent away from the First Decade Shop Center. I had been stuck here for far longer than I wanted to admit, unfortunately. This run-around though, I would be sure to grab some more records with the speed I use to pass through here. As I stood under the stone pavilion, off to the side of the main roadway, I felt more then saw a flash of light behind me, followed by a man running by me, in a rush to get where he needed to go. I took a second to recheck my points; 155 altogether. The frog creature had been right. I had a certified treasure trove of points, without any need to spend them on the basic knowledge and information most newbies needed to purchase. I could use every single point to prepare for the coming trials. With that thought in mind, I walked out of the pavilion, a destinationclear in my head. I made my way down the street, navigating through the seething mass of people. It was annoying, per usual, but I knew how to handle a crowd easily enough. I looked up at the signs hanging from the different shops, noting where I was quickly. I spotted the alley I needed and slipped inside. At least here, there wereless people. Not by much, of course, but at least I no longer had to fight my way through the crowd. I made my way down through the alleyway, making a few turns before ending up at a¡­ door in the wall. That was the best way to describe the absolutely normal looking entrance stuck in the middle of an otherwise smooth corridor. I reached down and twisted the knob on the plain-looking oak door, opening it. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. As I entered the shop with no name, it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. As cliche as it might seem to some people, the most normal of areas in the Wandering Tower were usually the most astonishing. Not always in a positive way, and sometimes even I was unsure how safe some of these areas were. But I needed some things from him, so I would have to face Faust and hope for a positive outcome. I looked around after my eyes finished adjusting. As usual, the store was completely different then when I first saw it. Although I realized, if I came back in a few months I might recognize the shop layout again. I filed that thought away with a smile. I could cheat the system this crazy man had created. The annoying rule that caused his shop to change after every visitor, always with different items in it had frustrated me for years. Without it, maybe I could have planned my purchases, but the man thrived on chaos, so there had been no chance of any sort of planning ahead for me. The shop this time around looked similar to a dusty bookstore, with books piled dangerously high, seeming to sway with a wind not available to the closed off room. There were also books resting on bookshelves, of course. The shelves themselves formed hallways leading like a maze through the store. This was one of the old man¡¯s many tricks. To those who didn¡¯t know him, this place would seem worthless. But the books rarely contained knowledge. Instead, no matter the container they came in, all the things scattered across the shop were items in true. Some out of myths, some rusty old axes. But even with Faust¡¯s penchant for chaos, he still had a stable base of basic items for sale. That was what I was here for now. And maybe I had a hope to pick something out of the legends, but so what. Many others came here for that exact reason too. As I made my way through the corridors of books, I skimmed the fingers of my left hand along the spines. I wasn¡¯t looking for anything per say, but there was hope inside me that I would spot something. All too soon though, I reached the center of the store, where a man looking to be in his 30s sat in a rocking chair, reading. Another of Faust¡¯s little jokes of course. I called him an old man, but I truly had no true knowledge on him besides his name. Sometimes it was a beautiful woman, sometimes, a young child. He usually stayed in the same race, but even that wasn¡¯t set in stone. Faust truly loved one thing to no end; Chaos. Hopefully I could get what I wanted from the man, but you never knew. Chapter Six ¡°Oh my, it has been quite some time now Cyrus.¡± Faust spoke as I approached him. I stopped dead in my tracks. He¡­ he recognized me. How the hell did he recognize me?! The system I might be able to understand, it had given me this chance, so it could likely track me somehow. But Faust? He was just someone in the tower! Faust seemed to read the panic on my face, because he laughed out loud before saying ¡°I am a being of chaos. That has plenty of different meanings, but in this situation, it means that time works not for me. Upon your exit of the First Decade Shopping Center I kept track of you, to sate curiosity as it were. Imagine my astonishment and delight when you drank some of that silly motherlings blood. I wasn¡¯t sure as to the what the outcome may be, but here we are now. Your journey has been¡­ truly enrapturing for me. It is quite a rarity for one from your cluster of races to create such a feat of wonder. But enough on that, i''m sure you are here for something entirely separate, correct?