Eli's Perspective:
The air snaps with power. Everything changes in an instant.
A flash of red light envelops us. My eyes adjust slowly. We are in a clearing, several thousand meters from where we started. The snow is blackened, scorched in streaks. Trees surround us on all sides, silent and still.
A man sits on a log beside Sho. She has lit a fire between them, small but steady.
"Why don't you sit with us," Sho says. Her voice leaves no room for argument.
We find nearby logs and pull them into a circle around the fire.
I have met this man before.
Mr. Sato.
He sits on a snow covered log. Calm and steady like a rock in a storm. His grey hair is tied in a simple ponytail.
A few strands loose around his face.
His eyes are steel grey, sharp yet kind. They take in everything slowly, patiently. Eyes that have seen too much and still hold warmth.
His armor looks similar to Sho's. Sleek and dark with silver trimming that catches the firelight. But he has heavier plating over the shoulders and chest. It is made for protection rather than speed.
He shifts slightly and clutches his side. Blood seeps through his fingers. Subtle. Easy to miss if you are not looking.
Teruki notices first. She breaks the silence.
"Do you want me to heal you?" she asks with a gentle smile.
Mr. Sato smiles.
"What happened?" Selene asks as Teruki walks over and kneels beside him.
"We were attacked," Sho answers before Mr. Sato can.
Sho's father sits like a statue. Still. Silent.
"I am B rank for a reason," Mr. Sato mutters, trying to straighten himself with a pained grin.
"Stop moving," Teruki says firmly.
All he can do is nod.
"Why do the Reapers hate you so much?" Reyna asks, her voice quiet.
"From what I've gathered, they see me as a threat to the tower," Sho replies.
"They believe if I die, the tower will fall into chaos."
"Chaos?" Viri mumbles.
"Or at least more chaos than there already is."
Sho sits cross-legged. Her hands resting in her lap. Her eyes closed. Her breathing is slow and steady.
"What are you doing?" Sakura asks.
"Meditating?" Teruki asks.
"Cultivating," Sho corrects calmly.
"Cultivating?" we almost all say at once.
"The players in this world know almost nothing about the systems that govern it," Sho continues.
"Explain," Reyna says. "There are books about magic."
"The issue," Sho says, "is that those books are written for NPCs. They treat the world like it's meant for humans. But we're not humans here. We're high humans."
"Is that why you're so strong?" Teruki asks, sitting beside Mr. Sato.
"Yes," Sho replies. "Although it might sound egotistical, we need to remember. We are above NPCs. And with that comes different systems. Think of the teleportation spell, for example."
"NPCs can't use that spell," Reyna says.
"Exactly," Mr. Sato interjects. "It's the same with cultivating. It's a way to improve your core."
"On Earth," Teruki begins, "I read books about cultivation and stuff like that. But how would it work here?"
"You need to look at your core," Sho says. "A part of your body that separates humans from high humans. This core holds your mana. But what if you could absorb more than your current limit?"
"I guess that makes sense," I say, "but..."
"But?" Sho prompts.
"It doesn't make sense how we can't interact with our cores."
"What makes you believe that?" Selene asks.
"I guess I've never tried," Viri mutters. "But why wouldn't these powers be explained?"
"Yeah, we're in a game after all," someone adds.
"That's another problem," Mr. Sato says. "People keep treating this world like a game, when we need to start seeing it as its own being."
"We expect it to be one-to-one with the game," Selene says, "but from what we've seen... this floor is completely different."
"All of the S-ranks already know this," Sho says. "Not all of them use magic. That's the only issue."
"If it's based on cultivation," Teruki asks, "does that mean everyone could have as much mana as you?"
"Theoretically, yes," Sho replies. "But it would take a long time."
"So mana is even more important than we thought," Sakura says.
"Unfortunately, yes. Those with a lot of mana don't need to worry about those without."
"I'd be willing to teach you how to cultivate," Sho says. "However..."
"However?" Reyna repeats.
"It won't change much at first. I've been cultivating since I realized it was possible, and I haven't noticed many changes."
We fall silent for a moment, and Sho looks directly at me.
"It might work for you, Eli."
"Why?" I ask, confused.
"Because your mana is so low. It's being blocked, I assume by that ring on your finger."
"How... how did you know?"
"I've seen rings like those. The Ten Slayers sell them. Adrian Kundra uses one to hide his mana. He has a lot."
"Do you know how much he has?" I ask.
She doesn't answer. Instead, she changes the subject.
"Would you like me to teach you, Eli?"
I nod.
"I would love to learn," I say, bowing to Sho.
I glance at Rei, but she doesn't seem to notice at first. I sigh and place my hands on my lap.
"Once the tenth floor is cleared, we should begin training," Sho says.
The fire crackles once. Then dies.
Rei lifts her hand. With a flick of her fingers, a new flame bursts to life.
"Thank you, Reyna," Sho says. Even Mr. Sato nods in approval.
Sho snaps her fingers. A small glowing rune appears on the ground, pulsing softly.
In a flash of light, four bags appear where the rune once was.
"Take one," Sho says, looking straight at Rei.
I grab a bag and unzip it. Inside are packets of food, wrapped marshmallows, chocolate bars, and even graham crackers. There's jerky, tea bags, and a few vacuum-sealed rice balls. It smells... oddly nostalgic.
"Where do you even get these?" Viri asks, her eyes gleaming as she digs through her own bag.
Sho leans back, hands in her lap. "There's a guild called FG. Food Guild. Their mission is to replicate foods from Earth. Vanilla, chocolate, cheese, and breads. They use transformation magic, high-level synthesis, alchemy, even monster ingredients if they're close enough."
"And it tastes so real!!" Selene gleams, already chewing something.
