Towers of Heaven

by Cameron Milan

  “That’s the name?” Olivia frowned. If she was joining a guild whose mission was to conquer the tower, the name had to be cool.

  “No, no.” Roy waved his hand. “We haven’t decided yet.”

  “How many people does the guild have?”

  Roy began to sweat. “Just us three.”

  Olivia’s frown deepened. If she hadn’t been so handily beaten by Jason, she would have already turned around and walked off.

  Roy was anxious as he began to explain. “We’re a guild of elites! A guild of elites! We only accept the best of the best.”

  Olivia fell silent. Roy’s heart beat anxiously as he waited for Olivia’s response. After a moment, she shook her head. “I have to think about it.”

  “Okay, take your time. No worries.” Roy sighed in relief. At least it wasn’t a denial.

  Olivia asked for Jason’s name and added him as a contact before leaving. Roy called out to her. “By the way, my name is Roy!”

  Olivia entered stealth, disappearing before his eyes. Roy scratched his cheek and turned to Jason. “Does she not like me?”

  “Maybe,” Jason teased with a shrug.

  Roy faltered. “Uh, well, that was a shock, her attacking you all of a sudden.”

  Jason clenched his hands, his mood souring. If he wasn’t so weak, he would have been able to react much sooner. There were too many uncertainties, too many potential enemies. He had to grow much stronger before the feeling of insecurity vanished. He turned towards the direction of the portal. “Come on, let’s go to the next floor.”

  “Great! I wonder what monsters are up there?” Roy ran after Jason, imagining all sorts of unique and strange monsters.

  Chapter 25

  Over the next several weeks, Jason and Roy made their way through the lower floors. Much like the first five floors, the sixth to tenth floors all had a similar theme. Namely, slimes. The higher the floor, the stronger the slime. There were slimes that could spit acid, slimes that exploded, and even slimes that multiplied.

  Under Jason’s training, Roy’s fundamentals became increasingly firm. Currently, his ability to dodge, parry, deflect, counterattack, and find weaknesses was at an expert level. Frankly, Roy’s ability to grow was plateauing. He needed to build up a wealth of combat experience, honing his senses and reactions. The only thing he could do now was fight, fight, and fight some more.

  Jason leaned against the colosseum wall, waiting for Roy to finish his challenges. He tuned out the nearby chatter and opened his stat screen. It had now been over a month since he’d entered the tower, and he was incomparable to when he first started. He wasn’t wearing his heritage equipment at the moment, but he accounted for it anyway.

  Name: Jason

  Title: 14th Challenge Completion

  Age: 28

  Race: Human

  Level: 32

  Stat Points: 0

  Health: 712/712

  Health Regeneration: 2.28/s

  Stamina: 531/531

  Stamina Regeneration: 1.70/s

  Battle Energy: 100/100

  Strength: 70

  Vitality: 114

  Agility: 70

  Endurance: 85

  Tenacity: 36

  Fortitude: 37

  Overall, his had stats increased across the board, mainly due to the heritage armor. With it, the two rare stats, tenacity and fortitude, were much higher than normal. With a tenacity of 36, a five second stun would become around two point five seconds. Of course, the higher grade the crowd control ability, the less effect tenacity had. His fortitude, combined with his earth armor passive, made it so that he could negate around a hundred and fifty damage. For a level thirty-two, that was a first across history.

  He hadn’t been working on extracting battle energy from weapons. Only the weapons that dropped from monsters were extracted. With that being the case, he was at around two hundred out of one hundred thousand battle energy. It would take him quite a while to upgrade to stage two.

  Unlike his battle physique, his skills had progressed tremendously over the past few weeks. He had been focusing most of his efforts on chop, using it whenever he had battle energy available. It was sitting at around nine thousand and five hundred kills, just a shy bit away from leveling up to stage two.

  His three skills, Warcry, Rush, and Spell Reflect, left him pleased. They’d made the most progress out of anything.

  Warcry - Level 9 35% - Trainee

  Consume 25 Stamina to release a shout, causing enemies within 15 feet to cower in fear for 3 seconds.

  56 second cooldown.

  Spell Reflect - Level 6 78% - Trainee

  Consume 20 Stamina to reflect a targeted spell back at its caster.

  2 minute 54 second cooldown.

  Rush - Level 9 81% - Trainee

  Consume 50 Stamina to charge towards a targeted point with 25% increased speed. While charging, you are immune to most crowd control effects.

  56 second cooldown.

  Olivia had never contacted them after their encounter. Jason wondered if she ever would. Sighing lightly, he glanced up only to see Roy walking up to him, grinning from ear to ear. “I beat the third challenge and killed seven out of the ten orcs on the fourth challenge. I was soooo close to beating it.”

  “That’s great progress.” Jason nodded. He was more familiar with Roy’s strength than Roy himself, so he expected this result.

  “I don’t know how you can make it to the challenge you did. I was completely exhausted,” Roy remarked with a shake of his head.

