My sleep offered no reprieve, for I soon found myself standing in the middle of a heavy mist that expanded endlessly in all directions. I tapped the obsidian floor with my feet, feeling something akin to hard glass. The space would have been pitch dark if it wasn’t for a three feet-by-three feet blue holographic screen illuminating my field of view.
I couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or another alien world. After meeting White, my grasp on reality had decided to ditch me for greener pastures. At that moment, if you had asked me whether unicorns could sing like Elvis Presely and dance tango on rainbows, I’d say, “dammit, they probably can.”
I examined myself and noted that I was still in my new body. Judging by my height, I was somewhere in my late preteens. Long blonde locks ran parallel down my white shirt and ended at my upper torso. I admit I was mildly curious about my new appearance.
‘Why am I wearing my old clothes?’ I wondered as I realized that my current attire - a white t-shirt, black leggings, and sneakers - was exactly what I was wearing before I died on Earth. Interestingly, they were sized down to fit my new younger self.
“This is insane,” I uttered.
Hesitantly, I approached the blue screen, hoping it could show me a way out of this place. I was soon disappointed, however, to find it unresponsive. I stuck my hand through it, confirming my suspicion that it was merely a projection, though I couldn’t locate the source. Was there a hidden projector somewhere?
Lacking ideas, I stupidly shouted into the darkness, “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
I tensed my body in case some random extradimensional monster came charging out of the blue. Didn’t Eleven in Stranger Things accidentally stumble upon the Demogorgon in a similar situation? My chest thumped furiously as I waited. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. I sighed, mostly relieved and maybe a little disappointed I got no response.
To my surprise, the blue screen suddenly flickered to life.
Initializing...
//Authorized user confirmed.
//World System v2.5636 initializing.
//Connecting to World 87.00q97.666.za83.9001.
//Type: Tower World.
//Hack authorized by the local administrator.
//Integrating original host soul with user’s soul.
//Integration at 10%.
//Integration at 30%.
//Integration at 50%.
//Integration at 70%.
//Integration complete.
//Preparing to add secondary mana core.
//Failed.
//User customization initializing.
//Please input name.
It looked like a boot sequence, reminding me of those old command line interfaces I’d seen on personal computers before the advent of modern GUIs. I could vaguely guess the meaning behind some of the command lines, but I filed them away for later. For now, I was more interested in getting the blue screen to correspond with me.
‘How am I supposed to input my name? I don’t see a keyboard,’ I puzzled, fumbling around for a peripheral device. It didn’t even occur to me to stop and assess whether it was safe to meddle with the alien object or whether I should. Honestly, I wouldn’t have cared. My life had become one crazy mess after another. I was a pinball in an arcade machine, swept to and fro by the whims of higher beings. What was the harm in a little more risk?
‘Isn’t there supposed to be a tutorial to show me how to use this damn thing? Think Valerie, think!’ I spurred myself on.
>>>Valerie
//Response accepted.
‘Aha!’
It occurred to me the blue screen could be interfacing with my thoughts. Duh. It should’ve been obvious after my telepathic sessions with White. I wanted to test my theory.
‘Let’s see if I can change my name to Valerie Fleming.’
>>>Valerie Fleming
//Response accepted.
//Per the administrator’s request, please detail any combat experience in your prior life, real or otherwise. Qualifying experiences will convert over to your current life.
‘Combat experience?’
I inhaled sharply. Did the system expect me to fight? The last time I got into a scuffle was during third grade when some knucklehead thought it would be fun to yank on my pigtails.
‘Not sure that would count,’ I dismissed the bad memory. ‘Real or otherwise…otherwise?’
//Virtual combat experience may also suffice.
‘I wonder if my LaL experiences qualify,’ I mused.
>>>Legends and Lores
//Response accepted.
//Downloading Legends and Lores power trees.
//Conforming common items, lore cards, abilities, and champion physiques to Tower World specifications.
//Conversion at 10%.
//Conversion at 20%.
//Conversion at 30%.
‘Whoa, wait a sec. It’s interpreting my LaL games as combat experience?’
My heart skipped a beat. Wouldn’t I be overpowered? I could only imagine what it would be like to wield the cosmic forces of a celestial phoenix like Cindras Solum or the dark arcane energies of the Rezoran Lich Queen. How freaking awesome would that be? Unfortunately, before I got too excited, the screen paused and flashed red.
//Error.
