by Jakob Tanner
Harold emerged from the glowing light of the teleporter and snapped his fingers.
Oomph!
The strange anti-gravity realm suddenly developed a sense of gravity and they all collapsed on their bums.
Toto landed on top of Casey’s head.
“How did you do that?” said Max in awe.
“A magician never reveals his tricks,” grinned Harold. “Don’t worry, you’ll learn in time.”
They moved forward across the star-filled realm, looking around in wonder.
“Honestly,” sighed Casey. “The way things are going I wouldn’t be surprised if floor-15 was a world covered in dog crap.”
“No,” said Harold. “That’s not the case.”
The old man’s alert expression had not disappeared even as they had entered a new floor of the tower.
But then his next words surprised Max.
“The floor above us is floor-15,” said Harold. “My favorite floor in all of the tower.”
15
The floor-15 arrival teleporter welcomed the group to a cavernous mountain world.
A town lay out before them. In the distance they could see miners working the stone with their pickaxes.
The whole surrounding area, however, was significantly different to the previous mountainous and cavern realms they had visited in the lower floors.
Gigantic slabs of the mountain had been carved out to create window-like openings in the cavern, bringing in light from the wondrous mountain region that existed beyond where they currently stood.
It was a majestic sight to take hold of.
“Look,” said Casey, flicking her hand on his shoulder. “Boldrin!”
That’s right, Max thought to himself. Violet had told them the Boldrin originated on floor-15. This was their home floor.
As the group strode into the town, Max took in the Boldrin with their stone-like skin.
They must be sending their own team to floor-30 to compete in the games, Max figured. I wonder if their team had set off already. Or were they the only team running slightly behind schedule to the games.
They soon arrived at the floor-15 Zestiris climber’s guild outpost.
“Alright, let’s check in,” said Harold. “And then I’m going to show you why this floor is the best floor in the entire tower.”
“Yeah, you still haven’t explained that yet,” said Casey. “I mean—this place is kind of cozy, but to call it your favorite is very high praise. Especially for an old-timer like you—you’ve must have gone to loads of floors above this one!”
“Hey! Who’re you calling old-timer!”
“Sorry, I meant to say elderly-gentleman-growing-into-old-age-like-a-fine-wine. Are you happy now?”
Harold crossed his arms. “Better. You lot need to learn to respect your elders more.”
With that Harold strode off into the outpost.
Their rooms were arranged and then Harold gathered them all up again, though this time he had a towel around his neck.
“Why do you have a towel?” Sarah asked.
“Ah, I understand why this floor is your favorite now,” said Blake, grinning.
“This is my lucky towel,” said Harold. “I always bring it with me when I go to the floor-15 hot springs!”
Ten minutes later, they were standing in front of a large bathhouse with bamboo walls that poked out onto the side of the mountain.
“Alright gents, let’s go,” said Harold. “Ladies, I’ll trust you two to figure it all out on the women’s side.”
Suddenly, Max felt an odd shiver go down his spine as he followed behind Harold and Blake.
“Wait, we have to get naked?”
Casey sat in the hot spring across from Sarah.
She felt lightheaded and relaxed with the hot water surrounding her skin.
Her cheeks were flushed and rosy.
“No peeking,” she said to Toto, who she’d hidden in a nearby bush.
Beyond the bush was a bamboo fence that divided the hot springs between the male and female pools.
Just beyond there was Max, his skin glistening in the reflection of the—
She shook her head, blushing at her thoughts, making her cheeks rosier than they already were.
“What are you thinking about?” Sarah giggled.
An image of Max with his shirt off came to mind in Casey’s head.
“Nothing,” she said and found herself slipping more and more of her body into the hot spring out of embarrassment. Eventually, she could only breathe out of her nose.
“I know we don’t know each other well,” said Sarah. “But I’m so happy Max has someone like you in his life.”
Casey’s eyes winced.
Someone like you.
What did that mean?
Casey gently raised her head out of the water.
“What do you mean?”
Sarah blushed. “Before he left the outer-rim, all he would talk about was climbing the tower. I’m so happy he found someone who shared that passion with him. I’m jealous in a way. You’ve gotten to see him grow as a climber.”
There was a part of Casey she was deeply ashamed of—the part of her that made her want to not like Sarah. But the younger girl was so freaking nice, it was extremely hard to hate her.
“It’s funny that you say that,” said Casey. “I feel like you two have so much history together that it completely obliterates the year or so Max and I have known each other.”
Sarah smiled.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” she said. “I see the way he smiles and looks at you.”
“Really?” said Casey, blushing again. “I feel like all he sees me as is a warrior companion. Fight this monster with me. Train here with me. Save this kingdom with me. Sometimes, I don’t even think he sees me as a girl!”
Sarah laughed.
“Give him time,” she said. “I can’t speak for him, but I know that with the childhood we had, it would make opening up to anyone very hard.”
“You seem to be doing alright,” said Casey.