¡± I stared at the man, stunned beyond words. This thing was much more powerful than anyone I had met or battled before. A being who could track me through time itself? A being who had kept an eye on me without my notice, even at the peak of my power?! The sheer monstrosity before me sent chills down my back, and I could feel myself shaking. Not from fear, though. From pure, unadulterated ecstasy at the possibilities laid bare to me now. I had been so close to what I had thought was the zenith of power back then, but I had clearly been a truly ignorant fellow. Even if Faust didn¡¯t have any true fighting capability, which I highly doubted, he seemed to be at a much higher level than anything I had seen. I realized the maniacal grin on my face was likely unseemly, and shook my head to learn away any other thoughts of battle with such a being. Now was not the time for that, I first needed to learn much about my new weapon and power. I apologized to Faust for getting distracted before explaining the items I needed. I had questions for him, obviously. But I knew this man, or at least the habits he had with a customer. He rarely answered questions, and prodding lead to a swift discharge from his shop. Faust reached under the counter, pulling out a few items, seemingly at random. First out was a damascus steel fixed blade, useful for all sorts of things. Helpful in skinning, cutting, and properly balanced for a quick toss if it came to it. After the blade, Faust placed on the counter a belt holster for my staff, with a wink towards me. So he even knew about my new weapon. I mentally shrugged. That one wasn¡¯t much of a secret anyways, so I wasn¡¯t as bothered by his knowledge of it. Next came a mask. A blank, eerily life-like white mask, to be exact. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I know I asked for a mask, but don¡¯t you have anything else? Ill even take some silly masquerade mask over this¡­ thing.¡± I shouldn¡¯t be this frazzled, I realized. But something inside me called to it. And not in a positive, welcoming sort of way. Some part of me needed that mask, with a fierce desire I had never felt before. It was almost predatory, but I fought off the strange urges. Faust shook his head, ¡°Unfortunately, this mask is the only one available to you for now. Besides, it may be a great boon to you later on, as long as you are careful with how you approach it.¡± With a flourish, he placed a waterskin on the counter, and I watched as the water sloshed around inside. I took one last glance at the mask, noting the lack of any eyes and the wide, toothless grin portrayed. Taking a breath, I asked, almost fearful, ¡°How much for the whole lot of the them?¡± ¡°Luckily for you, I have a bit of interest in you. These,¡± he motioned with a hand towards the smattering of items collecting dust on the table, ¡°plus a... unique outfit I think would look absolutely smashing worn by you, added on for free. Altogether, it comes to 200 points.¡± At this information, I frowned. The outfit he talked about worried me. He was known for his abnormal ticks, and one of those included his penchant for, what basically boiled down to, forcing others to cosplay for him. I remembered in abject horror a time when he slowly, spread over a few different visits, equipped me with a smattering of ninja gear, crowning it all off with a headband. I had realized too late, and once the set had been completed, I had been stuck with the clothing on for another month. Admittedly, the outfit helped me out in a number of ways, but still. I really didn¡¯t want a repeat of the ¡®Great Fireball Technique¡¯ disaster. Even then, to turn down a free set that would undoubtedly be more powerful than what I currently wore? I couldn¡¯t do it. I let out a sigh, just thinking about it hurt. Before that problem though, I had another to deal with. ¡°I only have 155 points in total. Is there any way to lower the price?¡± Faust let out a low, gravelly chuckle. There are always ways, as you well know. For this particular one though, I have a fun idea. I was originally going to wait on some of the accessories till later, but I see you will lose out on something if I do it this way. So I will compromise. I will take your +3 to PER, and in return I will give you these truly tasteful gloves along with your outfit. All that, plus I will lower the cost down to 150 points. You will have the set bonus, plus an extra bit with the gloves added on.¡± I knew I would regret this. Losing perception so early on would definitely hinder me. But I had no other options to speak of. I needed every item right now. The sheath, although a surprise to me, would be extremely useful for training. I had no choice at all in the matter. So I nodded my head, and shook hand with, what felt like, the devil.
- 150PTS
-3PER