Scott dangled the booster pills in front of the tower trader, awaiting the peddler’s response. The hooded figure chuckled, shaking his head, and took a step forward. “I don’t usually do this, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
He stopped five feet away from Scott, retrieving a small parchment from his satchel. “The theme of the third trial is finding the sunken city of Togan. I’m sure you know that much already. However, locating the underwater city isn’t a simple task.”
Scott’s brows creased behind his mask as he folded his arms across his chest. “What do you mean?”
“Unlike the first and second trials, the third involves finding the underwater city,” the trader explained.
“How are we supposed to find it?” Scott asked.
The trader chuckled while taking a step back. “That’s when things get interesting.” He waved his hands twice, and suddenly, Scott found himself in front of the pearl gates again. However, his companions and the judges were conspicuously absent.
“Regrettably, I can't disclose what lies beyond the gate. However, I'm now ready to share the exclusive information I mentioned earlier.” The trader paused, gesturing toward the gates. “If you hope to stand any chance in the upcoming trial, refrain from passing through those gates until you have meticulously memorized the contents of this map. I can't explain why, but you should commence your journey only when every minute detail of the ruins is etched into your memory.”
Suddenly, the trader extended his hand, and the pills slipped from Scott's grasp. The eldritch knight furrowed his brow behind his mask, still contemplating the shared information. A minute whisked by, and Scott lifted his head. “Can you hint at what lies beyond the gate?”
The tower trader chuckled while stowing the booster pills in his satchel, then turned to face Scott. “A whole new world. Forget everything you've witnessed in the previous trials. Crossing the divide makes things more intriguing,” he declared.
“I have one more question if you don’t mind,” Scott said.
“Anything for you, my friend. As long as it's not something I can't say or something that requires an exchange,” the trader replied softly.
Scott inquired, “The competition has been ongoing for the past decade, hasn't it?”
The trader nodded in acknowledgment. The eldritch knight cleared his throat before continuing, “How long does the competition usually take, and how far have the current frontrunners progressed?”
The hooded figure chuckled again, shaking his head. “A decade is but a fleeting moment in this grand competition. I can't delve into specifics, but with time, you'll grasp the magnitude. The Gods have anticipated this competition for eons; it won't conclude anytime soon.” The trader stood with arms akimbo. “As for your other question, I'm not at liberty to say, but rest assured, no one is anywhere close to the finish line. Even so, you and your companions must put in an incredible effort if you dare to dream of catching up with them.”
Scott frowned, his fingers drumming on his gauntlets as he fixed his gaze on the giggling trader. “One final question,” he began, “I heard it’s possible to send items to the lower floors. How can I do that? And is it possible to send items or information to the upper floors as well?”
The trader's laughter intensified as he replied, “My good friend, that’s my specialty. Do you have anything you want to send to the lower floors? I’ll give you a special discount since we’re friends. As for your other question, you’d need to exchange something of similar value to get an accurate and detailed answer. All I can say is that there are no impossibilities in the Tower of Champions.”
Scott’s features stiffened momentarily before relaxing. He didn’t need anyone to explain what the trader meant by his last statement. If sharing information between the lower and upper floors was possible, the remaining floors would become even more challenging.
He couldn’t shake the memory of the Shadow Syndicate members, all clad in heat-resistant armor as if they had been forewarned from the beginning.
“Then does that mean—”
The trader interrupted their conversation, taking a step forward. “As much as I'd love to continue our little chat, I'm afraid it must end here," he said with a soft chuckle, patting Scott's shoulder. “Remember to take as much time as you need. You'll regret it immensely if you ignore my words.”
Scott watched as the trader turned to leave, offering a cryptic farewell. “I hope our next meeting will be just as lively. Oh, quite an amusing scene awaits you.”
Curiosity gnawed at Scott. Did something happen with Slim and Zara, or did he pass out again? He pondered these questions, his gaze fixed on the trader's retreating figure.
The hooded figure slowly walked away into the distance until he vanished from Scott's sight. Then, the surroundings distorted like a grotesque painting. Scott narrowed his gaze, and through the distortion, the faint outline of towering gates revealed itself, accompanied by a familiar and lively tune.
