《Tower of Gilgamesh》 Prologue: Gugalanna A middle-aged man coldly looking down at a young man kneeling down on the bloodstained carpet, his hand splattered with blood spots. Dragging the hair of the young man to bring him in front of his face, he then said, "Do you know what you did wrong, my son?" Fear embodied his eyes, his mind whirling around thinking of a response. "I....I don''t know." His head was then pushed away as his face scrubbed against the bloody floor. "Well, let me tell you, my stupid son, you insulted someone you shouldn''t have. It is not that you have attacked nearly every woman you have seen, it is neither that you steal the fortune of others, and it is surely not that you have abused my power by being my kin."The man scurrying against the hands of his father and the floor stared blankly as heard these words flow from his father''s mouth. "I would kill you right now my sonif it meant that it would appease him, your life would be a small bargain for his mercy." The middle-aged man stood up, he looked through the stainless clear glass that showed a view of the city. It was vast, hundreds of silhouettes moving in unison as they progressed through life and moved to their homes as the sun was dropping down on the city. "Do you know who are the strongest beings here? it is not businessmen like me, nor is it pathetic scum like you that hold me by my feet to bring himself up; rather it is those designated with the title of Climbers." the sound of his steps coming closer, the young man feeling fear as each step reverberated inside his ears. "But! I never messed with a Climber. Father, I wouldn''t be so stupid as to cause trouble to them and cause trouble for you." The young man said in a pleading tone. The middle-aged man stopped his footsteps,"I will be honest sonif it was a Climber there would have been ways to handle it, or at least settle it throughnegotiations; however, you angered KrasiusClayfield." "The son of that old inn lady?" The young man replied with a confused look. "Yes, the inn you just burned for fucking no reason." the middle-aged man suddenly turning around to kick his son in the chest, the sound of a few ribs cracking echoed across the room. His foot on top of the young man as he groaned in unbearable pain. "The one where that old lady died for your twisted pleasure." "He is called Gugalanna. It is what everyone in the underworld of this city calls him, do you know what it means?" Blood spurting out of his mouth, while holding his chest, "Is it the monster that Gilgamesh killed in the legends?" "Yes, it is. It is also the monster that thousands of Climbers died against before the ruler of the tower finally killed it, the monster sent by the Gods. He is the one we send to kill monsters, the man we send to kill Climbers." The middle-aged man exposing a grin. "Oh......." His face pale filled with shock and fear.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "He looks simple now, but I knew him from a young age, and he has the willpower of a thousand men. He lacks the natural gift of Climbers, but in return has the concentration of a demon bent on his mission. I met him once, and saw him kill four people with just his bare hands, he was barely fifteen years old. With his fucking bare hands!" The middle-aged man seemingly to calm down as he walked towards the obsidian table, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey then poured onto a clear glass goblet. He quickly brought it up near his mouth, then paused,the middle-aged man looked towards his son, "Come over, this might be our last drink together." ------------------------------------------------------ "Well did you find his corpse at the inn?" the middle-aged man asked impatiently as a shadow seemingly transformed to a man behind the curtains. It was there a figure with a masked appeared slightly kneeling on his knee as he bowed before his master. "Master, there was only the corpse of the inn lady and a few customers found in the rubble, there were no signs of his body at the location." Hearing this new, the middle-aged man sighed, "I was dreaming if I thought fire would kill him." Moving towards the dark figure kneeling below him, he put out a shred of paper towards him, "Send this message to Mr.Sy, he will settle this appropriately." "Yes Master!" his silhouette slowly fading away like mist towards the bleak sky. .................................................................... In a bleak cold alley, there stood a figure silently watching at the towering building, his eyes filled with a cold bloodlust that would deeply paralyze even Medusa herself. Slowly moving back into the shadows of the alley, he paused to turn back, "We had no enmity between us, I wished for a peaceful life, but you have dragged back this demon to this hell, so wait as I raze this city and burn your family to ashes." He ran through the alleys, and rushed through the filthy streets filled with urchins and beggars, finally stopping against a wall. Suddenly pushing against it as hands grabbed on to the terrace above it, slightly dangling his feet as he forcefully brought it up to hinge against the steel fixed bars surround the terrace. Slowly gathering his strength as he pulled himself in. His eyes staring above towards the white sky, not a single cloud to be seen nor a drop of water that reflected the storm inside his heart. "Mother, I will mourn for you for ten days, I will prepare a grandiose funeral for you with the remaining money we have. I am sure many will honor