  “Too much wasted movement. Too much strength used needlessly. Basically, it all comes down to conserving energy,” Jason commented. He pushed off the wall and began to head to the portal.

  Roy followed after him. “How can I learn to conserve energy?”

  “After every battle, think of what you could have done differently. Did you use too much strength on that last attack? Did you roll instead of twisting your torso a little? All of these actions add up over the course of a battle,” Jason explained patiently, like a grandmaster. If he had a beard, he would have been caressing it.

  Roy fell silent as he thought back to the battle against the ten orcs. He followed Jason without paying attention to his surroundings. Suddenly, a wave of cold air brushed against his skin, causing him to shiver. He was pulled away from his thoughts. Inspecting his surroundings, he exclaimed. “Where are we? Antarctica?”

  A deep blue frozen wasteland extended as far as the eye could see. A light layer of snow fell from the sky, melting as soon as it touched the ground. The sun was out, but it was like it had no effect. It was cold. Thankfully, his body had superior stats, allowing him to adjust to the change in temperature. Jason’s stats weren’t as high, but his willpower allowed him to combat the cold.

  Roy stepped forward, only to slip and fall. “Ack!”

  He tried pushing himself up, but his hands slid along the ice. He was unable to control his body. Defeated, he lay on the ground. “Why is this so difficult? This isn’t normal ice.”

  “Correct. This floor is special.” Jason glanced down a Roy, holding back a faint chuckle.

  “What’s special about it? I can’t figure it out.” Roy glanced up at Jason.

  Jason pushed out with his foot without raising it from the ground, causing him to magically move forward. His entire body slid for a moment before coming to a stop. It sure has been awhile. I’m a bit rusty. Once more, he pushed out with his foot, gaining momentum. As his momentum reached a peak, he pushed out with his other foot, gaining even more. With the slight turn of his foot, he changed directions, heading back over to Roy.

  Roy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he exclaimed. “What the hell? Are you ice skating?”

  Jason came to a stop next to Roy and helped him to his feet. “Not quite. The ice here conserves your momentum, allowing you to gain speed. Copy me.”

  Roy stood still as he watched Jason’s movements closely. As Jason danced around Roy, he became fast
er and faster, until he was nothing but a blur. Roy grew even more shocked. “It really does conserve momentum!”

  He gulped. He’s going so fast. What if he runs into a wall? Wouldn’t he kill himself?

  Jason suddenly came to a halt by shifting his feet sideways. “This cancels your momentum instantly.”

  “I want to try!” Now that he understood the mechanics, Roy was getting excited. This floor was something he had never heard of before. He copied Jason’s movements, slowly sliding forward.

  “Keep your speed to a minimum at the start,” Jason reminded.

  Over the next half hour, Roy experimented. He slowly got the hang of manipulating his momentum by performing certain actions. By sliding his feet along the ice, he would slowly increase in speed. By pointing his toes left or right, he would turn. By shifting his feet to the side, he would stop completely. Normally, if you tried to stop suddenly, your momentum would carry you forward, but not on this floor. This was the magic of the tower at play.

  Suddenly, a wolf howled in the distance. Roy looked over, only to see a bizarre sight. A white wolf was sliding along the ground, heading straight for him. He pointed at the wolf while facing Jason. “Uh, there are monsters on this floor? I thought this was just a playground floor.”

  “A playground floor? What the hell is that?” Jason tilted his head in confusion.

  Roy scratched his cheek. “You know, a fun-only floor.”

  Jason lay down on the ground and rested his head on his hand. He waved Roy away. “Well, go fight it.”

  “In these conditions?”Roy turned to face the wolf, which was not far now. A smile tugged at his lips. “This should be fun.”

  Chapter 26

  Ice Wolf - Level 35

  Health: 500/500

  The ice wolf was larger than a dog, with fluffy white fur and large paws. It slid along the ice at over forty miles per hour, honing in on Roy. Seeing the funny sight of a monster sliding left Roy embarrassed. Did I look like that?

  Roy clasped a basic-grade longsword in his left hand, and a basic-grade short dagger in his right. They had both been dropped by goblins back on the fifth floor. He stood his ground, waiting for the wolf to approach.

  Jason stood up with a shake of his head. I didn’t expect for him to stand still. He built up momentum and prepared to help out should things turn dire.

  Roy bent his knees slightly. The wolf was so close now that he could make out its sharp fangs. Almost instantly, the wolf was upon him, its jaws opened wide. Roy kicked off the ice, jumping into the air. In the next moment, he landed on the wolf’s back. “Yeehaw!”

  The wolf howled threateningly, angered that its prey sat on its back. It turned its feet sideways, instantly stopping all of its momentum. The effect didn’t apply to Roy. Unsummoning his dagger, he quickly grabbed a handful of fur, keeping him from flying off. His butt now covered the wolf’s forehead. All right, enough playtime.

  As the wolf began to gain momentum again, Roy repositioned himself before plunging his sword into the wolf’s eye. It yelped in pain. Roy gave it no chance to recover as he wounded its other eye, turning it blind. The next few attacks killed it.

