A cacophony of noise broke out among the nobles when they saw Jason spent five thousand gold on a rock. “He’s certainly rich.”
“Which family is he from?” a young noblewoman asked, her eyes scouring Jason’s body.
“I think he’s one of those ascenders,” her friend replied.
Jason couldn’t help but raise his chin as he strode out of the shop. As he passed by the noblewomen, he sported a smile. He really loved being the focus of attention.
Not long after, Jason found a secluded area on the fifteenth floor. He took out the artifact and placed it on the ground. I hope I’m right. If this really is a blood oath item, then I hit the jackpot!
Chapter 38
After making sure that no one was watching him, he pulled out a dagger and cut his palm. His heart beat in anticipation as he wiped his hand across the rock, leaving a trail of blood. A connection formed between them. He could feel that something inside the rock was pulsing. Each pulse was in tune with his heartbeat. The pulse grew stronger with each beat. His tension grew with every heartbeat until a screen appeared in front of Jason.
You have initiated a blood oath. To awaken the being inside, you must supply it with your lifeforce.
Accept / Decline
Lifeforce? Jason squinted. Lifeforce was a tricky thing. It was related to your stats, levels, personality, likes, dislikes, and temperament. This was something he’d learned from others who awakened lifeforce items. Typically, a blood oath was awakening a piece of equipment. By supplying lifeforce to special items, they could level up and grow stronger along with the ascender. Jason really hoped he would get a shield.
As soon as he accepted, motes of light exited his body and poured into the rock. Jason took a close look at the light. It was different than battle energy. More peaceful. When the stream of light ended, he felt a tremendous weakness overcome him. When he inspected his stats, he found that he lost five levels and ten stats to everything. A harsh price.
There was a soft crack. Jason glanced up and found that the rock was being attacked from the inside. Something was trying to break out. Taking a step back, Jason prayed. Please be a shield. Please be a shield.
A minute later, the rock finally shattered into pieces, revealing what was inside. When Jason glanced at his feet, his expression grew ugly. There, a small creature looked up at him with wide eyes. It let out a soft cry.
Jason bent down and picked up the creature. As he held it in front of his face, it gave him a lick. The price was so high and yet he was left with this weak-looking creature? Jason thought he would be getting a weapon or some type of armor. That was what the other ascenders got. So why? Why did he get a turtle?
The turtle was no larger than his hand. Its shell was round and mixed with patterns. Most noticeable was its large curious eyes taking in the world around it. As Jason stood there, stuck in his thoughts, it glanced at him and cried softly. Strangely, Jason was able to feel what it wanted.
“You want to sit on top of my head?” Jason asked, finding the situation queer. In a matter of minutes, he had helped create a life. Not a shield, but a small turtle. He felt a bond with it that he had never felt before. Like he was looking at himself.
The turtle bobbed its head up and down as a feeling of anticipation rose from within Jason. Jason’s eyebrow twitched. “All right, but don’t use the bathroom up there.”
He placed the turtle on his head, where it clasped its little claws around his hair, grabbing tightly. A feeling of happiness and curiosity came from the turtle. It helped lift Jason’s mood, though he was still bitter about the whole situation. He had really been hoping for a shield.
Just then, Roy’s voice rang in his mind. “Heeeeeeeey, are you there?”
Jason’s eyes lit up. “Finally out? I’ve been waiting forever.”
“Did you ascend without me?” Roy asked, a tinge of anxiety in his voice.
“No, I grinded on the lower floors.”
Roy let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
“No problem. So, do you want to take a break, or shall we begin ascending?” Jason asked as he rubbed the head of the turtle.
“I’m a bit tired, but I REALLY want to try out this glider thing.” Roy paused. “Oh, right. Olivia is here. She joined the guild! Isn’t that great?”
Jason frowned. He really wants to do this guild thing, huh? Jason had planned on waiting until he had more strength before creating a guild. It seemed like Roy had his own plans. He sighed lightly. “As long as you take responsibility for the guild, then go for it.”
Roy’s chest clenched. “Are you not interested in the guild?”
“I’ll join, okay?” Jason performed a few gymnastic maneuvers, testing to see if the turtle would fall off. Thankfully, it had a firm grasp on his hair.
Roy’s heart relaxed. He gave a thumbs up to Olivia as he responded. “Okay, hurry and come to the twenty-first floor. I’m going to try this glider thing out.”
Jason began to make his way up the tower as he reminded. “Don’t worry about falling off. Falling in the water will hurt a bit, but you’ll stay alive.”
“Got it.” Roy cut the connection and spoke to Olivia. “He’s on his way.”
“Understood.” Olivia adjusted her black leather equipment. Without hesitation, she jumped off the pillar before even attaching her feet to her glider. Roy watched, wide-eyed, as she somersaulted through the air and attached herself to her glider in one swift motion.
