Chapter 31: Entering The Tower
The distance between ground zero and the Tower Of Ascension was roughly 10 kilometers.
And these 10 kilometers were easily the most heavily militarized zone on the entire planet.
Magical turrets, giant crossbows, mythical cannons, modern missile launchers, modern machine guns, if it was a weapon that could kill, it was sure to be present on this land which was deemed as the battlefield of blood.
Since ancient times, the battle between climbers of Earth and the monsters of the tower occured on this soil whose sands had now been permanently dyed red with the bloodshed that it had witnessed over the last dozens of centuries.
Labeled as 'Battlefield of Blood', it was the land where the climbers of Earth fought back against the monsters every four years when the year of death rolled around and the monster tide emerged.
From ground zero, after every 100 meters, there was a deep trench and defensive position built to fight the onslaught of monsters, with climbers manning the trenches 24x7 whenever the year of death rolled around.
As Rocky passed by all these defensive encampments in his armored vehicle, he could feel a sense of reverence for the hero's of mankind who were ready to lay down their lives to contain the monsters within the battlefield of blood.
'Someday soon, I'll join their ranks' Rocky thought, as he resolved to join their ranks someday when his services were needed.
Only one single road led from ground zero to the tower of ascension and this area was guarded so heavily that any climber that was not supposed to reach the tower could never hope to reach it, as without the permission of the climbers association, smuggling anyone into the tower was impossible.
Multiple checkpoints confirmed that only authorized individuals were allowed near the tower, as after a rough 20 minutes drive, Rocky finally reached the ' Bridge Of Hope' as he found himself at the base of the legendary Tower.
A deep trench spanning for 500 meters in length and 1000 feet in depth had been dug by humans all around the tower of ascension as the first and most effective line of defense against any monster tide, with a flimsy wooden bridge being the only connection to the tower's entrance.
In-case of a monster tide, it was protocol to burn the bridge of hope first. Removing the only land link to the tower.
However, except for the monster raid, it served as the iconic passage that led a climber to the tower of ascension as walking down it made Rocky feel excited, as he had often seen clips of famous climbers and movie stars walking down this same bridge in an iconic scene.
" Your first time entering the tower might be a little rough, Champion, the sudden shift in mana concentration may make you feel dizzy, however, don't feel alarmed, it's very normal to feel this way when you first enter" Pope Cole said to Rocky, as he tried to prepare Rocky for what was to come next.
" Vorithra Sylithen"
" Vorithra Sylithen"
" Vorithra Sylithen"
Rocky heard the wind whispering something in his ears when he approached the tower, however, he could not understand the meaning of the words that it was whispering.
" Vorithra Sylithen"
" Hey, Pope Cole, do you hear this?" Rocky asked Pope Cole, who looked at him in surprise as he said " Hear what?"
Rocky looked around and it seemed like his security detail also did not seem to hear the wind whispering anything, however, Rocky himself was sure that he was hearing a distinct chant.
As he got closer to the tower, the chants only kept getting louder and louder as his tattoo, which had not pained ever since he woke up in the medical facility, began to sting once again.
" VORITHRA SYLITHEN"
" VORITHRA SYLITHEN"
Rocky heard someone almost screaming in his ears uptil the point that he arrived at the entrance of the tower after which the voice magically vanished.
' What the fuck was that?' Rocky wondered, as he had no idea what to make of this bizarre incident, however, since he had company alongside him who he did not wish to keep waiting, he decided to think about this later as he took a step through the magical entrance of the tower, which only allowed it's chosen climbers to enter.
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"Pah" Rocky fell to his knees almost instantly after crossing the tower's entry threshold, as he felt every sense in his body going into overdrive.
It was as if he had been living and perceiving the world at 20% his real capacity and the second he stepped into the tower, it got boosted to 100%.
The colors he perceived became sharper and clearer than ever, the sound he could hear became crisp and detailed while he could pick up smells from his own body that he could not perceive just a moment ago.
He could distinctly smell the bacteria in his underarms, the perfume masking it, while also smelling the leather of his shoes and the detergent used to launder his jeans.
He could do all this, while feeling the subtle air currents around him, the pulsing blood in his veins and the thrumming beat of his heart against his chest, as all his senses seemed to have reached a hyperdrive that he had never experienced before.
" Breathe, just breathe. What you're feeling is your senses being enhanced by mana, it's okay. Just breathe, you will soon learn how to dampen your senses to the usual levels" Pope Cole said as he stroked Rocky's back in support, waiting patiently for him to regain his composure.
