I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been inside the tower of gods. It might have been more than several weeks, or months. I’m currently at floor 74 fighting several giant tarantulas which I named as doriantulas since their body is covered in spikes and not hairs. My daggers are sheathed since now they are in bad condition and are no longer my main weapon. I made two curved daggers from a wyvern’s fangs which was the boss of 67th floor. I grinded and polished the fangs with the wyvern’s own scales so the result is quite good if I may say so myself. Their length is about 40 cm each and the handles are wrapped in geckosaurus’ leather from my previous armor which scaly plates have been long since broken.

My current armor is in shape of a jacket made of a giant snake’s leather from floor 69. It looked exactly like a normal leather jacket, however is far heavier and sturdier than it looks, almost as strong as the wyvern’s scale but more flexible. I used another spider type monster’s thread and my daggers to make some small holes to tie the threads so I was able to make a jacket. I tried to make an armor from the wyvern but since the wyvern was more than half as big as my high school’s gymnasium, the scales were also big and thus hard to be made into an armor. If only I have something like a super strong glue maybe I can attach some of the scales to my jacket.

As I was deep in thought, I actually finished the doriantulas. Their eyes were stabbed and some lost their legs because I cut them at the joints.

Somehow I have gotten strong enough to beat even the juggernaut class demon beasts of the floor I first stepped into so I stopped doing reconnaissance. I have also learned to completely control my killing intent and sense others’ so I can hide my presence from stronger enemies and use a blast of it to scare the weaker ones away so going back and forth the lower and upper floor is somewhat easier now.

I walked for a bit and found a teleportation circle which was not even hidden since it was located right in the middle of an open area. However I don’t see any demon beasts around.

A trap? Is the floor boss waiting to ambush me somewhere?

Who cares? I’ll know if I just stepped in…

I get to the circle without hesitating but still in caution.

And I was teleported. No trap, no ambush, nothing.

When I came to I was dazzled by a bright light. I thought it was finally a trap but I was wrong.

It’s the sunlight which I have never seen for who knows how long. The light itself was a bit warm but the surrounding air was chilling and the wind was strong. It was also kind of hard to breathe.

I looked around and I see no wall, no ceiling, and the floor is made from what seemed to be polished gemstone as clear as the blue sky itself.

“Is this perhaps the top of the tower?”

I expected the tower to be about 100 floors high and there should be an altar enshrining legendary weapons or something. But there was nothing here. Simply a really wide and flat floor.

I then explored the floor and I couldn’t even find a teleportation circle to go back down.

How can I get out of this place? Don’t tell me I have to jump down there. Or maybe I need to do something here to trigger an event, but what? There’s no clue whatsoever.

“Come on tower of gods, you could at least prepare a last boss.”

I said that but at least now I can leave the tower and make plan on how to confront the empire with my current strength which should have more than just doubled compared to when I got teleported here. If only I know how to get down, that is. Climbing the outer wall all the way down there would equal suicide with how strong the wind is… and the unknown height.

Suddenly I heard a flapping sound from afar and I could see something with wings. A bird? A Wyvern? Okay, the tower did provide a last boss after all…

Wait a friggin second.

What the heck is that.

The thing closing in and finally landed on the floor about 50 meters in front of me was a super huge dragon. If the wyvern from 67th floor was half as huge as the gymnasium of my high school, this thing is about 4 or 5 times the size. Forget juggernaut class, this one is colossal.

Its scales are black with a tinge of dark bluish glint. The wingspan almost reached the floor’s edge.

As it folded its wings, the dragon then looked at me in silence.

Calm down me, usually this kind of event means that the dragon is an intelligent being and will talk to me. Maybe if I passed some of its trials I can finally get off of this tower. Yeah, it must be so.

……

Damn, I think I just triggered a reverse flag.

The dragon roared with a force that sent me flying a few meters away.

I spun and landed on my feet. The dragon reached its arms at me so I quickly run to the side ignoring my headache and ringing ears.

I might even be smaller than one of its teeth. How do you suppose I kill this thing?

The classic way of going inside its stomach and killing it from inside? No way. There’s no scientific proof that it could be done easily, what if I slipped directly into its gastric acid?

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

And there’s nothing scientific about dragons in my world....

I guess focusing to avoid getting killed is the only thing to do.

Perhaps tired of trying to grab me with its arms, the dragon got back into its previous posture then something shone within its mouth.

“Breath attack!?”

There’s nothing I can use to shield myself in this flat place so I ran toward the dragon as fast as I could. If I can make it in time I’ll reach the safest place form its breath attack. The dragon’s own body.

The dragon lifted its head while letting out some flame out from the gaps of its teeth then it looked back down, at me.

“Damn!”

As it opened its jaw I jumped forward as strong as I could.

I managed to barely avoid the blazing inferno but I could still feel the heat which was enough to vaporize all my sweat in an instant. I reflexively closed my stinging dry eyes.

I quickly opened my eyes again and jumped to the side avoiding the stomping attack.

“Your breath could kill me in an instant, sorry but I’ll be sticking as close as I can to you.”

I got on one of its legs and climbed up its body.

The dragon tried to shake me away but I clung by holding onto the protruding thorn like parts of its scales. I used my free hand to use my wyvern fang dagger to stab the dragon but the dagger got deflected.

Damn, like this I’m less than a mosquito and more like a dead skin cells waiting to be peeled off to this dragon.

“I hope you got some weak spot somewhere on your body.”

