We lay there on the ground for a moment, immersed in silence. Exhausted and in pain, yet a sense of happiness filled the air.

"I'm so tired," Carol sighed.

I chuckled, and she joined in with laughter. In that moment, nothing else mattered.

This was undoubtedly the most challenging battle we had faced thus far.

"I leveled up too," she mentioned.

"I gained 2 levels!" I proudly proclaimed.

"You know, maybe we should have leveled up more before taking on this fight. We're still too low. I'm only level 5, and you're level 4," Carol pondered.

"Bunglin was level 18. The difference was immense. We were lucky. I'm thinking we should have been around level 12 to 15 before attempting to defeat him," I explained.

"Nice move with the dynamite," she complimented me.

"Without it, our attacks would have been futile. We would have lost the battle. We couldn't even scratch his armor," I acknowledged.

She nodded in agreement.

"Once we reach the Tower, we should focus on leveling up," she suggested.

"Onto the grind!" I exclaimed.

Carol looked at me with a hint of confusion.

"Grinding is a term commonly used by gamers. It means repeating certain actions over and over to earn a significant amount of XP and loot," I explained.

"The self-proclaimed King of Gamers, ladies and gentlemen," she teased.

I smiled and playfully bowed my head.

"Thank you, thank you."

She activated a health patch, and I did the same, feeling a soothing green glow replenish my energy.

"I am still surprised you didn't reach higher level during your time here, you arrived days before me," I asked.

"Yeah, I was doing other stuff and didn't really understand how everything worked," she replied as she slowly rose to her feet. "Alright, let's loot the area, allocate our stat points, and proceed to the elevator,"

I looted Bunglin's body, discovering gold, some health patches, and a ring adorned with a ruby. I used FOCUS on it :

"Ruby Ring Of Blood Wall:

+10 Strength

+5 Vitality

Ability: Blood Wall; Create a temporary shield bubble around you for 2 seconds, blocking any magical, elemental, and physical attacks. Cooldown: 12 hours."

"Wow, that's cool!" I exclaimed. "But wait a second, that's unfair. Bunglin didn't have a cooldown!"

"Perhaps he had an item that cancel it somehow," Carol suggested. "Too bad his armor is now broken."

"Yeah, maybe. And yes, I can't even use FOCUS on the armor," I remarked.

We searched and looted the remaining bodies, acquiring more gold and health patches, but nothing else of significance. We then took a moment to distribute our stat points. Prioritizing Intelligence and Dexterity, my final stat allocation looked like this:

BASE Iron Ring of

Strength Survivor Suit Ring of

Blood Wall TOTAL Strength 15 2 10 27 Vitality 145 25 5 175 Intelligence 20 20 Engineering 30 30 Dexterity 45 5 50 Charisma 5 5 Luck 5 5 Chaos 5 5 Mana 20 20

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

I could finally learn The Knowledge Stone of Ceto's Wrath. Retrieving it from my inventory, I carefully scratched away the layer of dirt to reveal the word etched onto the stone: 'Wrath'.

"Wrath," I spoke aloud.

A momentary red glow enveloped me, and the new spell appeared on my HUD :

"Ceto's Wrath; Category I

Summon a fiery wave in front of the caster that pushes away any enemies and has a 10% chance to set them on fire.

Cost: 10 Mana."

A smile formed on my face. I was finally getting some interesting stuff.

"All set?" Carol asked.

"Yes, I'm ready," I replied.

We made our way toward the structure nestled against the mountainside. It resembled a barn made of a combination of wood and metal, with two metal rails extending from the roof into the sky, disappearing into the mist and clouds above. Stepping into the barn, we were met with a disorganized and grimy interior. It appeared that the goblins had used this space as a storage depot, with piles of rotten food and rusted weapons strewn about.

"It stinks," Carol commented, holding her nose.

"Yep," I replied, covering my own nose.

At the center of the room, a large light brown drape caught our attention. It consisted of various colored pieces of leather artfully stitched together, concealing something where the rails met the ground.

"The elevator," I pointed out, gesturing toward the draped area.

"Let's get this show on the road," Carol said with a smile.

Together, we pulled back the leather cover, causing dust to swirl in the air. The elevator, long untouched, was finally revealed before us.

It was a stunning sight - an exquisite metal platform with gold and copper accent in an intriguing design reminiscent of Art Nouveau. No levers or buttons were in sight, just a small barrier encircling the platform, featuring a door. It was beautiful and completely out of place in this barn.

"There's something I don't understand," I began. "This elevator hasn't been used in a long time. Where are the other Revivals? Are we the first ones? I find it hard to believe."

"Hmm," Carol pondered, scratching her chin. "That's actually a great question. We haven't come across anyone else. We can't be the only survivors."

As I approached the elevator, covered in a thick layer of dust, I opened the small door within the barrier. Instantly, blue and orange emissive lines flickered to life on the platform.

"Ready?" I asked, turning to Carol.

"Fuck Yeah!" she exclaimed, a wide smile on her face.

I laughed and stepped onto the platform, with Carol following suit and closing the barrier door behind her. Suddenly, the elevator emitted an electronic hum, growing in intensity. A magnetic locking sound echoed from the door, and the platform began to ascend, dust and dirt cascading down as it lifted off the ground.

"I should probably mention that I'm afraid of heights," I admitted, gripping the barrier tightly with both hands.

Carol burst into laughter.

"What aren't you afraid of?" she mockingly quipped.

The elevator increased its speed, ascending along the two rails and emerging from the barn. We found ourselves on top of the structure, still ascending as the platform gained momentum.

"Here we goooooo!" Carol shouted, her arms raised high in the air as if she was on a roller-coaster.

"I don't like this," I confessed, clutching the barrier tightly.

The platform continued to accelerate, propelling us towards the sky, the wind pressing against our faces. Carol reveled in the excitement, struggling to maintain her balance as her short hair whipped around in every direction.

"Wooooooooooooo!!! Faster!!!!! FASTER!" she exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm.

"Please, no," I pleaded.

But the elevator continued to accelerate relentlessly. In less than a minute, we were soaring through the sky, hurtling towards the colossal Tower in the distance - the base of our destination.

"Look at that!" Carol pointed.

More rails crisscrossed the sky, stretching from different directions far off into the distance. I gradually loosened my grip on the barrier, becoming captivated by the stunning view.

"These must be other elevators," I explained.

"Huh?" Carol questioned.

"This isn't the only elevator. There must be a lot of them beneath the Tower, which explains why we haven't encountered other Revivals. The elevator we took is just one of many."

I gestured towards a distant set of rails.

"See how far that one starts?" I remarked.

Far in the distance, a set of rails plunged into the clouds and fog, disappearing toward the ground. Judging by the distance, it was at least 50 miles away, if not more.

"Look!" Carol exclaimed.

She was pointing at another elevator in the distance, heading towards the Tower. Three figures stood atop the platform, though their features were difficult to discern. They waved at us.

Carol waved back, but I remained frozen, too afraid to release my grip on the barrier.

As we continued our swift journey, our destination became clearer. The rails connected to the Tower's base at various points, much closer to one another compared to their starting positions. Our platform approached the underside of the Tower, revealing a chaotic array of structures - a haphazard combination of metal, wood, and copper. Wires and cables interlaced between different locations, creating an almost upside-down city.

CLING!

Sparks flew and metallic noises resonated from beneath our platform.

"The brakes," I announced.

Carol nodded, her expression turning serious.

"We need to find a safe spot as quickly as possible, but be prepared for immediate combat," she warned.

She was right - we had no idea what awaited us upon arrival.

As the elevator gradually decelerated, we reached the inverted cityscape. Finally, the platform came to a halt, and the magnetic lock on the barrier clicked open.

Before us lay an empty room, with nothing but a massive metal door.

Carol and I exchanged glances.

Taking a deep breath, we tightened our grip on our weapons. I stepped out of the elevator first, with Carol following closely behind.

Approaching the metal door, I could hear faint noises beyond.

"Let me open it," Carol offered.

"I've got this," I replied.

With caution, I slowly pushed the door, fully prepared for a battle. However, what I witnessed on the other side was nothing like what I had expected.

The door opened onto a suspended pathway - a network of skywalks branching out and connecting to larger platforms and small metallic houses. Numerous creatures filled the area, if Enkis were considered fish, these were rats or mice.

Some strolled along the walkways, while others sat at metal and wood tables, engaged in conversations and enjoying drinks. Further down the "road," I spotted a sign indicating the presence of a motel.

"I think we are already in a safe place," I remarked as we passed through the door.