A strangled groan escaped Maya's lips as her consciousness returned. She stumbled to her feet, eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness. She found herself in the heart of a dense forest, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Maya inhaled deeply, her lungs filling with the moist air, as she tried to ground herself in her new environment.

Above, the sky stretched vast and empty, an inky black devoid of stars or moon. The only light came from the trees themselves, their leaves glowing with an otherworldly violet luminescence. It cast the forest floor in an ethereal purple glow, highlighting the gnarled branches and moss-covered stones that littered the ground.

Maya stood still for a moment, her heart racing as she took in the eerie atmosphere around her. Truth be told, the girl had no idea what she was actually supposed to do inside the Tower. Sure, she heard that people were supposed to climb up, but the methods of actually doing so were lost to her.

Before long, a set of runes flashed before her eyes. She nearly stumbled as she jumped back in shock.

[Welcome, Tribute, you have been chosen as a candidate for ascension]

[You are currently on the first floor of the Tower]

[There is a portal in each floor that leads to the next]

[Some floors, such as this one, are also home to Floor Guardians]

[You must defeat the Floor Guardian of any given floor before you are able to continue]

[Good luck]

Just as fast as they appeared, the runes suddenly vanished, leaving Maya only marginally less confused than before. Still, at least now she had some vague idea of how to go to the next floor of the Tower.

She pressed forward, her surroundings grew increasingly darker until she entered a particularly damp patch of soil. Abruptly, the ground beneath her stirred with unsettling energy. Six mandragoras, small magical plant monsters emerged out of the ground. Each one had dark green skin covered in patches of rough bark that served as armor. And though they were roughly as big as a small child; each of their heads seemed misshapen with oversized gaping mouths filled with sharp, thorn-like teeth.

Instinctively, Maya's hand flew to her side, fingers closing around the hilt of her dagger. Drawing the blade with fluid grace, she slashed through her plant assailants in a flurry of motion. The mandragoras were soon overwhelmed by her relentless onslaught, defeated.

For a while more, things were smooth sailing. There was the occasional mandragora or slime blob here and there that tried to attack her, but they were all easy enough to kill. The mithril dagger Officer Mabel gave her made defeating the monsters a walk in the park. A semblance of confidence grew within Maya as she began to believe that she might actually have a chance at surviving the Tower after all.

Yet, as she was walking through particularly dense woods. Her hopes were dashed as she heard loud howls coming from behind her.

Maya didn't even look back; she just ran as fast as she could. She even dropped her backpack so that she could run at full speed.

Her sprint, however, soon became a desperate race. A chilling sight materialized from behind the surrounding trees: a pair of dire wolves the size of horses that were closing in from her right.

She tried desperately to weave around the creature and escape. But soon, she yelled out in pain as she felt a bone-crushing bite on her right leg.

Maya landed on the ground with a bone-jarring thud, a scream ripping from her throat. Nearly a dozen dire wolves formed a circle around her; their eyes boring into her with a primal hunger.

She tried her best to fight back with her dagger, but her efforts were futile. One by one, the wolves closed in and bit down on their prey. The last scream that escaped Maya's lips was swallowed by the sound of growls and snapping jaws.

***

There was no more pain. Maya felt weightless; once she opened her eyes, she saw that she was floating in a blank, white, void. She tried to move around, and it seemed she could somewhat control her movement in the strange space. She pushed her limbs as if she were swimming, and she eventually managed to push herself forward.

She continued to do so for a while, unsure of what she was supposed to do or where she was. Until, she saw a figure wearing a red cloak in the distance. As Maya got closer to the figure, she felt herself being pulled down until she was forced to walk as if she were standing on solid ground, despite the fact that there was nothing underneath her feet.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Though she was admittedly very nervous, Maya continued to approach the figure from behind. "Hello?"

The figure turned, and a gasp ripped from Maya's lips. Beneath the crimson hood, a skeletal face stared back at her, its hollow eyes staring blankly into hers. A black, spiked crown adorned its skull, adding to the figure's unholy majesty.

"Who… are you?" Maya asked.

