Chapter 60 – Floor 6: Part 13

“I do.” Rehn said, agreeing to the marriage.

With that statement, the wedding ended, and Mathew let out the breath he had been holding as a weight seemed to lift from his shoulders, and tension fled his body. It was over, his goal was accomplished, and no one had died.

Yet.

He doubted the peace would last long; someone on the island would say or do something absurd, and fighting would break out. But he would be gone, along with Rehn and Amberlith, if the gods approved.

‘Ding!’

Standing by the side of the Pavilion in his ridiculous outfit, Mathew heard the long-awaited sound of success. His silver wristband began to vibrate, and burning words appeared on the ground in front of him. Visible to his eyes only, no one in the crowd reacted to the strange noise or the fiery letters.

Floor 6 Complete!

A lasting peace between Ama and Talrand has been forged, sealed with a marriage. Oaths have been sworn on the gods that will endure after your departure from this floor.

Completion Bonus: You have been granted one (1) additional level at no cost.

Additional Bonus: You have worn the attire befitting a Champion of the goddess of Serene Reconciliation. She has granted you a boon for your adherence to her follower’s customs. You have a choice between:

* One (1) Talrandian Spellbook or

* One (1) Amadan Psion Ability.

Note: The goddess of Seren Reconciliation will select a Spell/Ability.

Please Proceed to Floor 7 in ten (10) minutes!

Note: Your agreement to bring others into the Tower of Avarice will be honoured; the goddess of Serene Reconciliation has sponsored their entry. Entrances will appear to them in one (1) week.

Mathew brushed his fingers across the silver bangle, closing the statement when he was finished reading. The elevator had appeared outside the Pavilion, and the metallic doors hung open to reveal the pristine interior.

He felt a surge of energy through his body. The level-up that the completion summary promised gathered mana in his chest and then flooded his limbs with power. While most of the crowd focused on Rehn and the Prince, Amberlith watched Mathew carefully.

Throwing back his head, he squeezed his eyes shut as the ecstasy that accompanied the level crashed down onto him.

‘What is going on?’ Amberlith wondered to herself. That was a massive amount of mana, more than she had ever felt from Bargoth or in the Spire.

After what felt like an eternity, the power receded, and Mathew lowered his head and opened his eyes. He felt refreshed and renewed in a way that only an increase in level could bring. Opening the status screen, he confirmed it.

Name: Mathew Larson

Discipline: Trickster (Level 4)

Coward (Level 5)

Charlatan (Level 5)

Level: 14

Aether Required For Next Level: 105,000

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Aether: 78,000

Attributes

Body: 3.1

Mind: 3.8

Spirit: 0.3

Blessings

Create and Control Flames III (Max Tier)

The Coward’s Brand (Max Tier)

Catapult (Max Tier)

He closed it swiftly, not needing to do more than glance at his current level and Aether. He had gained some Aether from this floor but hadn't made much gains compared to a higher-risk activity like battling Goblins or the Undead.

The free level-up was very much appreciated.

And his rewards weren’t finished; no sooner had he closed his status summary when two books appeared in the air before him. On the left was a Talrandian spellbook with the word ‘Web’ on the cover in gold. A summary of the spell was written in the air above it.

Create a mass of sticky webbing at any point within 60 feet of your body. You may anchor the webbing to any surface or have it collapse upon a target. The webbing is flammable.

“Useful.” Mathew whispered after he had reviewed the summary. Turning to the other, he read what the Amadan ability he would be granted did.

This one was also a book with a stylized eye on the cover and the word ‘Truthsayer.’ Intrigued, Mathew read the summary.

The Amadans never lie; they are incapable of it. The ability to perceive the truth is fundamental to their culture and their faith in each other. Without it, their continent would come to ruin. The gods have chosen to grant you the ability to parse lies from truth.

Note: The truth is in the eye of the beholder. You may only discern if a person believes they are speaking a falsehood.

Mathew was stunned by the offering. Sure, he had been on plenty of dangerous floors that required him to battle creatures and monsters. It made a spell-like ‘Web’ very useful to have.

But he was a lawyer. The ability to instantly know if someone was lying to him was incredibly useful. It made his choice a no-brainer.

“I choose Truthsayer.” Mathew said, and the Amadan book glowed brightly. Turning into a beam of light, it shot toward his forehead. Mathew’s eyes glowed white for a moment before turning back to their regular blue.

In his status, a new section had appeared.

Abilities

Truthsayer

“This floor turned out to be extraordinary.” Mathew whispered, incredibly satisfied with his new ability.

While he was reviewing his new status on his wristband, Amberlith approached him. The Magus Apprentice had seen his odd behaviour, waving his hands or pointing at something that wasn’t there. Then came another sharp influx of mana that was like a vortex around him, and his eyes glowed for an instant.

“What happened? Are you alright?” Amberlith asked. Mathew made a strange, dismissing motion with his hand and focused his attention on her.

“Of course, I’m just reviewing my rewards for the floor.” Mathew replied, giving her a smile. She let out a breath of relief.

“You’ve accomplished your goal?”

“Just then. And-” Mathew was cut off as another ‘Ding’ rang out. Concerned, he turned to find two silver bracelets hovering in front of him. Holding out a hand, the two pieces of jewelry fell into his palm. Understanding what they were for, Mathew turned and held out one of them to Amberlith.

“This is for you. The goddess of Serene Reconciliation has approved you to enter the Tower. The entrance will appear in a week, and it’ll leave you plenty of time to pack and convince Bargoth to let you go.” Mathew said, placing the wristband in the young woman’s hand.

“Truly?” Amberlith murmured, her tone tinged with disbelief and awe. Mathew nodded.

“Can you do me a favour? Tell me something that is true and something that’s a lie. But don’t let me know which is which.” Mathew asked.

“Umm, alright.” Amberlith replied, unsure of why he wanted her to do so, but she went along with it. After thinking for a moment, she spoke.

“I dislike eating fish. My favourite colour is blue.”

Mathew instantly felt a strange dissonance when Amberlith said she said the word ‘blue.’ It reminded Mathew of a musician striking the wrong chord on a guitar or the incorrect key on a piano. It made him wince internally, and he knew she was lying.

“What is your favourite colour if it isn’t blue?” Mathew asked, and Amberlith looked at him strangely.

“It’s green. Is that one of your rewards?” She asked.

“Truthsayer. It should be very useful in the future. Listen, I don’t have much time left before I have to go to the next floor. Hopefully, we’ll see each other again someday. Be careful when you enter the Tower, work with the others you meet and be cautious on every floor.” Mathew advised.

“I will.” Amberlith promised. They spoke of a few other things before parting, with the young woman giving him a hug before they did so. Coming up to Rehn, he told her the same before handing her a silver bracelet of her own.

The Amadan Princess stared at the silver piece of jewelry for a moment, turning it over in her hands.

“I was hoping to leave sooner.” She said, and Mathew shrugged.

“I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules. Just try not to kill him while you wait to leave.” Mathew counselled.

“I will see you soon.” Rehn promised.

“Of course.”

With his goodbyes all said, Mathew left the pavilion and entered the elevator. His last sight of the sixth floor was of Rehn and Amberlith watching him disappear into a flash of white light.