Sarah's fall seemed to last a lot longer than she thought it would. She had imagined the floor below her to have the same layout as the one she had been on, yet more and more seconds passed as her body picked up speed during her decent. Forced down by the law of gravity.

'Shit! Is my Immortality still on cool down?' Unable to remember if sufficient time had passed, Sarah was about to check the skills timer when the air inside her lungs was violently ejected as she crashed into the floor below.

As her body began to sink, Sarah was reminded of the time she had tried acid before enlisting. The feeling she had was reminiscent of that as her body seemed to be merging with the floor. Becoming one with what ever it is that she's crashed into.

It was only when she realised that she was unable to breath did panic truly set in. It forced Sarah to struggle and fight for her life until she managed to escape its clutches. What she had originally mistaken to be a solid surface due to her impact, actually turned out to be a body of water. There was also another reason that revealed the substance that Sarah had landed in, or on, as that had actually been the case.

[You have drank from the water of sin. HP, MP and Stamina recovery are increased by 500% for the next 2 hours.]

Checking her stats, Sarah realised that she had barely endured the shameful face plant as her health was slowly creeping its way back up from 34. 'That was almost death number four and there's a chance that I might not have survived that time. Time didn't slow down, which means Immortality is still on cooldown too. I should start being more careful like the descriptions keep telling me to.'

Looking up, Sarah could barely make out the small speckle of light that the mana crystal was emitting. 'How did I even survive that fall? My body hurts all over and I'm almost out of health...'

A faint dot on the distant ceiling was all she was able to see as she treaded water. '...and how are people usually supposed to get up there?' Sarah complained internally while grumbling about the ridiculousness of the tower she owned.

'Guess I won't be visiting Solus for a while. Sorry buddy.' She sent the guardian a silent prayer and then tried her best to make out her new surroudings with what little light reached her location.

'I can't fucking see anything down here!' Where are the bastard lights in the Tower of Death.'

[Tower of Death - Level 1]

- Since the passing of the last Master, the tower has regressed back to its original state. Unlock new features by performing sacrifices and granting souls to the Tower of Death.

Current floors: 1

Sacrificial souls: 2

Features need to advance: 1

Features available: 1

- Lighting (1)

"Are you fucking joking me? Are those my sacrifices!?" Sarah couldn't help but curse the tower as she continued to tread water, her Endurance showing its worth. 'I'm more than just a little annoyed at that, but at least my deaths weren't in vain.' Thinking positively, Sarah choose confirm on the only available feature for the Tower of Death.

Before her eyes, mana crystals began to grow from the walls in a spiral pattern leading towards the top and illuminated the entire silo-like structure. The walls that led up were black with a tint of green and Sarah couldn't help but feel they look mystical in their own right.

[Tower of Death has reached Level 2 - New features are avaliable]

No other rooms had appeared, but that was a given seeing as though the status page had told her what would happen and there was also still only one floor. The one she had fallen from.

'How the hell am I supposed to get out of here then?' As the light grew, Sarah noticed a stone slab protruding from the wall so she swam towards it. The fact that she could have hit rock instead of liquid wasn't lost in her as she climbed out of the waters of sin. She was also wondering if the tower's status would have changed with upgrade, hoping shedding some light on her ongoing problem.

[Tower of Death - Level 2]

- Since the passing of the last Master, the tower has regressed back to its original state. Unlock new features by performing sacrifices and granting souls to the Tower of Death.

Current floors: 1

Sacrificial souls: 1

Features need to advance: 2

Features available: 2

- Ground Floor (1)

- Door (1)

'Shit! It's got to be the door, right? There's nothing to suggest that the ground floor will come equipt with an exit. Then again, what if does? Argh, but what if it doesn't!? Fucking stupid choices!' Sarah's health was still slowly rising as numbness from her fall disappeared.

'Stupid tower with its bullshit choices. I mean, there is a third option, but I don't really want to take that one.'

[Immortality is ready for use]

'The timing on that shit.'

Sarah was in fact entertaining the idea of performing suicide. This time it had to be named that way as she would be the one taking her own life. What she hadn't expect was that the universe - in all its infinite knowledge, would prompt her into it in her time of deliberation.

'Still. I suppose I could use the opportunity to have a look at what's at the bottom of this place. I'd gain that last sacrifice in the process and you never know, I might find something good. As long as you don't factor drowning into the equation, it's not a bad idea. Fuck. Let's do it now before I chicken out.'

Dropping back into the water, Sarah swam down beneath the surface. The light eminating from tower's mana crystals found it hard to penetrate the waters of sin. The deeper she got, more and more of her visibility was stolen from her. When she finally reached the bottom, a small bout of oxygen escaped her lungs.