//Manual override by local administrator.
//Conversion forcefully halted at 36%.
//Partial corruption of data occurred. Only a subset of skills and perks have been successfully transferred.
//Proceeding to the next step…
“Hey, what the heck? Why did it get stopped?” I shouted out loud to no one in particular.
‘Who is actively tampering with my user setup? I bet it’s White. That bastard,’ I cursed. My anger extinguished as quickly as it flared as I reminded myself it was fruitless to harbor such antagonisms against a god.
//Note: The local administrator has offered compensation as an apology for the unplanned disruption.
//Does user accept?
I was a bit miffed, having the inkling I was being shortchanged. Why else would I be warranted an apology? Still, it wasn’t in my interest to reject such an offer, even if there was foul play. I couldn’t exactly call customer service to complain.
‘Yes, I accept.’
>>>Accept
//Response accepted.
//The administrator offers user five gifts.
//Gift #1: High comprehension. User will gain the ability to quickly understand complex subjects and skillfully assess complicated situations. As a side effect, user will also be more likely to induce jealousy and envy in others.
//Gift #2: High charm. User will gain the ability to make allies more easily. However, user will also make enemies more easily.
//Gift #3: Good luck. User is blessed by the administrator but in return will confront proportionally epic challenges.
//Gift #4: Visual eidetic memory. User will gain the ability to recall everything user has seen.
//Gift #5: Lunar Astral Wolf familiar. User will gain an astral pet with the ability to telepathically communicate.
I pulled a long face after reading the so-called gifts. Each gift except for the last two seemed to come with an unwelcome side effect. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was getting trolled. I furrowed my brows in dissatisfaction.
‘High comprehension can definitely come in handy, provided I find a way to get out of this place. But inciting jealousy isn’t ideal. The charm trait and its side effect basically nets each other out, so that’s a wash,’ I concluded. ‘Having good fortune is nice and all, but I’m not liking the sound of epic challenges... What’s a Lunar Astral Wolf?’
“Sup,” a random voice spoke out, scaring the bejesus out of me.
“Who said that?” I squawked, peering earnestly into the darkness. I jumped to my feet faster than a cat on hot coals.
“Yo, blockhead, I’m down here.”
I followed the voice, and there he was, the cutest wolf pup I’d ever seen. It resembled a small husky with angular ears, beady eyes, and a forehead that bore the pattern of a crescent moon. My fear receding, I knelt to get a closer look. I was a big fan of puppies, though mom had never let Jen and I own any pets because they exacerbated her allergies.
“Aww, where did you adorable thing come from?” I mewed in a high pitched tone, instinctively reaching out to pet it.
Upon hearing itself labeled as cute, the wolf pup retreated indignantly and tried to appear more menacing by puffing up its chest, which made it look even more comically adorable.
“I am not cute!” the wolf pup pouted. “I am Romulus Roshan, the Great Calamity of the Western Stars. Belittle me not, human master, for you have not yet seen my final form.”
I burst into laughter, bending over to stymie my heaving chest. It felt good to release some of my pent-up emotions. Then, it occurred to me that the pup could talk.
“You...you can speak?” I giggled, thinking of its similarities with the Pokémon, Meowth.
“Of course I can talk, you hairless monkey. I’ve been assigned as your spirit guide, though I don’t understand what the Lord Administrator sees in you,” he grumbled the last part to himself.
“Ahem, I can hear you. Who is the Lord Administrator? Was he responsible for interfering with the system?”
“Our Gracious Lord Administrator has shown you an act of mercy. Some of the powers you were downloading were deemed too much for your mortal shell to contain. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to go kaboom by accident.” The pup waved his paws to mimic an explosion. I found his anthropomorphism interesting.
The pup’s explanation made sense though. Some of the champions in LaL were basically pseudo-deities.
‘Maybe I was lucky the administrator interfered.’
“So you’re saying that in exchange I got you in return? How is that fair?” I slyly inquired, hoping to coax more information from the pup.
“It’s more than fair, girl. You are standing in the presence of the great and mighty Romulus Roshan, Chief Arbiter of the Cerulean Horizons, Wolf Lord of Andaros, Mystic Spirit of…”
“Okay, okay. I get the point,” I interrupted him, not wanting to hear his dubious list of accolades and titles. “Can you tell me where we are?”
