Towers of Heaven 2

by Cameron Milan

  ​ “It’s simple, really.” Wolf raised his hand and swiped. A notification with the information about his quest appeared before Ghost.

  ​ Ghost read through it in one glance, but in that moment, an arrow pierced through his eye. Shockingly, the arrow passed straight through his body without any resistance. It was like he existed in another space. Ghost grabbed at his waist and threw down a ball. Smoke immediately filled half the room.

  ​ “I expected nothing less.” Wolf jumped backwards and nocked another arrow as quick as lightning. He landed in a crouched position, his bow tilted horizontally. His eyes were like a hawk’s as he scoured the room, waiting. Finally, when the smoke cleared, Ghost was nowhere to be found.

  ​ Wolf narrowed his eyes. “Hiding in stealth, are you?”

  ​ Contrary to Wolf’s expectations, Ghost had long since fled.

  Chapter 20

  ​ Olivia strolled aimlessly through the bloodline floors. The illusion she’d encountered on the fortieth floor repeated in her mind. It was back when she was a child, undergoing her father’s experiments. She could either fight back, or accept what was happening. The result… was that she failed. In her mind, her father was unbeatable. Fighting back was pointless.

  ​ But why then had she been training so hard these past few months? Wasn’t it exactly to defeat her father? Olivia bit her lip. Why is it so difficult to face him?

  ​ Her communication necklace suddenly rang. She answered. “Hello.”

  ​ The other side was filled with rough breathing. “Olivia…”

  ​ Olivia grew cautious. There was something familiar about the voice, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Who is this?”

  ​ “...It’s Ghost.”

  ​ “Oh. You sound different.” Olivia felt a small happiness in her heart. Out of everyone related to Yama, Ghost treated her most like a human being.

  ​ “I don’t quite know how to say this… but I’m your uncle.” Ghost’s breathing grew quieter.

  ​ “Uncle Gin?!” Olivia was shocked. She thought that her uncle didn’t want to enter the tower. No wonder. Considering Yama’s secretive nature, it made sense why he had a secret identity. But one thing confused her. “Why are you telling me this now?”

  ​ Ghost coughed weakly. “Your father… he… he murdered Aiko and Victor. I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect them.”

  ​ Olivia didn’t believe it. “No, you’re lying! Why would he do that?”

  ​ Ghost responded slowly, as if every word was a struggle to say. “A quest from Vex. Sever the Heart. Race change into a demon.”

  ​ Olivia fell silent. One part of her was in disbelief, while another part of her felt that it was true. Her father was practically already a demon. To actually become one? It was somehow fitting.

  ​ Ghost continued, his voice barely a whisper. “He might come for you, Olivia. I left… my mask… at our meeting place. Please… stay… safe…”

  ​ The connection had already been severed, but she couldn’t help but call out. “Uncle Gin? Uncle Gin, are you there?”

  ​ The next thing she knew, she found herself standing in the alleyway where she and Ghost usually met up. Placed on the crate in front of her was a featureless white mask. A cold fear for Ghost’s safety filled her when she saw the bloody handprint was on its surface.

  ​ Olivia slowly reached out and picked it up.

  (Blood Oath) Many-Faced Mask

  By wearing this mask, you can change the appearance of your face at will. You can also manipulate the appearance of your status.

  ​ The value of this mask was immediately apparent. It was perfect for an assassin. Not only could you change your face, you could fool ascenders who used the inspect skill by feeding them false information.

  ​ There was no reason why Ghost would hand out such a valuable object, unless everything he had said was true. Olivia fell to her knees, the reality of the situation finally settling in. Her mother was gone, but Olivia couldn’t care less. It hadn’t only been her father who performed experiments on her. But Victor… her innocent little brother. He was gone. The little boy she watched grow up. In the whole of Yama, only her brother still had some humanity.

  Tears splattered against the cobblestone. Olivia’s eyes were red as she growled. “Cay Wolf. I’ll kill you! I’ll butcher you! I’ll let you know fear!”

