Yesterday was a day to remember. Getting multiple new skills, stats, and skill levels. Even finding someone in the coliseum with a worthwhile skill. With all the preparation I've been doing I'm ready for the 14th Floor. Though it's always safe to check out the skills shop.
"Shop"
「Store
Weapon
Armor
Consumable
Room
Skills」
"Skills"
「Skill Shop Page
Fireball: 200G
Mana Blast: 200G
Mana Light: 200G」
Damn, I guess my luck ran out. All the skills available aren't good for any situation. Even one of my worst skills, Mana arrow is better than this. Deciding to just climb the tower and hope for the best. Walking out of the house is always a pleasure. Seeing all the beautiful Mana gathered around. So pretty it's not describable with words.
「Choose Floor
…
Floor 12
Floor 13
Floor 14」
“Floor 14”
At this point, being teleported has no affect on my body. All the floors I've been teleported to. All the coliseum matches. Everything has adapted my body's resistance to the Tower.
This Floor seeming like another boring one. Looking around me it's in a village setting. Feeling multiple presences around me I get cautious. Based on how the Mana is being leaked from their bodies, I know they are humans.
「Floor 14
Objective: Work together with your teammates to infiltrate the palace and stop the revival of the Moon King.」
Seeing the objective I confirm they are my teammates. The amount of Mana gathered was more than the person at the coliseum. Wondering if they are the rankers directly below me on the leader board.
"Hello everyone, are we able to introduce ourselves?"
Hearing the voice coming from behind. The voice sounding like an old man. There's no way this person is under 30 years old. Feeling another persons presence coming.
"Yes of course, I'm Calvin, ranked 7th on the leader board."
Not wanting to give out what rank I am, I make a fake name.
"Hello, I'm Jefter, ranked 24th on the leaderboard."
"And I am Lee, ranked 4th."
I lucked out on this trial. The skill shop may have been ass but this one isn't. While deciding whether to kill them or not they start talking again. Acting on autopilot while thinking about the choice. Suddenly, I hear them call to me from a distance.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Hey don't worry us like that. We thought you already got killed. Ranked 24th and all."
They both laugh at the joke. Feeling offended by it.
"Rank isn't everything you know. Maybe I trained instead of climbing the Tower."
Both continuing laughing not even acknowledging my prescreens. Continuing to play along with their little joke. Telling myself to just killing them later. Finally arrive at the place where the system guided us. Looking at the place you can see at least a hundred guards around the palace. All at least the level of the Old Man from before. Desiring more strength I rushed towards them. Leaving my teammates in the dust.
"Get back here! You're going to give away our position!!"
Ignoring all the screams to stop running towards the enemies. Making sure to remember my plan of killing them. Instantly after rushing towards them a blow horn sounds off. Multiple guards come rushing towards me, all trying to stop me.
Taking the my scythe out of my inventory I focus.
"Heavenly Moonlight Footwork!"
The first step slashing the first opponent in half. The second creating a wave of enemies flying in the air. With each step I took more opponents get killed. With only 10 seconds into the rush they stop coming at me. As if they are being commanded by a higher figure. All of the guards in site retreat back to the palace.
One enemy noticeably stronger than all the rest is coming my way. Feeling the pressure of his Mana before he even arrives at the battlefield. Without a second to waste, I rush towards the massive ball of Mana. Upon seeing the enemy I immediately attack. Being met with what only could be describe as pure strength. The guard blocked my attack and momentum with one single strike. I get that I didn't use any skills, but that's still inhumane.
The guard has knights armor on. The armor having gaps by the joints that is my target.
"Flash Step."
Racing towards the guard and slashing his right elbow. The cut was way to shallow. His skin being to hard to cut with my scythe. Immediately remembering the skill I forgot to obtain. 'Mana Sword' which allows you to put Mana into your weapons greatly increasing the power and force. Knowing I can still defeat him it wasn't that big of a lose.
Looking back at what the window said I need to stop the revival of the Moon King. Not needing to kill the knight I dash past him. Although it feels as if I'm wasting great stats and skill abandoning him, I need to stop the revival. The knight not even chasing me keeps heading forward. Seeing all the guards at the palace with their numbers noticeably diminished.
Cutting my way through the defenses of the palace. Finally heading inside. Seeing all of the beautiful artwork on the walls. Painting of what I can only assume to be the Moon King. All the beautiful artwork of vases, glass, etc. Comparable to a modern house back on Earth. Knowing I can't stop for the artwork hurts my soul. I can't let the Moon King be revived.
Running through the palace checking every room I pass.
"Heat Sense"
This could of saved me ages of time. Scanning around the palace in every direction till I find heat. Finally, in what seems to be a secret room, multiple heat sources. Running towards the people, unknowingly running straight into the wall ahead. Thus getting rid of any chance at a surprise I had. Seeing how I couldn't find the door and my surprise being ruined. I resort to the last resort.
Smashing trough the wall.
Looking inside the crater I just made seeing a hollowed out hallway behind it. Running through the hallway not knowing how much time I have left. Watching the two people try to stop me was amusing. Cutting through their flesh without a seconds notice. Looking in the room and seeing multiple people in all red robes. All of the people chanting unknown words. My mind connects the two and tells my body to stop them. Taking out multiple daggers and throwing them. Most of the daggers connect with the bodies of the chanters. The rest being killed by my scythe.
Glancing at the body in the middle of the room. Having the same characteristics as the person in the paintings. Assuming this person is the Moon King I kill him immediately.
「Floor 14 Clear
Congratulations on clearing Floor 14!
+600 XP! Level Up x1
+6000G
From now on leveling up will be harder!」
Absorbing all the bodies around me before I leave through the portal.
「Agility +9
Strength +5
Intelligence +14
Stamina +8」
Holy shit that's a lot of stats. All the intelligence is from the chanters. As I enter through the portal back to the lobby I remember something. Forgetting to kill my teammates. It's fine, I know their names and ranks anyways. Heading back to my room slumping onto my bed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
「Status Window
Name: Kim Yeon
Level: 27
Skills: Soul Absorption, Corpse Summon, Heavy Strike, Low Tier Regeneration LV2, Appraise, Bone Forge, Vampire Grasp LV2, Soul Reaping, Heat Sensing, Heightened Senses LV2, Skill Combination, Future Sight, Master of Mana, Weapon Mastery, Mana Circuit, Shadow Invisibility, Flash Step, Heavenly Moonlight Footwork, Mana Arrow, Automatic Mana Absorption, Corpse Explosion, Blood Configuration, Body Guard Summon.
Stats:
Strength: 38
Agility: 48
Intelligence: 60 (5)
Stamina: 35 (2)
Available points: 54
Gold: 1560」