“Yeah,” Sarah smiled. “And then there’s just the classic thing that stupid boys don’t know how to talk about their stupid feelings.”
The two girls giggled together in the hot spring.
Casey realized there and then that Max wasn’t her only friend on this mission.
“What do you think they’re talking about over there?” asked Max.
He sat with Harold and Blake in the warmth of the hot spring.
Both men blushed at Max’s question.
“I don’t know,” said Harold as a mischievous grin formed on his face. “Maybe we should...peek over?”
Harold’s face grew lecherous and strange as if he was losing all of his seriousness and common sense with only one goal in mind.
“Isn’t that against the rules?” said Max. “I’m sure all the women on the other side wouldn’t—”
“If they didn’t want us to see,” said Harold, his face taking on a goofier and dumber expression by the second, “Why would they separate us with such a flimsy wall?”
“No,” said Blake, abruptly. “Max is right. We shouldn’t peek. Besides—there’s only one woman in my life I’d like to see in the nude. Sakura Sato. The most beautiful girl in all of the tower!”
Harold crossed his arm and scowled at the two of them.
“Well, aren’t you two a bunch of scaredy-cat wimps.”
Max snickered at the old man and leaned his head back and let the relaxing warmth of the hot spring envelop him.
He heard a ripple in the water.
He opened his eyes and found that Blake had moved closer to him.
Uncomfortably close.
“Um,” said Max. “Why are you moving so close to me? It’s kinda weird.”
Blake’s cheeks blushed, like he had something shameful on his mind.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, Max” said Blake.
This was getting very strange.
>
Max moved away from Blake, but the man kept moving closer to him.
“Do you have to ask me right now, you know, while we’re naked?”
“Yes,” said Blake.
Max wasn’t sure if Blake’s answer made things any less weird.
“We are vulnerable together in relaxation,” Blake explained. “We can share truths about each other we might not be able to when we are clothed.”
“Alriiiight,” said Max, getting more and more uncomfortable. “What is it?”
Blake gulped and cleared his throat.
“Will you tell me how to make bacon and egg ramen the way Sakura loves it?” he asked, his eyes beaming. “It’s the only way to her heart. You must teach me, Chef Master Max!”
Max sighed with relief.
“Is that it?”
Blake nodded his head eagerly like a puppy.
“Then, yeah, sure,” said Max. “I don’t mind, but could you maybe move a bit—”
Blake stood up out of the hot spring and gave Max a huge bear hug.
“Thank you, Chef Master Max!”
Max froze.
“Can you maybe hug me later? Again—when, you know, we’re not naked?”
SMACK!
“OWWWWWW!”
Harold’s left cheek was red with a hand print and he stumbled backward, splashing back into the hot spring.
Casey’s voice hollered across the bamboo fence.
“Stay on your own side you perverted old man!!!”
16
The following day they set off for the floor-15 departure teleporter.
The journey involved traveling deep into the depths of the mountain. They fought ice elementals, snow beetles, and winter slimes.
Most of them dropped copper and silver cores that went to Sarah, though, one strange creature known as a frostghast—a strange gaseous creature that created sharp ice particle projectiles—dropped a gold monster core that went to Max.
Later that evening as they sat around a bonfire, he absorbed the gold core and watched his stats rise. He took in his new profile.
Name: Max Rainhart
Rank: D
Trait (Unique): Mimic. Unleash the last move you were hit with at double the power.
You may choose to retain three abilities you’re hit with, adding them to your arsenal of attacks at double the power.
Ability Slot: Shadow Blink (Rare)
Ability Slot: Chain Lightning (Rare)
Ability Slot: Phase-Out (Uncommon)
Strength: 34
Agility: 34
Endurance: 33
Mana Affinity: 36
Passive Skills:
Kokoro (Warrior Spirit)
He still had a long way to go before hitting C-rank, but right now that was the least of his problems. They still had to get to floor-30 and the clock was ticking.
A few days later, they reached the floor-15 departure teleporter and ascended to floor-16.
From the cold depths of the mountain, they emerged into the thick heat of a desert floor.
In every direction was an endless sea of sand and a clear blue sky.
“Floor-16 has killed more climbers than any of the floors we’ve been to yet,” said Harold. “Some call this floor the Endless Desert. I call it The Sand Trap.”
Everyone stared at Harold with shock and fear.
“You really know how to scare them, gramps” said Blake. He then turned to Max, Casey, and Sarah. “Seriously, don’t worry. The floor’s not that bad, well, except for the giant flesh-eating worms of course.”
“What!?” shouted the three youngest climbers in shocked unison.
“Relax,” said Blake. “Here comes one now.”
The desert floor began to shake and rumble.
Max felt his stomach lurch. He hoped Harold and Blake’s confidence turned out to actually be confidence and not the cavalier arrogance that would get them all killed.
All Max knew was that right then, he really wasn’t feeling that confident.
Even less so when a giant skyscraper-sized worm emerged and towered over them.