  Minutes later, Olivia grew calm. She stood up and put on the mask, whereupon it sunk under her skin. As per her will, her face rippled and transformed. A moment later, she was Caucasian. Next, she pulled out her dagger and cut off her long beautiful hair. Now it only reached her neck.

  She turned and silently left the alleyway. A few hours later, she arrived before the portal leading to the fortieth floor and entered it.

  In the next moment, she found herself curled up on the ground in a dimly lit room. Like before, her left arm had been cut off. Aiko, her mother, stood over her. “Amazing. There’s no bleeding whatsoever. This tower has changed reality itself.”

  ​ “Heal her.” Wolf commanded to a robed woman standing not far away.

  ​ After the skill was cast, a white light covered Olivia’s left shoulder. As her health was restored to full, an arm came into existence.

  Wolf’s eyes narrowed. “That’s interesting. Limbs are fully regrown when health is restored to full.”

  “I wonder if it's the same for organs, or an eye?” Aiko wondered aloud.

  “Let’s test it in a moment.” Wolf helped Olivia to her feet. “How do you feel? Is there anything different about your arm?”

  Olivia glanced up at her father, her eyes filled with disgust. “Father.”

  “What is it?” Wolf stared back.

  “You are strong.” Olivia slowly said. “You are the strongest person I know. And I know that you’ll do anything for power. Anything.”

  Wolf was silent.

  Olivia narrowed her eyes. “From this day forth, be careful when you eat. Be careful when you sleep. Be careful when you piss. Because one day, I’ll kill you. And I’ll do it in my own way. I won’t sacrifice my humanity. I’ll show you that your path was wrong. You will regret everything you did.”

  Wolf, Aiko, and the Priest dissipated and were replaced by darkness. Olivia coolly glanced around, but didn’t find the portal. Is the illusion not over?

  The sound of clapping came from behind her. Olivia spun around, expressionless. A slender man walked towards her, his features masked by black mist. “How regretful. How truly regretful.”

  Olivia inspected the man before her. “Vex, is it?”

  “Sharp girl.” Vex nodded.

  Olivia spun around and walked off, entirely uninterested in what Vex had to say. Vex was startled before he roared with laughter. “Girl, I like you! Too bad I picked such a shit disciple. To give his heart to darkness? How laughable!”’

  Olivia paused. “Funny. It sounds like you’re saying you, the god of darkness, haven’t gone to such lengths for power?”

  Vex teleported, appearing a foot away from Olivia. “Hmph. Darkness is but a tool. The wielder determines if it’s good or evil.”

  “So what?” Olivia growled. “You’re saying that this is just some game to you? That you gave my father that quest to test him? My brother is dead from just some whim?”

  “Well,” Vex shrugged. “when you put it like that...”

  Olivia’s arm suddenly snapped out, her hand clasping around Vex’s neck. Or so she planned. An invisible barrier prevented her from getting any closer. She declared in a low voice. “I just decided. After I kill my father, I’m going to kill you.”

  Vex was momentarily stunned. A mortal was threatening him? A god of darkness, infamous throughout the universe? He covered his face with his hand and leaned back. “Hahaha. Great! Perfect! I’ve decided. If you kill your father, I’ll accept you as my disciple.”

  Olivia grinned. “Good. If I kill my father, I’ll learn everything you have to teach. Then, I’ll kill you.”

  �
��I’ll be waiting.” Vex pointed with his finger. Olivia was teleported away, leaving Vex by himself.

  Vex faced the sky and roared with laughter. “Bastard who imprisoned me here, are you listening? Did you expect this? I might have found the perfect disciple! I couldn’t have done it without you, so I’ll have to thank you the next time we meet.”

  Vex fell silent, a smirk on his face. Little girl, your path is nearly impossible. To gain strength without sacrificing your humanity? That’s easier said than done. How many have fallen while treading such a path? An expectant look appeared in his eyes. If you can do it, I’ll teach you everything.

  With that, Vex teleported away.

  Chapter 21

  The sun steadily rose over the horizon, embracing the world in its warmth. To be clear, no one knew what the exact shape of the floors were because of the invisible walls. Was each floor a giant piece of land, or an entire world? It was impossible to know.