Not long after, I realized that this was a bad choice.

I just reached its back when it finally jumped off the tower and flew. Despite its colossal size, it made some impossible maneuvers that could make any ace pilot cry in shame.

I don’t know how fast it was flying but the wind was so fierce and I felt like I could faint anytime from the G force, weakening my grip every second that passes.

Shit, I could only see clouds below me, is this the end? I couldn’t get my revenge…

The dragon turned around and now was flying straight at me while opening its mouth.

“Heh, I guess I can’t get a decent ending after all… Like hell I’ll just give up so easily!”

I threw my old daggers to the closing in dragon, aiming at its eyes.

It closed its eyelids in response and I was spared from getting eaten but I got hit by its flapping wings as it got past me.

“GAHHH”

My whole body ached horrribly and as I was still spinning midair the dragon returned while preparing a breath attack.

“You prefer a cooked meal who can’t retaliate eh? Sorry but with your flame you will only get a coal like human shaped thingy, or even just some ash.”

I don’t want to give up but I couldn’t come up with anything else. Even if I was spared by the dragon, I won’t survive the fall.

I don’t want to die.

At least not until I kill that bastard and crush the empire.

For a moment all I could see was a blazing hell which then enveloped me and after that, a complete darkness.

I’m getting familiar with this now.

Yeah, it’s that complete darkness again, wait, it’s not a complete darkness this time. My chest, the amulet or Praesia to be precise, is shining strongly.

“…rry…’

Eh? A voice?

“I’m sorry…”

I could hear a girl’s voice.

“I’m sorry, but with this I can no longer protect you.”

The bluish light from the amulet focused on one place and a figure appeared.

A girl dressed in a white robe appeared before me.

“La…vi…nia? Is that you?”

No wait, her facial features are a perfect resemblance but her hair and iris were of different color. They are all pure white, almost hollow. I could also see a pair of wings folded behind her back.

She shook her head to my question.

“I’m not her, my name is Praesia.”

“Praesia… the goddess?”

“I’m not exactly a goddess either, but I guess that is how the people of this world call me.”

She showed a bitter smile before continuing.

“I teleported you to the tower because the only remaining teleportation gate which I can access is there and I cannot use a proper teleportation magic anymore. I thought you would give up and get off the tower after several floors but you managed to reach the top.”

“Well, I think I should thank you for that though… So, am I still alive this time as well?”

“Yes, I created a barrier around you and the dragon gave up as well, however you are currently still falling. The amulet does not have enough power for another teleportation.”

“Eh? Falling?”

“However, my barrier will be enough to absorb the impact of the fall as well… I hope.”

“Please don’t say ‘I hope’ while averting your gaze away.”

“I’m sorry but this is all I can do right now. I don’t want you to die as well. I had planned to have you conquer the tower in the future after you get stronger and defeat the dragon.”

“Wait a minute, conquer the tower? You know how it went before, I can’t do anything against it.”

“You will need a stronger weapon. Or, although it can use flame breath, the dragon is actually weak against fire, its scales will only be as hard as an iron plate when an extreme heat is applied. If you can at least use an advanced level fire spell that would be enough. Crushing an iron plate with a punch is nothing with your current strength.”

“Umm, the thing is I don’t have any elemental affinity, that’s why I can only use intermediate class magic at most.”

“I know, your options would be to have someone who can accompany you, or... Azanthys, and Mareritter”

“Azanthys and Mareritter, you said?”

My trusty weapons that I left in Rifst castle treasury were strong enough to be used against that dragon? I got them from the ruins of Praesia’s shrine so I guess it isn’t strange that she knows something that I don’t about them.

“I don’t mind conquering the tower for you, but you see, I have prior appointment with the empire.”

“I am aware, I don’t have any right to stop you since I…”

“I… what?”

“It’s nothing. However, it would be best if you proceed with your revenge after you conquer the tower.”

“Can you tell me why?”

“Conquering the tower first will surely help you in your revenge or rather you will most likely fail if you don’t, I will tell you why after you do because there is no time. You will reach the surface soon and because of the barrier the amulet will lost all of its power… And I’m sorry…”

“Why are you apologizing again?”

“The barrier might not be able to absorb all the impact after all, so your body might get some damage. But don’t worry, you won’t die, it’s just that it might take some time until you will be awake.”

As she finished her sentence, the smiling Praesia then disappeared into the amulet which in turn lost all its light and everything returned to complete darkness once again.

“Oh great.”

My whole body is heavy, it also aches a lot as if all the bones in my body got cracks all over. It seems the barrier really couldn’t absorb all the impact.

I forced my eyes open and looked around to find myself in a small room. The wooden wall and ceiling were worn by time but seemed like it has been cleaned regularly. I blinked to the sunlight seeping in through the glassless window to my right.

“What? Where is this?”

My body was wrapped in bandages where it hurts the most. Somebody must have taken care of me although you can see in a glance that the bandages were done clumsily.

The room I was in was quite spacious since I could see more than 5 or 6 other beds around. Is this perhaps a hospital? So someone found me and brought me here then?

Then I finally noticed that I wasn’t alone in the room. Hiding by crouching on the other side of the bed next to the one I was in, were 3 boys around 6 years old.

“Did he just look over here?”

“Is he awake? So he was alive all along?”

“You idiot, of course he was alive, why would Ron and Melfa took him here if he was dead?”

I don’t think this was a hospital…