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/// A/N - Chapter 1/3 for the day, two more to go! ///
Chapter 32: Floor Zero
" I feel like I'm on drugs, '' Rocky said, as he got back up on his feet and finally managed to take a look around the zeroth floor of the tower of ascension.
Just like him, he could see many new climbers falling on their knees and struggling with the sudden change in mana concentration as he could see all sorts of non-humans in his vicinity.
A giant 9 feet tall minotaur, A cold and elegant vampire with pale skin and red eyes, A group of elves with pointy ears and sharp facial features, Hobgoblins with their green skins and Orcs with their iconic teeth that reached beyond their noses.
Just one look around his surroundings and Rocky could already observe a myriad of non-human species, giving him the realization that he was no longer on Earth.
" Welcome, Climber, I sense that you have arrived here for the first time ever-" A spirit soon approached Rocky, as before he could say anything, Pope Cole responded for him as he said "Go away, leecher, this child is under my protection".
"So rudeeee…." The ghost said, as it drifted away, looking for another clueless climber to offer its services to.
Rocky had heard about leechers, the infamous spirits that guided the first time entrants of the tower to their destination on floor zero, however, they charged half an ounce of blood for the guidance.
For new climbers who had no-one else to rely on, trusting leechers was a good idea as although they sucked on one's blood, they never broke their word and never misguided a climber, proving to be a better alternative to trusting other climbers that might scam one for more than their blood.
Thankfully Rocky already had Pope Cole and his security team to drop him off at the university for nourishment of young talents, which was why he did not need to rely on leechers.
' Thankyou Pope cole-' Rocky almost blurted, however, estimating his exaggerated reaction, he swallowed the words, as he did not wish to create another scene inside the tower entrance.
" Are you okay? Ch-" Pope Cole was about to say, however, Rocky cut him off as he said
" Chimpanzee? It's rude for you to call a modern human and ape. But yes, I'm okay, I'm ready to move" Rocky said, as he glared straight into Pope Cole's eyes, warning him against calling him 'Champion' in public.
" Yes, yes, my bad- I should not display such racist behavior.
Forgive me Lord Gemini, but I must praise you as well, this child is such a smart cha-"
" Brrrblerrrr grrrr" Rocky scrambled, as Pope Cole bit his tongue.
It was almost like he had no control over himself, as even in this situation he was going to end his sentence by praising Gemini for choosing such a smart champion.
" Let's go-" Rocky said, shaking his head in dismay as Pope Cole led him to the nearest transportation gate.
Floor Zero of the tower of ascension was argued by climbers to be the largest floor to exist in terms of land-size.
Spanning an area that was 10,000,000 times larger than the total land area on Earth, Floor Zero of the tower was a safe haven where entire climber cities flourished and trade and commerce between all species of climbers took place.
It was the most happening place in the entire tower as every climber regardless of their talent and their accomplishments could access this floor, which was unlike the higher floors where only the worthy could reach.
By law, killing was prohibited on floor zero with anyone breaking the law being hunted by all the righteous forces that controlled the floor, however, murders still happened inside, just like they would in any lawfully governed city on Earth.
Floor Zero was also the home to some of the most important climber universities, the schools which prepared new climbers for the dangers of the tower and prepared them mentally that climbing the tower was a game of life and death and not something to be taken casually.
The university for nourishment of young talents was also located on Floor Zero, however, it was located quite deep into floor Zero and reaching it from Milky Way universe's spawn point by foot would easily take over five decades, which was why teleportation was the only proper way to reach the desired location.
For first time climbers, reaching the nearest teleportation gate could prove to be a challenge, however, under the guidance of Pope Cole, Rocky was able to reach the nearest teleportation gate without a hitch, as his identity within the tower seemed to be much more subtle when compared to his insane popularity on Earth.
" Goodluck, my chimpanzee, may Gemini watch over you.
I'm afraid our paths must diverge here as after paying the authorities inside with one silver TG, you will be teleported to your destination.
Please stay safe, and if you ever feel like your life is in danger break the charm I have given you-" Pope Cole said as Rocky nodded his head and extended his palm for Pope Cole to shake.
" Thankyou for all your help, Pope Cole, I hope that the next time we meet, I can perhaps become a sliver of the man you hope I can be" Rocky said honestly as Pope Cole instantly burst into tears.
Ignoring his outburst, Rocky rushed into the teleportation center, as he paid the teleportation fees from the spare money that the pope had given him and headed straight for the academy.
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/// A/N - Chapter ⅔ for the day. This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in the comments for the same ///
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
21 Power
stone 
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