A terrifying pressure oppressed Vex from all directions. It didn’t come from the Architect, but from the tower itself. The Architect himself was no match for the gods before him, but he was in control of the tower, which could annihilate most of the gods here in a single blow.
Vex shuddered as cracking sounds rang out from his body. He struggled to speak. “N- no, of course not. I only told him to seek out the champion of Piety, nothing more. I haven’t broken any rules!”
The energy suppressing Vex dispersed as quietly as it appeared. The Architect nodded slightly. “Very well then.”
Vex glared at the Architect, though no one could see it through the mask of black smoke. You bastard. If you didn’t have the tower backing you, I would have tortured you until your last breath.
The Architect noticed killing intent coming from Vex only to promptly ignore it. He felt no threat from him. Coughing lightly, he moved onto the next subject.
Chapter 33
Competition between the top guilds on the thirty-ninth floor was fierce, mainly because the towers were connected past the thirtieth floor. As it stood, America and Europe had a friendly relationship due to their history. Since Russia didn’t have a tower, they had to ally with someone. It was either allying with the western world, or choosing China. The choice was obvious. India had a friendly relationship with everyone and watched from the sidelines as the Western and Eastern world clashed again and again. Africa was a war zone due to the dictators and warlords that popped up. Of all the towers, Africa’s was the one who didn’t have any top-tier guilds, but that didn’t mean they were weak.
On the thirty-ninth floor, Shenlong stood on a mountain overlooking the floor. He was an elderly man with a trimmed white beard and a long ponytail. Shenlong was a master of the spear and guild master of Zui Gao, Mandarin for supreme. He was renowned and feared around the world as one of the strongest humans to currently exist.
His eyes were narrowed as he stared into the distance, which just so happened to be the direction of the portal to the fortieth floor. Behind him, a middle-aged Chinese man approached. “Master Shenlong, I bring news regarding the Skyfall guild.”
“Mm.” Shenlong nodded slightly.
The Chinese man bowed, both as a form of respect and formality. “Their farming squads haven’t made a move, but their main team has disappeared. Our scouts report that they entered the fortieth floor and beyond.”
“So soon? Are they not afraid of rushing to their deaths?” Shenlong muttered to himself. Generally, all top-tier guilds held an attitude of utmost caution with regard to ascending to unknown floors. Only when they grew to their limits on the current floor would they advance.
The Chinese man kept his bow as he replied. “Master, I believe they aren’t so foolish. Over the past few weeks, they have shown incredible knowledge of the thirty-ninth floor. They always seem to arrive on time when field bosses spawn and treasure chests appear.”
“I agree. Walter is a cautious man, like me. That’s why I respect him. The only reason he would advance is if he grew to his limits on the floor.” Shenlong closed his eyes as he fell into thought.
“But Master… how could they have progressed so much faster than us?” The man was in disbelief. He didn’t believe that Skyfall was stronger than Zui Gao, so how was this possible?
The man hesitated for a moment. “Master, should we advance as well? You have already reached the limit on this floor.”
“No.” Shenlong’s voice was firm. “Rushing leads to death. Many guilds in the past twenty years have taught us this lesson.”
He gazed down to where his subordinates were fighting monsters to collect tokens. “When the team is ready to advance, we advance. No sooner.”
“I understand, Master.” The man bowed lower. “One more thing, Xi Jinping requests for our assistance in South America.”
Shenlong’s eyes snapped open as he turned around. “You really can’t let go, huh?”
The man trembled briefly. “I am loyal to my country.”
Shenlong sighed lightly. “Tell them that I decline. I won’t slaughter weaklings, but make no mistake, should China be attacked, I won’t hesitate to lend a hand. But to massacre weak ascenders on the lower floors? I’m no devil.”
The man clenched his hands. “I understand, Master.”
“Go now.” Shenlong turned around and once more gazed in the direction of the portal.
Meanwhile, in the Pentagon of the United States, a meeting was currently underway. Military intelligence reported their intel, mainly regarding the war going on in South America between China and America. “We have uncovered that China has redoubled their efforts in their attempt to take control of the tower in Brazil. In just the last month, their government has forcibly conscripted citizens into the military and plan on sending them to Brazil.”
The meeting fell into whispers and murmurs. General Toffrey, a pudgy elderly man with a goatee spoke up. “Do we have an estimate on the number of conscripted citizens?”
An intelligence officer read from a folder. “Sir, exact numbers are unknown, but our agents estimate that the number is over five million.”
“Five million?” A broad man named General Rodgers exclaimed. “Do they plan on filling the tower to the brim?”
The room fell silent. Only so many ascenders could fit in the tower, which was why the war over Brazil’s tower was so important. Whoever gained control of it would gain access to an incredible amount of resources. More importantly, they would have double the room to train new ascenders, allowing their country to explode in power.
