Chapter 52: Chapter 51: 6 Children.
Rigel went to the 17th floor, and it was another square which meant the remaining floors would be a duel with powerful monsters. He had no worries because the rapier in his hand that he could rely on, and there was another thing which was the power he got from the Core earlier.
He felt his body had become as hard as a rock thanks to the Core that made his skin and muscles so tough. He could feel the amazing strength in his grip and he believed he was almost twice strong as before.
"What kind of monster that I'm dealing with right now..." Rigel looked around and this time he didn't see any monster that await his arrival. "Hmm?" He looked at the big stone coffin in the middle.
He lit the torches that were placed on the pillars, and he could see writings on the walls that had been scratched by force. He wondered who did it, and for what reason unless there was a message that could encourage the Non-Players. He could read some of the writings that were left behind.
"Here lies King Esmael..." Rigel looked at the writings on the coffin.
As soon as he read that out loud, the cover of the coffin slowly moved. He took a few steps back and watched a hand come out of the coffin. A man in his white robe came out of the coffin, and surprisingly, the body was preserved and it looked like someone who died yesterday. The man looked so young, but the aura around him was nothing like his appearance.
"So your name is Esmael," Rigel readied his stance and prepared for a fight.
"Who dares to disturb my grave?" Esmael asked and he was furious as he slowly lifted his head. "You... All of you will die in my hands!" His body suddenly caught in flames and powerful sparks destroyed the ground, walls, and pillars.
Lightning bolts struck the ground from the ceiling and started moving in a circle. Rigel found an opening to get closer, but once he managed to avoid the lightning bolts, the ground shook and a block from the ground launched him to the ceiling.
Esmael looked up and immediately sent all the lightning bolts toward Rigel. Unlike the one from the previous floor, Rigel couldn't repel the magic because it was beyond his control. He believed that Esmael's magic had reached its peak, the 7th circle which was why he couldn't do anything about it.
Rigel was electrocuted, and thankfully with his lightning resistance from the Drake's power, he could withstand it. His armor was strong enough to withstand it as well, but the problem was he couldn't move his body as if he was forced into being shackled by the lightning bolts in the air.
Before Rigel could do anything, Esmael flew toward him with a blazing fist. When Esmael punched him in the chest, Rigel's breastplate melted and the fist pierced through his chest. At that moment Rigel could see the reddish-orange pupils of Esmael before he died.
"How was it?" Lysara'elmaris asked.
Rigel opened his eyes and found himself in a different place than usual. He looked at the round ceiling with a painting of a woman with massive black feather wings helping children in the river. What gave him an uncomfortable feeling was the fact that the scenery behind the woman. There was a city on fire and the woman was blocking the view so the children couldn't see what had happened.
"Esmael?" Rigel sat and looked at his surroundings which looked like a chamber, or an audience room where seats made of stones circling the room. He was sitting in the middle and saw Lysara'elmaris in front of him. "Who's he? And how can someone be so powerful?" He looked at Lysara'elmaris.
"Esmael was a King, the last King inside the tower..." Lysara'elmaris answered as she looked at the ceiling. "You just saw it, up there. That scene was a depiction of me saving those children when Players started to take over the tower," she explained.
"Those 6 children, is one of them Esmael?" Rigel looked at the painting.
"Esmael, the Human. Nauce, the Merfolk. Winopia, the Fairy. Gnigung, the Spirit. Serena, the Shapeshifter, Artivara, the Witch. Those children were the ones I gave my blessings to protect all the worlds inside the tower," Lysara'elmaris pointed out.
"Are you the one who made the tower?" Rigel looked at Lysara'elmaris with a curious look.
"Yes, the tower has always been like that from the very beginning. It's a little world that I made during my free time, and I have put a lot of my power in there," Lysara'elmaris nodded. "That's why the Gods dared to confront me and I never thought they would invade the tower and corrupt my power from within. Although they can't enter the tower, they managed to modify the tower by putting a system inside, locking all the floors and sending that Messenger inside," she added.
