important informations
Places, names and other information used in this story are only inspired by our current life and planet, as there are changed information and locations for the sake of the plot. Please consider this story as taking place in an alternative universe to our own.
Our amazing MC knows how to speak 5 languages, however your writer can't. And as I would like to avoid using Google Translate (as I don't wake up thinking about butchering languages as a hobby), the languages he understands will be written in bold and I'll point it out, the ones he doesn't, it'll only have a translation if a character around him does it for him.
When you see this symbol: ✴, it'll signalize a passage of time in the story. While the symbol: ☆, will signalize the end of the chapter. At the end of every chapter I'll put the status window of the MC, ML or any other relevant character, as I'll avoid repeating it during the story to not become jarring. If you don't wish to read it, you can just skip it, the informations there will always be relayed during the story, however as I know that sometimes you might want to check it and it might be boring and annoying to check the whole chapter, I'll constantly put in the end, so it can be easier for everyone.
This story will contain: gore, violence, foul language and sexual innuendo in most chapters. There will also be instances of religious intolerance and religious persecution (with religions that are fictional, but it can have aspects similar to real religions). The explicit chapters will have a warning, be it for sexual content or extreme violence. If any of this is upsetting to you, please avoid reading it.
Updates will be insanely slow as I'm working on this story along with HWLC. That is my priority, it won't go beyond a month without chapters, though. If you enjoy the story please share, give it kudos or just keep accompanying it, as it helps me feel motivated to write more :D.
I feel the intense necessity of making playlists to write every story I do, so check out the playlist for illuminate: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzQy_skC__7eEnBTL_vuqdhifNUI59Phy&si=XTuPi_6MBJjJGoqg
I add songs as I go on writing the story.
✴
⚠︎ This chapter has mentions of body mutilation and blood.
♬ SENSITIVE - MOTHICA ♬
''The first rule of survival one must have is to know when to keep their mouth shut, Rowan. Just because I'm your mother doesn't mean I desire to listen to your voice all the time''.
A sharp throbbing pain at the back of his neck is the first thing that Rowan notices when he wakes up, slowly he opens his clear hazel eyes to meet the sight of pure chaos. People running around in despair, some screaming and others crying, there were also those that haven't woken yet. The 20 year-old man sits, his neck still hurting like hell, he gazes around to evaluate the place he is in.
It's some sort of stage surrounded by a transparent dome, the ground is made of a gray hard and cold stone, it reminds him of the streets of old villages in his country. There are seven pillars around the stage, each glowing in different colors, green, purple, yellow, blue, red, white and black and they also have weird carvings in letters he doesn't recognize.
Outside the dome is the audience, the chairs are made of the same material of the ground he's sitting in and the figures watching them are flooding in, like a real audience waiting to watch a play. The figures are nothing but smudges, no features can be distinguished, except for their width and height. They're also colored in the same colors of the weird pillars.
Will something happen when all the chairs are taken? The man thinks, turning his gaze towards the other humans around him. There are probably around 400 or more people there, they're also from different countries as the languages they speak are varying, some Rowan can recognize and others he can't.
The last memory he has is of going for a walk after university classes, he was a bit depressed after seeing his grades, even considering dropping out. He never wanted to study law, however it was in his parents will, so he simply didn't see another option besides it.
Rowan doesn't remember getting home, so he probably was kidnapped while he was making his walk, panicking won't make him go back home, so he decides to get up and walk around to search for someone that speaks English or another language he knows. Elders, children, teenagers… people of all ages were there, for fucks sake, there's even a baby here, what the fuck? He thinks as he spots a woman carrying a baby she claims isn't hers. She's speaking Italian and the baby is crying loudly, almost as if he can feel what will happen soon.
After a while he finds a group of middle-schoolers with a uniform he recognizes from the school next to his apartment complex. They got here together when every other person seemed to be random… Rowan thinks as he approaches the group composed of two girls and one boy, they seem to be afraid, yet they were acting calmer than some adults.
"Hello, kids", he says, one of the girls glances at him with a weird expression, while the others smile weakly.
"Hey mister", the boy speaks first, his hands shaking. "Do you know what's happening?" He asks with hope in his tone, however Rowan shakes his head, shattering the boy's hopes in a matter of seconds. "We're going to die", he whispers to himself, one of the girls hugs him from the side, consoling the boy that starts crying.
"What were you doing before you woke up here?" Rowan asks.
"We were eating chips at a store close to the school, a really strong light blinded us and the next thing we knew, we were here", the girl that is hugging the boy says, she seems calm, but Rowan can see the fear in her eyes.
"We are going to die", the boy whispers again, the girl in front of him, the one that looked weird at Rowan, snaps at her friend.
