Nathan's transformation was subtle but significant, evident in the fluid motion of his arms and the enhanced responsiveness of his muscles. The handle of his shadow sword, nestled securely in his grasp, felt more comfortable and familiar in his hands.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Nathan uttered, causing the shadow sword to vanish. With a wave of his hand, he deactivated the system,
“Time to head home,” with a sigh, Nathan jumped down from the tree branch, descending to the earth below. As his feet met the ground, they sank gently into the soft earth. Next, he cast his eyes skyward, absorbing every detail of the blue expanse that stretched above him.
“Now I just need to find the portal so I can finally leave this place,” Eagerly, he maneuvered around the trunks of various trees, seeking areas that would grant him an even clearer view of the sky. To any outsider unacquainted with the tower, Nathan might have looked like a madman.
"There it is!" Nathan's eyes lit up with excitement as they honed in on an azure beam of light soaring high into the sky. Without hesitation, Nathan entered a sprint, leaves, and branches were crushed under his feet as he ran. Along his path, occasional groups of goblins attacked him, but they stood no chance against his new skill, their skulls effortlessly pierced by knives formed from shadows.
Time stretched as Nathan pressed on, the minutes melding into what felt like hours of ceaseless running. His legs began to protest with an agonizing ache, yet his determination remained steadfast. The thought of escaping the tower and finally reclining in a soft, comforting bed pushed him to endure and persevere.
“So much has happened in the last few hours, I still can’t believe it," Nathan murmured, taking a deep breath in an attempt to divert his thoughts from the painful memories that threatened to resurface. Despite his current resilience, the haunting loss of his friends still weighed heavily on his heart.
Seeking to shift the focus, he mused, “Why do the floors have to be so big? The first floor is already huge, about the size of a city, but they get bigger each floor. I can’t even begin to imagine how vast the higher floors are. They might even be bigger than Earth." Just the notion sent a shiver down Nathan's spine.
Though his goal remained fixed on reaching the top of the tower, the daunting thought of navigating floors of planetary proportions made him slightly nervous for the journey that lay ahead.
Nathan's breaths echoed in the stillness as he continued his sprint in silence, the anticipation of escaping this floor fueling his every stride. Eventually, something emerged on the horizon, an open clearing amidst the dense foliage. With renewed determination, he poured every ounce of energy into propelling himself even faster, a gust of wind trailing in his wake.
His feet skidded against the uneven dirt path as he finally reached the clearing. The abrupt halt sent a jolt through his body, his lungs heaving for precious oxygen. Bent over, he rested his hands on his knees, seeking support. Beads of sweat dripped from his eyebrows, descending to meet the earth below.
Struggling to raise his head, Nathan's gaze met the blue beam, now aligned perfectly with the dirt path before him.
"Finally…I can take it easier now," Nathan exhaled, a well-earned sigh of relief escaping his lips. He felt the tension in his muscles gradually dissipate, allowing his body to relax as he began to walk at a more leisurely pace. After only a few minutes of walking, Nathan spotted a distant figure further down the path. The silhouette gradually sharpened into focus, revealing a commanding presence in jet-black, formidable full-plate armor. Resting on their back was an imposing spear mirroring the armor's obsidian hue. Remarkably, small pieces of dirt beneath their feet seemed to part, yielding to an invisible aura that surrounded them.
As Nathan drew closer to the figure, they turned their head, locking their sharp eyes on him. For a short moment, their eyes analyzed Nathan, and then, without uttering a word, they resumed their path. As the mysterious figure passed by, a chill coursed through Nathan's spine, causing his heart to quicken its rhythm. His body instinctively sounded the alarms, warning him of the danger this person exuded.
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"Damn,” Nathan let out a deep sigh, “I get that they're all good people, but it’s always scary to walk past Sentinels, especially ones like him that release so much pressure," Nathan muttered under his breath, his voice laced with a tinge of annoyance.
Continuing along the path, Nathan encountered three more Sentinels, their appearances nearly identical save for slight variations in height. Each Sentinel emitted an aura of power, but none was as intense as the one he first encountered. Nathan questioned who that could be, maybe a high-ranking Sentinel. However, he quickly dismissed his questioning, understanding he would probably never find out. With cautious steps, Nathan moved past them.
As Nathan ventured onward, the source of the captivating blue light gradually emerged into view, eliciting a small grin,
"That shadow sent me really deep into the first floor, I don’t think I've ever been that far out…but finally, I made it.”
As Nathan came to only a few hundred feet from the portal leading out of the Tower, its features gradually came into sharper focus. It loomed as a grand, shimmering blue oval, encircled by a line of the same blue hue. Within that line, the portal undulated with a mesmerizing ripple of blue energy. Guarding each side of the portal were two imposing Sentinels, their hands firmly clasping their spears, their watchful eyes scrutinizing every hunter entering or exiting the tower.
The hunters exiting formed a steady, orderly queue, seamlessly moving through the portal's threshold. Each departing hunter presented a small white card to the Sentinel on the right, who after a brief examination, handed it back, permitting them passage.
“Shit!”
Nathan's heart began to beat rapidly, worrying that just like his sword, his hunter card might have vanished too. His hand instinctively sought out a small leather wallet attached to his hip, from which he retrieved a white card adorned with bold black lettering. On the left side of the card, a cheerful image of Nathan captured him smiling, his striking black hair and eyes contrasting against the pristine white backdrop. The right side of the card held essential information, validating his status as a hunter within the tower.
Name: Nathan Pierce
Class: Swordsman
Age: 22
Rank: E
Status: Green
Nathan's nervousness disappeared, replaced by a sigh of relief.
"Thank God," he whispered under his breath, carefully tucking his Hunter card back into his wallet. His gaze wandered, taking in the multitude of hunters traversing the path that had now widened considerably.
The hunters were all in groups, laughing and smiling, their armor free of any blemishes, and their equipment sparkling clean. It was evident that they were all level one. Nathan was overcome with a sense of nostalgia, remembering the times when he and his friends would venture into the tower with nothing but the thrill of adventure and the satisfaction of leveling up. The ignorance and naivety allowed them to press through challenges without the fear of death, still believing this all to be a dream that they could wake up from at any moment.
As he gazed at them, he realized he was staring for too long, and some of the hunters gave him puzzled looks. Nathan had momentarily forgotten the state he was in - his armor and face covered in blood and dirt, and dark circles under his eyes. He quickly snapped out of it, knowing all too well that they would eventually end up like him or his friends - either dead or stripped of everything they held dear in this cruel and unforgiving world.
Until he reached the line, he disregarded the hunters, growing slightly disheartened as he acknowledged this fact.
“Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Someone here might even become an S rank," Nathan mused, suppressing a brief chuckle, and positioned himself in the queue. The line progressed swiftly, prompting Nathan to retrieve his hunter card. Within minutes, he found himself at the forefront of the line.
Nathan stepped forward and stood before the portal. The portal was an otherworldly sight that always left him breathless. Nathan turned to the Sentinel on his right, who towered over Nathan by at least a foot and handed him the card. After examining the card, looking back at Nathan, and back down at the card, the Sentinel seemed to frown beneath his helmet but swiftly returned the card, motioning for Nathan to step through.
Nathan inhaled deeply before crossing into the portal. As his footsteps carried him forward, his surroundings melted into a blur, distorting his vision with a haze. A sinking sensation formed in his stomach, while a subtle lightheadedness overcame him. Then, with a sudden jolt, the swirling of vibrant blues dissipated, leaving him standing firmly on the other side of the portal.