After squeezing through the doorway, Jay crumpled to the floor, his body utterly drained from the harrowing adventure. At 10 am, he stirred from his slumber, having clocked a full twelve hours of much-needed rest. Following his habitual morning routine, he powered on the TV, seeking the latest news about the Tower.
Surprisingly, a flurry of updates had occurred since his last check. Despite numerous restrictions, daring individuals continued to infiltrate the tower, driven by the prospect of transforming their lives. However, a sombre note accompanied these ventures – reports of multiple deaths within the tower. It seemed that those who met their demise had their bodies transported back to the real world.
This revelation triggered varied reactions on social media, eventually culminating in the formation of challenger groups worldwide. These groups marked the inception of guilds, powerful entities capable of challenging governments and individuals with political influence.
In Korea, three prominent guilds had emerged, each with its foundation and leadership. The Dark Hunters Guild, led by Victor, wielded mystic flames that exuded malicious intent. The Militants Guild, under Captain Lee's command, showcased a charismatic blend of strength and handsomeness, with Anna as the Co-Leader displaying her magical prowess through captivating videos of her bubble skill and other abilities she had acquired on the second floor.
Simultaneously, a third guild called the Clearers Society surfaced, led by an unfamiliar figure to Jay. The guild leaders took to social media, promoting videos of their unique powers and skills, urging others to join their cause in clearing the tower and preventing further casualties.
Supportive comments flooded these pages, captivated by Victor's menacing blades, entranced by Captain Lee's strength and charm, and enchanted by Anna's magical displays. The challengers' abilities and tricks drew people in, sparking a wave of fascination and collective hope for a successful ascent through the Tower.
On the flip side, the authorities were less than pleased with the sudden surge of guilds, viewing them as obstacles in the government's pursuit to privatize the tower. Balancing public opinion and their strategic goal became a delicate dance. Although they hesitated to alienate the public, the desire to seize control of the tower prevailed, even if it meant facing public backlash.
Jay couldn't help but chuckle as he witnessed the guild leaders being declared wanted fugitives on the news. Their defiance against the government's strict no-entry laws for the towers, coupled with their extraordinary abilities and strength, irked the political leaders. One by one, their images were displayed on screen, urging them to surrender. The screen flashed messages offering financial rewards for any information leading to their capture.
Jay continued absorbing the news, intrigued by the unfolding drama. After it concluded, he switched off the TV, rising from his seat to ponder his plans for the day. His attention snagged on a book lying on the floor – the Basic Book of Lightning, the reward he received for reaching level five. Excitement surged through him as he eagerly skimmed through its pages, revealing fundamental explanations and abilities tailored to his rare lightning affinity.
Amid his perusal, he discovered five abilities he could learn. One, in particular, caught his eye – the defensive spell Arcane Shield. According to the book, by transforming the electrical currents into a circular shield could provide continuous defence against attacks as long as mana was supplied. Although the book rated it as a 'one-star' in terms of difficulty, Jay knew that it would not be as easy as it sounds to learn, after all Lightning was the rarest element, it's abilities could not be underrated. Undeterred, he felt a surge of determination, realizing that the tower was the ideal place for his training.
Heading to the car park, Jay drove to his destination, greeted by a perfect, sunny day with clear skies. The tower loomed in the distance, and a noticeably larger crowd had gathered, expressing support for the guilds. Chants of "Let us in" resonated, protesting against the government's claim over something they believed should be accessible to all.
While Jay agreed with the sentiment, he retreated to his secret hiding spot in the bushes before teleporting into the tower's training floor. Rose awaited him with equipment crafted from the scales and fangs he provided.
"Wow, Rose, what's all this?" Jay asked, eyeing the chest plate and leggings.
"It's your equipment. I made it for you out of the scales and fangs you brought me," Rose explained. "Out of the 30 people that have cleared the second floor so far, you are the only person who was resourceful enough to collect the hides of your kills. Once everyone reaches level ten, they will unlock a second function for their ring that increases the storage space. Hopefully, the people on this planet are as smart as you are and start collecting the priceless resources that the tower has for them."