  It had been a few hours since the notification appeared in front of every ascender, both inside the tower and out. The strange notification was like a rock falling into a calm lake. The ripples spread like wildfire. Nobody knew what to expect. Was the notification a small or big problem? Only the champions of gods knew the exact severity of the situation.

  On the internet, the person known as Index was both hated and loved. Hated, because he gave out secrets that the guilds kept to themselves, and loved, because the secrets were shared with the public. Besides the kingdom-building manual, Index had released incredibly detailed maps of floors one through thirty-nine for free. Not only that, Index released common build manuals. For example, what skills and stat distribution was best for an archer? For a mage? A healer? All of this was now public information, thanks to Index.

  ​ Index’s most recent announcement shocked the world. The mystery behind the notification a few hours ago was cleared up thanks to the announcement.

  ​ “Hello, Index here. I have recently learned what exactly ‘Tier 2 trial taker’ and ‘Tier 3 trial taker’ means. To clear things up, a trial taker is what we call ascenders. The tower grades civilizations based on its own grading system. Previously, humanity as a whole was a tier 2 trial taker, but upon all of the gods getting a champion, humanity was upgraded to a tier 3 trial taker. What this means going forward is unknown. In order to ensure humanity’s survival and safety, I call upon all ascenders to publicly announce any changes they find in the tower. Please proceed with caution!”

  ​ Every time Index posted on the internet, it was always on the same website; the most popular social news network in the world. This time was no different. Index’s post was quickly upvoted to the top of the website, and was quickly known to every ascender. Over the next few days, as if spurred on by Index’s prestige and selflessness, many ascenders commented on Index’s post with information. Each comment was a bombshell, shocking every ascender to the core.

  ​ GreenApple commented. “Everyone, please read! One of my guildmates had an arrow pierce through his skull. Normally, he would have taken a bit of damage and would have been fine, but this time, he was instantly killed!”

  ​ RagingFlame replied to GreenApple. “I did some experiments on some low-level monsters. The same thing applies to them. If I hit their head with overwhelming force, they instantly die, but if I attack them with a mediocre amount of strength, they stay alive, but fall under a dazed state. Even more shocking, if I pierce their heart, they fall into a critical state. My conclusion is that monster and ascender bodies are now more aligned with reality. Everyone, proceed with caution!”

  ​ Mysterion replied to RagingFlame. “I did a bit of experimenting in the colosseum by dueling people. Attacks to non-critical body parts now do negligible amounts of damage. For example, before, an arrow hitting the wrist would have done fifty damage. Now, it does a pitiful five damage. One thing I found was that people with very high fortitude are more resistant to critical attacks. My tank friend was pierced through the heart, but was pretty much fine.”

  ​ Randodly commented. “Does anyone else feel like the number of elite monsters has risen?”

  ​ Ghosthound replied to Randodly. “I also noticed more field bosses.”

  ​ Volker replied to Ghosthound. “Guys, I just found an entirely new raid boss!”

  ​ More information came in every hour, and the post quickly flooded with comments. It was so chaotic that it became impossible to read through everything. Thankfully, one ascender with O.C.D went ahead and compiled all of the information into a nice-looking document.

  ​ Five days after the notification, things started to calm down. The top-tier guilds halted their ascension and focused on adapting to the new rules. Jason and his guild were no different.

  On the thirty-ninth floor, the sun was hanging high in the clear blue sky. In the center of a prairie, Jason stood still with his eyes closed. Inside his body, mana was circulating along a certain route. The mana slowly shrunk, until finally it became a strand of battle energy. At that moment, Jason’s eyes opened and saw a strange sight.

  In front of him, Cheslov was performing squats. Each hand was holding up a giant broadsword. The weight must have been several hundred pounds, and yet Cheslov was as steady as a statue. Cheslov stared into Jason’s eyes as he worked out. Up, down, up, down. The two men stared at each other, until finally Jason had to look away from embarrassment. The corner of Cheslov’s lips rose triumphantly.

  ​ Jason coughed as he tried to ignore the muscle-head in front of him. Instead, he focused on a battle in the distance. Roy was fighting against an earth bison, a muscular creature that could control the earth element. Before the change in the tower, the fight would have been easy, but not now. Any attacks Roy landed on the earth bison inflicted but a flesh wound. The hide and muscles of the bison were armor in themselves.