As the skeleton replied, a series of familiar runes materialized to his right. Ones similar to what Maya had seen when she entered the Tower.

[I am the Administrator, it's a pleasure to meet you]

"Are you the one who built the Tower?"

[I did not. But part of my soul was used in its construction]

"So, were you responsible for those floating words I saw when I entered the Tower?"

[I have no control over the notifications you see. The only space I hold dominion over is here]

"Where are we?"

[A space within the Tower I hid from the gaze of the Old Gods]

Suddenly, part of the Administrator's cloak ignited into crimson flames. Though he seemed to not take note of this in the slightest.

"Is that…normal?" Maya asked, pointing towards the fire that was slowly spreading up the Administrator's cloak.

[Ah, it seems I have less time than I thought]

"Is there water somewhere? I could-"

[There is no need; no water will extinguish these flames]

"Then what do you want me to do?"

[To listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you]

Maya nodded. "I'm here."

[I wish to bestow upon you a shard of my power so you can reach the tower's summit]

"What? Why? I'm just some random girl who lives on the streets."

The Administrator raised a skeletal finger and pointed it at Maya. [That's precisely why I chose you to enter the Tower]

"That doesn't make any sense."

[From your point of view, perhaps. But I've seen countless great heroes and adventurers try to reach the summit: all of them failed]

"Alright…but there's still plenty of people who are way more skilled and talented than me."

[That is not incorrect.]

"See? You chose wrong, so maybe you could let me go?"

[I cannot]

"Why the hell not?"

[Because nobody, not even I, can leave the Tower without first reaching the top]

"Fantastic." Maya said sarcastically.

The crimson flames that started at the top of the Administrator's cloak have now spread halfway up his body.

[Human, listen to me, I want to give you a Relic Class]

"A what now?"

[It's a power born from my power; use it well, and you might survive until the summit]

"And there's no catch to this power?"

[I would be able to escape if you complete the Tower, but that is all]

Maya glanced down for a moment to think. She didn't have much reason to trust the Administrator, but she also didn't have too many options. If he wants to give her power: so be it.

"Alright, I accept your offer."

[Excellent, now tell me what you desire in a power, and I shall try my best to adjust it to your specifications]

"Uh, ok. I guess I want something that will let me beat all the monsters in the Tower."

[Please be more specific]

Closing her eyes, Maya racked her brain trying to think of what she wanted. Possibilities swirled in her mind as there didn't seem to be any restrictions in what she could ask. She could ask for unparalleled strength, speed, even magic. Or better yet, she could try asking for everything.

"I want a power that will let me become stronger than a dragon, faster than a thunderbird, and gain magical prowess better than any mage."

Maya almost laughed as she said her request out loud. It was so ridiculous that there was no way-

[Understood, I can't fulfill your request completely. But I can give you something close]

"Seriously?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

[Yes, now grasp my right hand with yours]

The Administrator outstretched a bony hand towards Maya. The girl hesitated for a moment, but she soon put her fears aside and placed her right hand on his.

A burning sensation enveloped Maya as she saw the mark on her hand glow and transform. Instead of a round eye, the mark shifted until it resembled a snake's eye.

[My work here is done, good luck]

In an instant, the Administrator pulled his hand back and was engulfed completely by crimson flames. Maya desperately tried to call out to the enigmatic figure. "Hold on, wait!"

But by the time she finished uttering her words, not a single trace of the Administrator was left. Maya was confused, turning her head around to check if something had appeared. She walked around the blank void for a while, hoping to find something. Until finally, a notification appeared before her eyes.

[Relic Class calibration complete]

[Updating Status]

Tribute Name: Maya

Relic Class: Shapestealer

Relic Class Ability: Copycat

Level: 3 >> 5

Physique: 1

Dexterity: 2 >> 3

Magic: 0 >> 1

A familiar looking portal manifested in front of Maya, its edges crackling with arcane energy. She panicked as paralysis gripped her limbs. Her body marched robotically towards the portal, drawn by an unseen force. As she stepped through, the world dissolved into a whirlwind of color and light. Runes flashed around her like fireworks as the ground beneath her feet vanished.

[Re-initiating dungeon sequence: First Floor]