Jay marvelled at the level five armour, hastily trying it on. The scales, turned white by Rose's craftsmanship, shimmered under the tower's artificial light. "This armour looks amazing. It's a pity there wasn't more, or I could have made you a full set," Rose commented.
"Nevertheless, this armour is incredible. It's so light, yet it feels incredibly durable," Jay replied.
"Oh, by the way, I got a Basic Book of Lightning, and I might need some help learning this move," Jay added. Rose was visibly impressed, "Wow, you got a book of lightning for your level up? That's incredibly rare. It must be the tower's way of rewarding you for solo clearing. So many others have been facing the floors together, which is why they are completing the stages faster than you."
"But yes, this is a great treasure. I can try to guide you, but this will take even longer than learning your lightning mastery. First, like with any spell, you want to be able to cast it using purely mana. This way, you get used to all the ins and outs of the ability, making it easier when you then transfer over to using your elements."
"It looks like there are two ways to make this shield. The first way is to defend against stronger attacks. You start with creating the center of your shield and then expand outwards. The second way is to do the opposite—create the outline of your shield and then fill it in. Use this against attacks like arrows that won't rely on much of your power to defend."
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Rose demonstrated by calling the mana towards herself and then directing it into a smooth disk. After that, she spread the rest of the mana away from the centre, creating a rounded shield of mana. "Now, practice for yourself," she instructed Jay.
Jay took a deep breath and called the nearby mana towards his body. He guided it towards his fingertip and expelled it into the air in the shape of a circle. Once it was outside his body, it became more difficult to control as it started to resist. Jay tried to flatten it into a disk, but the mana dispersed back into the air. Jay wasn't discouraged; he simply continued attempting the technique, knowing that progress would come with practice.
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*On the other side of the world*
"Hello, Rose. We'd like to attempt the third floor, please."
"Of course, Madam Young. Best of luck, and remember to couple up your attacks; don't just slash once."
Bridgette and Olaf Young, siblings of Norwegian descent, with flowing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, were the epitome of a formidable fighting duo. Bridgette, tall and sleek, chose a longsword, wielding the power of ice, while Olaf, brawny and strong, embraced his warrior nature with dual axes, channeling the might of fire.
Having discovered the tower near an old barnyard just ten minutes after Ricky and Anna arrived at Korea's tower, the siblings swiftly cleared the first and second floors. Now, with Rose opening the portal for them, they leaped through, eager to be the first to conquer the third floor and claim their reward. Simultaneously, Francis and his team prepared for their own ascent.
Both teams entered the portal, finding themselves in what resembled an art gallery. Despite being on the same floor, they occupied different subspaces, able to meet only by entering the same portal. The surroundings were adorned with captivating paintings and sculptures from various corners of the cosmos, a collection from places where the tower had sprouted.
"Wow, this is incredibly beautiful," Bridgette marvelled, her eyes wide in awe at the stunning artwork surrounding them.
"It is wonderful, isn't it?" a short elf, the curator of this floor, replied, holding a logbook. Bridgette inquired about the task to complete the floor.
"That's easy," the elf said. "You have to eliminate one of the creations from this gallery."
"Interesting," Olaf responded.
Francis and his team, receiving the same instructions, began surveying the artwork to identify the weakest piece. A quick completion could yield another reward, similar to what they obtained on the first and second floors.
Bridgette and Olaf settled on a staircase adorned with skeletal carvings, while Francis and his team chose a painting depicting a farmer defending his crops against three ogre thieves.
Upon touching their chosen artwork, they were instantly transported inside, with the scene's description appearing in their minds. Bridgette and Olaf found themselves in an abstract painting of a galaxy a thousand light years away from Earth. To complete the scene, they had to climb a thousand steps while eliminating the skeletal adversaries.
Francis and his team faced a farmer defending crops from ogre thieves. Their task: either protect the farmer or eliminate the ogres.