A sense of disbelief washed over Scott. This melody... no way. That's... His thoughts ran wild as his eyes widened.
Before him, Zara gracefully danced in synchronized steps along with the faceless judges, all moving to an infectious beat. Ossie couldn't contain his excitement and joined in, shouting, “Everybody now, hey macarena!” as he swung his hips along with the melody.
Scott burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation. In one corner, Slim played the flute excitedly, barely containing his urge to laugh. Meanwhile, Zara, though dancing like a seasoned veteran, had a cloud of murderous rage in her eyes.
Amused, Scott mused on the unfolding scene. Zara should have known better than to give Slim such an item; this was on her. Yet, he couldn't help but admire Slim's bravery. Wasn't he afraid of the imminent beating he'd receive once the fun was over? And how did Slim even know that particular song? Did the tower trader provide it? Speaking of which, how did that guy know something from Earth? Scott pondered these questions, still chuckling as Zara and the judges showcased their moves.
Amid the lively chaos, Scott's voice echoed in Slim's mind, breaking through the musical mayhem. “Slim, you know she’s going to beat you silly once you stop, right?”
“Buddy, you’re finally awake. Please save me,” Slim mentally pleaded. “I didn’t know it would be this powerful. That tower swindler told me the tune could make anyone dance, so I wanted to play a little prank on Zara. She's been glaring at me for over an hour now. I don’t know what’s going to happen if I stop playing. Even now, the judges have joined in,” Slim explained mentally, his virtual plea laced with a mix of panic and humor.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
The God of the NetherRealm is now watching you! The God of the NetherRealm asks you not to interfere! The lesser god of music is now watching you! The lesser god of music asks you not to interfere! The Feline War God, Thatmos, is now watching you! The lesser feline war god is now watching you! The Feline War God, Thatmos, asks you to interfere! The lesser feline war god asks you to interfere! The God of the NetherRealm is laughing at The Feline War God, Thatmos! Nineteen lesser gods ask you not to interfere! Twenty lesser gods ask if you can record the performance! Several Gods and lesser gods are amused with your party! The Order of Light is not amused!
"What the hell is this?" Scott cocked his head backward, his gaze lingering on the flurry of system messages.
“Everybody now, hey macarena!” Ossie shouted again, and the group once again swung their hips in tune to the melody.
“Scott, stay out of this,” Zara said softly via the party channel.
The half-human wore a dry smile behind his mask as he cast a glance toward the skeleton. “I’m sorry, buddy, but you messed around. Good luck,” Scott said dryly.
“Buddy, please. I might become a dead undead by the time she’s done with me. She said she would punch me for every time I made her swing her hips,” Slim pleaded.
“And it didn’t occur to you to stop after one?” Scott said, suppressing his rising urge to laugh. “At this point, you can either stop now and graciously accept your beating, or you can keep postponing the inevitable.”
Scott chuckled before opening his inventory, retrieving a rolled-up map bound by a thin rope. “When you guys are done messing around, I have vital information to share about the next trial. Oh, and no matter what, don’t pass through the gate. It’s important,” Scott announced via the party channel.
He sat down on the fluffy yet hard ground, unbinding the knot around the map. An enormous three-dimensional holographic image of a huge city appeared in his mind, startling the Eldritch knight. “This is amazing. But this place is massive,” Scott thought to himself, staring at the ruins from a bird’s eye point of view. “How long will it take to memorize this?” Scott sighed deeply.
The lively tune abruptly ceased, and Scott instinctively turned toward Zara and the judges. The faceless officers resumed their positions, yet Zara, in stark contrast, sported a sadistic smile as she approached Slim with measured steps. He, in turn, continued to retreat.
“My magnanimous leader, surely you won't take such a jest to heart, right?” Slim hastily said, donning a bashful smile. “I swear I was deceived, utterly bamboozled. I didn't mean to…” Slim's apology trailed off as he began to run, and Zara gave chase, with Slim shedding his clothes as he fled.
“Come back here, Slim. There's no way you're getting off the hook for making me do that embarrassing dance.” Zara gritted her teeth, determined to catch the fleeing necromancer.
Several system messages announcing the gods' amusement popped up in front of Scott, but he dismissed them, fixating instead on understanding the map. “There's no way I can memorize this vast city in a month, let alone two months. It's too expansive, and…” Scott paused in his thoughts, detecting an anomaly within the sprawling metropolis.
“I could have sworn I traversed this place already. Why am I back here again?”
Unlike his previous experience, he now strolled through the holographic streets instead of observing them from the skies.
Scott retraced his steps, backtracking to the previous street; however, he inexplicably found himself standing in the exact same location again. Perplexed, he narrowed his gaze as he ventured towards another street, only to encounter the same disconcerting phenomenon once more.
Attempting various routes and branching off onto different roads proved futile. Regardless of his efforts, he always ended up at the precise location on the initial street. A sense of bewilderment gripped him. “What the hell is going on?” Scott pondered aloud.
Shifting his perspective, he ascended into the sky, surveying the city's layout from above. His focus honed in on the spot he had visited earlier. Determined to uncover the mystery, he meticulously examined the map, tracing his steps through the intricate network of streets.
“It's a looping maze,” Scott muttered, his mind reeling from the revelation. The realization settled in—no matter which path he chose, all roads led back to the same location. His thoughts then expanded to consider other areas of the sprawling city.
Togan has four entrances and districts, converging on a fifth district at the border, Scott contemplated.
He materialized randomly in a street within the second district, navigating holographic walkways only to find himself inexplicably returning to the same spot. The third and fourth districts followed suit, each presenting a confounding maze-like loop.
I understand why he emphasized memorizing the map, Scott thought, shifting his attention toward the centermost district. The only problem now is figuring out how to reach the fifth district from all four districts. There must be a way.
Scott scrutinized the map once again, adopting a bird's-eye view. His gaze narrowed as he absorbed the intricate details. Behind his mask, his eyes glistened, and the three-sided flower pattern flickered within his pupils.
“I can see it. The exits were right there all along,” Scott muttered to himself, the pattern intermittently appearing and disappearing.
“What can you see?” Zara inquired, peering over Scott's shoulder.
Scott turned around, locking eyes with the softly smiling cat girl. Then, he shifted his gaze sideways, observing a naked skeleton executing a lively dance without any music—performing both elaborate and simple moves with vigorous enthusiasm.
I’ll just pretend I saw nothing, Scott thought to himself as he focused on Zara again. “How long are you going to leave him like that?”
Zara scowled, unable to conceal her embarrassment. “Until he learns never to do that again,” she muttered. “He's lucky he didn't record any of that.” She took a seat next to the masked man, retrieving her own map from her inventory. “So, what did you want to tell us?”
Scott launched into a detailed explanation of the information he had received from the trader, and the feline brawler immersed herself in memorizing and examining the map.
“Pssst, buddy,” Slim's voice rang out in Scott's mind. The masked man turned toward the skeleton, who had ceased his dancing. “Buddy, I recorded it all,” Slim admitted mentally, struggling not to laugh. “I'm going to use it to blackmail her into organizing a new contest,” he declared proudly.
“You're a proper dumbass, Slim. Zara is going to kill you if she finds out about the recording,” Scott said, giggling as tears streaked down his cheeks.
“That's why she's never going to find out, right, buddy?” Slim said with a nervous smile.
“You better finish your little dance and get your ass over here. We have a lot to do,” Scott ordered.
“I'll be there soon. She said I needed to throw my hips a few more times,” Slim said with a bashful smile as he bounced from side to side.
“Has it occurred to you that she might be recording you, too?” Scott quipped before refocusing on the map.
The necromancer froze mid-step, his jaw slackened as he stared at the cat girl, now unmoving.
Several Gods and lesser gods thank you for entertaining them! The Feline War God, Thatmos, can’t stop laughing! The God of the NetherRealm can’t stop laughing! The lesser god of illusions would like to offer… You have rejected the offer! The lesser god of illusions is laughing to hide their true feelings!