[45 Missed calls]
[124 unread Messages]
[Dad: Ring your mother]
[Mom: If you don't answer I'm ringing the police]
[Jenny: Mum Thinks you're Dead 😂]
"whoops," I realized I as well might have forgotten to warn my family that I would be out of contact for a few days. "I'll make it up to them"
"Oi, customs line is that way, mate." a police officer informed me, I rolled my eyes. I tried to make it quick, but when you have a full spatial ring with items they couldn't price, I decided to pay above the tax line to hurry it up, 800 gold in taxes.
"Okay, to the pub." I rewarded my hard work with a warm shower, then cold beer, and a couple of rounds of snooker with the locals. Before eating a big pub, feed and catching some z's. But before bed, I called my mum and let her know I was fine, just went camping. I was happy to hear her voice again; I told her I would be sending some money to them as well. Tomorrow I would do some shopping and gear up for the climb of the century.
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Across the globe, another young man was starting his journey into the tower, in sunny California, a kid from the streets named William Price steps into the tower. He was only 17 well below the age requirement for the American tower, but he had a fake id and a silver tongue that never stopped moving. "Okay, message received great tower now show me what you got," he said to the tower. The first floors of each of the towers were different, up to [25]. Will found himself in grassland with rolling hills that blocked sightlines; he had read up on the tower floors and knew what he would be facing. Dashing off in a direction, it wasn't long before he came up to the first monster [Fox: Level 1]. Will had a tough fight with the nimble fox, but with his stolen short sword, Will managed to slay the vulpine, earning him the Blademaster skill and his first ability. He continued like this for awhile aimless wandering, killing foxes that hid in the knee-high grass. Will came across a fox den; they were like the snake nest but, one needed to leave food to entice a fox out of its hole. Luckily the foxes dropped meat along with pelts tails and gold. "huh 14 gold, not bad for a day's work." will said to himself, he could see another group of people heading his way, so he deiced to move on. He made his way over hills until he came to a shimmering portal, it was stairway up. "I'll activate it and head up tomorrow." he rationalized with himself, "a quick peek could hurt could it?" he reasoned. "yup, talked my self into up we go."
Floor [1-2] was much like floor [1-1] more grasslands and rolling hills; however, the foxes were slightly large on this floor. "checked it out, looks about the same, let's see what level that fox is" Will said to himself. Sneaking up the fox, he saw its level [Plains Fox level 4]. Will charged with his sword "Light Blade" Will called out the skill name, his short sword became lighter and easier to wield. A few slashes a few dodges one nasty but to the calf, but the fox died. "gimmie dat Loot," Will cheered. [Loot: 8 gold, 1 Plains fox pelt, Katana of the Fox]. There in the grass was a steel Katana with a red and white hilt, he noticed the little fox tail keychain hanging off the end of it. "cool, a Katana, this is so much cooler then this short sword" really the short sword wasn't even from the tower, so it had the bare minimum stats. Will decided to stab his short sword in the ground to leave it for someone who needed it; he stored the other loot in his warn backpack and carried the Katana. "okay let's head home" Will jogged back to the portal and called his first day as a climber a success.
Katana Of the Fox
Katana - Blade Master
32 Damage
+2 Dexterity
Ability Variable: ??##??
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Trying to crack my back as I pulled myself out of bed, I realised that my young 18-year-old body didn't have the aches and pains of my old body. Feeling foolish that I was young spry again, I started my day with a smile.
[Julia ❤: Morning Max]
"Odd" I decided not to reply, I didn't have time to mess around. With a quick shower and a change of clothes, I headed out of my room in the hotel. Going over my mental shopping list, I put together what I need to do today. 1st pick up the snake boots, sell loot, see if any quality leather gear is for sale in the markets, buy a hat, pick up a spellbook of arcane magic, make potions of snake eye jack, buy a good laptop, rent an apartment, send money to the folks. The snake boots were my first step, which came quickly the leatherworker recognized me handed me my boots in a shoebox, and then we spent a good half an hour discussing snakeskin prices. Because I had so many I was willing to give a discount if he bought in bulk, I sold half of my normal snake skins for 800 gold making back my taxes. I decided not to tell him about the mother of snakeskins because their where upper-class leather workers that would pay top dollar for them. I looked around his shop for any gear, nearly all of it was snakeskin stuff, which would not cut it for the front lines. I did find a [Black Pantha duster], but it was common quality, so I didn't bother buying it.
My next stop brought me to one of the larger Leatherworkers; Jacob & Sons, they where premium leather works, I looked around the showroom and eventual settling on an equipment set, bringing it up to the counter I hit the bell for service. "Good Morning, how can I help you," a pretty Highschool age girl asked.
"Yeah, um Buying and selling." I said with a smile, "I want to get this set of gear" tapping the pile "and I have snake skins to sell" even though snakeskin gear was useless for the front lines the leather works where making a killing selling it to the general populace, handbags, shoes, belts, you name it.
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"Okay, so the total of that gear comes to 9,856 gold or $3,942,400; how many snake skins are you selling." she looked like I was never going to be able to buy the gear. "our current rates are two gold per skin."
I grinned, "you might want to get Jacob to deal with this transaction." I winked at her. An hour later, I was walking out with the gear and another 400 gold.