"Shut up, stop saying that, we won't die", the confidence in her voice almost convinces Rowan, however she's shaking even more than the boy in front of her. The man wants to tell them that everything will be alright, and that they won't die.
But he can't be sure of that. And fake hope is worse than no hope.
He walks around a bit more, observing the people around him, after doing so he comes to the conclusion that most people there are around his age or older, children and teens are approximately only 10% of the people there, however their ages range from months old to late teens. He also came to the conclusion that everyone there is from parts of Europe, meaning that if they weren't the only ones kidnapped like that, there are other stages like that somewhere.
I wonder how many people are in such a situation? Thousands? Millions? Or maybe billions? His thought is interrupted by a really loud noise, he and all the other people there go silent and direct their gazes to a single spot: the audience. The theater is full, there's not a single chair left.
"Hello, my dear players!" A shrill voice turns their attention to the back of the stage, where a tall woman is, her skin, hair, eyes and clothes are all completely white like snow, almost as if she's a polar bear turned human. She's standing in the air, floating so that everyone can see her even at a distance. "Welcome to The Theater! This is your first step towards saving your world!" The stage is quiet, not because they don't want to speak, not a single person there can open their mouths to speak, the baby is even turning purple, unable to cry. "You were summoned here to have the privilege of climbing the Tower of Life, where you'll grow stronger in order to save your world from imminent doom!" She giggles, her voice is annoying, Rowan thinks, frowning.
He already saw this setting a million times, in games, novels and comics, people gathered against their will to challenge monsters, to die or live at the hands of selfish gods. What she's saying is basically that if they don't climb the tower, someone or something will come and destroy their world, and since they failed, there won't be anyone to protect it. Questions flood into his brain, there are so many things he can assume by his experience playing RPGs and reading stories, however, he can't even come closer to understanding the motives of what is happening right now even so.
After all there must be a difference between a game and reality, even if she's referring to them as players.
"The Tower of Life has 100 floors, each with a different challenge to complete!" Her words are filled with excitement, as if everyone in front of her doesn't have an expression of pure terror right now. "You must complete 10 floors before returning to Earth, and when that happens it'll have a cool down of 9 months before you're summoned for the next 10 floors!" Rowan stares at the white woman, her eyes are shining and she has a twisted grin on her face. So, it'll take at least 8 years to get to the 100th floor, depending how long you take to complete each floor. He thinks, pushing his slightly long blonde hair back.
Rowan Emrys Lewis, a 179cm, 20-year-old man that is currently living in London, he's originally from York, where he lived across the street from his grandparents. However due to several incidents he ended up following his mother around the world, he ended up in so many places in the span of 10 years, that even if he wanted he couldn't say that he was from a specific nationality. He had four different types of passports, his accent was gone and his generic blonde hair, hazel eyes and decent build made him fit in wherever he went.
He was homeschooled by his mother, his father was against it, as he wanted Rowan to have a normal life, and sometimes he wished that his father won the argument. He still saw his grandparents frequently and his father as well, but every time he visited they felt more like strangers than family, and at a point he stopped visiting at all.
Both his parents agreed on one thing though, that he should go to Law School, and so he did, he got into a small university close to London and started university alone, for the first time in 19 years. And after a year into this adventure, he had no friends, he felt like a foreigner in his own country and he was failing every single class he was in.
Therefore, right now, he doesn't understand what is happening, but he wants to live and his imagination is running wild with the possibilities. Things he only ever read in books are now happening in front of him, how can he not feel excited and fearful?
Before the woman spoke again at least that was how he was feeling. "In 10 years, the world you know will suffer mass extinction, the gods however felt pity for you, and decided to create the Tower of Life to give you a chance to live!"
A brave yet stupid elder man raises his hand, the white woman nods, allowing him to speak, he gasps for air before he speaks. "Can we die in this game?" The question makes the audience mumble, the sound is impossible to understand, but it seems like they were displeased by it.
The woman laughs. "Oh well, of course you can die, you silly pie! This is about saving your world, not saving yourself ". Altruism, selflessness, those are both things he's used to being around, people getting shot in order to drag a body from a warzone, things no 12-year-old child should see, however he realized something after a while.
No human will save others at their own expense. They'll say they do, and in situations where they foolishly believe they'll survive, they might even save people, but it's all in order to feel better about yourself and when you sleep at night you can tell yourself that you're a savior.
"If you want to survive enough, I'm sure you won't die", she says with a twisted smile. "Now," she claps her hand, startling Rowan. "Our audience seems to be excited for what comes next! Like what you humans call video-games, here you can choose your class! We have six choices, please pay attention as this information is critical for your survival", as she speaks the members of the audience seem to rumble with excitement. By Rowan's conclusion they probably are the gods that she mentioned, he wonders if they're the gods people worship at Earth or they're something they never even imagined about.
He glances at the three younglings he talked to before, they're trembling, and the boy seems to be the one in the worst condition. He's crying in a fetal position, rocking his body forwards and backwards as he mumbles with no sound. A wonder crosses his mind, how long will these children survive?
If it's based in games and people can die, they'll probably end up dealing with monsters and even deadly traps. Luckily for Rowan he had good stamina and he used to run marathons with his mother after he turned 15, he also enjoyed surfing and canoeing. So at least he can run away, but some of the people there were in wheelchairs and crutches. Are some of us just being sent to die?
He wonders even further, if people are summoned at random, there are odds of ending up with serial killers or severely mentally ill individuals. Those people that like inflicting pain in others tend to thrive in this situation.
"To choose a class, just touch the pillar of your choice. Let's start then! The first class is red! The class of fighters, be it with your body or weapons, those that thrive in combat can choose the red pillar!" Rowan watches as most men and some women touch the red pillar, it is a smart choice for those that are confident in their strength, however it's tricky considering the many possibilities you can end up with. He watches as one of the women tries to remove her hand but it seems to be stuck. Once you choose you can't change it, she also never said that we should choose it as soon as she speaks, though. Others who didn't choose also seem to take note of the same thing as Rowan.
The black haired young woman that is holding the baby raises her hand. Once the white woman allows her to speak, her words leave her mouth in Italian, as it's one of the languages Rowan speaks, he's able to understand her. "What about the baby? He can't even walk!" The white woman nods.
"I see, well, you can leave it, you don't need to take care of it." Her words are cold, almost as if the Italian woman was interrupting her important moment.
"How can I…" She attempts to plead once more, but she's unable to continue speaking. Rowan feels sorry for the woman, she looks conflicted, she could abandon the baby, simply put him on the ground and leave. She doesn't, though.
"Continuing," The floating woman says, her expression is one of annoyance. "The next pillar is white! Class of Priests, this one is just as powerful as the god you serve! Holy magic can be used to protect and also to destroy, intriguing, right?" The gods she seems to be talking about are probably in the audience, not the ones people might believe in Earth. If they choose this path, not only they'll need to abandon their current religion, but also be lucky enough to be chosen by a god there. Even with all of these dangers, some people go to the pillar, fewer than the previous one, but that is to be expected, as the fighter class was always one of the favorites in any game.
Mistakenly, people believe that offense power is the best one out there. Which isn't necessarily true, both in games and in real life.
"Good to see the ducklings choosing their paths! Now let's go to the green pillar! My favorite if I'm being honest. Summoners! A class that allows you to use both magic and weapons, the sky's the limit with the power of your summons!" Her excitement is not translated to her gaze, her eyes are unexpressive. Summoners are one of the weakest classes in the games that Rowan played, at least. They depend on their affinity to spirits and also to their goodwill. Only one person goes to the pillar this time.
It is to be expected, compared to actually being a magician or a priest, being a summoner doesn't sound as cool. He thinks, while observing the others, he also steals glances to the audience, however as he can't distinguish their forms or words, it is useless to do so.
The woman starts speaking again, her voice becomes even more annoying each time she speaks again. Rowan feels the urge to block his ears, but he doesn't. "What a shame… the next is the yellow pillar! Magic is something you never experienced on Earth, but now you can meet the wonders of Mana through the Magician class!" And there it is, more than half of the remaining humans go to the pillar, the temptations of being able to use magic, something unimaginable before.
Rowan always played as a magician, but playing and using it in real life is different. The challenges of feeling mana or even adapting to abilities you never had before, depending on what they'll encounter in the first floor, can be quite tricky, or at least he thinks it will.
She moves on to the next rather quickly, almost as if she's running out of time. "The black pillar is the most enigmatic! Assassin's are underestimated most times, but they can move as one in the shadows, and their abilities shine the most when they aren't seen!'' Rowan caresses his neck, it seems that there is a class outside of the Fighters one, probably because they have some conflicting characteristics. He sees a few children choosing this option, and other people around his age as well. Indeed, if you're young and flexible, it is a good class, but the murder aspect of it… should children be choosing it?
He isn't kind enough to warn them, though.
"And finally! The last class, purple pillar! I'd dare to say that this class is for the brave and strong hearted. Hybrids! Your DNA will go through change and you'll become half human and half mythical creature. Dragons, elves, fairies, etc, all of the good characteristics of these species can be yours!" Rowan can't hide his shock, of course some RPG games had the option of hybrids, and even the choice of being a completely different species, however, changing your DNA? Well, considering he's staring at a woman that is white like snow, nothing seems to be impossible in this new reality. I wonder if it is painful. Even if the description of the class is ominous, some of the remnant people go there.
By his observation, there are approximately 35 people that haven't chosen a class, including him, the woman with the baby and the boy that was in that middle schoolers group. The girls that were with him had already chosen their classes.
"This won't do, some of you seem to think that this is a joke", the white woman's tone becomes serious. "The pillars that were already chosen can't be selected anymore."
What? Rowan blinks in disbelief, what she just says? That wasn't information he had, he thought that after all classes were announced he could've chosen the best one for him.
"The last pillar, the blue pillar, is a randomizer, the class will be chosen for you at random." That is, without a doubt the worst choice that Rowan ever made in his life. Even the choice of wearing uncomfortable shoes that day isn't as bad as this one. I should've gone with the assassin's class. Even if he has a decent build, and is relatively tall, Rowan has a lean figure, courtesy of his father's family. His good stamina and physical prowess could've helped him in that class. It's useless now.
Overanalyzing things was always his biggest flaw, even during tests, he had terrible grades because he took too long in one question and ran out of time in the others. One of his teachers even mocked him saying he should've become a philosopher.
"Those who choose to not move this time, will remain here and be automatically eliminated". If the meaning of those words were death or something else, the remnants definitely didn't want to find out. So they quickly move towards the blue pillar. The stone was warm to the touch, and its warmth went through his whole body, he felt comfortable yet different. As if something is being changed inside him.
One minute, that's the time she waited, however, there were three people left, two elders and the boy that completely froze up. Rowan could see his friends trying to scream at him, but their voices didn't come out, and even if it did, it was already too late. Loud clapping suddenly was heard, coming from the audience that was beginning to leave.
"And let the game begin!" The woman screams with giggles, and then all it happens way too fast to Rowan's brain to understand.
One after the other, the pillars started glowing strongly and the people surrounding them disappeared. After the fourth pillar lit up, a loud pop was heard, his gaze went to the three people left, and every single one of them began exploding. Blood went everywhere, as he was the closest to them, a piece of one of their bodies ended up at his feet and his clothes became drenched with blood. One of the boy's friends that were in the pillar that began to shine at that moment, silently screamed as she disappeared too. Next to him, the woman holding the baby shed tears for those that became nothing.
Rowan wishes that he felt something, the first time he saw someone explode was when he was 13, he doesn't know exactly which country as everything became a fog after a few years. But the image of that man exploding his own body in front of him, still appears in his dreams. He turns his eyes away, and finally his pillar starts to glow, the warm feeling he had before becomes more intense, even if he wanted to keep his eyes open, the light was so strong that he instinctively closed them.
✴
The man wakes up with a ringing in his head, he's on a cold hard floor again. Maybe I'll need to get used to waking up like this, he thinks as he gets up with a sigh. He's in a dark corridor, the ground and walls are made of stone, the material is similar to the ones of castles he saw in Scotland, in his trip the year prior. Behind him there is a wall, so he assumes that he must walk forward, but before he takes another step something appears in front of him.
A blue almost transparent window, similar to those in games, where information is displayed.
Floor 1
Objective: Escape the maze in one hour.
Time before the floor is active: 00:03:00
So the first floor is a maze? Rowan thinks, shoving his hands inside his pockets to search for something. He didn't think about it before, but his belongings were gone. His cellphone, wallet and key weren't in his pockets anymore, however his black hair tie was still there. His blonde hair isn't too long, it only reaches his ear lobe, however, depending on the situation it could prejudice his performance.
In a fight for example, monsters could grab his hair, or it could get stuck in some trap. So he pushes his hair up in a tight bun.
00:02:28
Time is passing quickly, he still doesn't know which class he was assigned to, and there's no other information about the floor besides the time limit and objective. Escaping the maze could mean so many things.
In webnovels he read about these kinds of situations there was always a system window, where the main character would check his or other people's status. As Rowan thinks about it, suddenly it appears in front of him, exactly what he wanted: a status window.
Name: Rowan Emrys Lewis
Age: 20 years 5 months 12 days
Race: Human
Class: Low-class Spirit Summoner (Lvl. 1)
Spirit Affinity: Analyzing…
Title: Not acquired yet
Affiliation: None
Water coins: 0
Fire coins: 0
Rowan stops for a second, it seems that he ended up in the "useless" class of summoners, as a Spirit Summoner at that. But what intrigues him the most is the two types of coins he's shown. He attempts to select them to see if there is more information, and he is successful.
Water coins are a fun way to buy advancements and enhance your equipment! They can be acquired through streaming.
Streaming becomes available at floor 2.