Trying their best not to make a dash for the surface, Sarah made her way through the pitch-black depths and was scouring the floor as she went. Just because she couldn't see, didn't mean that all her senses had been lost and touch alone was enough. She blindly grasped for anything that might have been in reach as she her way tried to take her mind of certain death.

Sarah knew she wasn't going to last much longer and when her next involuntary loss of air occurred, panic was pleading with Sarah to make a hasty retreat. Back to oxygen, life and the safety that breathing provided. She fought to suppress that thought and all her instincts with everything she had. At the same time, the crazy woman's fingers brushed over a small, circular object.

Fumbling around, Sarah almost lost the invisible object until she finally grab hold of it. With it's round shape and small size, it was obvious that it was some type of ring. Sarah slid it onto her finger as the last dregs of the oxygen burst from her lungs causing her to take a mouthful of water.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

[You have drank from the water of sin. HP, MP and Stamina recovery are increased by 500% for the next 2 hours.]

Even though Sarah knew the plan was to die down there to earn a sacrifice, she couldn't help but start the kicking in desperation. Fighting to live and ascending to safety. The will to survive was overbearing and forced her to struggle in vain with the last vestiges of energy her body could muster.

The concept of drowning, compared to the actual, shitting your pants, horror of knowing you're definitely going to drown and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, are two different aren't even comparable to each other.

'Fuck!'

That was the last thought that went through Sarah's concious mind as the waters of sin became a void of darkness as death had once again claimed its name over her.

.•° ✿ °•.

"Master! You're back, and you can teleport now?" Solus was shocked aby Sarah's sudden return and the door's statement came across as more of a question.

Sarah opened her eyes as the warm heart from the fire washed over. She wasn't in a good mood.

'That was the worst death yet. Thank God this is my spawn point.'

Looking at the door, who was clearly happy to see her again, Sarah could also see new notifications. Specifically, the most recent one regarded her latest death.

"No, I can't teleport. Not yet anyway if that's a thing. Unfortunately, I died again. I'm not the best master yet. I must admit."

Ignoring the notification regarding her death to the best of her ability and seeing no reason to lie to her guardian, Sarah explained what had happened to her down below aswell as what she'd done to advance the tower. As she was explaining, Sarah couldn't help but appreciate the fine piece of jewellery that had managed to respawn with her.

'I didn't think it would come back with me, but it's good information to know.'

Sarah was pleased with her find. A small, green gem sat atop a beautifully-crafted golden ring. That wasn't all though as her notifications revealed even more.

[Ring of the Necromancer: 5/100]

Using the ring's status, which could apparently hold a hundred items and was almost as bizzare as the fact the Lance corporal could respawn after death, Sarah was able to view its contents and spotted some crazy items. The ring alone would be enough to baffle scientists, its storage capabilities were lightyears beyond anything modern-day technology could produce, but the items inside were even stranger.

Sarah was loathe to even attempt using them. The one-piece necromancer robe, fully equipt with its own hood and cowl, was a definite no-no. Why the hell would she want to dress like the villain in some other protagonist's story?

'Don't think so! I should burn that so I'm not forced to use it at some point in the future.'

[Book of Souls: 6/100 - Indestructible]

Another storage item, held inside the ring, only this one contained souls. Sarah's mind was blown away at the capacity of the otherworldly items.

- The souls of those who have died can be absorbed into the Book of Souls. Even those found outside can be used to advance the Tower of Death.

'That's amazing, but the ring is still something else. Could I put 100 different rings, all full themselves, inside my own ring? That means I'd be able to carry 10,000 items on one finger! The whole army's rations could be carried by a single person and they wouldn't even feel twinge of strain.'

Veering of topic, Sarah brought her attention back to the contents of the ring. There was another book inside which Sarah decided was almost like a bible after reading a few passages.

'The book of death. Aptly named for a preaching necromancer. Not my cup of tea though.' Apart from the robes and books, there were two other items left to inspect.

[Shoes of the Necromancer - Rare - Part of a two piece set: Comfort is increased 100% and colour will adjust to match any outfit.]

Sarah couldn't resist the temptation. After removing her standard issue boots, Sarah tapped them with her ring and they were stored away inside. Right after the boots had vanished, a pair of white slippers appeared in their place.

'That is so cool. I'm never going to bored of that. I love magic.' Sliding her feet into the slippers, which were actually larger than her boots had been, the magical fabric shrunk down to the perfect size.

'Oh my god!'

As the slippers turned green to match her monotone attire, Sarah smiled. Her feet felt as though she was standing on clouds. Clouds specifically designed for her for maximum comfort.

'I am never taking these off. I doubt people will know their part of a necromancer outfit, so I should be fine. Especially if I'm not wearing that stupid robe. Actually... No. I don't want to look at the super-tasty benefits that might offer me. I might be too tempted and not able to resist. If that happens, I'm as good as murdered by some wanna-be hero looking to put down a dark sorcerer! I can't help but fall into that category if I wear that thing. Knowing that it's part of the set is almost making me not want to throw it away. Maybe I'll store it in my room.'