  Roy landed on the ground after his mount dispersed into motes of light. A sharp fang was left in its place. Roy whistled. “Nice, this is better than my dagger.”

  The slimes didn’t give Roy any equipment upgrades, making him outlevel his equipment. This first monster he killed on the eleventh floor gave him an upgrade, leaving him pleased.

  Jason slid to a stop next to Roy. He had been paying close attention the entire time, surprised at Roy’s unconventional fighting method. “Did you have fun?”

  Roy spun in place with a grin. “Sure did! This floor is amazing. I love the concept!”

  Jason beckoned Roy over with a wave of his hand. “Follow me, these next few floors are a bit special.”

  “Besides the ice?” Roy was filled with anticipation as he followed after Jason, wondering what else the floor had to offer him.

  The eleventh floor was made entirely out of ice. There were dips and hills here and there, but nothing too crazy. Roy thought the entire floor would mainly be flat, but when they came to a stop, his eyes widened in surprise. “What is this?”

  Structures made out of ice filled the frozen wasteland ahead of them. They didn’t look natural, it was like they were artificial. Blocks of ice were carved to form various platforms. Roy found it all very familiar. “Hey, is this like parkour?”

  “Try and keep up.” Jason said with a grin before gaining momentum.

  “You’re on!” Roy laughed heartily as he followed ten feet after Jason.

  The first block of ice was a ramp. Roy watched as Jason flew into the air, performing a backflip. Roy rolled his eyes and shouted. “Show off!”

  A few seconds later, Roy was in the air and was able to catch a glimpse of the next set of platforms. Jason had already landed on a platform in the shape of a U. Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of Roy.

  Course 1

  Time: 0:01

  Points: 10

  “Ah, I see.” Roy understood why Jason performed a backflip. He wasn’t showing off, he was accruing points. Roy focused back on the course, trying his best to keep up with Jason. Unlike Jason, Roy didn’t feel confident in performing flips and twists just yet.

  A minute later, Roy came to a stop next to Jason, breathing heavily. “That was exhilarating!”

  Every time he flew through the air, his heart clenched in his chest. It wasn’t a painful or anxious type of clench, but more one of adrenaline. He placed his hand across his heart, feeling each pulse. He had never felt so alive.

  A notification appeared before him, this time with more information.

  Course 1

  Final Time: 1:01

  Points: 180

  Course 1 Rewards:

  +1 Stat Point at 200 points.

  “Ah, I was wondering why it was scored.” Roy turned to Jason, curious. “How many points did you get?”

  “Just over three hundred.” Jason replied while trying to calm his breathing.

  Roy slid around Jason, his body coursing with excitement. “How many courses are there?”

  Jason counted on his fingers as he tried to recall long forgotten memories. “About ten.”

  “Ten!” Roy faced the course he just completed. “I’ll focus on this one for now.”

  Roy headed towards the start of the course, leaving Jason to himself. Jason’s expression was thoughtful as he glanced around. As expected, nobody really likes this floor. The eleventh floor was one of the least populated floors. The rules here were difficult to adapt to, much less master.

  He began to head towards the east, where elite monsters spawned. He sent Roy a message. “I’m going hunting. Tell me when you’re satisfied.”

  “Got it.”

  On the way to the elites’ location, a pack of ice wolves blocked Jason’s way. Instead of slowing down, Jason sped up. The world blurred around him. With his stats, even he was barely able to react to his speed. The wolves fared far worse.

  Jason danced around them, making movements that would have been impossible on any other floor. The ability to conserve momentum when changing direction was deadly. He held out his sword as he spun like a tornado, slicing through the wolves one after the other.

  They yelped in pain, helpless. They just couldn’t react to Jason’s movements in time. Soon, they fell, unable to land a single blow. After catching his breath, Jason continued towards his destination, satisfied at his handiwork.

  After several more fights against ice wolves, he finally made it towards the location of the monster he was looking for. Here, the snow fell much harder, making it difficult to see far into the distance.

  Jason squinted his eyes, barely making out a monster that stood ten feet tall. It had a grey coat of fur, two horns on its head, and large hands.

  (Elite) Yeti - Level 35

  Health: 1,500/1,500

  Jason glanced
down at his sword, grinning. I wonder how the yeti will fare with only a single leg? He couldn’t wait to find out.

  He began to gain momentum, keeping his posture low. The yeti turned and spotted him, letting out a fearsome roar. Raising its arms to the sky, it slammed down, sending cracks through the ice. This was no skill, but a demonstration of its physical strength.

  Not intimidated in the slightest, Jason slid forward, reaching the yeti not a second later. With a twist of his body, he severed the yeti’s leg, causing it to stumble. Jason watched as slowly but surely, the yeti stopped. With a single leg, it was unable to gain momentum. As a result, it was a sitting duck. Every time Jason wounded it, it let out a bellow. Each bellow grew weaker and weaker, until it dispersed into motes of light.