It took Angela a few more minutes to wake from Brutus’s induced sleep due to her lower level. The next few hours many people came into the town to rebuild and to investigate. They helped to clear away buildings and the crafters worked on scraping materials and bringing in new materials to construct housing and other buildings. The Archer stayed to deal with the management of it all and his required reports.
In the meantime, Alex and Angela gave some parting words to the man and then left for the second floor. Angela in particular was excited to see what she was missing out on and had only heard stories of and written descriptions.
“I can’t believe that Adrian had that pendant,” said Angela in excitement. The item in question now hung around Alex’s neck. “With the right affinities, they can build and improve on each other. And now you have it. It is overpowered.”
“It is exactly what I need right now and in the future,” said Alex. “The pendant is a powerful item Brutus tried to kill for and I’m sure that other mages would be interested in killing for as well. It doesn’t matter how long it will take me I will feed this thing with the souls of the undead and other monsters and gives me a new affinity. Not only will it give me more options and variety, but it will provide me a way out of my broken affinity. No offense to your current work in helping me find solutions around it.”
“No offense taken.”
“Let’s get you settled into the second floor, drop off your stuff, and then I can show you around. Tomorrow I can help you get set up in one of the crafting rooms. The price of the room will go up a bit, but they have much better tools to work the higher quality materials.”
“That you will pay for. Thank you very much.”
“That I will pay for.”
“Have you had any luck finding your old teammates for your revenge and all?” asked Angela.
“I have not. Partially because of Archer and his distractions. Also, because I haven’t been actively looking. I’m sure if I did I could find Rich within a week, but I’ve got things other than him that I am working on. Beyond my revenge, I am trying to get stronger, level up, understand my powers, and surpass them. They have the advantage on me because I haven’t leveled as fast as them but maybe a version two battery can improve that. I won’t have to rely on the weather as much.”
“That would be nice for you,” Angela replied.
“What about you? How has your Tower experience been now that you have completed the first floor of who knows how many floors?”
“It has been a bit boring if I am being honest. Maybe because I have not been to Gavros much and all of the trendsetters are on the second floor. Not much has happened. I’ve been busy working on improving my level and building the first prototype battery. Until Adrian came to visit each day was largely the same.”
“How did the crafting go? I know it was in short use but how did you build that first battery?” asked Alex.
“Lots of research and experimentation. I had to figure out how to make a basic battery on Earth and then design one that would work in the Tower. See what I could replace with magical components and all. Then it was a lot of iteration from there. I researched Tower-specific methods and then worked on merging the best of the two. The most challenging part was figuring out how to charge it. I couldn’t find a good way to do that in time, so the battery box was first charged by another lightning mage.”
“I’ll be interested in seeing where you next take the battery project. With your previous experience, I hope that version two can come quickly.”
“I hope it will too,” said Angela.
The pair continued to walk around Thornhold and Alex led them to the inn that he regularly stayed at.
“This is where I stay most nights if I am not busy with other things. Down this street a few blocks is a crafter’s guild station and attached amenities. I would recommend that you work there. Once you are settled in a paid crafting station I will drop off any resources that I collect day by day. Speaking of which I should return to the wall tonight. The weather is already turning from clouds to rain, and I want to test out my improved mana capacity.”
“You can go do that,” said Angela, “thanks for showing me around. I think I will look around some more by myself and then get things set up here. I’ll meet you tomorrow morning at the crafting guild for the new loot you collect tonight.”
“That sounds good. I will see you tomorrow then.”
They parted ways. Alex put a hand on his new pendant. He had some monsters to kill and souls to collect. Alex aimed for the nearest wall. He followed it for a few minutes until he arrived at one of the many sets of stairs that led to the top. The rain hit his cloak and dripped off its edges. In the distance, lightning struck the ground. Alex called out to his power and searched for targets.
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When he was ready Alex sent lightning down to the undead swarming the battlefield. Fewer people were out at night so the undead had spread out and filled the area. The lightning struck and then spread through the undead around the first strike causing more damage. The injured undead moved slower and often could not avoid Alex’s second attacks.
After an hour Alex checked his status and found that the pendant had not been updated.
<<<>>>
Percent Soul Captured: 0%
<<<>>>
He wondered if the souls were being collected from such a distance or whether he just needed to kill more of the undead than the pendant wanted to count. Alex closed his status screen and returned to the battle. His level-up and practice had given him more mana to practice with and he wasted less. He could now stay out for longer and only had to move to find better pockets of undead to kill.
The night was filled with chaos. The undead roamed the battlefield, their movements slow and clumsy. Alex stood on the wall, watching them. The rain was pouring down, soaking everything. The wind carried the smell of wet earth and a hint of magic.