“Yahoo!” Roy followed suit. Just as he jumped off, a wave of wind pushed him thirty feet into the air. As he spun around, he summoned his glider and locked his feet into place. He activated the Open Wings skill, causing the glider to open up with a snap.
During the parkour related floors, Roy had become incredibly proficient in controlling his body under different circumstances. In only a minute he mastered how to manipulate the glider in different directions. By leaning forward, he would dip down, and by leaning back, the glider faced up. If he lifted his right leg, he would turn left, and doing the opposite would turn him right.
Suddenly, a gust of wind pushed Roy in a direction he didn’t want to go. He spun around wildly, but quickly adjusted himself, once more gaining control. I have to pay attention to the wind and go with it, not against it. His acute senses easily figured out the trick of the floor.
A sharp cry came from above. Roy glanced up and found a bird diving towards him, its claws outstretched.
Dire Eagle - Level 40
Health: 1,300/1,300
Roy pulled out his sword, a grin tugging his lips. His pupils shrunk to the size of a needle as he continued his course, waiting for the dire eagle to get closer. Just as the dire eagle’s claws were about to tear into his eyes, he bent his knees.
He swiftly leaned back and lifted his right foot. In just a split second, he was on the dire eagle’s tail. As he was about to give chase, a shadow dropped from above. Olivia dove down with incredible speed, piercing her twin daggers into the dire eagle’s skull. With a twist of her wrists, the daggers dug even deeper.
Olivia leaned back, distancing herself from the dire eagle. Strangely, the dire eagle was motionless as it fell through the sky. Olivia shouted at Roy. “I used gouge, a skill that incapacitates a target for four seconds. Finish it before it wakes up!”
Roy was initially stunned and upset that Olivia was stealing his prey, but he quickly realized she was just lending a hand. Roy realized he had gotten too used to fighting alone. He had forgotten that Olivia was now a teammate. Teammates helping each other was a given. Giving a smile in thanks, he dove down and chased after the dire eagle. Incapacitate was different than a stun. As soon as a target that was incapacitated was damaged, the effect would be removed. A stun stayed until its duration was finished.
Roy caught up just as the dire eagle woke up. He slashed out with his sword, slicing across its neck. Due to not using a severing skill, the head was left intact. Still, the dire eagle was barely alive. It tried to run away, but Roy d
idn’t let it off. Another attack finished it off.
Roy caught the loot in his hands, some coins and a sharp claw. After storing it away, he used the Air Burst skill, pushing him back up to Olivia’s level. They glided alongside each other. Olivia pointed towards a pillar in the distance, where multiple dire eagles flew in circles around it. Roy nodded. “Let’s go!”
Chapter 39
A short while later, Jason contacted Roy. “I’m here. Where you guys at?”
“Uh, I can’t really tell which way’s which. Let me ask Olivia.” There was a brief pause before Roy continued. “She said she knows the way. Just stay put and we’ll meet you at the portal.”
“Ok.” Jason closed the connection and waited.
It was strange. In his heart and mind, there was this ever-present connection between him and the turtle on his head. He could sense its curiosity towards the gliders and monsters in the distance. It was like a newborn child, made from his lifeforce. Does that make it my kid? Jason paled at the thought.
A few minutes later, Roy and Olivia landed next to Jason and dismounted their gliders. The first thing Roy noticed was the turtle on Jason’s head. He walked up with a strange expression. “I would say it's nice to see you after almost a month, but… what’s with the turtle?”
Jason coughed. “It’s my pet.”
A wave of dissatisfaction came from the turtle. It clearly didn’t like the term. Jason quickly corrected himself. “I meant companion.”
The turtle bobbed its head, satisfied. Roy’s mouth hung open when he witnessed this. “It can understand us?”
“I think so.” Jason gave a slight nod.
Olivia strode up to Jason, her face nearing his. She and the turtle stared at each other. As they did, Jason couldn’t help but take another look at her. She had long black hair, a small nose, brown eyes, and was of Asian descent, though Jason didn’t know from which country. She was quite attractive. Jason reminded himself to not get any ideas. She was just a teenager.
“Ah.” She parted her lips. “It smiled at me.”
“Hey,” Roy called out. “What’s its name?”
Jason scratched his cheek. “I don’t know, or rather, I haven’t named it yet.”
“How about Michelangelo?” Roy suggested with a grin.
Jason shook his head. “Definitely not.”
“Leonardo?”
“Are you just picking names from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV show?” Jason sighed. “I’m not picking a name from a kid’s show.”
“It’s a good show,” Roy mumbled to himself.
Olivia rubbed the turtle’s head. “Why not pick a name based on its abilities?”
“Oh! That works.” Roy agreed from the side. He turned to Jason. “What abilities does it have?”
“Uh.” Jason smiled bitterly. He had been so upset about acquiring a turtle instead of a shield that he hadn’t checked his companion’s abilities and stats. Raising his hands, he picked up the turtle and held it in front of his face. As he inspected it, a screen appeared which only he could see.
