Opening her eyes, Sarah found a few notifications waiting for her acknowledgement. Brushing them aside, the raggedy Lance Corporal only had one thought going through her mind.
'Warm.'
Sarah smiled as she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace's open flame. The heat drifting toward her barely clothed body was a welcome feeling after the last two days.
'I didn't realise how cold I was before. This is so nice.'
Looking around her new space, Sarah judged it to be the same size as the other three rooms inside her prison. The one, however, was completely different to the other three and the fact that it wasn't empty filled Sarah with hope.
Above the heat crackling away, tools that Sarah had never seen before were laid out in a neat order on the mantle. On the right of the fireplace was an armchair that Sarah's brain instantly decided would be the comfortable seat in the world. Behind it stood a large bookcase that stretched the length of the wall. It was mostly empty, but several books still resided on its dust free shelves.
Opposite the bookshelves, on the other side of the room, was a neatly-made bed with a chest of drawers at its foot. Above the bed, not gone unnoticed by Sarah's trained eyes, was the real prize. It demanded all of her attention the moment she locked on to it. Even the drool running down her chin went unregistered.
Above the bed were a few shelves. Each was engraved with the same runes, similar to what the murder door sported, but far less complex. Sarah's mind was working in overdrive and all thoughts led to one conclusion. She hoped to God that they were what she thought they were as the gluttonous side of her took over.
"Meat," Sarah almost cried as she jumped up from the fire and grabbed the largest slice of - what she was assuming to be, ham before almost swallowing it whole. The cuts of meat looked as though they had just been freshly sliced by the butcher and Sarah could only assume that was what the runes were for. Some kind of magical refrigeration technique. "Sho good," she smiled as she swallowed a second piece.
"How the hell did you get in here!?" Behind Sarah, a voice shouted out. Its shock and anger were apparent in its tone. Obviously surprised by seeing her again so soon and in the room it was supposed to guard. That didn't phase Sarah in the least and as she turned around, she gave the murder door her best smile.
"And why the hell aren't you dead?"
"Sho shorry... can't talk... mmm... eating." Sarah kept eating the unknown meat, satiating the hunger that has crept up on her as she ignored the obviously-frustrated guardian who kept its comically-golden brows thoroughly furrowed. If anyone was going to win a staring competition it would definitely be the murder door.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the ranting object, Sarah called back the list of death-related achievements she had brushed off earlier.
[Lightning resistance has reached Level 2]
'Cool.'
[You have acquired the skill - Pain Resistance]
'Sweet.'
[Congratulations! You have been awarded a new title: Three times a lady]
'Another one? And it actually sounds good.'
[Three times a lady]
-The goddess of death has smiled and blessed your soul. You have attained power beyond what can be understood by mortal comprehension and even death now holds no meaning for you. Your mental fortitude is now stronger than ever and so too is your body. +20 Vitality +20 Wisdom. You have earned a specialist skill - Indomitable Will
[Indomitable Will]
- Not only has your body been destroyed but so too has your mind. Your mind and soul have been blessed by mana and will no longer be affected from external sources no matter what they may be. Keep striving for greater heights and you will eventually be strong enough to take on a dragon... or at least a drake. Go forth and live and do try to stop dying!
'Another title and specialist skill with awkward descriptions. I wonder if I get a new one everytime I die? That's what it feels like, but I'll take those stats happily. Twenty of each is huge.' Unsure whether her specialist skills were actually as special as they made out, she had earned three of them in little over a day, Sarah checked her last notification. Still continuing to eat while vigilantly watching the still-pouting door.
[Congratulations! Through your own efforts and many years of training, your soul has stood strong against Solus The Gatekeeper and its attack. Preventing the mighty power from ripping not only your flesh apart, but your soul too, is a mighty feat in and of itself. You have completed the final challenge of Karinth's Tower of Death. You will now receive your blessing...]
[...Unfortunately, a blessing is unable to be bestowed as the tower is now masterless. Master's of the tower have the power offer blessings to any who pass their trials. Would you like to claim Karinth's Tower of Death for yourself?]
[Yes/No]
'Years of training, huh? Is that what this place is then? A training centre? Come train in the tower of death and have your soul ripped apart by an old, psychotic door!' Sarah laughed at her own ridiculousness just as Solus, the murder door, decided that it had done being patient. "How did you get in here? You will answer me now!"
"Not with an attitude like that I won't. Maybe if you ask me nicely, I might tell you." Sarah decided to claim the tower of death. There were no other doors inside the final room, other than the one whose face was visibly twitching as it tried to rein in its emotions.
[Congratulations! You are now the Master of Karinth's Tower of Death. You have been awarded a class: Karinthian Necromancer]
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
'Really? A Necromancer? That fucking sucks. I'm already riddled with death and I'm 99.9% sure that Necromancers are evil dudes. Why couldn't this be the Karinth's Tower of Worldly Heroes?'
[Karinthian Necromancer - Level 1: Through prolonged contact with the undead, death itself now gathers around you. Beware though, necromancers are treated with animosity at the best of times throughout the entire world. It would be wise to keep your power hidden until you can raise an army.]
- Vitality +10
- Endurance +10
- Wisdom +20
- Intelligence +20
- Necromancy magic effects are increased 100%
- Your body's natural regeneration is increased 100%
[New Skills have been awarded]
- Create Undead - Level 1: Whether bones, rotted flesh, or spirits lingering through sentimental attachment, you can grant life where there should be none to be found.
- Eyes of Death - Level 1: You are able to see the HP of your enemies. You are also able to bare witness to any incidents of death that have occured in your nearby vicinity.