The pup put one paw up. “The great Romulus Roshan will cease to answer questions until you pay tribute.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
I gawked at him in disbelief. If it wasn’t clear already, I had nothing on me except my clothes. What did he want me to do, cough up gold coins?
“I don’t have any money.”
“Silly girl. I’m not talking about money. The system provides snac...I mean sustenance for my esteemed personage. You simply need to access the food shop in the spirit master tab,” he instructed, circling the blue screen.
I followed his instructions, seeing no reason to disobey. At least he was willing to teach me how to navigate the system.
//Accessing Spirit Master tab.
//Spirit familiar detected.
//Type: Lunar Astral Wolf.
//Please choose a name for your familiar.
The wolf pup crept behind me.
“That will be Romulus Roshan, spelled R O…,” the pup tried to inform, but I had already decided on something else.
'I like Roro.’ Romulus Roshan was a mouthful to say, but Roro sounded cute and catchy.
>>>Roro
//Response accepted.
//Your spirit familiar is now named Roro.
“Roro? I demand you change it at once!” yelped the pup.
“Romulus Roshan is way too long, and I think Roro sounds better,” I shrugged, unwilling to budge. “Besides, didn’t you call me master? Am I not allowed to name my own familiar in my own system?”
Roro looked as if I had stolen his favorite jar of cookies.
“Oh and I see a description of your species,” I pointed out, hastily changing the topic.
“Of course, we lunar astral wolves come from an esteemed line of Wolf Lords,” he pompously asserted after taking a moment to collect himself. “We are highly sought after spirit pets as you will no doubt learn from the reputable World System.”
//Lunar Astral Wolves: They are chatty and glutinous animals. Usually not very useful.
//Warning: The species may be a scam. There are an above average number of reports from verified owners requesting for refunds. Buyer beware.
‘Oh great, I must really be getting trolled,’ I realized, turning around to see Roro’s face twitching. He had apparently read the description as well.
“What the bloody popsicles? How dare this junk smear the great name of Lunar Astral Wolves! Pay no heed to it, demon girl!”
Roro attacked the blue screen with one of his stubby paws but failed to damage the incorporeal hologram.
“Demon girl?” I noted with some amusement.
Roro snickered. “Two can play that game. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, food options.”
His face visibly brightened as he mentioned food. I noticed his short tail, barely more than a stump, wagging excitedly. It was hard to take Roro seriously when he looked like a white, fluff ball.
“Is astral food similar to real food?” I asked.
Roro sighed and looked at me with pity in his eyes.
“You really don’t know anything, huh?”
I shook my head. “Look, I’m kinda new to this stuff. I don’t even know where we are.”
“Then you should listen well because I hate repeating myself,” Roro began to lecture, albeit unenthusiastically. “What you see around us is the Sanctuary. It’s a dream world that only you can access when you’re asleep. I may not be able to fully materialize in the real world, but here I’m perfectly corporeal.”
“The system said you are my familiar, so what’s the point of being my familiar if you can’t exist in the real world?”
Roro thought for a moment. “That problem is only temporary until I become stronger. Even though I don’t yet possess a physical form in the Tower World, my spiritual presence can still passively protect you from mental and astral attacks, among other things. Now, since you know how important and awesome I am, it’s time to feed me!”
“Hang on. I have more questions,” I pressed on, pulling up the main system menu. “Teach me about the system first. I want to know how it works.”
“Pssh. It’s pretty self-explanatory,” Roro tried to dismiss my request.
“Can I only access the system when I’m in the Sanctuary?” I asked, not deterred in the slightest. I knew I’d have to press him harder to get crucial information. As Riddler in the awful 1995 Batman Forever movie once said, “knowledge is power.” I needed every advantage I could get.
“Geez, I thought you were going to ask me actual questions. I demand food first, demon girl.”
Seeing as he was set on getting his snacks, I came up with an idea. “If you answer my questions, I promise I’ll retrieve all the snacks you want,” I offered him.
Roro examined me with a serious look in his eyes. “You better not break your promise,” he warned.
“I won’t.”
“To answer your question then, you should be able to access the system when you’re awake just by thinking about it.”
“Do other people have access to the system?” I added.
“I think so, but I’m not sure...definitely if you’re an aspirant.”
“Aspirant?”
“Come on, girl, do I have to explain everything?” Roro grunted in frustration as he licked his paws.
I nodded without shame. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“Aspirants are individuals who can learn to bend mana to their will. In other words, they are blessed by the administrators with longer lives, superior combat skills, enhanced senses, and a lot of other stuff.”