you by coming." The young man said as tears formed in his eyes, sliding across his face. He slowly gathered his breath, taking the air in as his lips started to form words with the wind as its medium for a beautiful melody. "Bloodied hands, fields, and hearts. Silver stitched across once beauty, forms rag with protruding bones, a cradle with no cries, but blank eyes. You a flower in this barren bloody marble I, a tainted son crying. Your hair, shape, and laughter. My eternal suns in this dark, dark, dark, dark world." Chapter 1: Paper ashes The city of Trusia was considered a lower division block within the tower, its power considered but a speck compared to the floors above. In the last fifty years, none were qualified to have the skills to pass to become a Climber; however, there were many foolish youths over the years that dared to overestimate their abilities, only to be crushed by the reality above. It was not rare though to see Climbers passing through the city since it was interconnected to a first division block, and considerably the shortest route getting there while avoiding many dangers along the way.This allowed trade to prosper within the city as many people passed by from different divisions, it could be said that the city was quite a diverse place and that many Climbers even decided to retire here with the festive atmosphere that surrounded the kind people of this city. Today was different. There was a certain gloom that flowed through the southern area of the city, it was there that a rubble of ash and wood was scattered between two large buildings, it was here that Moon Eye''s Inn stood. Flowers were laid down in front of the rubble, tens of people gathering and leaving behind tokens in honor of Miss Selya, she was without a doubt a kind woman. Many cried in front of the rubble, as a casket stood there out of place in the dirty streets, noticeably the coffin was made of a yellow hued metal, any blacksmith in the city would tell you that it cost a fortune to create this. To say the least, it could have paid for four of the same Inns that just burned yesterday.It was Cellirium, a tough metal that was usually made to make weapons, it covered the coffin as if it was a protective shield. A young man stood there welcoming each person that passed by in honor of his mother, wearing a black suit, and with his dark-green eyes, he was quite an imposing figure. However, everyone knew him, to them he was the rascal boy that bothered them for supplies, who helped them when he saw they were in trouble, even a few of their daughter''s hearts were broken by this hooligan. He was like family. Why would they be scared of him? ............................................................................................. Krasiusstood there at the rubble of his home, he knew that staying here wasn''t a logical move for him, they were gonna hunt for him in fear of his retaliation. In his hands was a small box, he slowly put it down right below where the kitchen once was, his hand moving pass it in one fluid motion as it started glowing. He calmly walked away, as he hands started counting to ten from his left hand to right hand as the glow of the box started getting brighter. ''BOOM'' It was adeafening explosion, yet Krasius slowly walked back calmly without any sign of unease. Under where the box stood, there lay a small door, bending his knees closer to the door as he pulled out a key from his pocket. Inserting it inside, he slowly took a small breath as he remembered what hid inside. "Ka Ka Ka" Opening vertically as mechanism pushed it open, squeaking sounds filled the air, bit by bit a box protruded from the ground. Grabbing it from below, he pushed it down, Krasius then opened the oak wooden chest. Inside laid two daggers, one was a turquoise shade, while the other seemed to be emitting a cold air. Connecting the two was a wire, which seemed to be intertwined by smaller connecting wires as it spiraled towards the hilts of the daggers. The turquoise dagger was slightly curved, yet it ended with a point triangular end, while the obsidian dagger seemed to have spiral upwards from the base of its hilt. Krasius looking at these two daggers in his hand mirroring his expressionless face, he silently thought, "I am metal, forged by fire to be steel, iron flows through my blood." Looking up he silently reminisced against the moonlight the origin of these daggers.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ..................................................................................................... His name was Zayuf, he was a newborn Climber that recently passed the Academia''s specifications to be allowed to travel throughout the tower. He was the son of a noble from one of the lower divisions that spent a fortune for his son to receive the proper training and equipment needed to survive. Skill is one thing, but looking down on luck and money was idiocy. He was without a doubt strong. The major noble families did not appreciate this certain balance being destroyed in their city, it meant that another powerful person was affiliated with one of the nobles. It would have been negotiable if not for the fact that Zayufwas rather overbearing in his treatment to others with his arrogance in being a Climber, his Sati Family did not restrain him which caused even further discord and dissatisfaction. A bounty was applied for. Zayuf was not particularly strong among Climbers, relatively remaining within the lower divisions in his comfort and