  Jason narrowed his eyes as he fell into thought. Monsters now have more strengths, but it's balanced by having more weaknesses. This earth bison is resistant to slashes and cuts, but pierce attacks would be devastating. Jason’s deep pool of combat experience and the fact that he had mastered the three realms allowed him to quickly adapt to the changes in the tower.

  ​ Jason glanced at Cheslov and sighed inwardly. This muscle-head. Cheslov didn’t even try to adapt and change his combat style. He focused on brute strength and only brute strength. He was basically The Hulk with two broadswords.

  ​ “Ah!” Roy’s alarmed cry caught Jason’s attention. He glanced over and found a Caucasian woman with short black hair crouching on top of the earth bison’s head. Her pair of daggers plunged into the bison’s eyes, instantly killing it. As the monster dissipated into light, she stepped forward and landed lightly.

  ​ Roy was frustrated. “Hey, I was using that to train. Why did you kill it? Don’t you know that kill stealing is rude!”

  ​ The woman walked up to Roy. “Sorry. I wanted a flashy entrance.”

  ​ Roy was about to retort, but upon recognizing the woman’s voice, he frowned. “Who are you?”

  ​ The woman’s hand grabbed at her face. Shockingly, her face was ripped off and turned into a mask. A familiar face appeared underneath. Roy’s face brightened as he ran forward and hugged her. “Olivia, you’re back!!”

  ​ Olivia felt a warm feeling in her chest from Roy’s hug. Her cold heart once more beat with life. Only now did she realize how deeply she cared for the little rascal. If that was the case, then what about Jason? She looked over Roy’s shoulder and found Jason standing there. “Yo.”

  ​ Olivia smiled. “I’m back.”

  ​ “I’m glad you’re safe.” Jason nodded and casually commented. “I like your hair.”

  ​ Olivia quickly put the mask back on to hide her red cheeks. Glancing behind Jason, she found Cheslov doing lunges while holding both broadswords at his side. “Is he okay?”

  Jason waved his hand dismissively with a snort. “Ignore him. He’s a weirdo.”

  “He’s a hard worker!” Roy stepped back an
d defended Cheslov, though he didn’t deny the ‘weirdo’ remark.

  Jason clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “So, everyone’s gathered. I was looking forward to showing you the next set of floors, but we were delayed a bit. Since we’ve all adapted, I can finally show you.”

  Roy glared at Jason while tilting his head at Olivia. Jason frowned for a second, but quickly got the message. He looked at Olivia. “Oh, sorry. I forgot.”

  Olivia shrugged. “I already passed the illusion on the fortieth floor.”

  “That’s great!” Roy swung his arm around Olivia’s shoulder and gave a thumbs up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

  Roy ran ahead while Jason and Olivia followed from behind. Cheslov’s eyes lit up when he saw Roy. “Ah, cardio exercise. Good thinking!”

  Cheslov chased after Roy, each step shaking the ground from the weight of the broadswords hanging over his shoulders.

  Olivia and Jason exchanged an amused smile before sprinting after their friends.

  Chapter 22

  You have entered a safe zone. You are invulnerable to damage from other ascenders.

  ​ This was the message that popped up when entering the forty-first floor. Never before had such a rule existed in the tower, so all newcomers were pleasantly surprised. As Roy was reading the notification, Olivia suddenly stabbed at his neck with her dagger. There was a loud ‘dink’ as the dagger was knocked away. Roy stepped back while clutching his neck in surprise. “Hey! Why’d you attack me?”

  ​ Olivia mused aloud. “Looks like it’s true.”

  ​ Roy pouted by stomping his foot. He double-checked his neck to make sure there were no wounds. Only then did he relax. “Give me a warning next time, sheesh.”

  ​ Cheslov stepped forward and inspected his surroundings with disappointment. “Does that mean there are no monsters? No fighting?”

  ​ “Not quite.” Jason shook his head and explained. “Only certain parts of these floors have safe areas.”