Entering the white room of the tower I take a breathe and try not to think of the scene that had last taken place here, I leave as soon as possible.
"Go to fifth floor."
Appearing in an collapsing small city with low grade monsters around along with a group of nine other people, the tower announces our task.
---Save the lives of 50 people within the collapsed city, ten tower coins will be given to the first team to complete the task, at least half of your group must be alive to succeed. Killing another person will also count as a failure.---
I don't bother waiting for them to speak before saying, "I am a healer/buffer if you find any injured immediately inform me, we should spread out in a one mile radius to find as many people as fast as possible while still being close enough to tell me."
I see joy light up there faces at my statement as having a healer on this floor is like being given a gift from God.
With all of them agreeing we don't bother introducing ourselves as little fighting is likely to occur as we will steer clear of monsters, unless able to handle them quickly on our own, in only five minutes I am running from one spot to another to help them heal people they are pulling out of the rubble and help stabilize those in the rubble so they can more easily move pieces off without risking the person they are saving.
An hour later the task is completed first once more.
---Your group is the first to pass the test, awarding all members ten tower coins, you will now be sent to the next floor when ready---
I appear in the white room once more, the last test was easy due to my energy type otherwise it will probably take most half a day to save that amount but they will have risked killing someone under the rubble and failing if they go that fast.
It is probably meant to take two days of rescuing and treating people but I allowed them to skip a lot of problems.
Not bothering to rest I head to the next floor.
"Go to sixth floor."
I appear on the coast of an island which has a volcano on the back side, groaning I can already guess this floors test most likely.
---You have washed up on this island after a crash, scour the island for any items that may have crashed here along side you and find a way to escape the island in the following week, beware the creatures on the island are disturbed due to the upcoming eruption. There are others on the island you can choose to team up or steal from each other, as long as you are past the safety line by the time the volcano erupts you will be considered to have succeeded. The person who spends the longest time behind the safety line will be awarded a revival coin.---
Frowning at that I know this is a competition meant for builders and crafters, but there is clearly an element of fighting as well both internally and externally, it is a type of challenge best made for a small team.
Sighing I then look at the trees and fauna in the area to decide what I can make, we were not given any tools other than a stone knife along with no armor.
With limited resources building a basic barely able to do it's job boat is a feat few in the crafting field could do with the fauna I can see as most of the trees are non floating types and the fauna are to weak to weave with.
He went further in to see if he can't find more viable things when a floater snake attacked me, surprised as these snakes are highly scared of people but figure it is cause of the scenario behind the task I kill it. A floater snake is perfect for building a small boat but killing them with there fast reflexes would be tricky for most crafters, especially as you need ten to make a boat that can float one person.
I begin to try and hunt more of them so as to start my boat when I come across a bamboo forest, this is perfect for building an emergency boat. The tower wouldn't make the task this easy, add on the revival coin reward and there are probably powerful monsters in the water that will sink the boat, meaning it needs to not only float but also be tough.
Just bamboo or floater snakes won't be good enough, but although the floater snakes aren't tough enough I can use enchantments with them to imbue a to heavy object with the ability to float for a period of time, it only says the person that spends the longest time past the safety line wins the coin not continuously stays behind the safety line.
As long as I am over the safety line when the volcano erupts everything else is fair game.
So I hunt the snakes all day and then chop a iron wood tree down and carve out the shape on the outside with the enchantment carved on the inside, based off the time it will take me to run out of mental energy I can spend an entire day across the safety line at a time but will only do half that to preserve energy.
So early the next morning I head out and stay out until the sun starts to set before coming in to rest, as I had suspected there were claw marks on the bottom of the boat, nothing to worry over as it didn't do more than get the skin level but if a weak boat more than enough to sink it.
I set up a trap around the area using bamboo rope that night to know if someone is coming, there is no prevention for killing each other this time around and although they are unlikely to be able to use the boat I would rather not have to remake it, I had the floater snakes needed to run it buried at my rest area to prevent those lacking in information from using it.
I repeat the same thing the next day, but am attacked by two people that night.
I kill both of them and watch their bodies disappear leaving their items behind for the people who killed them to take. I use a bamboo rope to hang up there system gifted knifes on a tree for all to see, it showed people I had killed two people already and that I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
The next two days are peaceful, but people are now panicking so on the morning I am heading out they attack me and I kill another 3 people before heading out into the water and to far from those with rudimentary bows to hit I spend half the day out there before returning to spend the last night on the island.
I am attacked by five people that night, making it a total of ten stone daggers hanging on my tree, heading out that morning no one attacks me as they view me as taking to much time for killing and will probably aim for others now.
That mid day a few other boats set out, most are made using either bamboo or floater snakes that while may last a little while will not last more than an hour out here before being ripped apart, but the volcano erupts an hour later leaving many falling into the water leaving them to fight the monsters to survive or die while a few that waited longer were still barely hanging on but had less time so will do worse in the assessment.
Over all it was easy to tell I had won first place.
---You have spent the most time past the safety line and passed the test, awarding a revival coin, you will now be sent to the next floor when ready---
I return to the white room and take a deep breath, I had spent a day already in the tower and would need to leave to check into the school following this.
Leaving the tower I take the train back to school and go to the desk person to alert them of my return, after that I head to the room I am still sharing with Thomas as the school only assigns rooms at the start of the year.
Taking a shower and sleeping I head down to eat early that morning and head back to the tower not bothering to attend the theoretical classes.
Entering the tower I head to the next floor.
"Go to seventh floor." I am now on the same floor as Tila.
I look at my spawn area and see it is a colosseum with different gates with individual people in it, with a set of used leather armor thin clothes and a old spear I can guess this is a fighting floor meant to see brute strength.
---You will be sent out to fight rounds of monsters that are ever growing in strength and number, last past the first round and you succeed in the task, last as long as possible as the one to get the furthest will be rewarded the revival coin.---
I smile at this it is a fast paced one then, I see a board in the middle begin to have names flash across, ten names in total including mine.
It lands on the name Darius, a black man with pink hair and blue eyes comes out, a half-breed of the enchanter race known to be handsome and have hypnosis type energy, which this one seemed to have inherited.
He last till the mid part of the second round with five goblins, they are well known species to target women so his hypnosis didn't work as well.
Next is a man with long pointed ears and crystal white hair named Terfel he makes it to the end of the third round against ten kobolds but is unable to handle them all even with the aide of the plants he grew in the first round.
A weak looking women is next with the name Kaylee, she only makes it to the end of the first round against ten slimes, she is clearly a healer or buffer most likely.
My turn next I easily deal with the things to the end of third round when a Oni goblin start up, goblins with energy types and a horn the color of there energy type on there heads. I struggle but make it to round five where a werewolves appear an advance version of a kobold, I only last half way before they overwhelm me and I get my first death since entering the tower.
Laying on the provided mat I sleep to mentally rest after that, the voice of the tower awakens me.
---You made it the most rounds, awarding a revival coin, you will now be sent to the next floor when ready---
Once more I am in the white room, I took a nap in the last challenge so no need to rest.
"Go to eighth floor."
Appearing in a barracks in what I can see out the window looks like a army base.
---You will be aiding the general Yularen in defending the borders against an monster invasion, whoever provides the most aide whether killing, healing, or logistics will be rewarded the revival coin.---
I had six revival coins and although I don't need this one it is an easy to get one for me as I can help at all times during the siege, both during battle and in healing people when a lull happens.
So I do that for the next three days when the siege is finished.
---You have provided the most aide in battle, awarding a revival coin, you will now be sent to the next floor when ready---
I don't bother waiting, "Go to ninth floor."
Once I am done with this floor I will be sent to a tower city instead of my white room to join a team for the tenth floor.
I spawn in a tavern with people singing and dancing I immediately join in while waiting for the alert while looking at those not participating, best to keep track in case this is like the second floor it is best to remain hidden until all rules are known.
---There are ten people in this room who are challengers like you, spot three of them to pass the test, one wrong answer will remove a point while one correct one will give you one, if you are guessed you will also lose one, look at the person and think they are the challenger and they will be chosen, person with most points will be awarded a revival coin. You have 10 minutes killing others is prohibited.---
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I wait and look at who are staring at the obvious ones to mark them, after marking two who were looking at them I wait and continue dancing before making myself look tired and sit down for a drink.