Alex was alone on the wall. His cloak was flapping around him because of the wind. His eyes were glowing as he looked at the undead below. He took a deep breath and reached out with his senses. He could feel the electricity in the air, the power of the storm waiting to be used.
He closed his eyes and focused on the undead. Then, with a quick move, he sent a bolt of lightning into them. The lighting was bright and powerful. It hit the undead and destroyed them. The ground shook with the impact.
The lightning didn't stop at the first undead. It spread out, hitting more and more of them. The undead couldn't fight against the lightning. They shook and fell, and their bodies burned. The undead turned to ash.
Alex watched all this without any emotion. He was controlling the storm, using it to destroy the undead. Each bolt of lightning was like a note in a song, each undead a beat. He was creating a picture of destruction on the battlefield. His magic swept over the area allowing him to collect more experience and souls.
The sky thundered with every one of his attacks and he took a few breaks to recover his magic
As the number of undead slowed down Alex prepared to descend. He tied his rope to the wall and let it unravel down the side. His hands gripped the wet rope and his feet hit the wall. Soon he was throwing loot from the variety of undead into his bag. Alex traveled for a while throughout the battlefield until his bag was starting to overflow. He checked his status once more and smiled at the changes.
<<<>>>
Name: Alex
Path: Magic (Sub-Path: Lightning)
Rating: G
Level: 18 (92%)
Abilities (1/1):
Manipulate Electricity [F]
Tower Points: 6040
Percent Soul Captured: 0%
<<<>>>
Under the cover of darkness, Alex engaged in the constant skirmish against the relentless undead. In the silence of the night, he was among the rare few braving the ominous battlefield. With each pass, he attempted to dissuade the slow creatures from their relentless pursuit, employing the potent energy of his magical abilities, but they remained undeterred, magnetized by the vitality emanating from his living being.
Between his lightning spells, which hung in the air like a violent storm, Alex wielded a pair of deadly knives. In his skilled hands, they were more than just tools; they were extensions of his will. The skeletal adversaries, weakened by his magical onslaught, moved with hindered agility, their movements languid and halting. Alex made quick work of them from his regular practice. He struck them down with ruthless precision, turning the animate bones into a disjointed heap of broken skeletal fragments.
Having seen off the last of his adversaries, Alex turned his attention to the towering city wall. With his bag fastened securely to his back, he carefully began his ascent. His sturdy boots found purchase in the crevices and rough edges, providing him with the necessary leverage to scale the cold stone surface. His upward journey was unhurried and meticulous, a deliberate effort to avoid an untimely fall or, worse, losing his precious cargo.
Upon reaching the top of the wall, Alex hurriedly gathered his rope and maneuvered past the handful of guards who were stationed along the wall's edges. The biting cold seemed to gnaw at his flesh, stirring a yearning within him for the inviting warmth of a roaring fire. With a sense of urgency propelling him, he made his way back to his lodgings, an inn nestled in the corner of the city.
Upon entering his room, Alex promptly tossed his bag into the corner of his room before descending to the inn's ground floor. The comforting sight of a fireplace crackling with life greeted him. He promptly shed his cloak, hanging it near the flames to expedite its drying. As the water droplets evaporated, transforming into wafts of steam, he too basked in the fireplace's radiating warmth, his body gradually acclimating to the cozy temperature.
At this early hour, the inn was sparsely populated. Only a handful of early risers had emerged from their slumber, leaving Alex in a state of welcomed solitude. There, he waited, ensconced by the fire. He relaxed for a while there considering what he needed to and should do next.
“My first and foremost goal is to get stronger and level up. Climbers from many guilds have been pushing the boundaries of this floor and of Thornhold. They will eventually break free of the undead hordes and find a way to a new city. I need to level up and join them. I’m at a disadvantage because I am not part of a team that can help me travel for days beyond the walls. Perhaps I can continue my working relationship with the Archer once I get to level 20. I’m already almost level 19 so that next step is already close.
“Secondly I need to find Rich. He will likely be found near the Seeker’s guild hall and associated areas. I have avoided them up to this point but once I hit level 20 I need to resume my revenge. I have been avoiding it for so long. It has felt great to be on my own, but I need to confront them.
“Finally, I need to consider my current magical abilities and the pendant that is now in my possession. Despite the percentage not changing today it will no doubt grow slowly. I need to consider what type of magic I should select to augment my lightning. If I can even select my new magic when the time comes. With time the battery should come into play as well. It may make it easier to traverse this floor. If I tried now I could only go as far as the storms would take me and once they dry up I would be as good as dead. I’ll see if I can read about magical affinities later. I need to rest and level up.”