The Tower I
"Is this another calamity?!"
The shaking only increased more and more as the skies threatened to fall and the earth was about to be torn to shreds. I tapped my wrist frantically as information was projected in front of me, news, forums, even social media apps were filled with questions and stories about what was happening. Gossip truly did spread faster than truth.
"Aliens? No way, Gods descending? Impossible. The rankings haven't changed either, so what could this be?"
[The god [Fallen Ar- ERROR ERRO ERROR $&¿&$¿ has connected to your system.]
[Listen well, my greatest creation. The power to restore your loved ones awaits you in the tower, so climb, crawl, and struggle! Bring mine vision forth, 12th one, I have higher expectations for you than I do the rest.]
"Huh? Was that the one who gave me the [Curse]? He can just hijack the system made by the gods?!"
That was when I realized it and my spine began to ever so slightly resonate. A shadow had emerged in the sky a towering monolith of pitch black. A sense of trepidation gripped my heart like a vice. The spire soared endlessly into the sky, its obsidian surface swallowing the surrounding light and casting a foreboding shadow over the land below. It was a monument to the unknown, a colossal structure that seemed to defy both logic and reason. A tower with no end in sight.
As I gazed up at the tower, a notification appeared.
[The gods have created a new playground for the races! The tower where all of creation will meet! Gods, demons, spirits, sword saints and immortals, the tower welcomes all!]
[Do you wish to enter the Tower? Rewards and experience/skill/treasure/strength gains are multiplied by 10 within the tower!]
"The tower that he mentioned really did appear, multiplied by 10? That's a crazy thought, wouldn't all of humanity be able to catch up to the other races this way?" I contemplated my cigarette slowly burning.
The words hung in the air, filled with possibility and fraught with uncertainty.
At the same time, a haunting whisper that seemed to echo from the very core of the tower itself called out to me. urged me to enter, promising that within its walls, I would find what I sought – whatever that may be. The whispers were both tantalizing and ominous, their seductive allure pulling at the edges of my consciousness.
"It's time I got to work, wait for me guys i'll bring all of you back! And we'll live as legends in this damned world!" I shouted as I accepted the tower's invitation.
The darkness enveloped me like a suffocating cloak. The transition from the outside world to the interior of the tower seamless and disconcerting. Within the blink of an eye the scene around had changed into pure darkness, an abyss of no light.
"That was fast! Even faster than entering a dungeon." I thought to myself.
The interior of the tower was as black as the night sky, illuminated only by the faint glow of my HUD and the eerie whispers that echoed through its darkness. Each step I took echoed loudly in the empty space, reverberating off the walls like a hollow drumbeat. The air was thick with a palpable sense of anticipation, as if the tower itself were alive with some unseen energy.
But despite the oppressive atmosphere, I pressed on, driven by a sense of curiosity and determination that burned strongly within me. A set of stairs soon faced me. Strange and transluscent. A single look at them revealed they went on forever. Hoping they were finite, I stepped onto them carefully.
"There's nowhere to go but up then."
Guided by a light far above me I pressed on. As I ascended higher and higher, the air grew thicker with anticipation, the whispers growing louder with each passing moment. It was as if the tower itself were alive, its air pulsating with an otherworldly energy that seemed to draw me ever closer to its heart.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached the pinnacle of the stairs, a small platform overlooking a vast expanse of glowing lights below. And there, standing before me, was a white system panel, unlike any I had seen before. A beautiful white embelished with golden runes that portrayed luxury.
"What is this?"
[Welcome hunter [John Crane]. The
Tower senses your wish, to bring back those that sacrificed themselves for you. Worry not, at the tower's peak all wishes will be granted! Climb and struggle for the reward will surely be worth it!]
[Now choose, 6 paths lie ahead—6 difficulties if you will:Easy-Normal-Hard-Hell-Impossible-???????]
"What's the last one?"
[It will only be revealed if you choose it, ni peeking is allowed. A hint will be given however:A difficutly not even the gods could pass, beyond even impossibility, it is a march towards certain death.]
"Before I choose tell me the pros and cons of each difficulty."
[Good question.]
[Easy:you do not need to eat or drink, your injuries will heal automatically with time. You will be able to leave the tower after each floor cleared. Monsters will always be lower than your rank. You will revive at the start of the floor in the rare case of death.]
[Normal:you do not need to eat or drink, your injuries will heal automatically with time. You will be able to leave the tower after each 3 floors cleared.Monsters will always be lower than your rank. You will revive at the start of the floor in the rare case of death.]
[Hard:you do not need to eat or drink, your injuries will heal automatically only when in safe zones between floors. You will be able to leave the tower after each 4 floors cleared. Monsters will be lower or equal to your rank. You will revive at the start of the previous floor in the rare case of death.]
[Hell:you do not need to eat or drink, your injuries will heal automatically with time. You will be able to leave the tower after each 5 floors cleared. Monsters will always be equal or higher than your rank. You will revive 3 floors behind in the case of death.]
[Impossible:you need to eat and drink, your injuries will only heal with healing potions or skills. You will be able to leave the tower after each 10 floors cleared.Monsters will always be higher than your rank. You will revive at the start of the tower in the common case of death. 1 starting boon will be granted]
[???????:you will not survive. your injuries will heal much slower no matter what you use. You will only be able to leave the tower after clearing 15 floors. Monsters will always be much higher than you in rank and quantity. You will never revive in the assured case of death. You have doomed yourself. No external help, items or treasures/artifacts are allowed. No gods will be able to watch your climb, meaning no sponsors can be chosen. 3 starting boons will be granted.]
"So, the final one is a death march? How fitting for me." I thought as I tapped on the bundle of question marks.
[Are you sure?]
"Yes."
[Are you sure you wish to choose the [Suicide] Difficulty?]
"So that's what it's called? Yes."
[Are you sure you want to die?]
"What kind of question is that? Yes."
[Processing...]
[Processing...….]
[Processing....]
[Difficulty [Suicide]:you will never survive. your injuries will heal much slower or not at all no matter what you use. You will only ever be allowed to leave the tower after clearing at least 15 floors in order. Monsters that you encounter will always be of a much higher rank and quantity than you are, even if you get stronger. You will never revive through the tower's power in the assured case of death. You have doomed yourself by even reading this description, the god of death's scythe already hangs around your neck. No external help, powers or items or treasures or artifacts are allowed within the [Suicide] difficulty. No gods will be able to watch your climb, meaning no sponsors can be chosen. You will not have companions and your climb will be solitary for the majority of the time(Team floors are an exception). Difficulties of enemies trials nor missions will not be regulated or changed in order to give you a chance for survival. The tower dissuades you from choosing this difficulty.]
"I'm not going to change my mind."
[No further attempts to dissuade hunter [John Crane] will be allowed. The tower warns the administrator.]
[*Sigh*. Processing complete. Difficulty choice accepted.]
[Difficulty is permanent and can only be changed at the tower's peak.]
[The tower welcomes [Suicide] Difficulty climber [John Crane]. Your boons will be granted.]
[1st Boon [Character Creation] will be granted!]
[2nd Boon [Name Choice] will be granted!]
[3rd Boon [Tower Shop] will be granted!]
[1st Boon:Will you create your new body now?]
"Yes!"
…..