"Close enough," Sho replies, popping a roasted almond into her mouth.
As we eat, the cold of the floor becomes more noticeable. The ground beneath us starts to feel ancient, like the cold is more than just weather. It's a memory. It presses up through the stones.
I glance at Teruki. She's sitting across from me. Stiff, her expression serious and distant. We're at the top of a hill.I can't see past the tree line.
Teruki suddenly jolts upright.
"I need to go to the bathroom," she says, then runs into the forest.
Rei looks at Sakura. They exchange a silent glance, and Sakura disappears without a word. I assume she's following her. No… not following. Protecting.
As we eat and the night drags on, the clouds above begin to shift. They swirl, turning dark and heavy like wet ash. They're not storm clouds. They feel like something is watching us.
"They're looking at me," Sho says quietly, staring up.
"Who is?" Reyna asks.
Sho doesn't answer. The firelight flickers in her grey eyes.
"Why are you being so nice to us?" Reyna asks. Her voice is soft, but firm. "You hated us. You mocked us for being weak. We fought you. And now you're offering us chocolate and fire?"
We've all been thinking about it.
Sho doesn't respond right away. Selene shifts beside me, sensing the tension. She offers me a s'more, already roasted.
"I'm good," I say, waving it off.
"I'm sure you already know why," Sho says. She takes another bite of her chocolate bar.
"No," Reyna says, shaking her head. "I truly have no idea."
Sho stares into the fire.
"Adrian Kundra."
The name drops like a stone in water.
"What does he have to do with anything?" Viri asks, her brow furrowing.
Sho reaches into her coat. She pulls out a folded piece of paper. She hands it to Rei, who unfolds it and passes it around the circle.
The first paper reads:
---------------------------------------------------
News Guild Update
Top 10 Guild Rankings & Player Counts
As of November 15, 2035
Ascend – 50 members
Sho – 39 members
Mana – 6 members
Black Cats– 200
10 Slayers – 9 members
Reapers – 320 members
G2 – 5 members
Crusaders – 10 members
Order – 50 members
RG – 1,000 members
---------------------------------------------------
The second paper reaches me. I hold it in my hands. I stare at it for a long time.
------------------------------------------------
News Guild Update
Following the fall of Order, Dante updated the player rankings.
Updated Format:
Guild | Player Name | Rank (S–F)
Top 10 Player Rankings:
As of November 14, 2035
1. Sho | Sho | S+++ Rank
2. Ascend | Valen | S++ Rank
3. Mana | Lyra | S+ Rank
4. The 10 Slayers | Thorne | S Rank
5. Pale Branch | Rhy | S Rank
6. [Guildless] | Arthur | S Rank
7. Black Cats | Archer | S Rank
8. Black Cats | Hex | S Rank
9. Crusaders | Adrian Kundra | S Rank
10. The 10 Slayers | Lilith | S Rank
----------------------------------------------------
I look at Rei, surprise clear in my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell us?" I ask.
Viri folds her arms, frowning. "You got dethroned?"
"It's a long story," Rei begins, her voice low.
"Why are you showing us this?" Viri asks, turning to Sho.
"Your guild has no top ten members. That's a miracle on its own, especially with all the controversy surrounding you. Your guild also has no S ranks. "
"What does this have to do with Kundra?" I ask, confused.
Rei sighs deeply. "Adrian Kundra has the most potential of anyone in this tower. I have a lot of respect for him. That's rare. I don't respect anyone outside of my guild. Not Valen, not Lyra, not Thorne, none of them. But I respect him."
"Why?" I press. "Do you love him?"
Sho exhales slowly. "I wouldn't call it love." She looks away for a moment.
She looks back at me. "But he makes me feel... different. When we're near each other, I can sense his mana. It's overwhelming. Whenever he removes more than two rings, his mana becomes so suffocating. It makes me sick. That's why I asked him to keep most of them on. He has more mana than I ever will, and yet he chooses to remain magicless, which is idiotic."
Rei chuckles. "Sounds like love to me."
"Is that true?" I asked.
"How come I've never noticed it?" Viri adds, puzzled.
Mr. Sato cuts in. "We spawned in close proximity. After going to a nearby city, we bought rings sold by NPCs until we were able to get the better rings from Ten Slayers. Those rings reduce his mana by a lot. He had to wait outside with Sho till we returned"
"It's a miracle he hasn't made anyone sick," Selene says. "When you don't even know your mana count, it could overwhelm you completely. He has more mana than anyone in the Tower, and it's not even close. Out of everyone currently rated in the Tower, he has the most mana. He could probably even use Void or Time magic consistently."
Rei raises an eyebrow and looks at Sho. "Can you?"
She shrugs. "I've attempted Void magic. I've been able to use some skills, but Time magic is a whole other ballgame."
Sho smirks. "No, it's more like a duty."
Rei nods.
"We both have the highest recorded mana ever. He's number one, I'm number two. I don't love him. I see him as a powerhouse who refuses to show his true strength out of some moral obligation. Which is idiotic. And regardless, he doesn't love me. We're too different."
Mr. Sato leans forward and quietly interjects, "It's not idiotic. It's fear. Fear of what power can bring."
"Not even that," Sho continues. "He has this backwards belief about magic. He sees himself as the hope of humanity. A version of peace. He thinks that if he can make it to S-rank without magic, then the rest of the world can too. Or that those without a lot of mana don't need to worry."
She smirks. "'Don't need to worry' … he's so stupid."
"He wants to give people hope," Selene adds softly, "since we are the generation that won't see the end of this tower."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"It's time to realize we won't be the generation that leaves this tower. We won't see the end of it." Sho's voice is steady, almost resigned.
Rei looks distant, lost in thought. "That last line should be our warning."
I look at Rei, surprise clear in my eyes.