Scott’s ears perked up and his brows furrowed as soon as he heard the mention of the prominent location. He turned toward the Trisos, staring intently at the champion. “I’ve heard about the point of no return. Is it true what they say about it?” Scott asked.
Tondan, Foogbs, and Aurenine exchanged glances, none of them giving anything away. Scott didn’t probe further, hoping one of them would shed more light on the famed location.
The silence barely lasted five minutes before Tondan spoke up. “To be honest, the point of no return isn’t something anyone should look forward to, unless they have a few screws loose,” Tondan sighed, then continued. “Everything you’ve heard about it is probably watered down.” He paused, staring intently at Scott. “You know about the existence of multiple timelines, right?”
Scott nodded solemnly.
Tondan sighed again. “Then are you aware that each iteration of yourself is in competition with the others?”
“What?” Scott blurted out, taking a step forward. “I thought the point of no return was an amalgamation of all iterations of oneself. Where does the competition come from?”
At that moment, understanding dawned on the eldritch being. Each iteration was separated across multiple timelines, each tasked with climbing the tower and navigating perilous trials. Whether they were aware of other timelines or simply climbing the tower blindly, they were competing to reach the point of no return. After all, only one could remain, even if they retained the memories of their variants across the timeline.
"It seems you finally understand," Tondan muttered. "What no one tells you is that even if you're the first to get there, it doesn't guarantee you'll come out as yourself. It's entirely possible that the resulting merger retains the personality of another variant," he explained.
"It's also possible that you'll remain the same, just more knowledgeable," Foogbs chimed in. "Don't let this fearmonger lead you astray. No one really knows what happens until you experience it yourself," he added.
"That's a bit too harsh. Why would you call me a fearmonger?" Tondan asked, his displeasure evident. "I made a valid point. The thought of losing yourself to someone else should set alarm bells ringing in any sane person. Then again, no one sane would ever make it that far," he sighed, turning his attention toward Scott.
"We got a bit sidetracked earlier. As I was saying, there are many benefits to being sponsored by the God of Slaughter," Tondan said tenderly as he stood up. He then posed a question to the eldritch being. "Did you see a battlefield on your way here?"
Scott nodded.
"We call it the Slaughter Field. All champions affiliated with the God of Slaughter can freely participate in it. It's an expansive, no-rules battlefield where you're free from death. You get to hone your real-time battle senses against a multitude of opponents," Tondan paused, shortening the distance to Scott. "However, that's merely the tip of the iceberg. All that is unimportant, especially when you consider that the longer you stay, the more experience points you gain. You could come in a scrawny weakling and leave a hulking titan. Isn't that fantastic?" Tondan asked, stopping a few feet away from Scott.
“I should also state that the Slaughter Field outside is only for the lowest-ranked sponsors—”
Scott interjected, “Pardon me for interrupting, but what’s the hierarchy among sponsored candidates?”
Tondan chuckled softly. “You’re joking, right?” he muttered.
Scott's solemn demeanor, however, conveyed his seriousness. Tondan, on the other hand, couldn't hide his confusion. How does someone know about the point of no return yet doesn’t know something as basic as this? he thought.
“While the hierarchy can differ based on the god or lesser god, there are basically three tiers. Firstly, the lowest-ranked sponsored candidates are mostly champions whom their sponsors find intriguing and worthy of development. They rank above the affiliated champions and those worshipping in the sanctuaries. Secondly, the middle ranks, or substitutes, are the most distinguished champions among the first category who show outstanding potential. They wield substantial power among the followers of the god sponsoring them and have the authority to confer sponsorship on other champions, as long as their god approves, of course,” Tondan paused, taking a deep breath.
“Finally, we have the most important tier, the lesser god candidates. These are the best among sponsored candidates, who have shown considerable ability to become lesser gods. They have the highest authority among all followers of a god, second only to the lesser god. In situations where the lesser god is in charge, they’re basically second in command,” Tondan explained.
“Oh. I see,” Scott muttered, nodding. “Which rank are you? Lesser god candidates?” he asked.
Instantly, laughter erupted from behind the Trisos as Foogbs and Aurenine cackled uncontrollably. Tondan nervously glanced over his shoulder, embarrassment evident on his face. “Is it really that funny?” he said, glaring at the laughing duo. Turning back to Scott, he continued, “Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I’m in no way fit for such a lofty position. Like those clowns over there, I’m merely a substitute.”
Scott frowned slightly. Although Hastur’s gaze was inactive, he could sense the tremendous power the trio exuded. Even the titan didn’t give him the same oppressive feeling, yet they were merely substitutes.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Why the name substitute? Who are you supposed to replace?” Scott suddenly asked. As glaring as the answer might be, he needed confirmation.
Before Tondan could respond, Aurenine’s voice echoed, “Good question. We are here to assist the lesser god candidate. If they find attending or doing something inconvenient, that’s where we step in,” she said.
“In the unlikely event of a lesser god candidate’s demise, a replacement can be chosen from among the substitutes. However, it’s not set in stone. A new candidate can be selected from the lowest tier or even from affiliated champions,” Foogbs explained before teasing Tondan again.
Aurenine burst into laughter once more, while Tondan could only silently glare at the duo. Scott, on the other hand, couldn’t help but wonder what tier of sponsored candidates his companions were.
Scott snapped out of his pensive state and asked another question. “So, who is the lesser god candidate for the God of Slaughter?”
Instantly, silence fell over the room, creating a strained atmosphere among the substitutes.