infamy; however, it can be said that his paranoia and cautious nature allowed him to escape major threats to his life. It did not help that he held two daggers called Shurina and Glacies. They were considered to be only grade 5 weapons, but they both held special abilities which would cause a headache for any hunter. Glacies was able to surround the area with a thick mist that was vital for Zayuf''s many escapes, while Shurina could help hide one''s presence against enemies to a certain level. "It took me a whole year of following his trail, following his movements, following each and every pattern as well his habits." Krasius said silently under the moonlight. "I waited patiently, he is human, whether he is a Climber he still bleeds, I believed he would make a mistake; therefore I waited and waited, before my dagger finally cut through his throat as he fell on top of his lover, carrying his head to my client." Standing up, he placed the daggers beneath his dark suit, inlaid was a pair of leather brown sheaths that seamlessly hid under his built. He went towards the wooden box again, scrounging for something before he pulled out a single shred of paper. Krasius grinning foolishly, he held it between his fingertips as it slowly burned around the edges until ashes were left. ......................................................... In a rowdy tavern with dark tinted orange lighting, there in the corner was a man drinking himself to death, smiling foolishly with the crowd around him as they drank with a goal to forget today. It was a joyous occasion. They lived to tell another tale of their heroics as they survived another day against the trials and dungeons of this tower. There was a sword on the left side of his waist, he had a large built to him, his shirt barely hiding the hardened muscles underneath it. He was wearing a thin armor plating around him, and underneath him was a rectangular box that weighed twice of him. Around his body were layers of rags and bandages that he seem to take pride in as his proof of his strength. It did not escape his notice as the paper tied against the hilt of sword seemed to burn furiously. "HAHAHAHAHA Bastard!" "Two Fucking Years, and now you call." turning around and moving against the crowd, he shouted, "I am quitting Boss!" The room suddenly then became silent, staring towards him. A tall man with a robe that enshrouded him look down at him then said, "Attilius, did Selve group invite you?" "No! I am going down" bluntly said Attilius with a large smile. "Are you fucking insane, do you know how hard it was to get here?" The surrounding men boisterously shouted. Everyone in the room silently nodded, many of the people who were with them had died. The Tower was not a place for the weak to climb. "A friend of mine is calling, it would be rude to not answer" replied Attilius with a devilish grin as he opened the doors to an icy hell below him. Chapter 2: Masterpiece D During the day, the streets were filled with theclamourof rowdy merchants and the resounding patter of feet on the paved floor, while the nights were full of joyous debauchery. Drunkards painted the streets, while taverns were filled with the musty smell of tankards filled withfermented beverages. At the side of an alley, there was the pungent smellemitting from an old man that had yellow stains over his azure tainted rags. Glasses hung betweenhis brown eyes, resting on his red nose, groaning as his body moved and as hiseyebrows creased in reaction to the pain. His body screaming in retaliation as he tried to stand up, it was then he paused as he heard footsteps coming closer. ¡°You look like shit¡± said the young man above him. ¡°Logical observation as I feel like it too¡± he replied. ¡°I thought you gave up on drinking.¡± The old man propped up his head, stared up towards the man above him. ¡°I thought you gave up on killing, yet here stands before me, the monster himself, Krasius Clayfield. Just like old times, me with my comfy alley, and you with those daggers.¡± ¡°Stupid old man, were youtrying to kill yourself?¡± Krasius said as he exposed a large smile. ¡°Allinaccurate, I have an IQ that most people can¡¯t even count to in this city, and if I wanted to, I¡¯d succeed.¡± The old mannonchalantly replied. ¡°Albert, I need your help.¡± Krasius said seriously as he bent down closer to face the old man. ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I kinda started to like this alley, her name is Sheila. I was thinking of maybe marrying her.¡± Albert replied with a wide smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong kiddo, you got a pretty mother, a legitimate job, you don¡¯t smell like blood all day. Did I already say you have a pretty mother?¡± ¡°She died.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Old Man said as he slowly started to stand up.Turning around, he wistfully said,¡°I am gonna miss you, Sheila.¡± However, he then added,¡°Your sister across the street was warmer.¡± ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± Albert said, his eyes shifting colour to a dark blue. ''Turn me into a monster.''Krasius said with determination flaring in his eyes. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. In a dusty warehouse, near the division line of this city, there was beggars andriffraff scrounging for scraps around the vicinity. The sky was filled with bright shining lights, a poor substitution for the legendary stars found in our ancestral home. There weretwo moons that float over the city, waiting calmly for their brother to come up and mark the new day. Krasius looked around at the filthy room with nostalgia, turning around to the Old Man behind him. He then said to him,¡°Reminds me of you.¡± ¡°How funny.¡± Albert said with a bland face ashe moved around the room, he simply snapped his fingers as sparks started to run around the machinery inside, slowly the room was lit and the sound of whirling cogs started to echo around the room. He looked around the room, scrunching his eyebrows together. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Krasius asked. ¡°I am wondering whether I forgot any¡­.BOOM¡± ¡°Ohnever mind. It exploded already.¡± Albert saidnonchalantly looking at the corner of the room, where ashes and burnt marks stained around it. Krasius slowly moving back a few steps closer to the door. Albert then tinkered around the room and pulled down a rectangular table with straps at five corners. ¡°Lie down.¡± ¡°What are my chances of surviving?¡±Krasius bluntly asked. ¡°Well, to be exact it would normally be about 0.001 percent. You did do it a few times already, it is your third time doing this.¡± Albertmonotonously replied. He started peeling the straps open, then afterwards went to a sink to the left of the room. Slowly washing his hands, as he deeply sighed. ¡°Though I said that the second time as well and the third time as well.¡± Albert mumbled in a hushed tone. This not escaping the ears of Krasius, he exposed a toothy smile as he sat down on the surgery table. ¡°It¡¯s getting boring now knowing you will survive against all odds.¡± Albert said with a dramatic tone. ¡°Let me make it interesting then¡± Krasius said as he held a smallcylindrical case in his hand. Swiftly grabbing it from his hands, Albert with hisstubby hands mechanically opened it. Staring at the contents of the case below him, Albert stood there in shock for a few seconds. Inside the container was a fleshy strip with red veins glowing. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the Bravhat auction, it was one of the benefits from my last mission, it wasn¡¯t too valuable.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Affirmative, most idiots wouldn¡¯t understand how valuable it is.¡± Albert said sneering inwardly. ¡°The whole Logia Clan spent decades researching about its possible uses, they found nothing , so what do you expect.¡± Albert spitting to the ground, he looked up in the sky,¡°And they are the called most intelligent race.¡± Krasius smiling towards his old friend,¡°Well Nobles still uses it as some medal to boast about it, so it is stilldifficult to obtain.¡± ¡°Monkeys, the lot of them.¡± Albert said as pushed up his glasses. ¡°Will it work then?¡±Krasius asked in a serious tone. ¡°Why do you even need this? The risk isexponentially higher than the gain if it works or if you don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Furthermore, if you just want to kill that spoiled brat mafioso then your abilities now should far exceed that task.¡± Albertmockingly said. ¡°His father has already hired a Climber.¡± ¡°Says the one they send to kill Climbers.¡± Albert mockingly replied. ¡°He isn¡¯t new, possibly a swordsmith.¡± ¡°Well, how the hell did they pull that off?¡± Albert confusingly asked. ¡°Gave up that heirloom of theirs, the rank D sword.¡±Krasius said as he sighed deeply. ¡°It''spossible, but it would take a few months, who knows what type of swords he can manifest.¡±Krasiuscontinued as he jumped off the table. ¡°That was a horrible lie, and I feel my intelligence was insulted for thinking I would even remotely believe that.¡± Albert said sneering. ¡°What¡¯s the rush anyway?¡± Albert said as he slowly picked up the specimen inside the container and placed it under a microscope. ¡°I am gonna climb the tower.¡± Krasius said, looking up towards the ceiling as if his eyes could seewhat lay beyond it to the heavens. There was a moment of silence, Albert looking up towards Krasius, staring closely at him. ¡°Show me your back.¡± Albert silently said. Krasius peeling off his suit, his lean body showing its form, snaking throughout his backwere symbols of various sizes. Runic symbols running through his lower back, slowly growing in magnitude as it moved upward. ¡°We are gonna need to unseal this first before I do the experiment on your body again.¡±Turningaway towards the microscope as he bent closely to see further. ¡°How long is it gonna take?¡± ''Just a few hours, as for this next operation, it will take a month before I will be prepared.'' Albert said. ¡°Can¡¯t you make it any faster?¡± ¡°Impossible, your chances are low already, this isn¡¯t just simple surgery kiddo, this is going against nature itself.¡± Albert stubbornly replied. ¡°I need this to kill him, for my mother¡±Krasius said as he stared down Albert. ¡°Bah, you have other tricks to use,and your mother wouldcertainly hate this.¡± Albertnonchalantly replied. Pausing for a moment as he stared towards Krasius,¡°If this works, you might actually gain the usage of Mana.¡± A smile forming at the edges of his mouth.¡° It will be my masterpiece if it works.¡± ¡°I know¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡±Turning towards the table, his hands motioning for Krasius to lay down. Krasius laid down on the table, the straps suddenlyentrapping him. ¡°This is gonna hurt, Krasius, a lot.¡± Krasius then wondered about his decision as electricity flew throughout his body and knocked him unconscious, foam forming at the corner of his mouth. "Told you." Albert said with a wide smile. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. When humans first arrived at the tower, they were observed by many races and concluded to have highadaptive capabilities. They weren¡¯t particularly gifted compared to other races, but their unity and progress were considerably outstanding. Over the decades, humans started to further evolve, their intelligence grew, and theirstrengthcorrespondingly. A turning point for humans was when they discovered the use of Mana, a flow of energy felt by the talented within all races, which was innately present in all life forms of the tower. It was then that history started to shift, humans weren¡¯t considered one of the lower races any longer. Eventually, as time passed, they wererecognised as a higher life form. It was then that they were able to stand beside the Elves, Dwarfs,Beast-men, and Demons. It was through human¡¯s ingenuitythatthey were able to avoid the extinction oftheir race, resulting in their race prospering through the centuries. After four centuries, one human named Ragnar was able to pierce through the floors of the tower, humanity¡¯s first champion. This allowing humanity to push forward and advance further with the support of their champion. Humans have since then slowly declined over the decades, while they are able to survive and battle against all other races, Ragnar was the last of the humans for over ten centuries to have had the ability to oppress against the monsters of the various races. It was signifying the decline of the influence held by humans, with the four other high races having more and more of their people being designated as Champion by the tower. It was the beginning of a new era for humans. This cornered humans as time progressed, their kin moving to the lower division of the tower, while there still remained many strongholds and remnant of human''s past glory, it was a depressing comparison to their former pride. However, there were still many strong Climbers that went up the tower, this giving some hope to humanity that another Ragnar may arise from their masses. Along the struggle of humanity, many scientist and magicians researched methods to strengthen humanity, the biggest struggle being the lack of consistency with the talents of their kind. It was a fact that there were superiors one''s within humans, but the biggest disadvantage for humans was that not all were gifted with Mana. This caused a large division of talent with the human racebecause climbing the tower meant having the capability of using Mana to defend oneself, event those with sparing Mana would still be considered useless in climbing further above the tower. A further burden with the human race was that not all were skilled in battle, it was impossible for every human to be as strong as Musashi in the sword or as wise as Confucius, so even those with Mana and a lack of battle capabilities were also a trouble for humanity. In this struggle, a scientist named Ravi, proposed for a genetic mapping of human''s ancestors, using these genes to trace back to the skills of their bloodline. This awakening the talents found within the family of a specific individual, this allowing for humans to theoretically continuously have skilled soldiers. It had worked, but it was an incomplete invention by Ravi, because it was impossible to identify which particular gene held within the body held a specific trait or talent. It meant that they couldn''t specify or narrow down which genome was needed to awaken to bring back skills needed in battle. They researched further in hopes of finding a solution, but in the end only found more limitations to this method. The longer the treatment or surgery for this process meant that the further back in time it would reach to awaken an ancestor''s dormant ability; however, in exchange, it would mean excruciating pain, which led to many testers to have died. The dream of allowing skilled swordsman from an old era to manifest to the modern day, for humanity to inherit the skills of their ancestors was now ignored by the world. It wasn''t a plausible method for humanity. Only few would be able to take such risk and survive. ......................................................................................... It was here in the brightly lit warehouse, there stood an Old Man beside a surgery table watching over a young man as he slowly awoke from his slumber. "How do you feel, Krasius?" The Old Man asked. "Horrible" Krasius replied as he slowly moved his body, getting familiar with its form. "It feels weird having this body now, feels strange." Krasius added as he quickly put back on his clothing, stepping down to the ground. "You did just fit three lifetimes worth of cognitive and muscle memory. Well, to be exact, you awoke from amnesia like state and remembered it again." Albert replied as he took a deep yawn. "I am never storing their memories again, it is nauseating." Krasius replied. "Your faulttold you to just keep it." Albert said, suddenly throwing a compact steel revolver towards Krasius. "You are gonna need it." "Thanks, you twisted Old Man." Krasius replied, as he calmly took it from the air. "I am leaving, I will be back in a few days." "Bring me whiskey!It''s the least you can do." Albert shouted. Krasius nodded as he slowly stumbled outside the warehouse waving his hand without looking back. "You are my masterpiece, now bring chaos to the world." Albert silently said smiling. Interlude: Contract Under the moonlight stood two figures, one