Capítulo 8: The Tower System
[You have unlocked 'The Tower System.']
[Personal information is being harnessed to create an appropriate profile.]
[Name: Aiden Nightshade.]
[Physical Age: 19]
[Throne: None]
[Legends: None]
[Stats -
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
Constitution: 10
Mana: Locked]
[Skills: None]
[Status: Normal]
[Coins: 3]
[You have gained 3 coins.]
'Three coins from one kill…' I bit my lip, realizing how trashy the rewards were. Once the first 'Quest' began, the Tower System loaded in, allowing one to enter the ecosystem of the Tower and harness its power.
Coins were the most basic currency and allowed for the purchase of most–if not all–items that belonged to the Desirer's Summit.
'My constitution stat is 10… how funny.'
Anyway.
I closed the Tower System, tightening my grip on my sword. It was finally time for the first slaughter to begin. I planned on raising my stats a little as I fought, considering they came into play later on during the Tutorial.
And to unlock the Mana Stat… I needed 30 combined stats.
Suddenly, a translucent, blue window appeared before my eyes.
[9/100]
That was the amount of people that had been killed.
I needed to hurry up.
***
A few minutes passed, and the scene truly turned into a shitshow. Many of the regular participants had been killed by Descenders, while the few that survived fought desperately, putting their lives on the line with each blow.
The desperate would benefit the most from this Quest. Although the Descenders would gain Coins and Stats, the desperate participants who sought only to survive would gain the power of determination.
The few participants–if any–that managed to survive would undoubtedly become powerful warriors in the future.
As I shook my sword, crimson liquid trickled down the silver blade. My cheeks were dyed red in the particular substance. In just a few minutes, my appearance had turned to that of a serial killer.
I had amassed a lot of Coins, too.
But I was still far away from my goal. To achieve that, I'd have to fight continuously for at least a few hours.
Suddenly, as I was looking for my next victim, a peculiar existence approached me. Amid the various occurring battles, two eyes were fixated on me, as if waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
The 'eyes' were golden, lined with patterns unbefitting of a human.
'A lizardman,' I realized, glancing at his dark-green scales and lizard-like appearance. He possessed a jackal-like snout along with a tail that seemed to resemble a beaver. He wore a long trenchcoat over battle equipment belonging to the Tower.
A Descender.
In the first round, the mere word was enough to shake the Tutorial participants to the core. Descenders were people with extensive knowledge of the tower, and the capabilities to back the title up.
"What is your name?" The Descender inquired, pointing his jagged-edged sword at me.
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking others?"
"I understand," said the Descender. "I am Priyank, a Descender and a member of the Gurick Tribe Of Lizardmen."
The Gurick Tribe… I'd never heard of them.
"I'm Aiden Nightshade, a participant from planet Earth."
Priyank formed an expression of confusion. "Are you not a Descender? Judging by your skills, you should be one."
"I'm not."
Priyank nodded, assuming a battle stance. "Fight me."
"Why?"
"Because you are a formidable warrior. I wish to fight you."
"What do I get?"
Priyank's expression fell. "What does that mean? Do you need something in return for fighting me?"
"I mean, I could just go around killing weaker enemies. Why would I need to fight a Descender, if I'm not getting anything in return? Aren't I just wasting my time?"
"Do you not have any honor…?"
"No."
Priyank was speechless. He shook his head, letting out a little chuckle before grabbing his ring and flaunting it. It was a golden ring with a ruby placed atop it. My eyes shone with a peculiar type of greed.
"This is the Ring Of Scales. It offers a boost to your Strength Stat when wearing it. You can have this if you manage to defeat me."
"Well, now I'll get it anyway."
I shot forward, inciting a smile from the Descender. The Ring Of Scales was an item that would be crucial in this Tutorial. Items that could raise stats were coveted across the Desirer's Summit… and having one during the Tutorial could greatly boost one's overall power.
The only problem was defeating this Descender.
He seemed to be a formidable warrior, judging by his composure, even amid such a vicious bloodbath.
If he was a Descender, he would also possess some of the knowledge I did.
'But he's never climbed to the position of a Ranker.'
That was an advantage I had.
He'd merely seen the tower.
I'd experienced it.
Clang!
As our swords clashed, a booming voice reverberated across the hall. The sword lock continued, Priyank and I staring at each other, trying to intimidate the other. Battles without an overwhelming power gap were almost always decided through one's mentality.
Priyank's skills weren't inferior to mine.
It was only his naivety I could make use of.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
We both backed away at the same time, clashing a few more times while avoiding underhanded tricks such as a kick to one another's genitals or knees.
I rushed forward, my footwork complimenting the fluidity of my motion. I slashed, the sword creating an arc as the edge approached Priyank's waist. The latter's eyes shone with killing intent.
I felt a sense of danger.
Priyank–at that moment–thrust his blade towards my heart. I halted, retracting my sword before narrowly dodging the attempt to pierce my heart.
"Don't break my heart like that."
"I thought you were only good at fighting," said Priyank. "But it seems you can make shitty jokes, too."
"You haven't seen the half of it," I grinned. I didn't want to admit it, but fighting this Descender was truly enjoyable. The battles with Reggie and Kyle were merely one-sided slaughter, but this…
I had a rival.
I was looking forward to how this played out.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder