The Psycho Tower Master is my Dad (Adoptive) pt. 2

One might ask, why hide my identity as a woman? A better question would be, how in the world did I manage to do so?

Well, let me break down things for you guys. First of all, puberty had yet to hit me when Adelredus first found me. By the time I realized I was living in a strictly 'men-only' tower, I had gained the means and resources to hide my gender. Remember what I said about having no privacy here in the Sky Tower? Well, there are always special cases like me.

Of course, I started off like any other challenger that came to this Tower. I wasn't given a personal room for my use and was subject to a room-for-all on the first floor of the tower—where all the newcomers stay before they level up.

But, because I'm a genius, I was already one of the top fighters in the Tower in a few weeks time that Adelredus introduced me to the sport. Plus, I reached the highest floor and became the official face of the Tower by the time I was 15—just five years after I first joined in the fray. Then, I continued to rake in crowds with every passing year.

Who wouldn't give special treatment to someone like me? Now, I have my own floor to myself with my own bath and personal training ground.

It also helped that I had an androgynous voice. And, after mastering the art of transformation, I was able to convince everyone of my identity as a man.

But, enough of that.

Right now, I'm more afraid for my life than ever. Although this information is not known to the public, Adelredus is a fighter himself. In fact, he's even stronger than me (a hard fact that's been beaten down to my bones since day one).

And, this is just what I've gathered from rumors surrounding him—but, it seems like he used to be a serial killer before a rich man found him and made him the successor to a huge fortune.

Adelredus then used the money he inherited to build his own castle, a place where he is beyond the reach of the authorities after him. That's the Sky Tower. After all, he loved the thrill of fights. It did make sense for him to build a place where he can get as much fighting and bloodshed as he wants.

What did I tell you? He's a psychopath.

And as the number 1 in this Tower and his adopted 'son', it had become my duty to participate in a death match against the man, every once in while.

Adelredus is like a beast on the arena.

Fighting against him always made me feel like it's a life and death situation. It had a different feel from having to fight someone due to obligation or pure entertainment for the nobles. Ugh. Just thinking about those snobby rich people born with status gives me a headache.

Oops. I stopped on stopped tracks, shocked at the sudden headache I felt. I mean, I just said that figuratively, so why—

Adelredus wasn't nice enough to ignore that opening. He dashed towards me with murder intent, and slashed at me with his favorite dagger. I had barely enough time to dodge.

"Hey—that's dirty!!" I complained, putting my arms up for a time-out.

Adelredus grinned maniacally, sending shivers down my spine. He charged again, swinging his dagger in swift and critical jabs. But, just as he entered my zone, I ducked. In the same moment, I brought my foot up and landed a high kick on his face.

However, even after I removed my foot, the smile was still there. The creepy grin unnerved me. Like, is that smile permanent? It distracted me, giving Adelredus another chance to land a solid blow on my ribs, causing them to crack under the force.

I coughed up blood, painting the ground red. That was totally my mistake for getting distracted. Without missing a beat, Adelredus was relentless at his attacks, despite dealing with a much younger and weaker opponent. Hmph. He really doesn't know how to hold back.

Nonetheless, my counterattack started when I managed to catch his fist and direct his own force towards him, flipping the man over my shoulder—and I didn't let it end there. I quickly took the opportunity to smash my elbow on Adelredus' solar plexus whilst the man still laid on the ground, stunned.

He barely avoided the attack, twisting his whole body under mine and flipping me beneath him. Before I could reverse the tides, Adelredus already had his dagger pointed below my throat.

"I win." He sang, giving me his typical grin. I huffed indignantly, but didn't dare refute. I was already at my limit, and my breathing was starting to get shallow.

"Alright, alright. Give me some room you crazy tower master." I admitted defeat, slapping his hand away from me. The red head merely chuckled in response and backed away to let me sit up. I quickly assessed the damage done to my body.

Ugh. What a bloody mess I am.

Adelredus smiled, seemingly amused by my disgust. He looked proud of his handiwork.

I hated feeling like this, all bloody and sweaty. Fighting with Adelredus took too much of my stamina—especially with the serious injuries that always came with it. That crude man never knew how to hold back once he gets into full psycho mode.

And I wonder why he himself doesn't participate in official matches. But then again, there was no use trying to understand a psychopath. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but feel... sorta attached to the red head. Emphasis on the 'sorta'.

I don't exactly consider us as close. In fact, I knew Adelredus viewed me as nothing more than a toy for his pass-time. Our relationship had always been that of a mutual symbiosis. I needed him and he needed me. He was only my 'dad' on paper.

But, for the longest time, he was the only person I was able to trust. Although he's a psychopath and an opportunistic bastard, his hedonistic nature was something that I could trust over the musings of other people. He was predictable. And I preferred that over the others.

"Curse you, old man." I grit my teeth from the pain of my broken ribs. Adelredus smiled.

"I won't be fooled anymore. Stop acting weak, Kari."

"Acting weak—?!" I coughed up blood.

"Since you're the strongest fighter in the Sky Tower, wouldn't it make sense to not hold back?" Adelredus shrugged his shoulders.

"Just because I am, doesn't mean—" My voice cracked. Uh oh. As much as I wanted to say a comeback, the pain was making me lose my voice and bravado. I had a long history of injuries from fighting in the Tower. So I was sorta used to the pain. But, there was a pain in my chest that seemed separate from the pain that's from my injuries.

Adelredus didn't appear to be concerned with my pain and injuries. Of course, why would he? He's the boss. And, I'm his mere employee. He left me in his personalized training area, and I let him.

I simply lied down on the ground and wondered why blotches of black swam across my vision. At times like this, I just want to give up on everything. My chest tightened, and not because of my ribs this time.

"You don't need anyone." I muttered to myself, trying to pep talk myself into mustering enough strength to get up from the floor.

"Hey, still alive?"

Adelredus called out. He came back, holding a first aid kit. I glared at the man, feeling both relieved and irritated.

I stayed silent, afraid that talking will worsen my condition. Instead, I opted to study the red head's features. My eyes wandered from his sharp jawline to his thin lips, tracing a line between his eyebrows and his long eyelashes that cover his sharp golden-brown eyes. I could see my reflection in his orbs.

Adelredus stared back, no smile on his lips. Huh. How unnerving. More than his usual creepy smile. He crouched down and started to patch me up. Then, he carried me in his arms. I smiled. I knew he cared.