“This is like the third time you mentioned an administrator. Is he some sort of a god? He’s not White, is he?” I extrapolated.
“Who’s White?” Roro replied bluntly.
‘Guess not,’ I thought, noticing Roro didn’t have a shred of an idea who I was talking about. I wondered how White fit into all of this.
“I’m not permitted to speak about these matters, but I’ll tell you one thing. Administrators are the hegemons of the Tower World. You’ll do well not to get on their bad side, lest you wish to suffer divine retribution,” said Roro.
‘So administrators are gods,’ I interpreted, returning my attention to the blue screen.
Everything I learned so far had me drawing parallels to my gaming experiences. Based on what I had seen from the system, the Tower World appeared to operate like one big role-playing fantasy game, except the stakes were real. I conjectured there was some bigger plot brewing, one that involved higher beings such as White or the mysterious administrator Roro had mentioned. I didn’t know what my role was yet, but I was determined to find out. White had conveniently disappeared before he could tell me what he wanted me to do. I scrolled through the Main System Menu to see if I could extract more information.
Main System Menu
Abilities (Locked)
Chat (Locked)
Duel (Locked)
Dungeons (Locked)
Inventory
Oaths
Party
Shop (Locked)
Special Quests (Locked)
Spirit Master (Special)
Status
Transfer
Universal Translator
I mentally commanded the system to provide me descriptions for each of the terms.
Abilities (Locked): a detailed list of all skills, powers, passives, and perks.
Chat (Locked): a universal messaging system for connected residents.
Duel (Locked): a virtual dueling system, mimicking the real world and allowing residents to train and hone their skills against one another.
Dungeons (Locked): a detailed list of dungeons and accomplishments for aspirants only.
Inventory: a small dimensional space for aspirants to store their possessions.
Oaths: a list of oaths recorded by the system (oath breakers are punishable by death or worse).
Party: a list of individuals who share experience gains with you.
Shop (Locked): information denied.
Special Quests (Locked): information denied.
Spirit Master: information regarding spirit familiars and pet shop.
Status: personal stats and information.
Transfer: advanced trading system for residents.
Universal translator: passive ability that allows aspirants to understand and speak all languages in the Tower World.
After a general perusal, I combed through each of the unlocked tabs. Most of the tabs were empty except for Spirit Master and Status. I chose to explore the latter first.
Name Valerie Fleming (Victoria Rosehart) Age 11 cycles Current status None System Points 0 Rank Bronze Experience Points 0/100 Type Aspirant Core Void (White) Class(es) NA Title(s) None Strength 1.0x Durability 0% (percent physical damage reduction) Agility 1.0x Tenacity 0% (percent crowd control reduction) Magic Power 1.0x Magic Defense 0% (percent magical damage reduction) Magic Affinity Divine Blessings
* High comprehension
* High charm
* Good luck
* Visual eidetic memory
* Spirit Master
“Wow, this is exactly like a game,” I exclaimed, looking at my age - eleven cycles. “How many days are in a cycle, Roro?”
“That depends on the world,” Roro casually answered. Bored, he laid down on his paws and continued to groom himself.
“You’re saying there are multiple worlds within the Tower World?” I asked, my brows lifting in perplexity.
“Thirteen, if my memories serve me well. Why do you also go by Victoria Rosehart?”
“I think Victoria was the girl who used to own this body,” I replied, curious to see Roro’s reaction to my statement. My answer did seem to catch his attention because he stood up immediately, eyes scrutinizing.
There was a moment of silence, then he mysteriously uttered, “I see” and resumed his lazy sprawl on the floor.
I got the feeling that I wasn’t the first reincarnator, or transmigrator if we’re getting technical, he had met. Just how often does this stuff happen?
‘Sorry Victoria. I didn’t mean to take your body,’ I silently prayed, feeling guilt sting my conscience. I hoped she was in a better place.
The system unfortunately lacked any descriptions for the stat variables in my status menu, and when I asked Roro what they meant, he shrugged and suggested I ask someone else. I knew just the person, but asking Kip was a matter for waking hours. Speaking of waking, I wondered how time passed in the Sanctuary. Was it one-to-one or nonlinear like Goku’s hyperbolic time chamber?
“Hey Roro, when can I leave Sanctuary?”
He harrumphed, replying, “Nice try. Don’t even think about leaving until I get my snacks.”