Streaming? The blonde man thinks for a while. That means we're probably streaming to the gods or something? How cliché. He thinks, selecting the other type of coin.
Fire coins are a necessity, you can buy all types of things with it, food, equipment, skills and other fun things! They can be acquired through streaming.
Streaming becomes available at floor 2.
Wait, if both coins are only available through streaming and you need them to buy food, it means that if you don't stream you don't eat? But why two types of coins? What's the real difference between them? All those things are important, but he can't have many answers before reaching floor 2 anyway, so the best option he has is to continue to read his status, as time is cliquing.
Stats:
STR: 10 INT: 5 DEX: 10 LUCK: 6 CHA: 2 CON: 10 MANA: 9
It's not that bad, but when I don't have a comparative it's tricky. Attempting to ignore the low stat of Charisma and Intelligence, he proceeds with his reading.
Skills:
Basic Summon (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Overanalyzing (Lvl. Max / 100%)
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Three skills, and one of them at maximum level? But what the fuck is overanalyzing?
Overanalyzing (Lvl. Max / 100%)
A skill exclusively crafted for you! Sometimes things are way simpler than what you give them credit to! Every time you find yourself in a dire situation, time will freeze for two minutes, allowing you to overanalyze the situation!
A reward for a stupid behavior, gods sometimes enjoy playing pranks on humans. It seems that you got a good skill out of it, though.
Required Mana: 30 Cool down: 2 weeks
Having 2 minutes to think in dangerous situations is a broken skill, however Rowan isn't sure if he's overjoyed by it. Since it is a mockery out of him. The required mana is way above what he has right now and the cool down also is scary, since if you use it recklessly… the blonde man shakes his head, it isn't the moment to overanalyze, the timer is already at 00:01:00. He needs to check his other skills.
Basic Summon (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
As a new summoner you're only allowed to attempt to summon a low rank spirit, however it all depends if the spirit will deem you worthy.
To summon a spirit, shout out loud "I summon thee".
Required Mana: 3 Minimal Luck Required: 5 Cool down: 1 hour
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Some look for eternity, but you're lucky enough to have a skill to aid you! Having another soul link with yours is rare, as you fill up your skill, you'll be able to see your link more strongly.
Being close to your link will fill the skill %. When you're close to your link all your stats will increase by 20 points and your skills will have their cool down reset by physical contact.
Link Name: Not found yet.
Required Mana: 0 Cool down: 0
Well, that's useless. Rowan thinks with a sigh, he spent 30 seconds to read both skills, to find out that out of three, he can only use one skill right now. And even if his other skills do sound like overpowered, he can't even dream of using them right now. I should read the rest of the status later and use the Basic Summon skill, since I'm running out of time. He thinks, thankfully he stopped his thoughts and closed the window in front of him.
"I summon thee!" He shouts with his ears burning out of embarrassment, he's glad that there isn't anyone around to watch him make a fool out of himself. After two seconds a green glow appears in front of him, and a window pops up.
You successfully summoned a nameless Low Spirit of Wind! Congratulations!
Basic Summon (Lvl. 0 / 0% → 10% ↑UP)
What happens now? He asks himself, becoming more nervous as the count begins to go below 00:00:10.
Low Wind Spirit [NAMELESS] wonders if you'll ask for a contract soon, as it grows impatient.
A contract?
"Would you like to make a contract with me?" He asks shyly, not sure if that's how you do it. The green glow becomes stronger before taking the shape of a small hummingbird.
I thought you would never ask! The spirit's voice echoes inside of Rowan's head, followed by another window.
You successfully formed a contract with a Low-class Spirit! Congratulations!
Skill acquired: Bad Wind Archery (Lvl. 0 / 0%) and Song of the Southern Wind (Lvl. 0 / 0%).
Basic Summon (Lvl. 0 / 10% → 30% ↑UP)
Low-class Spirit Summoner (Lvl. 1 → 2 ↑UP)
Even if Rowan wishes to check his new skills that came with the spirit, the counter finally goes to zero, and the first floor begins. He awaits for something to change, but nothing does. He didn't attempt to go forward before the counter became 0, however he assumes that it was probably blocked.
What are you waiting for? The spirit asks. I'm waiting to see if any monsters will appear. He answers inside his head, waiting to see if that's how he should communicate with the spirit, and when it answers he seems to be right. I will scout ahead, wait. The hummingbird quickly flies ahead, Rowan eyes go to the screen, there is nothing besides the floor 1 timer right now. 00:59:34. Will he be able to do it in time?
The spirit takes two minutes to appear again. There aren't any monsters, but the maze walls are changing constantly. Rowan observes that the spirit's voice is similar to his mom's, why is that so? Wondering useless things won't make him reach the second floor, though. He starts walking, his mind wondering every useless thing. The man tends to do that when he grows anxious.
After a few minutes of wandering around, he gets himself to a dead end, however, before he can go back, he hits another wall that wasn't there. That's what I said! The walls are moving! The spirit rings inside his head. The walls moved silently, the only noise being heard is of Rowan's steps and the hummingbird's wings. So now he's trapped between four walls. There is a trigger or do they move at random? He wonders, touching the cold walls to see if he finds something.
00:50:00
After feeling the wall for a while and hitting a dead end, he turns to his status window again.
Bad Wind Archery (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
A skill to cringe every proud archer in the realms! A true shame of the gods. Your aim is terrible and your fire power is weaker than a toddler's. However you're still able to do quite some damage by summoning a bow made of wind with your Spirit Gauge.
Required Spirit Gauge: 1% Cool down: 4 minutes
Song of the Southern Wind (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Every spirit has their own power, by summoning the nameless low spirit you acquired this beautiful skill. By using this skill you can use the wind to send a message to an ally, or even an enemy! Spread your voice through the wind by singing your words.
Required Spirit Gauge: 30% Cool down: 0
Spirit Gauge? That's new… Rowan thinks as he goes back to his main status window to check on the unknown new stat.
Spirit Gauge (Unique): 3%
There is a lot of new information that I can't possibly have the right amount of time to understand them all… The man thinks as his eyes twitch with anxiety. Even if he is somewhat used to being in stressful environments, it doesn't mean he's a good adapter.
Master, the wall is moving again. The spirit's observation makes him snap back into reality. Silently, the wall next to them moves, revealing a new path. With not much of a choice, Rowan walks towards the new opening. The hummingbird follows him quickly, sometimes even flying ahead into the darkness.
There doesn't seem to be an end to it, he observes as he sees the timer running and he continues to walk in the same direction. The maze is chilly, just like a cold December night, the path is covered in darkness, making visualization almost impossible, and the cold walls are the same, never changing.
Did you see something ahead? Rowan asks the hummingbird when he comes back from scouting for the fifth time. No, only darkness ahead, again. The answer isn't unexpected, but still hits him, making his heart race even more.
00:35:00
A loud ringing sounds inside his head, causing the man to stop on his tracks, the spirit seems to notice and lands on his master's shoulder. What 's wrong? The spirit's voice is muffled by the loud ringing. Rowan's hands cover his ears, trying to make the sound inside his head to just stop. But it doesn't.
00:28:00
The ringing stops abruptly. A lot of time has passed, but the man doesn't seem to notice that at first, his once bright hazel eyes had become dull, and his head is pounding even more than his heart. Keeping his eyes open hurts, that's the first observation that Rowan makes, his consciousness almost slipping away. He doesn't understand what just happened or even why it happened. Maybe it's part of the trial? He asks himself but that leaves many more unanswered questions than answers.
Are you back to your senses, master? The familiar voice inside his head seems to bring the man more towards reality. What happened? Rowan asks, beginning to walk again, not sure if the walls moved again while he was numbed or not. There is only one path open, though. How am I supposed to escape a place with no choice of my own directions?
The hummingbird falls silent for a while before answering. I don't know, you suddenly became numb for a few minutes. The answer doesn't surprise Rowan, but it upsets him nonetheless. I tried calling you but I couldn't reach your consciousness. The spirit completes, the man doesn't reply, his head filled with thoughts. Even if he has many things in his head, it doesn't mean that he's smart enough to figure everything out by himself.
So much was similar to games he played since childhood, and others reminded him of novels and comics. However, reading and playing is completely different from living it, there is a limit to what he can assume by knowledge alone. Maybe if he had good wits or instinct, but no, Rowan is ordinary, his family is the extraordinary one.
What he can assume is that whoever developed the system, seems to think that Rowan has more affinity with the spirit summon than other classes, which is quite surprising, he never had friends or companions, only his mother, father or grandparents around him. Once he attempted to play with local kids in a South American village, when he was around 9, his mother stopped him, saying that they had a culture hostile to outsiders, but the little boy didn't listen.
Going to isolated places, dealing with hostile communities or war zones, that was his mom's job, he never truly understood what she works with, he should've asked her before she died.
So when she told him it was dangerous, he just thought that the woman was being overprotective. But he didn't remember that an overprotective mother wouldn't take him there at all. The children weren't hostile towards the boy, he even played around with them, until an adult approached him… the rest of the memory is way too painful for Rowan's brain to deal with it.
Later he found out that they were inside a village between Colombia and Venezuela, it was covered in a dense forest and the village was protected by law as they wished to be isolated. Due to many incidents, they got what they wanted, they were left alone under the guise of protecting local culture, the truth, though, was that even guns weren't able to go against the well-knowledged and violent community.
