The tower that emerged at dawn was not the first of its kind, but the first that Alex had witnessed. Across the globe, a thousand towers appeared, plunging the world into a day of chaos.
Alex had overslept, courtesy of a winter storm lashing at his suburb. It was the weekend, a respite from his usual busy schedule. Unaware of the global alerts, he remained asleep, his alarm clock silenced by the power outage caused by the mysterious towers. It wasn't the alarm, but the distant sound of gunshots and screams that finally roused him.
Groggy and disoriented, Alex stumbled out of bed, rushing towards the kitchen of his apartment. The cacophony of shouts and yells persisted. Doors slammed in the hallway. Seizing a knife from a drawer, he cautiously approached his door, spotting his neighbor, Caleb, across the hallway.
“What the hell is going on?” Alex asked.
“Something about the tower entering out world. Did you not see the messages?” said Caleb.
“What?”
“Think about the messages in the corner of your eye and mind. It is all the answers we have now.”
When he thought that, Alex initially thought he was crazy, but he quickly remembered that gunshots and screams should not be normal in this neighborhood. Alex closed his eyes and ignored Caleb’s remark as he saw the system messages.
The Tower has entered your planet’s range and has now been integrated within. Grow in power and reach higher floors of the tower to become something more. If humanity does not successfully grow and progress, then it will be consumed for resources to feed other species’ growth. As a part of the integration process, 100 first-floor creatures have escaped from the floor per tower beacon. Kill them to gain extra rewards before entering the tower.
“What does that even mean?”
“I assume people are already outside killing the monsters whether by accident or on purpose. I haven’t checked outside myself. I can see the nearest tower beacon from my window. It is a few miles south of here at the park, I think. The monsters seem to have reached this area now.”
“So, we can gain unknown rewards if we risk killing the monsters or we can let someone else kill them and gain rewards.”
“Pretty much. Though I think I am going to stay inside and watch the news reports unless one tries to go inside our apartment building.”
“Do you think the rewards will be worth it? What do you think happens if we kill one of the first hundred thousand monsters?”
“Kill one and tell me,” said Caleb with a smile. “Though you will probably want to change out of your pajamas.”
While changing into some new clothes Alex took the time to consider going outside and hunting whatever creatures were outside.
The first and most important issue was always going to be how he could kill the monsters and with what weapon. Alex had no guns available to me now, so he was forced to stick to kitchen knives. Using a broomstick and some duct tape Alex made a makeshift spear. It wobbled a bit as it moved, and he hoped that it would do the job. He made sure to grab a second knife and put it in his back pocket just in case.
"As for a proper plan," Alex thought, "I need to first assess the creature and figure out if I know any clear weak points. Surely others will have killed one or two by now and I can see what it looks like before I fight a living one. Also, if I can meet with people interested in hunting down the monsters for the reward, we could team up together to take them down but that may also be problematic. People will want to have the reward to keep for themselves. The messages said nothing about sharing the reward.”
He pulled up the system message to reread it.
The Tower has entered your planet’s range and has now been integrated within. Grow in power and reach higher floors of the tower to become something more. If humanity does not successfully grow and progress, then it will be consumed for resources to feed other species’ growth. As a part of the integration process, 100 first-floor creatures have escaped from the floor per tower beacon. Kill them to gain extra rewards before entering the tower.
“Individual challenge it is then. It also doesn’t specify what better rewards mean or how they might grow if I kill more than one. Regardless of what they are, I want those rewards. It will help me get a head start in this new world and system.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Alex hurriedly put on a coat for the snow and then a few more layers just to be sure. The monsters would be dangerous so he needed what layers he could get for protection. As an added measure he grabbed his old first aid kit from storage and stuffed the gauze and bandages in one of his pockets. He did not want to get hit but it was a possibility.
Stepping outside was cold. Alex shivered a little as he adjusted to the weather. He scanned the area for immediate signs of danger but found nothing. Unsure of exactly where to go at first Alex turned toward where he thought the yelling and gunshots had come from and went that way.
As Alex walked down the sidewalk, his pseudo-spear shaking, he didn’t really know why he was trying to kill a monster and gain unknown rewards. While getting a chance to get some nebulous concept of power was part of it there was a bit more. Alex wanted to challenge me. If he wanted to gain power sure he could go up to the tower and see what he could do from there, but Alex wasn’t walking in that direction. Alex wanted to take the extra reward and path that less than one hundred thousand people would accomplish. It was a way to be something more unique than his current average boring self.