Tough Leather Duster of the Mongoose
Coat armor
+ 20 Defense
+5 Dexterity
Tough Leather Chaps of the Mongoose
Legs Armor
+15 Defense
+3 Dexterity
Belt of the Mongoose
Belt Armor
+5 Defense
+2 Dexterity
Oiled GunBelt of QuickDraw
Holster Sheath
Drawing Holstered guns from this belt is faster
+2.6% Draw speed
Gloves of Firm Grip
Gloves Armor
+2 Defense
+2 Strength
+10% Grip Strength
After that, I headed to the butches and restaurants to sell the meat I had, the spatial ring frozen it in the state it entered, so it was all still fresh. After all that, I had a little over 18,000 gold. With the weapons again to sell, I'm sure I could break 20,000 G. however, even this much, and I still might be short on funds. My goal was to able to get to Floor [10-1] in a single climb; floor 10 was unique; it consisted of 2 levels, the testing arenas and the classroom. It where a climber could earn their first class, the first time I acquired Gunslinger class on my fifth try, you have to prove that you are meet the requirements of a class. This time I was aiming for Spellslinger straight off the bat. So for that, I would need a book to unlock SpellCraft. The book would be pricy, so I would need to sell off everything I had leftover, and I didn't want to bargain or haggle, so there was only one other thing to do the Auctions. 'Hmm, I should make some potions too.' Thinking about it, I headed to the market to pick up some herbs and supplies for alchemy, spend only 50 gold, then I headed to the real estate office. I would need an apartment; eventually, the hotel was nice; it didn't have the privacy that I needed. Talking with the real state agent took up the rest of my day, but by the end, I was sitting in a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment renting it for 1000 gold a month. I sent some texts off to my sister and mother; there would be no point in texting dad because he didn't check them, just then I remembered facebook was still a thing, so I loaded up the app on my phone. [4 new friend request] [29 new notifications] [13 unread messages], the friend request where from Gibbil, Thomas, Lucas, and Julia. The notifications where junk, the messages were from old friends and family from my leave of absence. My former girlfriend messaged me, as well. Technically she was my current girlfriend, but at the moment, she was sleeping with a footy player from our high school. When I initially found out I was heartbroken and pissed I had sent her money, bought her jewelry and she was cheating on me, I was a dumb 18-year-old what did you expect. I quickly sent her a polite message saying that she was a slut, and I hope her and bruce will work well together, then changed my relationship status to single and blocked her and bruce. 'Ah, the ease of social media how I missed you these last ten years.' I thought as I drank from my flask, the whiskey tasted old and brunt to my young mouth, but it was all I had to drink. after messing around on facebook, I had a thought.
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Will had just bought his first smartphone, well not his first but the first one he ever paid for. after spending an hour setting it up, logging into the various accounts downloading necessary apps. He checked Facebook, [1 New Friend Request] [1 New Notification] [2 New Messages], that was weird; he had just set facebook up and already spam. Clicking on the friend request, it was a guy in Australia, 'definitely spam' before declining he checked the notification. [You have been invited to the 'Hold my Beer' Group], "okay, I'm not that much of red neck," Will said out loud. he had two messages, one from the Australian guy, and another was a group chat.
[Max Hunt: Will I know this sounds crazy but listen]
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[Max Hunt: Okay guys I what I'm about to tell might scare you, but you need to all reach floor 25 as a fast as possible]
Will was intended to ignore it when another replied in the group chat.
[Darren McCall: Okay lest hearing it why the hell do we need to be heading to floor 25]
[Alice Duch: Yeah max you know I don't climb I why do I need to head up]
[J: ❓]
[Max Hunt: We have to complete the tower in under eight years or the human race losses]
[Max Hunt: I know what you're thinking and, if there were a possible way to prove that I'm not lying, I would, but believe me. we are the founding members of the hold, my beer guild; we help the outcast climbers, 18 years from now us five will be apart of the last battle, Floor [100-x], along with the last 10 thousand humans]
[We lost, and if it weren't for a legendary item, I had that would be the end for humans. on my death, it sent my conscience back to the moment I first stepped into the tower.]
[I get that you won't believe me, but here's the facts, Darren & J your both working with the Albion Guild at the moment on the front lines, head back down to floor [5-9] and head west for a day and a half there you will find a floor boss named [Ta-al Goblin Tresaure] killing him will get you massive rewards exp and most importantly spirit stones]
[Will you just got the Kanta of the Fox from the floor [1-2], notice the keychain, and the variable ability? Congratulations, you, my friend, have just found the very first legendary item. DO NOT SELL IT THIS TIME]
[The variable ability will unlock when you get another key chain, to get a key chain, kill monsters with the sword while having no keychain on it]
[Alice I know only one way to prove to you I'm telling the truth, in the box of Snake eye Jack I will deliver tomorrow, there will be an extra potion, its called 'cure-all' give it to your grandfather it does what it says]
There were no messages after that; it seems that either the rest had things to do or they didn't believe him. Hell, Will didn't believe him either, but wacky stuff happens in the tower all the time. Tentatively Will took of the foxtail keychain off the Katana, the hilt blackened losing its red a white color.
Katana Keys
Katana - Blade Master
20 Damage
Ability Variable: ??##??
Key Gather: Chance of Keychain Drop 33%