“No need to get so uppity. I’m simply curious about the mechanism behind all this,” I deflected. “I’ve given you my word. Isn’t that enough?”
“Nope.”
“Well, see here Mister Doubtful,” I responded, somewhat annoyed that my integrity had been challenged by someone who hardly knew me.
Pet Shop
//You have been identified as a new user.
//Receive 1x spirit broccoli head and 1x spirit buttermilk cookie free of charge.
//To obtain additional spiritual food in the future, you will need to purchase items from the store using system points. Spirit food is edible for both familiars and owners.
//Spirit broccoli head - 100sp
//Spirit buttermilk cookie - 1sp
//Remaining sp balance = 0.
//Shop is currently locked.
“Ooh, a spirit cookie!” Roro celebrated. Despite his best attempt to appear dignified, drool began slithering out from the corners of his mouth. I was suddenly inspired by a wicked idea, convincing myself it was payback for his earlier skepticism.
‘Spirit broccoli head, please,’ I commanded.
A flash of light bloomed in my hand, then it disappeared just as quickly, replaced with a violet colored broccoli. The sudden increase in weight almost made me drop it by accident. I sat cross-legged in front of Roro and showed him the object.
“Eww. I don’t like its smell,” he protested. “I thought I made it clear that I wanted the cookie, not tasteless plant matter, demon girl.”
“You know vegetables are better for your health? It’s also a hundred times more expensive to purchase, so I’m guessing it has far more nutritious value,” I argued with a mischievous grin.
“I don’t care. I want cookies!”
“How about we make another deal? I get to pet you in exchange for the cookie,” I proposed.
Dissatisfied, Roro sat on his behind, turning his head away and crossing his paws.
“I don’t trust you,” he fumed. “You’ve already broken your promise. So much for being trustworthy.”
“I haven’t actually broken anything. I said earlier that I’d get the snacks, but I never promised I’d give them to you,” I countered, turning my palms up. “The devil’s in the details.”
Roro looked at me in sheer disbelief. “You must think you’re smart and tricky, huh?”
“Smart, no, but tricky, yes,” I said shamelessly. “Do we have a deal?”
“No! I don’t care anymore,” he moped, pretending to ignore me.
“Fine with me,” I faked a sigh. I summoned the spirit buttermilk cookie with my free hand and gave it a whiff. It smelled scrumptious, a fine blend of vanilla and walnuts. With an exaggerated motion, I brought the cookie to the corner of my mouth and gave it a nibble, which resulted in a temporary rush of euphoria and rejuvenation. God, that felt good!
Despite his attempts to feign apathy, I could tell he was diligently tracking my movements with his beady eyes. I took a bite out of the broccoli too, and contrary to my expectations of raw broccoli, it was equally as heavenly. Both spirit foods generated a comfortable warmth near my navel, like I had drank a yummy bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold winter’s day.
“This cookie is out of this world, Roro. No exaggeration,” I said to him. “Are you sure you don’t want it? My offer is still on the table.”
“No...I mean yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay. Your loss.” I resumed slowly nibbling the cookie until Roro couldn’t take it anymore and stopped me.
“Alright, stop. You win, demon girl. I’ll take your offer. You can pet me this one time, but no cuddling!”
Defeated, Roro paddled over to me.
“Can I have the cookie n...hey!”
Without warning, I gleefully put the food on my lap and cuddled him into my bosom - warm, soft, and plush.
“Okay, that’s enough. That’s enou...oh mmm, that’s nice,” Roro remarked when I began rubbing his belly. “Yes, very nice.”
Satisfied after petting the cute furball, I left Roro to munch on the cookie in peace. I did a couple of stretches while I waited for him to finish.
“You haven’t answered my question. How do I leave this place? Does time work the same way here as it does on the outside?” I queried once the cookie was completely consumed. Roro was now staring at me pensively.
“Time passes the same way here as it does on the outside, but you’ll get all the benefits of sleep even if you work all night in the Sanctuary,” replied Roro. “You can summon a timer to check the remaining time.”
“I see,” rubbing my chin thoughtfully. The Sanctuary was indeed a strange environment. I felt as real in here as I did anywhere else.
Meanwhile, Roro continued to examine me, which was starting to make the hairs on my neck tingle.
“Would you like another belly rub, Roro?”
He coughed, looking away. “Absolutely not, demon girl.”