He walked somewhat aimlessly. For better or worse the noise had calmed down a bit. Alex was trying to follow the direction of the guns and yells from when he first stepped out of the apartment building, but it was now quiet. There was no one else walking around now so Alex was stuck with his middling instincts.
Alex looked back toward the tower portal which stood out amongst the houses that dotted the area. As Alex wandered, wondering whether he should turn back he froze. Blood covered part of the sidewalk and Alex could see it trail around the side of the nearest house. The fence was knocked down and in pieces. Alex stayed still realizing that it was now or never. If he wanted to get this ‘reward’ and be elevated to a higher position Alex had to go forward.
With his spear pointed forward Alex went to the backyard. He spotted a dead person before the monster. Alex wanted to vomit but the growls that came from the beast killed that thought immediately. Standing up straight, he knew that he had to try and give it his all; otherwise, he wouldn't be true to himself.
The monster was much like a wolf, so he thought of it that way. It did have a few features, however, that were not wolf-like. For one its tail was spiked along its end. The thing swung when it saw Alex. It also had far too many teeth for a wolf, all sharpened to a dangerous point.
Before Alex could back away and reconsider his options, the wolf pounced. It left behind its meal and was solely focused on killing Alex. Panicked thoughts ran through my mind as he threw the spear forward with both hands. It barely grazed the wolf and only succeeded in one thing, separating the pair. The force pushed the wolf back and Alex stumbled back just barely catching himself from falling.
He steadied himself and gripped the spear tightly in hand, my heart raced as the wolf with a spiked tail approached again. The wolf snarled and lunged at Alex, its tail whipping back and forth like a weapon.
He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the wolf's sharp teeth. Alex held the spear out in front of himself, hoping to keep the wolf at bay. But the wolf was relentless, and it kept coming, its tail striking out like a whip. Alex had to think fast. He took a deep breath and lunged forward with the spear, aiming for the wolf's head. But Alex missed, and the wolf seized the opportunity to attack. It leaped at Alex, its claws tearing at clothes and skin.
Alex cried out in pain and fear, but he refused to give up now. Alex swung the spear wildly, with no thought to the motions, trying to keep the wolf at a distance. The wolf circled him, looking for an opening. He knew that he had to do something to turn the tide of the fight.
He took a step back, trying to create some space between himself and the wolf. But the wolf was too fast, and it closed in on him again. Alex raised the spear, ready to strike. But at the last moment, the wolf dodged to the side, its spiked tail slicing through the air.
The tail grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash and Alex cried out in pain, dropping the spear and breaking it in the process. The wolf lunged at him again, its teeth bared. Alex scrambled backward, trying to get away. But the wolf was too close, and it was too fast.
Alex knew he had to defend himself, but the spear was broken. But then he remembered the secondary knife he had with him. With a quick movement, Alex withdrew the knife and held it in front of himself, his arms trembled, ready to face the wolf. When the wolf lunged at Alex again, he dodged to the side, avoiding its sharp teeth. With a quick motion, Alex lunged forward, plunging the knife into the wolf's side.
The wolf howled in pain and stumbled back, its tail flailing wildly. Alex took the opportunity to back away, preparing for the next attack. But the wolf was not done yet. With a fierce growl, it lunged at him again, its claws extended. Alex sidestepped and thrust the knife forward, stabbing the wolf in the shoulder. He knew he had to end this fight quickly. Alex was already bleeding much more than he would have liked.
“I need to go for the head. That is the only way,” Alex said to himself.
As the wolf charged at him again, Alex waited for the right moment. Just as the wolf was about to pounce, Alex lunged forward and plunged the knife into its heart.
The wolf fell to the ground, its body twitching as it took its last breaths. Alex stood there over it, panting, and covered in sweat and blood. He had never fought like this before, and Alex knew he was lucky to have survived.
He also knew that Alex had made the right choice by carrying the second knife. It had saved his life. Alex walked to the remains of the broom and took hold of the knife that had been attached to it. As Alex stood there, panting, and covered in sweat and blood from his fight with the wolf with the spiked tail, Alex heard a faint growl coming from the bushes nearby. Alex quickly realized that Alex wasn't alone. Another wolf was approaching.