The last item inside the ring was a staff made that looked to be made from the wood of a very evil tree. Almost black with hues of purple near the top, the staff almost remebled a spine and contained an immense amount of power which Sarah felt the moment she removed it from the ring. 'Now that is a weird piece of wood that most certainly falls into the evil-as-fuck category. '

[Staff of Death - Unique - Created with branches taken from the devil's tree, the Staff of Death is now a relic of the past. Increases the user's stays by twice their original amount when supplied with mana. Necromancy will not fail when cast with the Staff of Death. Necromancy is twice as effective when cast with the Staff of Death.]

Four hands had been carved to make up the top of the staff and together, each one held on to the corner of a dazzling, purple gem.

'It's almost a shame I can't use it. Well, not in public at least.' Sarah grimaced at the evil, but magnificenty-crafted staff as she placed it beside her chair.

'Last, but not least. I suppose?'

[Congratulations! You have been awarded a new title: Who Needs Oxygen?]

[Who Needs Oxygen?]

...certainly not you! Although this may sound familiar, you have died, again. Your lack of caution and care are truly a terrific combination. Soon you may not even be able to die +30 Vitality. You have acquired the specialist skill - Breathless

[Breathless - Through faults entirely of your own making, you no longer need oxygen to sustain your mortal form. Be careful of drowning... Oh, that's right! You don't need to.]

'What can I say to that? I can't... I don't... I'll just spend those souls for now and circle back to it.'

"Why not just sacrifice other people?" Sarah was about to begin her purchases until Solus asked a startling question.

"I'm not a murderer, you know? And this isn't a teenage cult movie."

"What's a murderur? Have you ever killed another person?" Sarah was once again reminded that she truly was in a another world. Solus' question had also caught her off guard because she had in fact killed people before and not too long ago had lost some good friends herself.

You had to also consider that the people Sarah and her platoon had killed had been designated as enemy combatants. And that it took place on a completely different planet. Still, because of that simple fact, Sarah could refute Solus' question. She also didn't want to argue semantics with the murder door who was probably as old as the tower itself.

"I have..." she eventually conceded, "...and a murderer is a person who kills another person for reasons that aren't justifiable by law. I was ordered to kill people by my country. It's a different matter entirely," she added, unable to stop herself from trying to justify her own actions in some way.

"So you are a killer?" Solus asked, hopefully comparing the similarities between the two and not questioning her previous-self's transgressions.

"Yeah... I suppose?" Sarah wasn't sure they were still on the same page, but answered regardless. Even though she was now less confident than she had been before. Thoughts of the tower and how to improve it were still running through her mind.

"I still don't see what the problem is then? As my Master, and Master of the tower, you can offer blessings to those who pass the trials. If they die while attempting to challenge me, then that is self sacrifice. Is it not? Death in the pursuit of greatness. That too contributes to the growth of the tower and that way your murdurs are justifiable, correct?"

'Sneaky old bastard. That is clever though and he's not wrong. Although, phrasing it as justifiable murder still makes me cringe, I do remember reading something about blessings actually...' Sarah tried to remember which status screen it had been on. '...I didn't get one! That's what it was. Instead, I got dumped with caretaking the tower that I'm still fucking trapped in and now have to rebuild. Why didn't I get respawned in a castle or somewhere cool and kick-ass like that. If I were to become a bitching, top-class fire mage with a flaming tower, that would be sweet as hell.' Sarah slapped her cheeks to shake off the thoughts that were running havoc in her mind.

"Master?" Solus seemed alarmed at her actions. Even though he had killed her twice himself, now she was the master it was a different situation.

"I'm fine. Just snapping myself out of a daydream. That was a pretty good idea you mentioned, but you need to work on your wording. Plus, I have a few questions and you seem to be a bit hit and miss for information. So, let's see how we get on this time, shall we?" Sarah gazed at Solus, ready and eager to learn how to grow in the new world she had found herself in.

"Er...yes?" She could almost see the panic run over the old door's face as its golden features quivered. Sarah was sure that she heard a little creak go off as well, not that she would mention it if only to save the awkwardly-senial creature from some embarrassment.

"Good, cause ive got shit I need to know. Number one. How do I grant blessings? Two. What type of blessings are we talking about here? Healing, soul soothing, spirit walks. I need to know what they are if I'm gking to try and convince people to get them. When I actually find people that is, which brngs us to the next. Three. Where would I even find people willing to undertake such a risky endeavour that may or may not pay off? And finally, four. What's the mortality rate likely to be? Percentage wise. If it's like 90% of people fail then we'll have to find another way to do this."

Solus looked baffled once again, but Sarah was going to need these answers. Especially, if she wanted to encourage people to take part in her crazy, potentially deadly, scheme.