General Rodgers broke the silence. “What does everyone think about recruiting veterans?”
“Veterans?” The high-ranking military officers mulled it over.
General Rodgers continued. “Especially the elderly. We can supply them with ability books, allowing them to regain their strength and vigor. I’m sure they’d love to accept.”
“I agree.” Another general said.
General Rodgers glanced around. “Are we all in favor?”
This recent move by China threatened the delicate balance America had fought so desperately for. If China wanted to up the ante, America wouldn’t fall behind.
“So be it.”
“I’m in favor.”
And so it was decided. Across the country, veterans who expressed a willingness to become an ascender once again joined the military. The battle for Brazil’s tower would soon become a bloodbath.
Jason knew this was happening, yet he could do nothing to stop it. He just didn’t have enough influence. Power. He had to gain power. With power, he would have influence. With influence, he could prevent humanity from dying. That was why he was rushing through the tower so fast.
On the sixteenth floor, Jason glanced behind him, smiling at the army of golems following him. Over the past two weeks, he had captured twenty mines. Of the ore that spawned, he took 60% for himself and gave the other 40% to his minions.
He had one hundred golems following him towards the two slabs of rock in the distance. Fifty of the golems focused on strength and were called power golems. Twenty-five focused on speed and were called scout golems. The last twenty-five were a mix between the two and were called warrior golems. Their names were made up by Jason.
Their levels were around forty. Jason’s level was forty-nine. With every level, he increased in size, and he now stood over twenty feet tall. It was to the extent that he couldn’t enter the mines anymore. Hopefully the portal isn’t underground. Jason chuckled to himself.
The two slabs of rock grew larger the closer he got. His initial guess was that they were around a hundred feet tall, but when he stood beneath them, he realized he was way off. They had to be over three hundred feet tall. Directly underneath the slabs was a glowing blue portal.
Aha! There it is. Jason grew excited at the thought of finally getting his human body back. He pointed at the portal. “Scout golem twenty-five, go next to the portal.”
&nbs
p; “Understood, Chief.” A golem standing over ten feet tall rushed forward, its figure becoming a blur. Even Jason could barely make it out. The golem was fast, but it was weak as hell.
Just as the golem reached within fifty feet of the portal, the ground underneath it shifted. A massive creature rose from the ground, dirt and rock falling off its body. With a snap of its jaws, the scout golem was crushed to bits.
Jason’s eyes narrowed. So, this is the guardian of the floor, huh?
(Field Boss) Stone Basilisk - Level 50
Health: 25,000/25,000
“Split into two teams, team one will attack the basilisk from the left and team two will attack from the right!” Jason gave commands as he rushed forward. The stone basilisk was about the same height as Jason. Including its tail, it clocked in at over a hundred feet long. It was basically an alligator. The spikes on Jason’s body shot out, instantly piercing into the basilisk’s stone body. Roaring in pain, the basilisk swiped out with its front hand.
The hand moved faster than Jason could react to, making it impossible to dodge. Grinning, Jason planted his feet into the ground and grabbed onto the hand just before it smacked into him. He used the incredible strength granted by his body to stop the hand in its tracks.
The basilisk roared as it pressed harder. Jason was slowly pushed back, his feet leaving tracks in the ground. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone. He had distracted the basilisk long enough that his subordinates fell into position, releasing waves of attacks. Bits of rock fell off the basilisk's body, slightly reducing its size.
The basilisk widened its eyes as it realized the situation wasn’t looking good. It changed focus, turning to target the weaker golems first.
“Fat chance!” Jason roared as he used all of his strength to wrap his arms around the basilisk’s hand. Bending his legs, he shouted fiercely, raising the entire basilisk into the air. The basilisk flailed wildly, but it was futile. It was lifted high into the air before being tossed towards the slab of rock on Jason’s left.
With a booming bang, it smacked into the slab and bounced off. Unfortunately, it landed on a few golems, instantly killing them underneath its weight.
“Oops.” Jason rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
The basilisk slowly got to its feet, its eyes beginning to glow with a bright light. Jason quickly shouted. “Everyone, turn away or you’ll be frozen!”
Just as the spell was about to go off, a resounding crack rang through the air. Jason glanced up, only to see a long fissure snake up the slab. He stepped backwards in shock. “Uh oh!”
He promptly turned and fled. A wave of energy washed over him, but because he wasn’t facing the basilisk, it had no effect. When the energy faded, Jason glanced over his shoulder. He saw a massive piece of rock break off from the slab. The basilisk glanced up and roared in defiance. It was silenced a moment later.
