Chapter 1 - Immortal Legacy

It was the moment that humanity had been dreaming of for so long—the day when the great calamity would finally come to an end, as promised.

[You have reached the 100th floor. The final boss awaits – the one who can restore balance to the world lies just beyond. Prepare yourselves, for this will be a battle unlike any you have faced before.] 

The five adventurers marched forward, their bodies filled with the evidence of battles past. Out of the thousands who had dared to undertake this quest, these five were the strongest on Earth. It was time to prove their might one final time.

Elaine stood with her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and a hopeful smile on her face as she faced her four colleagues.

"We've finally made it to the one hundredth floor! Surely, we can finish this today, right?" she asked.

Elaine was a 25 year old girl, and the most talented mage in the world. She had mastered thousands of spells, and was the most important person in the world.

"Elaine…" A man with blonde hair and wearing tank armor approached her. This was Marco, her husband. Marco gently caressed Elaine's cheek. "We have only gotten this far because of your hard work. You should be proud of this accomplishment, don't you think?" he said, wearing a warm smile.

"Yes, Marco," Elaine replied, smiling.

Linda, an archer with blonde hair that reached her shoulders, walked towards Elaine with a cheerful smile. "Elaine...you're the best friend I've ever had!"

She embraced the girl and continued, "We have gone through so much together, even though thousands of our friends have perished on our journey here. But we are still alive, and I know it's only because of your determination."

Elaine nodded slowly and smiled at Linda. "I'm proud of you too, Linda," she said.

Rodger, her mentor and a swordsman with glasses and black hair, stepped forward. "Elaine," he began, "you have surpassed all expectations and grown very strong in a short period of time. You have mastered many spells and are an incredibly talented individual. The world is very proud to have you. You are the savior of the world."

"Thanks Rodger," Elaine said, her enthusiasm obvious, "all of this is because of your guidance and hard work."

Marco and Elaine had just tied the knot, even though their honeymoon had to be placed on the back burner due to the grand mission they had to accomplish. Despite this, it was clear that they were an ideal couple, deeply in love with each other.

Linda had always been a dependable ally to Elaine throughout their training to become the greatest adventurers. Her presence was a constant source of support to Elaine and they faced every challenge together.

Rodger was a mentor to Elaine, a prodigious strategist, and his guidance was the catalyst to Elaine's swift development, leading her to be crowned the most talented adventurer in the world.

The last member of the party was Ronald, a mage in his 50s, and the Clan Leader of the place where Elaine had grown up. He was the father of Elaine, someone who had been living on the streets before he had taken her in and looked after her until she had become the powerful mage she was today.

"Elaine," Ronald said in his firm voice, and Elaine nodded enthusiastically.

Ronald held Elaine's shoulder and smiled. "You have always been my favorite mentee, and now my daughter too. I am so proud of the way you have grown since I rescued you from your troubled past. You are the proudest accomplishment of my life."

"Master Ronald..." Elaine smiled warmly at Ronald.

"Let me explain the planning to figth the final boss," Elaine said enthusiastically as she immediately started to busy herself with the system screen in front of her.

"Elaine." Marco then wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Let me hug you tightly."

"Marco... Please, let me explain the plan first, okay?" Elaine complained, although she could feel his embrace.

But Marco still held her tightly, as if he didn't want to let go.

"Marco? What happened to you?" Elaine muttered softly as she tried to break free. However, her body suddenly became stiff, and at the same time she knew Ronald had cast a crowd control skill on her, preventing her from moving.

"Master, what happened?" Elaine muttered softly.

Then out of nowhere, a sharp sword penetrated Elaine's stomach from behind. It was Rodger, the one who had stabbed her.

Elaine was in shock when blood started to pour out of her stomach and she dropped to her knees, unable to move. With her eyes turning red, she looked at the four people in front of her and asked in a desperate voice, "Marco? Master? Why?"

Ronald explained, "Elaine, I have used a Legendary Artifact to temporarily disable your magic."

At the same time, Linda approached Marco and leaned her cheek against his arm. "Linda, Marco, please tell me what happened? Why?"

Elaine demanded an explanation. Her rage and hatred were rising, and she tried to scream, but all that came out was the sound of gasping. Blood was still flowing from her stomach.

"Elaine..." Ronald continued, his voice full of sorrow. "You only need to get here. Your services will be remembered by all of humanity," he said with a warm smile.

Linda then spoke, her voice full of concern. "Elaine, I hope you are happy enough to have married Marco before death overtakes you, right? Now, I will take my place and become his rightful wife," she said.

Rodger then chimed in, his voice full of worry. "Elaine, you're too innocent, you're too positive, you're too kind. It's really very worrying. If only you thought a little about yourself or us, maybe your fate would be different," he said.

Elaine shook her head vigorously, but her body grew weaker and she slowly held it back with both hands. Blood continued to seep out from her mouth. They had used four Legendary Artifacts just to put her in this dire situation.

The four of them had carefully planned this. Yet, Elaine failed to read the signs. She shook her head vehemently and fought back, but to no avail. They didn't want to merely ascend the Tower of Immortality.

They wanted to become the most powerful persons in the world, and revel in their dominion over others. Marco then approached her and bent down, attempting to get his face closer to her ear.

"Elaine, my love, my wife, my dearest darling," he whispered.

"Thank you for your greatest gift to me. You will always remain as my first and best wife. I regret not having the chance to savor your body. But no worries, your best friend shall take your place and make sure that I know how wild she is in bed. I have been sleeping with her for far too long; I can't even remember when it started. But, goodbye nonetheless."

Blood poured out of her body, forming a crimson pool around her. She lay on her stomach, her strength ebbing away as her vision began to blur. Yet, Elaine still felt an intense rage and a thirst for revenge burning in her chest.

"I won't let this go!" she thought to herself. "I will curse you, and you will suffer a torment much greater than anything I have endured."

This was the strongest anger and loathing she had ever known, and it only grew more powerful as her consciousness faded away and she ultimately succumbed to death.

Marco gently lifted Elaine's face with his foot, and he sadly declared, "She is surely dead."

"Cool," Ronald replied casually. "Let's enjoy our retirement now."

"Yes, we have finally overcome the biggest problem in my life," Rodger voiced.

"Oh, my dearest friend," Linda said, her voice full of sorrow. "I vow to build a grand monument in your honor for your great service."

[The Tower of Immortal answered your call, and rewarded you with the recognition you deserved.]

[Elaine, you shall be granted a second chance.]