Did I say something wrong? Scott thought, but he had no intention of retracting his question.
“We are banned from talking about them, I’m sorry,” Tondan said softly.
“Oh. I see. That’s okay,” Scott replied. Changing the topic, he asked, “So, how exactly does this lesser god candidate thing work? I can’t imagine the lesser god of slaughter being happy about someone else being groomed to potentially take their place.”
Tondan chuckled softly. “Well, that’s one way of seeing it. Truth be told, being a candidate under the god of slaughter doesn’t necessarily mean they will vie for that specific authority. Lesser god candidates can only contend with each other for the authority of a lesser god.”
“Uh? What does that even mean?” Scott asked.
He could understand if candidates fought against lesser gods for authority, but he couldn’t understand why they would fight against each other since the lesser god position was already occupied.
“Your confusion is understandable,” Tondan began, chuckling softly. “How much do you know about the true purpose of the Tower of Champions?” he asked.
“It’s pointless asking him that,” Foogbs said. “If he didn’t know about the hierarchy of candidates, how would he know about the tower’s true purpose?”
“Hmm… you’re right. That was a stupid question,” Tondan whispered.
Scott listened without interjecting. He knew the only reason Tondan was answering his questions was because he wanted to recruit him for the God of Slaughter, but he couldn’t understand why. After all, he was confident he wasn’t as powerful as any of the trio. Although he had threatened Aurenine earlier, he knew he would have an extremely hard time fighting the champion if it came to violence.
Tondan focused on Scott once more and continued, “I don’t know how much you know or have heard about the tower, but its sole purpose, apart from entertaining the gods and lesser gods, is to find champions who will take over from these gods. Without a shadow of a doubt, the rulers of the epoch are somewhere among the myriad floors, be it in this timeline or others.”
Scott’s eyes gleamed for a moment, his thoughts racing. “And what about the current gods?”
“I don’t know, honestly,” Tondan admitted. “Some theorize that they will ascend to a greater plane of existence, while others believe they will continue to live through whoever inherits their mantle. No one really knows for sure, and anyone who claims otherwise is simply guessing at best or outright lying.”
“What happens to the rest?” Scott suddenly asked.
“What do you… oh, I understand now.” Tondan paused. “Once you cross the point of no return, there are no second chances. You are declaring your intention to compete for authority. Should you fail, your existence will simply be erased. It’s also why people can’t gamble on lingering at the lower floors. After all, it’s likely that a variant in another timeline could reach the point of no return.”
A fresh wave of understanding flooded Scott’s mind, and his eyes widened. “Then, no one in the tower is truly free from the competition,” he muttered.
“I’m glad you understand,” Tondan said. “People on the lower floors like to assume they would be safe if they stopped ascending the tower. While I can understand their reasoning, it’s a shame it’s not entirely up to them. A variant in another timeline could be striving hard to climb the tower and might reach the point of no return. No one is infinitely strong across the timeline, and no one is infinitely weak either. There are always exceptions, and those exceptions could harbor lofty thoughts.”
Scott’s thoughts drifted to the different champions camping on the lower floors and in the starting areas. Little did they know that despite their best efforts, they could still be dragged into the grueling competition later.
A moment later, Scott raised his head to meet Tondan’s gaze. “Thank you for answering my questions. I doubt I would’ve figured it out on my own,” he said.
“Don’t sell yourself short,” the Trisos chuckled. “When you climb high enough and gain enough power, you’ll know these things easily. After all, there have been several human lesser god candidates in the last couple of years. It’s impressive they’ve come this far despite not being in the competition for even two decades.”
Scott instinctively recalled the system message that preceded his departure from the path of chains. He knew his companions from Earth would have used their knowledge to their advantage, but he hadn’t realized some had grown powerful enough to become lesser god candidates.
A stray thought suddenly filled Scott’s mind. Unable to quell his curiosity, he posed another question. “A woman led me into the sanctuary. Who is she?”
Instantly, all heads snapped toward the eldritch being.
“A human?” Foogbs asked in a whisper, seemingly holding his breath.
Scott nodded.
“What did she wear? Were you able to see her hands?” Tondan asked in quick succession.
“Yes, I could,” Scott replied, and instantly, the substitutes sighed in relief. Their reaction, however, only made Scott more curious and confused.
“She wore a black trench coat and black gloves. I assumed she was someone…” Scott’s voice trailed off.
Tondan had subconsciously taken a step back, fear evident in his form. Scott turned toward Foogbs and Aurenine, and the duo showed similar reactions.
Scott’s curiosity swelled. “Is she—”
Tondan quickly interjected, “Please stop. We can’t comment on what you saw. No one in this sanctuary, or any of the other sanctuaries, will tell you either.”
The Trisos leaned in closer, whispering, “Know that what you saw is what she allowed you to see. I doubt there will be a second meeting, but never accept…”
A creak, like an opening door, echoed suddenly, and Scott and the substitutes instinctively turned.
Since when was there a door behind me? Scott thought, unable to see through the lights emanating from the parting doors.
A familiar voice filled the room, “Come with me. The lesser god of illusion requests to see you.”
Before Scott could respond, the world around him morphed. He found himself in a luxurious room filled with artworks and unique artifacts. However, he wasn’t alone.
The straightforward woman who had spoken earlier stood next to a tall figure. The man's face constantly shifted, never settling on one appearance, but each version wore a bright smile with a noticeable sense of excitement in his eyes.
“I came as soon as I heard you were here. I’m so glad to finally meet you.”