I look around and stare at the obvious female one while talking to the man next to me on who looks good, another one marked, then I ask him if any look good to him and he points in the general direction of another obvious girl who looks nervous.
I then ask the woman on my right who she thought looked best and she pointed in the direction around another obvious one so I pretended to see the wrong one.
Five of ten marked in a decently disguised manner, now for the others, I look at hands cause although we look different to fit in our hands are still callused in a way to indicate weapons rather than mining like most of them do.
My calluses are hard to identify due to my body healing most scarring in a way that hides it meaning they are unable to do the same to me. Handing out drinks and talking I get another 4, I had all of them but it would come down to if any could guess me.
---You have finished with nine points you have the most points, awarding a revival coin, you will now be sent to the next floor when ready---
I appear in a room that looks like a tavern room and noise coming from downstairs, tenth floor here I am.
I decide to check my status screen while I am unable to go any further.
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Status Window
Name: Aadi Null
Age:17
Awakening Age:10
Affiliations: Planet Cerulean Base no.4, Neelan-Turnover city
Spirit Energy status: Core forming stage
Mental realm status: Body and mind melding phase
Energy type: Healing, buffing, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, lightning, metal, mist, oscillation, etc.(expand to see full list)
Combat arts: Conductor spearman ship, Military style dagger art of planet cerulean base no.4, etc. (expand to see full list)
Strength:19 (the human limit with no energy is 3)
Speed:20(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Agility:23(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Stamina:26(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Endurance:25(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Spirit Energy: 55(the average amount for your current level is 0.1)
Mental energy: 100(the average amount for your current level is 1)
Current skills: sense control D-grade, reaction speed D-grade, mental energy control High D-grade, etc. (expand to see full list)
Current Talents: low-grade Mental Energy Forging
Current level: mid D-rank
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I need to wait until I am eighteen to be able to go past the tenth floor, and it has been only abut seven months since then, meaning I will spend the next 5 months not doing anything but working on this floor as I can't even attempt to complete the challenge until I am eighteen.
Heading out I stop at the front to inform them of my stay, the tower pays for minors first day in a tavern before they are expected to find there own places to stay, most schools have rented out land to build a living spot for there students and make it so they can record who has made it to the tenth floor.
Going to a blacksmith work station I buy the basic items for a fire ingot and get a rent station for .1 coins an hour, I spend the remaining four days from 5 to 1 o'clock forging spending a total 6 tower coins to make the fire ingot.
I sell it for 20 tower coins as there are few people on the tenth floor who can make a fire ingot and all are exclusive for the guilds and families to use.
My time in the tower is up after selling it and I head out to turn in for my daily check in, sleep and lay around Thursday for the weekly test Fridays and my afternoon physical course, getting up Friday morning I go to my classes to do the check up we are still caught up enough to keep going in the tower.
After lunch we do physical workouts to keep our bodies up to date even with the time difference, having all things done I head back to my dorm to sleep before returning to the tower to do more work.
So I pass the last 5 months of school with the liquid energy in my body mounting without being able to use it causing headaches and making elemental ingots in the tower while testing to make sure I am keeping up every few weeks.
I feel highly uncomfortable but will be returning right after exams to immediately begin the condensation process.
Once I am home we rush me to the energy deprivation room and my advancement begins but a change has occurred, my mental realm condenses like normal but instead of the energy in my veins being what is condensing it is the energy in my whole body slowly condensing into my veins.
The solid energy is condensed using the energy in my entire body to make is far denser then the last time I condensed it.
My plant was in the room as usual and began to infuse some of its energy into my body to help me heal from the sudden loss of energy in my body, slowly it's energy fused with my muscles, bones, and organs.
I feel full of energy once more and like I was more alive then before, the vitality in my body was more than doubled then the last time.