bowing before the other. The lullabying sounds as the constant patter of rain dropped beneath the fluorescent stars, and the wind blowing across the empty streets in search of the westward sky. The eyes of the man piercing down underneath his hollow beak shaped mask. "I am no longer your master, from today, you are free." "I still wish to serve you, master, please allow this humble servant to stay by your side." The bowing figure said in a high voice, going closer to the ground. "Your debt has been paid." The masked man said with a sigh. "My debt is my life, this was my pledge." The masked man turned away, slowly walking from this shadowy bowing figure, looking up to the sky as crystal shaped objects dropped above him, his garments soaked under the cold rain. He slowly walked away to the misty streets. "Master...." Remaining in a bowing position, the figure stayed there under the rain, waiting for its master''s return. ................................................................ My existence was ignored. I laid down on the streets, watching as people pass by with their unstained faces, smiles contagiously cross to one face after another. I twisted my neck, letting it face a puddle in front of me, looking at my reflection I turned away. I was filthy. Day by day passing, barely surviving against the scorching heat, begging for pennies to survive another day. As the night came, I would wander to a comfy alley, hiding away from the terrifying men that scoured the streets for violence.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was a snowy day, white clumps of snow forming around me, my body shivering against this icy hell. My eyes slowly closing and opening, my body trying to live, but my soul weakening. At the corner of my eye, a young boy slowly passed by, his eyes a deep green, holding a small knapsack across his shoulder. The sound of his footsteps crushing the ice beneath it, then slowly coming to a silent halt. The figure slowly came closer to me, bending his figure as he kneeled beside me. His mouth moving as my brain whirled in trying to comprehend his words. "You are going to die." The boy bluntly said. Exposing a slight smile, "It was lucky you met me, now you have a choice." "Do you wish to live?" My mind wondering what mean, to live? Finally, understanding his words my heart was in turmoil. "I.....I.......I." The young man patiently waiting for my response as I fumbled to regain the control of my tongue. "I want to live." "Do not misunderstand, this is not through the kindness of my heart, you will be my tool, a servant to my plans." The boy said grinning. "Do you still wish to live?" My heart slowly beating faster, looking at his face. I was confused, I twisting apart, and I was lost at what to do. Yet my lips moved, it whispering softly the boy. "I want to live." The boy merely smiled in response. He then moved beside me and picked up my petite body, I could feel the warmth spreading across his body moving towards mine. "Do not feel pitiful, stand with pride, no one saved you, but you saved yourself. Some worked hard, some struggled, all paid a price to survive in this world. You have paid the highest price, your freedom." The boy nonchalantly said. "What is your name?"The boy asked me. I shook my head in response unable to answer this question. The boy stopped, his eyebrows scrunching together, his eyes full of contemplation. "Your name will be Yuki, in the Tersian language, it means snow. Fitting, don''t you think." I could only nod in agreement, my consciousness slowly drifting away. "Yuki, do you pledge to serve me?" The boy askedas he turned down a road. "I do." My mouth replying instantly in fear of losing this warmth that surrounded me. "This is our contract, do not forget." The boy said in a serious tone as I slowly drifted into darkness. Chapter 3: Trickery The damp streets howled with the rushing wind, the dark clouds swimming closer over to the city. The moonlight dampened, and the starry sky being overshadowed by the cotton clouds. Shifting through these alleys was a tall figure, a hood over his face, covering his appearance. Krasius silently looked around the corner, seeing a single sign across the pathway, engraved across the wooden sign was "SALLY". He pushed against the brass handled door, the bells clinging from the corners, and being welcomed with an Old Lady sitting behind a counter. "Give me information on the Diovo Familia" Krasius bluntly said. "I will need a day to gather all the information, possibly two days." she stood up, moving closer to the face of Krasius. Putting up four fingers in front of his face. "I will need at least this much, it is a risky request." The Old Lady continued exposing a wide smile. "No problem" Krasius replied, reaching towards his pockets, gathering coins, then letting them clatter over the oak counter. He slowly walked away towards the door, pausing slightly as he saw the assortment of paintings scattered over the ceiling wall. The Old Lady sat back down, reaching for the pipe across the counter, igniting it with a quick snap of her fingers. "Kill them all Krasius, Leila was a good mother." Krasius merely nodded as he left with the sound of bells ringing. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ A disheveled man held a whiskey bottle in his palms, standing against the windows, he seemed to be staring straight into the abyss. He turned around to see a figure kneeling before him, a mask-wearing figure, its body being enshrouded in a shade of shadows. ¡°Have you found him?