“It’s over? Just like that?” Jason muttered in astonishment. He had been expecting a long fight where he had to sacrifice his golems and expected to be the last one standing. Oh. As he looked around, he realized he had forgotten to tell his subordinates to flee. Apparently, he really was the last one standing.
Well, not like I need them anymore. Jason felt sorry for his subordinates, although he knew he would have had to say goodbye eventually. He was the only one who could pass through the portal. As soon as he did, this entire world would disappear, never to be entered again.
Jason made his way over to the portal. He was much larger than it, making him wonder if he could even go through it. Thankfully, as soon as he touched it with his hand, a notification appeared.
You can choose one ability to carry over to your main body.
*Ability grade and level will be kept.
Finally! His reflection was sitting at beginner Level 8. It was just a tad bit away from reaching the novice grade. Without hesitation, he selected the reflection skill and was teleported away.
Chapter 34
The wind pushed against Jason’s body, nearly lifting him off his feet. He quickly crouched down, lowering the amount of wind pushing against him. Now stabilized, he glanced around, flashing a toothy grin. The twenty-first floor, huh?
Jason found himself standing on a tall pillar made of rock, around fifty feet in diameter. He crawled over to the edge and glanced down. The pillar stood in the middle of a vast lake. In the distance, other pillars of various sizes and shapes could be seen. Squinting his eyes, he could just barely make out flying creatures.
A notification popped up, blocking his vision.
For reaching the twenty-first floor, you have been gifted a Basic Glider.
Accept / Accept
Without any other option, he pushed accept. In a flash of light, a white contraption appeared in front of Jason, hovering in the air. He grabbed the glider and placed it on the ground before stepping on it. Much like a snowboard, there was a strap for his feet to attach to. When he locked his feet in, another notification appeared, informing him of the glider’s stats and skills.
Basic Glider
Flight Speed: Low
Gliding Ability: Low
Turning Speed: Low
Skills: Open, Close, Air Burst.
Open Wings
Opens the glider's wings.
Close Wings
Closes the glider's wings.
Air Burst - Level 1
Activate the glider's magic rune, causing a gust of wind to push the glider up 20 feet.
30 second cooldown.
Seeing the familiar glider caused a wave of memories to surface. The twenty-first to twenty-fifth floors were focused on aerial combat. Since humans couldn’t fly, they were given a magical glider. There were different grades of gliders, going all the way up to the divine grade. Most important to note was that the gliders weren’t restricted to certain floors. They could be used on any floor and even outside the tower.
Before Jason kicked off, he pulled out his communication necklace and tried contacting Roy. A few attempts later, he shook his head. He must still be on the last floor. Jason glanced down at the glider and fell into thought. It should be about time for the Skyfall guild to purchase the next map. At the thought of acquiring another vast sum of money, he grinned. He dismounted from the glider and stored it away before exiting the tower through the portal.
As he made his way to the library he’d used last time, Jason took another look at his reflection skill, proud of all the hard work he put in during the past two weeks.
Reflection - Level 8 23% - Beginner
When you are hit by an attack, deal 25 damage back to the attacker, no matter the distance.
Basically, if Jason strolled through the first few floors of the tower, the kobolds attacking him would kill themselves in just a few hits. As the skill leveled further, it would grow even more powerful. Jason imagined himself sleeping on a floor while monsters attacked him. He would wake up and find a bunch of loot surrounding him. The thought made him chuckle.
Jason began to think of certain monsters which would make the skill even more effective. Monsters that had slow but powerful blows wouldn’t mind the skill, but monsters that attacked fast would find it devastating. Not only that, but rogues and archers, builds that focused on speed, would have a hard time.
Without even realizing it, he found himself entering the library. After finding a secluded corner, he pulled out his laptop and opened Photoshop. Much like the previous floors, the forty-first floor shared a similar theme with the forty-second, forty-third, forty-fourth, and forty-fifth floors.
Most unusual, however, was that these floors didn’t focus on combat and death. It had monsters, sure, but killing them wasn’t the main objective. That meant the top-tier guilds would advance through them quite fast. Make no mistake. Even though they weren’t hard floors, they were arguably the most important floors in the entire tower. Jason couldn’t wait to get there.
The hours passed as Jason toiled away, making map after map. Three days later, he finished.
After taking a quick look to make sure everything was correct, he pulled out a disposable phone and dialed a number.
“Hello. Who is this?” The familiar voice of Skyfall’s liaison, Danny, answered the phone.
“Index.”
A single word caused Danny to become solemn. “I’ll get the guild master. Please wait, Index.”
“Will do.” Jason closed his eyes and took a quick nap.
Not even half an hour later, Walter, the guild master of Skyfall, chuckled from the other side of the call. “Index, I thought you wouldn’t call again.”
Towers of Heaven Page 18
