The next day, I wave goodbye to all the departing ships. The [Merchant Captain] is flying to Memphis while the Gambino family is heading to Gladius. We watch them for long minutes till they are specs in the distance. Then I turn to my crew.

“Let's head to the tower.”

We trudge the generally short distance to the tower, stopping only several meters from the entrance.

Above the entrance is a message different from the previous tower.

Here lies the test of the Tower.

Through Vitality you will survive the environment.

Through Intelligence you will find what you seek.

Through Perception you will avoid destruction.

Vitality, Intelligence, and Perception. Seems like a far more enjoyable test compared to the first tower already. Endurance is probably a bitch to deal with.

At the entrance to the tower, the inside has a bunch of constantly moving dust as though there is a constant source of wind. Not that it can be felt because of whatever barrier prevents everything except for light to pass.

Now, let's see if I have some competition.

“Auranta, did you want to check anything about the tower?” I ask.

The masked woman glances at me for a moment. She Nods once and then walks near the barrier. She retrieves a book from her cloak, opens it, and starts taking notes.

“Find anything interesting?” I ask.

“Yes and no.” She answers without stopping her note-taking.

I pout.

“Want to expand on that?”

She pauses writing for a moment to turn a page before continuing. “Compared to the prior towers I’ve visited, they are the same in structure and looks. The only difference of note is in regards to the entrance past the barrier.”

“I see… is the barrier there?”

She pauses, raises a hand and places her palm on the barrier. “Why would it not?” She pulls back her hand.

Seeing her hand unable to pass the barrier fills me with a sigh of relief.

Looks like she’s not a champion. I glance at Irmgard and the woman gives me a nod.

“Why should it?” I answer and walk past what should be a barrier. Immediately, I’m bombarded with cold wind, dust, and an immediate feeling of wrongness.”

I turn around to smirk at the masked woman.

Though I can’t see her expression on account of her mask, I can happily imagine the look of utter disbelief and surp-

Auranta steps through the barrier as though it doesn’t exist.

Oh shit! Did she trick me?

I prepare to transform into a Fenrimorph, only for Irmgard to step through next.

What…

Next is Boriss, followed by the rest of my crew.

Only Myers and Clay’s attempt to pass are met with a solid wall.

“I’m so confused right now,” I say aloud. “I thought only me and Nepenthes could travel through because we’re both champions.”

My crew share the same confused expression, minus a single member.

“I believe the barrier allows subordinates of the champion to pass through.” Irmgard explains.

I blink towards the tall woman.

“How do you know this?” I ask.

Irmgard extends her hand through the barrier and back. “During your foray through the first tower, Valentine ordered me to test if I can enter the tower. I did and found the corpse of a scorpis before leaving.”

“Why am I finding out about this literally now?” I ask, annoyed. “I would have loved to know this beforehand.”

Irmgard frowns. “Up until now, I was under the impression that you already knew this.”

“I did not. Holy shit, I was actually debating on going through the barrier first and then assessing if Auranta was a champion. If she followed me inside I would have killed her outright.”

Cillian chuckles, “Well, it’s a good thing you enjoy mocking people.”

“Da,” Boriss grins and slaps Auranta on the back, causing the woman to lose balance for a moment. “Comrade Mask is not enemy, yes?”

I sigh aloud while Auranta seems to glare at the grinning Russian. “No, no she is not.”

The masked woman in question shifts her focus back to me. “Why are you able to enter towers?” She asks.

I grin towards her. “That’s going to require a long explanation, one I’d rather have while ascending the tower.”

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Just as I turn to go deeper and find out what test awaits me, Nepenthes quickly steps in front of my way. “Matriarch, the air is poisonous. Extended exposure will have disastrous effects among most of the crew's health.”

I glance at the others, finding that nobody looks sick or even bothered. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Nepenthes answers. “The poison is slowly degrading my body, but I am able to counter it. I cannot do the same for human flesh. Gemma flesh may be more resilient to the poison on account of their skin, but such risks are unnecessary.”

Emma raises a hand. “I’m happy to stay behind and work on the ship.”

Of course it’s some weird invisible poison. “Will I be affected?” I ask.

“Your Fenrimorph’s regenerative ability will gradually weaken with continuous exposure, but should recover fully once exposure stops.”

So I’m on a time-limit. Good to know.

I look at my crew. “On account of the poison, me and Nepenthes will head deeper into the tower. Everyone else will return to the ship and await our return.”

“I decline to return and accept any and all risks associated with this poison,” Auranta exclaims. “I must fully evaluate any and all secrets of the inner workings of these towers. My kind’s survival hedges upon my findings.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Your kinds survival?”

She nods slowly. “Yes. If you require, I will remove my mask and explain my reasoning- though I would prefer to continue such secrecy.”

You mean like the multiple heartbeats, abnormally heavy weight, and odd smell?

“No need, I already have an inclination of what you are. You can follow me, just know that you are to obey any and all commands I give you. Understood?”

“Understood.” She nods.

“Good. Everyone, return to the ship. Nepenthes, Auranta, let's head inside.”

__________________________________________________________________

The three of us climb the long staircase of the tower. As we ascend, I explain the entirety of the situation to Auranta. A risk, but my gut tells me she is in need of an ally… and I kinda want a mage.

“-and that’s why I need to conquer each and every tower.” I conclude.

Auranta goes silent for a long moment, contemplating what she’d just heard. Which is understandable. I did just explain to her that her entire world is created by a god who wants to play a game using mortal lives and a board the size of a planet.

“I have many questions.” She finally says.

“And I have many answers, but only after we deal with this.” I say as we arrive on the top floor. I quickly rush to the doorway and stop to smell the apocalyptic roses.

Through the doorway, chaos reigns supreme over a canvas of an abandoned city. The sky showers and thunders with crimson lightning to the backdrop of several distant pulsating flaming tornadoes. Cracks and fissures line the concrete roads where spurts of fire and lightning burst from the ground. Around buildings, gravity seems to twist and turn around a black orb that forces debris to orbit its structure. Near them, balls of lightning hover and move meters above the ground, electrocuting anything that comes near.

“Well, now I understand what you meant by poison.”

Nepenthes turns to me. “Are you familiar with this malady?”

“Yup. This whole place is filled with high concentrations of radiation. Radiation interacts with living things and continuously damages cellular structure. Extended exposure will have a compounding negative effect on the body.” I glance at Auranta. “Knowing this, are you still going to continue going deeper with me?”

The masked woman nods. “I am.” Her head shifts towards the chaotic environment. “What is happening here?”

“Well, I’ve only seen this a few times, but Radiation and Mana do not have a harmonious relationship. High radiation causes rapid shifts and changes to mana, allowing the mana to activate on its own. The last time I saw something like this was in another lifetime. A bunch of midgets mined into a mountain and caused an internal collapse that split the mountain in two. When it split open, it opened fissures of radioactive material that quickly spread and made the area unlivable. A decade later and,” I extend my paw, “this is what the place turned into.”

“Are they dangerous?” Nepenthes asks.

“Yup.” I point at a flaming tornado. “Think of something like that as a self-sustaining continuous spell that you can't permanently destroy. You can disrupt it, but unless the radiation is taken care of, the anomaly will reform.”

“Am I allowed to use spells?” Auranta asks.

I tilt my head. “Probably. Radiation generally takes time to affect mana. Just be careful about casting spells on an anomaly. I’ve little idea what will happen.”

I do a quick stretch and walk through the exit. I immediately feel the rain as it falls upon my body. looking at a nearby puddle, I note that my fur has shifted to a lime green. As I continue staring, my fur morphs into a protective water-resistant layer similar to a Maine Coon.

“Where are we to go?” Nepenthes asks. The Phytonid looks ready for combat with her pincers ready and head shifting vigilantly for enemies.

That’s honestly a good question. I look around, noting things like the general stony structure of the buildings. Whatever race made this place is larger than a human with an odd level of technology. No cars but I can see the rails through the streets.

It is only then that I look back at the tower behind me. The tower is different from what the previous tower looked like. The previous tower looked like something of a shell. This one is three times taller, sleek, and completely black.

“I think this test is similar to the previous one I did in the sense I have to find the tower exactly like this one.”

Both Auranta and Nepenthes glance at the tower we’d come out of and then look around to see where the other one is.

“I see none.”

“Neither do I.” they both answer.

If you could, then this wouldn’t be much of a test.

“Let me get a better vantage point.”

Using feline acrobatics, I rush to a burned up tree, climb up to a branch before jumping again to a nearby roof. I then ascend further until I stand next to a chimney. I could climb even higher, but I don’t think I can survive a lightning strike.

With my new vantage point, I assess my surroundings. What I immediately realized is that we’re in a pretty big city. Houses can be seen for miles on end alongside more flaming tornadoes. Finding nothing, I start looking for patterns. Something abnormal that most would generally miss. I do this for a long minute until I realize something.

Noting the direction, I make my way back to the two ladies.

“I’ve got good news and bad news.” I immediately start when I arrive. “The good news is that I have a pretty good idea where the tower is going to be.”

“And the bad news?” Auranta asks.

I raise a paw towards the direction where flaming tornadoes are quite numerous.

“The bad news is that it’s most likely located where the anomaly concentrations are highest. It’s going to be quite dangerous.”

“I have fought in rivers, swamps, deserts, and tundra. Each environment I have mastered and consumed. I relish the chance to savor this danger we are to face.” Nepenthes practically hisses.

Both me and Auranta look at the Phytonid as she looks not only ready, but eager for battle. Practically twitching with excitement.

“Uhh, you alright? You seem a bit on edge.” I say.

Nepenthes looks down at me with a tilt of her head. “Yes, my edge has been honed. I have sharpened it daily so that when the hunt begins, I will shred sinew and bone with greater ease.”

She kinda reminds me of a husky waiting for its leash.

“Right. Just watch my back while I lead.”

“Of course, Matriarch. I will sever anything that dares approach from behind.”

I roll my eyes and begin walking towards the cluster of distant anomalies.