- Necrotic Body - Level 1: In your body resides the secrets of death, obtained by becoming master of the tower. Your body radiates with power that increases your magic prowess. Dexterity, intelligence and wisdom are increased by 20% while in this state.
- Necrotic Soul - Level 1: Your soul has been shrouded in the magic of death. All damage recieved is reduced by 70% wether physical or mental. You are capable ridden body is even capable of healing minor wounds without the services of a paid healer.
- Form of the Necromancer - Level 1: You have been given limited access to knowledge of a secret style of hand-to-hand combat known only to those in the order of Karinth. Train your form in the Tower of Death and you may even be able to unlock more techniques. All damage inflicted through physical or magical actions whilst in the necrotic state is 75% more effective.
'Those buffs are ridiculous, but I knew it. I knew it wasn't a good class. Fucking necromancer! It's like I'm asking people to kill me now. Hi, yeah, I'm a necromancer. I bring people back from death and fiddle with dead bodies. Pleased to meet you.'
Mocking her future self, Sarah slumped onto the bed before she let out a sigh. She had only just realised that Solus the old murder door had gone extremely quiet. He wasn't even frowning anymore and his face showed more shock than his previously angry self.
'I suppose the extra stat points are quite good. I've still got the fifteen unspent points too, but I'm a little anxious to spend them all. Is there any point in keeping them though? I'll be stronger in one way or another if I use them. Fuck it! Lets do it.'
After using her points, Sarah felt that she was able to feel the difference in herself when compared to before and she was extremely pleased with the results. She was even looking better physically, not that she was bad before, but it's amazing what a couple dozen stat points can do for the body.
Name: Sarah-Jane Kemp
Unspent Points: 0
Class: Necromancer - Level 1
- Create Undead Level 1
- Eyes of Death Level 1
- Necrotic Body Level 1
- Necrotic Soul Level 1
- Form of the Necromancer Level 1
Title: What Death?
Skills:
- Cirian Language MAX
- Identify Level 1
- Fear Resistance Level 2
- Lightning Resistance Level 2
- Pain Resistance Level 1
Specialised Skills:
- Immortality
- Second Chance
- Indomitable Will
Status:
- Vitality: 50
- Strength: 26
- Endurance: 31
- Dexterity: 20
- Intelligence: 30
- Wisdom: 50
Health: 600/600
Mana: 600/600
Stamina: 410/410
'Its crazy to think those numbers mean that I'm now more than twice as strong as I was when I arrived.' Clenching her fist, Sarah could tell that she had become stronger. Her mind felt calmer and more clear than it had done, as though a weight has been lifted.
"Solus. Why are you being so quiet? Didn't you want to know how I got in here?" Sarah asked. The doors name was mentioned in a previous notification so she used it to address the magical being, directly catching it off guard in the process.
"Y-Yes... Master. I am extremely interested. I was just...being patient." The door that had killed Sarah twice over had done a 180 and spoke to her in a courteous tone.
"You can lose the Master title and just speak normally. I don't need you being all haughty and shit after how you acted earlier. Anyway, it was a very simple process to get in here my dear door. I simply respawned after you killed me." Sarah's simple explanation, which lacked content and description, only frustrated Solus more.
"But... you have claimed the tower that I serve. Please. What do you mean when you say... respawn?" It asked, clearly confused by her choice of words.
"Sarah will do just fine and thanks to my Immortality skill, I can respawn at any location I want as long as I have a spawn point there. Oh, respawn means to come back to life after I've died and a spawn point is the location I revive at." Sarah got up off the bed and looked at the remaining meat longingly before she going over to the bookcase. 'Better save some of that food, there isn't much left already.'
"So you can't die?" Solus asked, still confused by the weak yet undeniably-strong woman. "I can. And it hurts like hell too, just so you know. Have you ever died?" Sarah picked out a book called Magic Arts III and began flicking through pages.
'Didn't think so.'
Solus didn't answer her question which prompted Sarah to let the murder room ruminate on her words. It was learning time. She needed to know things and the best way to find out was books. Yes, Magic Arts III was not the best place to start, but intrigue beat enquiry so that was were she began. Sitting in the chair she knew would be comfortable, Sarah happily lost herself in the words of literature.
When she had finished reading the last book in the room, Sarah was at a loss. 'Well we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto,' she laughed dryly as she placed the book back on to the shelf. After reading through all the literature available, Sarah came to the obvious conclusion that she was no longer on Earth. The status screen and magical talking door were certainly indicators of that fact, but after seeing a few maps and geographical locations drawn out in one of the books, it confirms her theory.
Sarah's current location, The Tower of Death, was inside the Vari forest which is part of the country of Rys. The forest itself was extremely large, if her map reading skills were up to scratch, but it still only accounted for a small fraction of the countries size.
The closest city to her was Riverstone, in the south of Rys, and was almost one hundred miles away from her current location. It sat at the bottom of the Karak mountain range and served to guard from foreign invasion aswell as boasting a hub for trade. The long stretch of peaks separated the country of Rys from its southern neighbours and the river that flowed through the mountain is the reasoning behind the city's name.
'I suppose river and stone make sense. Not very imaginative though, is it?'
The distance between Sarah and her new world's population was not a problem that she had to consider yet. Even after reading everything and searching the room multiple times over, she was at a loss. Other than a change of clothes that she found in the drawers, which were two sizes too big for her, Sarah still hadn't found a way to escape her prison.
'I don't understand!'
Even though she owned the tower, Sarah still appeared to be trapped inside with no way out.
"Solus..." She debated wether to ask for help, but with no other choice the murder door turned slave was her last chance.
"Yes, Master?" It responded, still sounding somewhat upset. Maybe it was in denial over the fact that she had managed to claim ownership of his home so easily.
"How do I get out of here?"