I smile at my plant and just sit there sending energy between us to show appreciation for the aide it gave me, leaving the room Lucien stands there with a look of contemplation. "You feel slightly different then before like a person who has increased a realm, although it can be excused now with that you need to be prepared to not being able to spend any time with people you met in school for a bit. You can go to the Neelan countries tower access area, you can only join the tower at the center area but once you are at tenth floor you can enter from the alternative entrance just don't join any team for any long stretches and leave the team before you advance." He says.
I admit to being somewhat upset but I know it is for the sake of my safety.
We go to the capital were the entry point lies, "You can only spend one week at a time in the tower any longer and I will forbid you from entering for a month so as to get some one on one practice together. Your birthday is tomorrow so you can go in two days from now."
We celebrate with a chocolate cake and a group hang out session, laughing and joking the day away talking about my time at school and what I had accomplished in the tower, 488 tower coins along with 8 revival coins means I did extremely well for myself. Of course I will be buying gear using said coins and so a lot will go down the drain but it is a very good point to start at.
Although cities only appear every ten floors the trade panel and joint team place becomes open from the eleventh floor onward.
I intend to use 100 coins to buy a small forge room in the team room conjoined to my room so it will follow me through different teams, I will use 300 for gear and save the last 88 coins for revival usage on the early floors to save the revival coins for a higher floors.
Entering the tenth floor I look at my stats.
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Status Window
Name: Aadi Null
Age:18
Awakening Age:10
Affiliations: Planet Cerulean Base no.4, Neelan-Turnover city
Spirit Energy status: Core forming stage
Mental realm status: Body and mind melding phase
Energy type: Healing, buffing, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, lightning, metal, mist, oscillation, etc.(expand to see full list)
Combat arts: Conductor spearman ship, Military style dagger art of planet cerulean base no.4, etc. (expand to see full list)
Strength:20 (the human limit with no energy is 3)
Speed:21(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Agility:24(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Stamina:26(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Endurance:26(the human limit with no energy is 3)
Spirit Energy:70(the average amount for your current level is 0.1)
Mental energy: 120(the average amount for your current level is 1)
Current skills: sense control D-grade, reaction speed D-grade, mental energy control High D-grade, etc. (expand to see full list)
Current Talents: low-grade Mental Energy Forging
Current level: mid D-rank
----------------------------------------
I had increased slightly in all field but had not reached enough to advance to peak of D-rank showing the ever increasing difficulty for one to raise there ranks once they reach D-rank.
I go to my usual forging place to tell them I will be heading up the tower, feeling excited I go to the area to find teammates and grab both a white and crystal ribbon to indicate healing/buffing. I am swarmed in minutes by people asking to join them and people looking at me with greed as they will certainly try there best to get me for the next ten floors.
Looking at the teams I decide to do it by battle, "If you can beat me in a one on one fight in the colosseum I will contemplate joining your team, each team gets two chances to send someone."
Heading to the colosseum I can tell they are following behind, entering a sparring mat I look at them and turn on the challenge option.
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P.O.V ???
I am at the guild spot looking for a support person for the Major General, he has been forced to climb the tower to be able to have the heir position despite working on the battle fields since he awakened at fourteen, he is considered a never before seen talent reaching A-grade at the age of 25 even as a void human that is impressive as most are only at C-grade at his age not reaching A-grade until forty.
He is a incredible person, I am looking for only the best so when I see a buffer/healer walk in it is easy to know he is a powerful one from the density of the energy he has, others might not sense it cause of the way it is dispersed but anyone in the battlefield long enough could tell the difference.
I am a C-rank assistant to the Major General so this challenge is quite easy but I worry I may be unable to stand out to him as my fighting style is high efficiency, I let others go first to see his actions.
He kills all that come on with highly trained efficiency, although not yet perfected and his physique is still low but that will slowly increase with level increase his greatest part was the incredible potential I could feel in him, add on his clearly high training and fighting achievement for one his age and lacking in true combat experience as is clear by his overly rigorous posture when fighting.
His body control is easily as good as mine and his energy control is excellent, I smile as I know a bonus is definitely awaiting me if I can get him on our team.
I step on the sparring mat and prepare for combat, the light turns from red to green and we start.