“Don’t worry,” scoffed Blake, he then turned to the group’s A-ranker. “I trust you know what to do, right, Harold?”
“Ah, I see how it is,” said Harold. “When you’re making fun of me, it’s ‘gramps’ and ‘old timer’, but when a giant worm threatens to eat us all, it’s ‘Harold’, is it?”
“Will you please deal with this giant worm, you perverted senile geriatric old geezer!!” shouted Casey, with Toto raising a little frustrated fist on her shoulder.
“Well, I guess life or death doesn’t change her attitude,” shrugged Harold. “Alright, let’s do this, Blake!”
Harold materialized a whip from his climber’s pouch and rushed the worm.
Blake ran forward and began conjuring fireballs within his hands and whipping them up at the worm.
The worm shrieked and dove its head towards Blake.
As the worm did this, Harold managed to leap himself onto the creature’s back.
He rushed along the worm’s body with incredible lightning fast speed.
The agility stat of an A-ranker.
Soon enough, Harold was at the front of the worm. If he went any further, he’d tumble into the massive mouth of the creature and be shredded by its countless number of tiny teeth.
Harold took the whip he’d materialized and stabbed one end of it into the worm and then stabbed the other end into the creature as well.
Suddenly, Harold was holding the whip like a set of horse reins.
The worm’s hostile demeanor suddenly disappeared, Harold seemingly taming it with the whip.
“Alright, kiddies,” shouted Harold. “Get aboard. We’re riding this to the next departure teleporter.”
“He can’t be serious,” said Casey.
Max, too, was in awe.
“Harold is a lot of things,” murmured Sarah. “But he sure is fearless.”
They all got aboard the giant worm and Harold started whipping it across the desert floor.
Braden and his squad ascended onto floor-16.
He coughed as sand swept up by the wind flew into his mouth.
The silhouette of a giant worm in the distance grew smaller as it moved further away.
“Damn,” said his accomplice. “They’re already so far away.”
Braden smirked.
No, he thought. This is going perfectly to plan.
Max and his companions all stood atop the worm as it barreled forward across the desert at top speed.
The sand dunes and bright blue sky stretched out before them.
“Wow,” said Casey as she watched the desert dunes rush by. “For a perverted old geezer, you can be quite impressive, huh?”
Harold smirked at her comment and kept his hands on the reins.
Max wasn’t exactly sure how Harold had done it, but the reins somehow created a means to tame the worm and bring it under their control.
It really was incredible.
It must have been tricks and shortcuts like these that had allowed Harold and Sarah to beat them to the New Elestrian departure teleporter. The old man just knew boundless secrets, shortcuts, and strategies of the tower.
Max was glad to have the man on his side.
The squad stood at attention on the back of the worm as it traveled forward.
Sarah and Casey watched with awe, while Blake casually lit another cigarette acting as if riding a giant worm across the desert was just another Tuesday for him.
Keeping his balance by sending a bit of mana to his feet, Max approached Harold.
“So, is this a rare item you’re using?”
“Huh?” said Harold. “These mana reins? Nah, You can buy them in most outposts and climber shops on the majority of the floors. Anyone who’s been up the tower once or twice knows that’s how you get across this—”
Harold stopped talking. His eyes narrowed.
There was nothing in front of them thou
gh.
It must have been the man’s mana sense.
Max quickly looked over his shoulder and saw another giant worm in the distance coming straight after them.
“Of course,” muttered Harold. “They would choose now to strike us.”
Harold tightened his grip on the mana reins and whipped the worm to go faster.
The rest of the squad was now looking behind them at the giant worm that was rapidly catching up to them.
“Maybe it’s a friendly worm?” said Sarah.
“Somehow I doubt it,” Casey replied.
Blake flicked his cigarette into the desert sand and ran across the long length of the worm so that he was in closer range to the other slithering monstrosity chasing after them.
Two balls of flame emerged in the palms of his hands and he whipped them at the enemy worm.
His shoulder kept spinning as he generated fireball after fireball.
The flaming spheres traveling across the desert plains headed straight for the hostile worm.
The worm swerved and dodged the attacks.
“Uh oh,” shouted Blake. “It’s gaining on us!”
Max watched the hostile enemy worm rush towards them.
He began to make out an enemy squad standing along the giant worm.
Well, that explains a little bit, Max thought. Least we know now why we haven’t accidentally stepped into some kind feud between warring worm clans.
It also offered a solution.
They didn’t need to defeat the worm, they just had to knock the enemies off of it.
Max ran over to Casey and quickly told her his plan.
A few seconds later, Max and Casey were soaring across the desert plains on the back of a giant paper crane.
Casey’s hair fluttered into Max’s face.
“I hope this plan works, Max,” shouted Casey.
“Just get me closer!”
As they closed the gap between the two worms, Max triggered his chain lightning attack.
He thrust his arm out, sending a powerful surge of blue lightning towards the enemy squad on the worm.
They’re going to have to scatter, Max thought. That will create chaos in their ranks and slow the worm down.