Name: ???
Race: Battle Turtle
Level: 1
Health: 170/170
Health Regeneration: .68/s
Stamina: 110/110
Stamina Regeneration: .44/s
Mana: 50/50
Mana Regeneration: .2/s
Strength: 4
Vitality: 34
Agility: 4
Endurance: 22
Wisdom: 15
Intelligence: 10
Tenacity: 18
Fortitude: 28
*??? gains abilities as she levels up.
Crowd Control Reduction
Passive. Reduces the duration of all crowd control effects by 25%.
*Skill increases in power based on ???'s level.
Bulwark
Consume 30 Mana to shield a target for 30 seconds within 30 feet. The shield absorbs up to 500 damage.
1-minute cooldown.
*Skill increases in power based on ???'s level.
“Oh.” Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t expect such powerful abilities from a level 1 turtle. What really drew Jason’s attention was the Bulwark skill. If it was used on himself, it would increase his survivability by a ton. From this, he could get a glimpse at how useful the turtle would be as it increased in level. Though based on its strength and agility, he could tell that it wouldn’t be playing an offensive role in fights.
The bitterness of acquiring the turtle over a shield was gone. He smiled at his companion. “You’re a girl, right? How about I name you Tank?”
“Definitely not!” Roy exclaimed. “That isn’t a girl’s name!”
Much to Roy’s dismay, the turtle bobbed its head up and down. Jason laughed. “All right. From now on, your name is Tank.”
He returned Tank to the top of his head. At his side, Roy sighed heavily. “Well, I guess that’s that.”
Jason reminded Tank. “Hold on tight up there. These next few floors are in the sky.”
As Jason attached himself to his glider and flew off, he felt Tank’s anxiety. After a few minutes, though, Tank regained her confidence.
Roy caught up to Jason. “Hey, Jason. What’s the plan on these floors? Are we gonna try and upgrade our gliders?”
“Nah.” Jason shook his head. “We’re going to rush straight through. Higher grade gliders are important, true, but they can be bought with money. We shouldn’t waste our time here.”
Roy shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
Olivia called out from Jason’s right. “When can we begin my training?”
As Jason looked back and forth between Roy and Olivia, he suddenly got a headache. What was he now, a babysitter?
While Jason, Roy, and Olivia rushed through the next few floors, the United States Military started to move. In response to China conscripting five million citizens, the U.S. sent out a request to all veterans to rejoin the military. Jason’s father, Austin, was one of those who answered the call.
Because the towers didn’t allow conventional weapons inside, the military needed to be trained in an entirely different manner. Before Austin was sent over to Brazil, he underwent a series of newly made training courses. He learned how to fight with a two-handed sword, use his skills, and how to utilize potions, among many other things. In addition, he took multiple classes that informed him of the tower’s floors, rules, monsters, and terrain. There were many things that needed to be done before he and his fellow soldiers were sent to Brazil.
In China, however, they didn’t have such thorough training. There were simply too many soldiers that China needed to train. Instead, they adopted a quantity over quality tactic. They would swarm Brazil’s tower with millions of soldiers. That was all that needed to be done. To them, with an over one billion population, it was just a numbers game.
The United States was known around the world as the most powerful military, but that didn’t matter in the tower. They couldn’t use their superior weapons and aircraft there. In China’s mind, it was only a matter of time before Brazil’s tower was in their hands.
After a week of intense training and leveling, Austin and many others entered the tower in America. As soon as they entered, they pulled out a scroll and teleported to the thirtieth floor. There, they met up with high-level military personal and traveled to the Rayd Kingdom by carriage. Once inside the capital of the Rayd Kingdom, they waited.
Over the next few days, tens of thousands of soldiers entered the capital of the Rayd Kingdom. Once every one arrived, they gathered in front of the portal leading to the previous floor. Because none of them had passed through previous floors but skipped right to the thirtieth floor, they would be teleported back to the first floor. Since they were going through the portal in the Rayd Kingdom instead of the Vistar Kingdom’s portal, they would appear on the first floor of Brazil’s tower. Once they did so, a fierce and bloody battle would begin between China and America.
Austin s
tood among a throng of soldiers equipped in powerful low-level gear. It was the best the military could buy. Still, Austin rubbed the inventory ring on his pinky finger. Inside was the heritage equipment and high-level potions his son, Jason, had purchased for him. It was his secret weapon, and what allowed him to calm his nerves.
Austin stood somewhere in the middle of the thousands of soldiers. He knew that the people in front would most likely die within seconds. They knew this, and yet they still stood their ground, prepared to enter the portal at any moment. Austin admired their bravery. With their sacrifice, the people further in the back, like Austin, would be able to gain ground on the first floor.
Towers of Heaven Page 21