¡± ¡°I lost him, Master, I followed him after his mother''s funeral, I sent my elite men to pursue him closely as well; however, it was pointless, he disappeared. Throwing the bottle straight towards the opposite side of the room, his face was haggard as he sat down near a chair beside him. ¡°How is my son, Trev?¡± ¡°He is being guarded by the swordsmith, Jaque.¡± ¡°Are we sure about the reports? Can he manifest two swords at will? ¡°He has already shown us, and two of my men have died to prove his skills. He is without a doubt a powerful Climber.¡± ¡°Tell Mr.Sy, I appreciate his help in connecting me with this Climber.¡± ¡°I have already done so Master, he told me to send his regards to Marcelli Diovo. He hopes to be rewarded properly in the future.¡± Marcelli thought that he would do so if he could avert this crisis, he feared that his family would not live for long. He closed his eyes, attempting to fall into slumber. Yet he could only see the man¡¯s daggers at his throat, slitting it open as blood flowed out and as his eyes slowly lost their light. He opened it slowly, hoping this nightmare would finally end. ¡°I am waiting for youKrasius.¡± Marcelli mumbled softly. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ A small apartment near the Axis Elevator, there was the ever-flowing movement of people scattering inside, everyone trying to get to their destination. In the Tower, there were many lower divisions, these were considered one of the types of safe areas inside. Across these lower divisions, there was the Axis Elevator that was used to transport merchandise and goods to cities across the Tower. It only worked for these lower divisions, which was where the Tower allowed its people to grow and learn in order to battle its trials. There were no trials in these lower divisions, they were considered a free zone for people to enjoy living in. Usually, a Climber that has retired will be able to claim one of the cities in the lower divisions. However, this was usually allowed for only the Elite Climbers that were recognized by the Champions of the races who deserved such respect. Inside the lit apartment room, there was a young man with a woman in his arms, and a battle in his fingertips. His face was red, and he hiccuped between every few words as he spoke to the woman. ¡°I will one day be a young lord, just Hic! Just watch me, Sharina, I will become a Climber, and all will bow before me!¡± He started raising his bottle, acting like it was mighty sword like Excalibur slicing his foes before him, holding her in his arms as if he was rescuing his princess. Sharina silently thought he could never be a Climber, he lacked the wit of even the average man out in the streets, and she had never even seen him hold a sword in his hands. He was merely a drunkard failure of a large Mafioso family in her opinion. ¡°Of course you will, my Hero.¡± Sharina said giggling with an alluring smile. She wondered how much longer it would take before this idiot finally proposed to her. While he was useless, he was a man needed for her dreams. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°I¡­ I will be a Champion of the human race!¡± A figure suddenly opening the door, light sneaking inside the room. His footsteps silent as it treated the creaky wooden floors. There were two swords on his body, one on each of his waist, and he wore a grim expression that matched his black plate armor. ¡°I''d be surprised if you could even shit by yourselfkid.¡± Jaque said filled with contempt. ¡°What are you doing here, I thought you were hunting that assassin!¡± Jaque¡¯s eyes swept across the room, finally peering down on their bodies. His eyes finally falling towards the lower area of the young man. ¡°Sorry little misslooks like you will be needing to finish by yourself tonight.¡± Sharina slightly exposing a smile as Trev pulled up the covers to protect himself. He started to stare down the man in front of him. He started to then remember what his father said, to not offend this man working for them, he was dangerous. ¡°Tell me, little boy, how good is this assassin of yours?¡± Slowly calming himself down, Trev didn¡¯t think of himself as an idiot. He knew he couldn¡¯t offend this person before him, so he replied with a respectful tone. ¡°I am not sure, my father told me he has killed Climbers before though, and that his specialty is using daggers.¡± Jaque preparing to reply suddenly paused for a moment, he started positioning the sheath of his sword, angling it as he his right hand laid on the hilt of his sword. ¡°He is here.¡± He started moving towards Trev, pushing him towards the window, telling him to jump outside. ¡°Are you insane? I can¡¯t jump that, besides I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Just do it, jump, before he comes here.¡± ¡°I will¡­¡­.BOOM.¡± The floor starting to crumble as the three of them slowly dropped towards the middle, slowly falling in tandem with the rubble. Coming closer to crush, until Jaque holding his sword brought it out from its sheath. ¡°Zaigen, let thy blood flow from edged steel, manifest!¡± His sword clutched between his forefingers started glowing a dark red. His sword suddenly extending as it swished through air, breezing through rubble, bit by bit breaking through this endless chaos of gravel. The sea of rubble seemed to divide a path for him. As he fell down on the uneven ground, mist seemed to arise from the ground, enshrouding his body with an icy coldness. Bullet seemingly appear from his back, his sword immediately extending and bending its way to his back, blood seemingly to drop from his the tip of his fingers. Jaque immediately thought of finding his client, but he let go of the idea, feeling his hair standing up in anticipation of his enemy. ¡°Interesting, so your sword uses your blood and freely shapes and bends itself to protect you. Not bad.