Rowan's mother got permission to get close to the community but never enter it, and that's why Rowan was punished for doing so. Not only by the adults in the community but also by his mother.
After that, the child stopped disobeying his mother, but that made him also stop trying to make decisions by himself. That's why he tends to overanalyze things instead of acting according to his will.
We reached a dead end. The spirit says, as Rowan snaps back, staring at the cold wall, the only path free is the one that he came from. What 's left to do? What is the true objective of this maze? If I use the Wind Archery skill, can I break the wall? The exhaustion is starting to hit him, even though his constitution and strength are good, the ringing incident seems to have exhausted him more than he thought. If your Spirit Gauge were higher than 5% than yes. The answer brings up an anger he didn't know that he was suppressing. Why would they give him a challenge he can't complete? If he runs out of time, will he die?
00:13:45
How do I increase my Spirit Gauge? The man asks with a sigh. The spirit lands on his shoulder again. For a second Rowan stares at the green metallic feathers, looking closely is clear that it isn't a real hummingbird but something else. By using your core, like when you summoned me. Why does everything need to be so complicated? What's the core? He shoots back, starting to become annoyed, the time is ticking and he's still trapped. It's similar to a heart, but it's located on your left wrist. Rowan glances at his wrist, a faint green dot lies there, the color is so faint that one must truly focus on it to see it.
How do I use it? The blonde asks, rubbing the spot with his thumb, the dot doesn't seem to be physical, which is good. Just think about the skill you want to use, the more you use it, the more your gauge will increase. That's easy enough, the man thinks, closing his eyes and sighing, trying to relax his mind and think about the skill he wants to use. Wind Archery, he thinks slowly, opening his eyes, to see a green compound bow on his hand, and a quiver with arrows that are the same color as the bow. They almost feel immaterial, it feels cold and firm to the touch, but they glow in an unreal color. This bow isn't very practical, he comments, it's a powerful bow for hunting, and probably ideal for breaking the wall in front of him, but if he needed to move to attack enemies, it wouldn't be very good.
You can change it, but it consumes mana, the spirit says, flying again, watching Rowan. He never shot an arrow and he doesn't have his phone on him to check on the internet, how the fuck will he do this? It should feel natural, don't worry about the technicalities. The hummingbird says, and Rowan follows his advice, standing in a position that feels right, he grabs an arrow, it feels like touching pure wind, as if that even makes sense. Positioning the arrow takes a few minutes, his heart beats fast but he attempts to remain calm. The man feels the need to analyze the situation, his traits and personality weren't made for these kinds of situations. However he manages to control himself, he positions the arrow, pulling the string along, his thumb grazes his ear and the string is aligned to the tip of his nose.
This is a wind skill, so a free mind is essential, think about nothing, free your mind. The advice is rather good, if the person receiving it wasn't an over-thinker by nature. However the situation calls for a temporary change, because if he doesn't do as told, he will die.
Don't think, don't think, free your mind, just stop thinking! The man thinks to himself, failing the task majestically at first. But then after a while he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again.
Position.
Breath.
Shoot.
The wind messes his hair, making the hair tie snap and fall off to the ground, his blonde hair releasing grazing his ear, the man sighs with relief, the wall was still there, but a nice dent was made to it. His hand hurts with the recoil and his head feels like it is burning. This skill is more draining than what I thought.
Your constitution sucks, that's why you feel sick. The spirit comments, flying close to the dent made on the wall. Check your Spirit Gauge now. Rowan does as told.
Spirit Gauge (Unique): 3% → 6% ↑UP
Bad Wind Archery (Lvl. 0 / 0% → 15% ↑UP)
It went up by 3%. Rowan says, feeling a sense of accomplishment filling him up, even if his body feels like shit. Now, you can try taking the wall down. He nods, raising the bow again, it feels heavier than the first time and the arrow burns to the touch. If I don't find the exit soon I'll collapse, he thinks objectively, his vision is blurry, but he focuses on the spot he already dented.
Position.
Breath.
Shoot.
It hurts, he thinks as the bow and arrows disappear, a wall of smoke rises, his gaze goes to his hand, there are small cuts all over it, and the redness is similar to when he gets first degree burns. He also feels like he himself is burning, his face feels warm and he's suddenly shivering. Using this little skill makes me sick? How can he survive until the 100th floor if he's like this at the 1st? Master, the smoke is already gone. Rowan lays against the cold wall, his breath unstable.
00:04:32
The wall is gone, replaced by debris and behind it there is a fancy ballroom, with golden ornaments and a huge crystal chandelier. Compared to the cold and dark maze, the ballroom is warm and well-lit.
Spirit Gauge (Unique): 6% → 7% ↑UP
Bad Wind Archery (Lvl. 0 / 15% → 30% ↑UP)
Slowly, he walks towards the ballroom, his eyes are narrowed, his cheeks and ears are flushed and he's breathing through his mouth. The redness on his hand becomes worse and blood starts pouring out of what before appeared like superficial cuts.
The wind is your friend, but it's also a fierce force of nature, it'll help you but depending on your own life force, it might hurt you as well, the spirit's observations are obvious to Rowan, considering his situation. He doesn't answer the spirit, arriving at the center of the ballroom, it's considerably warm and it smells like candle wax. Now what? By cue, a message pops up in front of him.
Congratulations! You managed to pass the 1st floor challenge!
Rewards:
3 random stats
Almost rotten apple
Lukewarm water
6 gold
Rowan sighs with relief, he wasn't sure if he would starve before managing to understand what 'streaming' meant at the Tower of Life. At least he got something to eat, and the gold will probably be useful later. However the 3 random stats were what made him smile, at least I can raise my bad stats. He assigns 2 points to mana and 1 point to luck, since those are the stats he needs the most as a summoner.
You'll automatically be sent to the 2nd floor as soon as the timer ends.
Just then Rowan notices that the timer of the first floor was still ticking, but a few seconds after the message, it hit zero. And then a message started popping out one after the other.
1,230,450,755 of 2,000,000,000 successfully passed the 1st floor.
Your position is 1,000,000,004.
Your name wasn't registered in the Tower of Life.
You didn't have any remarkable achievements on the first floor.
Well, considering I barely passed it makes sense. Rowan sighs, trying not to think about the absurd number in front of him.
Tower of Life Ranking
1. Yoon Yongsun (South Korea)
2. Valeria Hendrix (United States of America)
3. Alala Boucher (France)
4. William Miller (United States of America)
5. Kato Tsubaki (Japan)
Expand here to check ranks 6 to 100.
So to the Tower it only matters if you stay within the top 100 ranks, well it's not happening for me anyway. Rowan feels lightheaded, the blood and injuries making him dizzy. He doesn't care about those who ranked, all he wants is to go back to his studio apartment and sleep, but the Tower has other plans for him.
Synchronizing floor 2
You'll be matched with other 4 players
Please wait for a moment
Apparently the next floor will be a cooperative one, or a battle royale, but I hope it is a co-op. And just as he was about to pass out, another message popped.
Starting floor 2
All injuries are healed through the pity of the gods that watch you.
Just like that Rowan feels warmth traveling through his body, healing his injuries, it didn't quench his thirst or hunger, but it was enough. Feeling refreshed, while waiting for the sync to be over, the man drinks a quarter of his water and eats half of the apple. Master, you can use the inventory to store those, the spirit says, laying on Rowan's head, a small breeze following it. The ballroom is stale, the second floor will probably happen here. Rowan nods along with the spirit observations, he might not be the smartest, but he played enough games to see the pattern.
He thinks about the inventory and a small blue transparent screen appears, showing slots where he can store his things. There are only twenty spaces, I'll probably be able to buy expansion later, for now, it's enough to store Rowan's food, water and money. He also notices that his phone and wallet are stored in the inventory, with a symbol of lock over it, meaning he can't access it. I wonder if my father and grandparents are safe. After all, if there is no age limit to this game, even they could have been dragged to this place.
Synchronization over, players will be teleported to the start of the floor 2 challenge.
The man waits to see that light again and be transported to wherever it is the floor 2 will start, but after a few moments another screen appears, this time the screen is pink, not blue.
Skill Soul Link interferes with the destiny calculator of floor 2.
Changes happened to your challenge
Challengers for floor 2: 1 of 2
Mode: Hard
Your other half will be transported to your location.
☆
ROWAN'S STATUS WINDOW
Name: Rowan Emrys Lewis
Age: 20 years 5 months 12 days
Race: Human
Class: Low-class Spirit Summoner (Lvl. 2)
Spirit Affinity: Analyzing…
Spirit Companions: Low Wind Spirit [NAMELESS]
Title: Not acquired yet
Affiliation: None
Water coins: 0
Fire coins: 0
Spirit Gauge (Unique): 7%
Stats:
STR: 10 INT: 5 DEX: 10 LUCK: 7 CHA: 2 CON: 10 MANA: 11
Skills:
Basic Summon (Lvl. 0 / 30%)
Overanalyzing (Lvl. Max / 100%)
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Bad Wind Archery (Lvl. 0 / 30%)
Song of the Southern Wind (Lvl. 0 / 0%)