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P.O.V Aadi
I go through several teams before one puts up a proper fight but even that one lost until a man with gray hair wearing decent chainmail armor with a arming sword of clearly good quality steps up for the spar, I can feel my senses telling me danger and know this one is strong.
Getting into fighting position the light turns from red to green and neither of us move each scaling the other up and waiting for the other to move.
Five minutes before I finally dash forward and attack using my spear, I know I will lose on the first intersection of our weapons as he simply over powers me to much for any hope otherwise but I wish to see if he is just relying on his higher rank or if he is a truly properly trained person.
Again and again we clash, his physical stats and energy amount are higher his body control and energy control was easily on par with my own.
He is a highly trained professional who has killed before as is seen with his fighting style with no extra moves, he is exactly what I was looking for.
Holding up my hands in surrender he holds his sword at my throat, although not possible to die on the tenth floor or in-between floors it will still hurt to be injured. I already know he is the best I could get so I say, "if you are open to it I would prefer to join your team for the following ten floors, I have all seven viable revival tokens and am able to afford my own gear as well as revival so I will not be a burden."
I see the man smile at that statement as well as a certain amount of respect in his eyes aimed at me, but before we continue a voice interrupts.
"you said you would think about it so if I can do better you should let me also have a chance." A yellow haired handsome man says, it is clear he is from a good family as a family crest rests on his chest and his attitude of being above others, frowning but knowing I must uphold my word I look at the gray haired man before saying, "I must keep my word, this is likely the last fight allow me to do this before deciding."
I see the man sigh but nod in understanding as he steps back and the yellow haired man comes up, he doesn't pause to scale each other up. He is over exaggerating his moves, his body control is about the same as Tila's, he is physically more capable and has more energy but the only reason he can keep up is purely cause of his higher energy attainment.
I hold up a hand to pause but he ignores, frowning at this I find my choice an easy one to make, I forfeit the round by jumping off and walk up to gray haired man.
"My name is Aadi Null I am open to joining your team and hope you continue to welcome me." I say and the yellow haired man looks livid, he attacks me but gray haired man dispenses of him quickly, proving my point for choosing him over the other.
Everyone left at this point having realized they have no chance, the gray haired man looks at me and introduces himself.
"I am Adrian Jones and am the secondary front fighter in my team, I came to the guild to look for support as we only have a support barrier person, and a tracker so we are in need of a healer or buffer whichever was available, getting both with you is incredible fortune on my part. We have two elemental attackers an a bowman, two shields and two front line attackers. With you we are a completely full team, we all know each other in real life but the amount of healers or buffers are just to small and there capabilities are subpar to you without a doubt in all manners possible." He says.
He leads me to a large town home on a little back street, I enter behind him and follow him to a room with a handsome man sitting behind the desk.
Sword eyebrows, sharp eyes and masculine face with black hair and eyes, he is incredibly good looking while being pure masculine he is well muscled but not overly so matching his body and face well.
"Who did you bring this time?" he sounds ready to strangle Adrian, "If he promised you a position then sorry but you can only get it if you pass my inspection, so you need to be willing to undergo severe training to make it. Go run along to another team I'm sure there are plenty fighting over you."
"I am more than willing to undergo any training you may throw at me, just remember I am only eighteen and therefore not up to standard grade in my energy but I will try and match up to your needs as much as is physically possible." I reply.
I can see him look me up and down before putting down his paper he then gets up and indicates me to follow.
"You are to get through this energy restrictor course in under 10 minutes or you are out not even going to bother with training you up to standard if you can't, you start when I say." he says to me, clearly trying to scare me off.
I go up to the start and push out my energy waiting for his cue, he sighs, "3,2,1, go."
I rush my energy not affected by the restrictor in the slightest, I realize this is a far more complicated and longer course then the school one but stay completely focused. I made it through in eight minutes 43 seconds with no injuries on me.
I see a look of approval from the tallest man in the room, nodding his head he looks at me and says, "be here everyday but the days you are out of the tower, if you can get it to under five minutes you will be up to standard so be prepared to be pushed hard and you are to keep up practice even outside the tower." He leaves and I can see Adrian grinning like a fool with a thumbs up at me, clearly I was in.
So I spent the next week doing training with Adrian.