Upon arrival, weapons drawn, they engaged the seven-foot ogres wielding large wooden clubs. Bobby took the lead, casting Harden to reduce incoming damage by 15%. Katrina activated Assassin's Eye to spot weak points and Zephyr Step for increased agility.
Francis lunged at one ogre, his longsword ablaze with Ember Slash, a new ability acquired after clearing the second floor. The fiery blade dealt enhanced damage and had a chance for damage over time.
Bobby taunted the ogres, diverting their attention while Francis and Katrina focused on the first beast. Katrina danced behind the ogre, her daggers slashing tendons and rendering the left leg useless. As it crashed to the ground, Francis beheaded it with his flaming blade.
Bobby used Quake Slam, a new ability, raising his shield high before slamming it into the ground, creating a shockwave that toppled the remaining ogres.
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On the other canvas, Bridgette and Olaf were having an easier time, the skeletons were extremely weak, however the skeletons height advantage proved a challenge. During the first one hundred steps, Bridgette simply used her two abilities Frostbite slash to coat her blade with ice, slowing enemies hit and dealing increased damage with the jagged shards.
Olaf called upon his ability inferno cleave, his axes leaving a mighty trail of flames as he slashed the skeletons in sight. Unfortunately, the two heroes would run out of mana before they reached the top, therefore they had to change their strategy. The sheer number of steps themselves would prove to be a challenge.
Bridgette, with a stroke of genius, decided to sparingly cast ice under the skeletons feet, causing them to slip down the staircase. Once she began doing this the staircase became extremely easy.
Any skeletons that chased or didn't slip would get eliminated by Olaf's mighty slashes, their bones unable to take the damage he was outputting. Within a short period of time they would reach the top.
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*Back to the French team*
Francis ran towards the ugly ogre closest to him, rolling to the right to easily dodge the strike from his club before ferociously stabbing it's thigh. The Ogre kicked out in pain, it's powerful leg coming straight towards Francis' body.
Fortunately, he saw the attack coming just in time and cast his ability mirror strike, which deflects a single incoming attack no matter the strength. Once he had parried the attack, he swiftly sliced the ogres foot off, sending it toppling to the ground much like the first.
Bobby continued to tank the strikes from the from the remaining ogre, blood falling from his nose, as his insides were turned upside down from blocking so many powerful blows. Thankfully he had already cast his defensive spell on his body or else he would have passed out from the damage.
Once the second ogre was on the ground, it was swiftly executed by Katrina's bladed daggers, slitting it's throat. The blood flowing out, it's nutrients absorbed by the soil.
Bobby cast Quake slam once more, sending the ogre toppling to the ground while Katrina and Francis chased over to kill it. Once they had executed it a portal appeared for them to exit and the words appeared on their screen.
*Congratulations On Clearing The Third Floor Challenger*
*Congratulations On Being The Second Team To Clear This Floor*
*Level Up! +1 point in each stat. +5 Additional Points*
*Congratulations on reaching level 7!*
*You have cleared the scenario: "Farmers' Crisis" and gained an attribute*
*Attribute Obtained: Ogre's Strength: +2 strength*
"Fuck!" Francis called out, "I can't believe we weren't the first to clear this and to think we received a measly 2 stat points of strength for our effort, it almost seems like it's mocking us."
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A similar yet slightly different message appeared in front of Olaf and Bridgette:
*Congratulations On Clearing The Third Floor Challenger*
*Congratulations On Being The First Team To Clear This Floor*
*Bonus Reward: Golden Crowns - Reduces the Amount of Experience Needed to Learn Skills by 20%*
*Level Up! +1 point in each stat. +5 Additional Points*
*Congratulations on reaching level 7!*
*You have cleared the scenario: "Skeleton Steps" and gained an attribute*
*Attribute Obtained: Skeletons Stamina: +3 agility, +3 strength*
While Olaf and Bridgette were satisfied with the crowns for being in first place, they were not happy with the reward. In hindsight they would much rather have chosen a difficult challenge and gotten a better reward.
Both teams appeared through the portal unhappy at their recent conquer.
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Meanwhile, Jay had spent the last three hours working on his shield, and was finally making progress.