¡± A deep voice seemed to pervade through the area. ¡°Have you killed the little brat?¡± Jaque questioned in an attempt to stall for time to locate the location of his hunter. ¡°I haven¡¯t, but do you think he would have survived this?¡± Krasius replied with a sarcastic tone. Jaque sheathing his sword, positioning his body in a drawing stance, his feet sliding down against the gravel. His muscles tightened, tensing to form large muscles all over his body, his hand tightening around his hilt then swiftly being drawn. A slash made of blood glided through the mist, aiming directly at a building opposite to him. Jaque slowly relaxing itself, returning to his original stance, holding his sword above his his head before finally sheathing it back to his sword. Turning around to leave the vicinity, the mist dissipating, while he was thinking about the reward he would receive for killing this man. Suddenly blood started to spread through the shirt under his armour, twisting his neck around, he saw a dagger embedded at his back. The dagger placed between the chinks in his armour. ¡°I bet you¡¯re wondering, how did it get there? Jaque grabbing the dagger at his back, instantly pulled it out of his body, blood oozing as he took it out. Jaque pondered it over his head as he drew his sword in one fluid motion pointing towards the demon in front of him. He realized from the force applied on his body that it was not thrown. It was pulled. His enemy stood in front of him, the wire connecting the dagger seemed to have been placed behind him, he must have reeled back the wire, hence the dagger coming from his back. ¡°Is that all?¡± Krasius smiled as a small revolver appeared in his palms, his fingertips pulling the trigger as the bullet revolved inside and shot forward. Jaque swiftly drawing his sword, quickly chanting. ¡°Zaigen, let thy blood flow from edged steel, manifest!¡± Blood seemingly to flow through the blade, it¡¯s form shifting straight towards the bullet directed towards him. As the blood of the blade came into contact to the bullet, it seemed to disintegrate at touch. ¡°Tak Tak.¡± Penetrating through the blood, the bullet finally reach the chest of Jaque. His body slowly falling down onto the gravel. His chest slowly being filled with blood, his breathing growing difficult. ¡°Soul weapon?¡± Jaque asked slowly, enunciating each letter with difficulty. Krasius walking slowly towards him, staring below him, his eyes full of pity. ¡°Mana Distortion Bullet. It¡¯s an invention by a friend of mine, how else can I penetrate the Mana that surrounds the Climbers body. Though it has many conditions to use it.¡± Krasius bent forward, coming closer to the dying body below him. ¡°If you used your sword to block, it would not have passed through, it was only because the blood manifested by your sword is made entirely of Mana.¡± The man below him seemingly to ponder for a moment, comprehending his mistake. ¡°Your daggers?¡± ¡°All a trick, how can a low-rank Climber¡¯s equipment suddenly allow me to kill a few Climbers, at most it could scratch them, like I did to you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jaque¡¯s eyes slowly losing its shine, his breathing suddenly then stopping. ¡°Be at peace.¡± Krasius said, putting his hands over his face to close the man¡¯s eyes. He then stood there for a few moments, waiting. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Krasius laid his hands on the sword of Jaque, sheathing the sword, then putting it over his waist. Looking over at the other sword by the man¡¯s side, he merely sighed. He had looked over it already, it was clear that it was a broken spirit sword, it would be too hard for its soul to be ignited. ¡°The information was right, he could only manifest one sword. Looks like I have the perfect gift for an old friend though.¡± Krasius then slyly left the premises, the destruction of this building would be noticed easily by the populace and its guards. Krasius decided it be safer to not remain here even though the battle ended quickly. He thought about searching for that bastard¡¯s body, but he knew he didn¡¯t have much time left before the Guards of the city came here, it would bring even trouble for him and he might not be able to escape against such people. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The rubble began to shake, gravel beginning to fall away to the ground, beneath it lay two bodies. One was a man, his legs and feet completely crushed, his eyes already blank, and his face stained with blood. The woman¡¯s breathing could be heard, her eyes full of fire, while her hands pushed away stones at her path. She slowly crawled her way out of the rubble, across her face was smudged by blood, her body filled with wounds and scratches. ¡°I won''t die! I can¡¯t die!¡± Sharina moving slowly inch by inch, moving further and further, her heart refusing for its body to die. Her eyes slowly becoming blank, he movement getting slower, finally her body dropped on the ground. Her vision slowly fading, seeing only the tip of a hilt laid in front of her, she saw it glowing a shade of blue before she finally fell into darkness.