"So what's up there on the 100th floor? If the Messenger is strong enough, why would they need Players to reach the 100th floor?" Rigel asked.
"The Messenger isn't strong enough, or perhaps it can't enter the 100th floor. The 100th floor is beyond the Gods' reach, and it has been always locked until someone is worthy enough to go there," Lysara'elmaris answered. "If you want to know, you should climb the tower," she looked at Rigel and smiled mischievously.
Rigel got another piece of the puzzle that he could put on the wall about Lysara'elmaris and her origins.
"So, what happened to them? The children that you saved? I believe you prepared them to defend the tower and failed," Rigel asked.
"Failed? What makes you think they failed? Why do you think Players are climbing the tower? As long as no Player can reach the highest floor, the Gods can't do anything but to keep bringing more Players to achieve it," Lysara'elmaris responded as she looked Rigel in the eyes.
Rigel hummed and his mind was blown by the revelation. He thought the tower was made by the Gods, but after Lysara'elmaris explained to him about the tower, everything made sense.
"Wait, does that mean, all the monsters were all your creations? Including those Elder Dragons?" Rigel raised his eyebrows. He remembered those Elder Dragons were furious when the Messenger came down, and the only explanation would be they hated the Gods.
"You're quite sharp," Lysara'elmaris smiled and she looked happy that Rigel could tell about her creations. "You brought Stryg and I have never been so happy," she added.
"Stryg?" Rigel furrowed his eyebrows.
A growl could be heard from behind Rigel, and when he turned around, he saw the black Dragon that lived inside him. Lysara'elmaris walked past Rigel and the dragon lowered its head so Lysara'elmaris could pat on its nose.
"Stryg has always been a troublesome child," Lysara'elmaris smiled gently as she stroked Stryg's nose. "Well, let's head back to the topic. Those children, some have perished, but their descendants are still going to take back the tower," she continued.
"So the Resistance, they're the descendants of those 6 children?" Rigel asked.
"Not all of them. Esmael died before he could have a descendant, and..." Lysara'elmaris paused. "You have met 2 of their descendant, and I believe you know who are they," she looked at Rigel.
"Arnel and Aria..." Rigel looked at the painting once again. "So the only one that didn't have a descendant is Esmael since he died. And I believe the remaining floors inside the Sacred Dungeon are the tombs of the remaining children?" He looked at Lysara'elmaris.
"Not all of them. Gnigung and Artivara didn't die in the war, they went missing after they lost to Players," Lysara'elmaris answered. "Gnigung is a Spirit, so he can move around freely while Artivara is a Witch who can see things that no other people can see and used it to her advantage," she explained.
Rigel understood the big picture now, and it helped him to understand the nature of the tower, Gods, and Players. The fact the Gods couldn't interfere inside the tower meant they still held no absolute power inside it. The only way to do so was to send a Messenger, a being that was lower than Gods'.
"I heard your request about wanting Stryg to lend you his power. Do you want to take his power now?" Lysara'elmaris offered.
"It would be great. I might need it to help me reach the 20th floor inside the Sacred Dungeon," Rigel nodded. He still wanted to challenge the strongest Non-Players that had ever existed in the tower.
"Then you have to do one thing for me," Lysara'elmaris said. "Their souls are trapped there. I need you to free them, and bring them here by killing them," she ordered with a serious expression.
"I understand," Rigel nodded with understanding.
Lysara'elmaris reached out her hand at Rigel and then put her other hand on Stryg's chin. Rigel held her hand and he felt his body was being crushed from the inside like a dragon's body trying to fit in his small body. It took him a long time to endure the pain until it disappeared.
"How do you feel?" Lysara'elmaris raised her eyebrows.
"Better than ever..." Rigel answered as every muscle in his body throbbed.
"Bring them to me," Lysara'elmaris stared into Rigel's eyes as a portal formed behind her.
Rigel nodded and walked past Lysara'elmaris to enter the portal.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone