Ever been inside a tomb?
Dark, oppressive, as if the whole thing would bury you alive any moment.
This place very much could, Damon knew this. Measures in place to protect the students? They’d all be useless if the death was quick enough.
[Welcome to the Amber Tower!]
[Floor 1! Reach the End… Alive if Possible!]
“Miaow?!” (Floor 1? Should we look for an elevator?)
“Pfft— no. This place’s like a Game. Clear the first floor to get access to the second, or in our case pass the Entrance Exam. It’s like a Dungeon, so don’t let your guard down.”
Dungeon?! The cat instantly perked its ears warily as it watched from side to side. At the moment, they were in a dark corridor so long and empty it seemed unnatural.
As for Damon, he went up to the nearest wall, running his hands against it…
It was rough, yet smooth, the feeling of Mana-charged Limestone easily recognizable.
Then there were the engravings, ones that had a very Egyptian feeling.
Finally, there was the stench, one of air that hadn’t moved in eons.
“Sigh. We’re in a pyramid…”
Damon instantly knew what this meant. Maze, darkness, deadly ambushes, traps aplenty, and lots and lots of ways to perish. As a first evaluation, this was BRUTAL!
[Congratulations! Guessed the Floor Configuration!]
[Ding! Welcome to the Pyramid! Have Fun Getting Lost... Forever!]
“Come, follow me. We have to find this place’s core asap. Else, we’ll wander like ghosts until we actually become ones or fail the test.” Damon warned.
The two departed, picking a direction at random. If this place could be described with one word, it would have been “corridor”. One corridor led to three, which led to even more.
They kept progressing, a certain cat suddenly miaowing in distress:
“M-Miaow!” (Master, we have a problem, a big problem!)
They were at an intersection, three options before them. But what had actually caught its interest was the Red Rosary symbol smack in the middle: they had been here before!!!
“Miaow!” (Master, we’re going in circles! I think last time we went, right?! Want me to mark the path?)
The cat was already raising a leg, ready to leave a very odorant trail to mark their way. Seeing this, Damon couldn’t help but applaud the ingenuity and dread the smell!
“No need. Look at the place carefully. Look at the stones, look at the dust, look at the murals on the wall, and ESPECIALLY look at the inclination of it all.”
“Miaow.” (Y-You mean, we actually haven’t been here before?!)
Damon silently nodded, giving his pet some time to take it all in before he continued:
“Quite devious if I say so myself, but not devious enough. This room really is nothing like the ones before. That Rosary? A trick to distract us from everything else!”
Damon revealed the secret as he confidently went right once more. The whole place was meant to be confusing, but that didn’t mean that they had to fall for such “obvious” tricks!
Thus, they kept progressing, delving deeper into the darkness….
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Meanwhile, outside the Tower…
A gigantic screen showed the happenings inside, countless students and applicants holding their breaths as the first images of Damon and pet appeared. But as they saw the pyramid…
“This guy’s fucked!” Seniors instantly exclaimed.
The Tower itself wasn’t made for newly arrived Students. It required coordination, knowledge, and power that no applicant should have possessed, hence why Tower Braving was such a big deal.
But pyramid floors were an even bigger deal. Many seniors turned white with dread as they recalled their own experiences there. Heck, some still had nightmares about it!
An applicant couldn’t help but feel doubtful…
“Is it really that bad? Nothing’s been happening so far, not a monster in sight.”
“Oh, the ignorance! I see a monster; I see one right there. That goddamn pyramid IS the monster! It will devour you whole, body, spirit, dreams, hopes, and all!”A senior ranted.
“He’s right. Last time I used my Contribution Points to enter the Amber Tower, I got this Floor. After a week of running in circles, I almost killed myself out of desperation. If it hadn’t been for the Teachers pulling me out…”
That bad? Yes. Yes, it was. There was something about the Mana coursing through those limestone rocks that could drive even the most serene of men to madness. It was TORTURE!
“Sigh… That also means there is no point watching…”
Many sighed, most applicants heading to the Pagodas for their own tests. As soon as they did, countless new screens appeared, many gazing at them instead.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The only ones who kept watching Damon and Cat were the ones who absolutely HATED the pyramid and were rooting for the underdog.
“C’mon, you can do it! You can always get lucky and find the right path by mistake!”
“It would take a miracle. Still, this is so damn unfair. We should petition…”
“Unfair? Not just that, but dizzying. I’m already getting confused!”
But just as they had already lost their bearings, the duo on the screen stopped. It seemed they, too, were lost— or at least that’s what they thought. That’s when the madness began:
“Look at the stones, look at the dust, look at the murals on the wall, and ESPECIALLY look at the inclination of it all.”
Stones?! They were the same!
Dust? There was barely any at all!
Murals? Endlessly repeating the same pattern!
Inclination? There probably wasn’t even one degree of difference!
What the actual fuck?! Even after it had been pointed out, they couldn’t see it at all. They suddenly felt like blind men who had been told: “Just open your eyes and see.”
Then there was the cute little winged cat. It was now beaming with resolve. It would do better, it'd be more attentive, and it'd definitely clear this damn place! Seeing this, many shook:
“W-What is this?! Did the guy Awaken an incredible Scout Class or something?!”
“Maybe it’s the Cat’s ability? It looks strange for a Fortune Neko…”
“Then why the hell is only the Master able to use it?!”
Just as they exchanged opinions, a commotion echoed in the background, a senior running over.
“Guys, guys, that Rose girl just did her Aptitude Test. Her frost Aurora glowed three times, THREE!”
The man expected shock and awe. There was none of it. In fact, they hadn’t even removed their eyes from the Tower Braving screen!
Curious, the guy approached, only to have the shock of his life…
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“Stop! It changed!”
Damon halted their march.
Changed?! What had?! The cat sent its gaze all across the room. Stones? Same. Air? Slightly dryer. Dust? Same taste. Murals on the wall? T-They weren’t the same?!
It came closer, scrutinizing them…
Before, there had been small persons praying to the gods. They had been offering them various goods, from golden wheat to wheatley gold, but now the offerings had changed… drastically.
The little swirls depicted could have been anything, but some of the tiny characters could be seen extracting those swirls from their brethren and offering them to the gods…. Souls!
“Do you understand what this means?”
“M-Miaow.” (Losing their souls… they’re dying!)
Damon somberly acquiesced. Going forward meant offering their lives to the gods. As for what that meant exactly, it was very open to interpretation. Still, they had to be VERY careful from now on.
“Whenever you’re in a Dungeon, you have to look at EVERYTHING. There’s a reason things are as they are. This change in the mural? A careless idiot would have missed it, but we can’t afford to.”
“Miaow!” (Understood, Master!)
Tip-toeing, the cat went first. It kept its eyes open, giving a dozen looks before every step. Its entire body stood at attention, waiting for disaster to strike. That’s when it happened…
– PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE! –
Out of nowhere, spikes erupted from the walls!
Hurriedly, the cat flattened itself on the ground, the deadly metal almost impaling its head!
The poor Cat would have been instantly skewered if not for its extreme vigilance. Having survived the ordeal, its fur stood upright, its tiny heart racing.
“Traps... makes sense. Anyone who comes here gets offered to the gods. Talk about an efficient system, wouldn’t you say so.”
Damon casually remarked, pointing at a tile on the ground slightly darker than the others. Then, he leisurely strolled forward, even shrugging.
“No point in being scared. Just avoid the triggers.”
At this moment, the cat jerked awake in realization. Its master was fearless, and so would it be! It happily trailed behind, even overtaking the lead position.
So far, it was going well…
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“W-What am I watching?!”
A spectator asked the question that was on everyone’s minds. The duo had been progressing so well when they had suddenly stopped out of nowhere.
Were they taking a break? Nope, they were observing the engravings?!
“A-Aren’t they a little too relaxed?”
“Who knows, maybe he’s a huge art aficionado.”
“What do you guys know? It’s to calm their nerves!”
Ah! So that was it! That made so much sense. As they remembered how it felt to progress inside a narrow and dark Dungeon, they couldn’t help but relate. This duo deserved all the breaks in the world!
Except they were deadly wrong…
“If we progress further, we’ll be offering our souls!”
Come again? The gallery gazed at the screen, their mouths large enough to fit a dozen apples. C-Could that much info really be gleaned from one measly mural?!
But, their doubt was short-lived:
– PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE! –
What the hell?! There were traps that deadly in the pyramid?! At this moment, many thanked their lucky star that they had simply gotten lost on their tries!
Their hearts beat like hell when the cat evaded, and they beat even more when they realized what that meant. Damon had been right!
But it soon got even worse:
“No point in being scared. As long as you’re careful.”
No point in being scared?! Traps! Deadly spikes! Dying! This felt like watching a pig valiantly charge into a slaughterhouse. It 100% wouldn’t be fine!
But then he started strolling through. At times, he’d point at traps; at others, he’d point at murals; sometimes, he’d comment about the architecture.
Why did he bloody seem like some experienced tour guide in some historic ruins?! Never had they seen a man more relaxed than that!
“Fuck. I’m more tense going to the bathroom at night!
“I’m more tense than that just being alive!”
“I’m tenser at the spa!”
They all nodded in agreement. He was way too casual! But little did they know that even he was getting worried…
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That had gone well.
They had survived the hallways of Traps.
“Good job. You’re getting better at noticing them.” Damon praised his pet.
How did a human have better senses than a Magical Beast?! This made zero sense!
Damon still wasn’t too worried. It wasn’t that his Pride Demon was defective; it was simply that he had way too much experience. Instead, he focused on his surroundings, the engravings having changed again.
“Miaow!” (Master! This time, there are only people left… no offering?!)
“No. Those aren’t people. Those are Monsters.” Damon uttered very grimly.
It had finally come to this, the change in the mural clearly showing what they were about to face. In fact, there had been a clear progression in them all this while.
The people in the first mural were offering food to the gods, but some were left for their own consumption. Now, they didn’t have any left… nor did they require it anymore.
“See their forehead? The soul they once had is gone. Only eternal slaves now remain.”
The two shared a glance, Damon gesturing his pet to remain deadly silent. The best way to deal with monsters? Not attract their attention in the first place!
‘Let’s go down this way.’
‘Miaow’ (Understood.)
The two were silently communicating akin to special force soldiers or mimes. As they kept progressing, there was finally a significant change in the area… an arch?!
For the first time, there was actually a room. Very carefully, they entered it…
Ornate vases, gleaming jewels, golden plates, regal paintings, the entire place felt like a storage for the rich. Had this been the old world, it would have been worth millions!
The cat’s eyes opened wide. So much shiny stuff! Who did that all belong to? Wouldn’t they all be able to fill Master’s wooden horse completely?! Talk about amazing!
It barely brushed a nearby pile…
‘STOP!’ Damon screamed through their link. Except it was already too late.
[Ding! Obtained Mark of the Thief!]
[Congratulations! You Will Be Hunted!]
[No worries. Being Alive is Overrated, Anyway!]
From the gold pile, a bony hand stretched, soon followed by hollowed eyes, one that locked straight unto them….