章 6: The Tower is cleared ?!
[The fourth floor has been cleared.
Time took: 7 hours 33 minutes 15 seconds.
Times Remained: 42 hours 12 minutes 53 seconds]
The wooden stele was right outside the door. Rex could only sigh while looking at the stele. Never did he had expected that the fourth floor would take almost forty hours. Soon the stele glowed in green changing the writings.
[Protect your one life.]
Rex frowned. The directives didn't make any sense to him. Why one? Or how long should I protect it? The timer was still there but Rex wasn't sure whether he had to fight or just can hide.
Rex looked at the vast world that had opened up in front of him. Pure green knee-high grasses were spread around him. The grassland ended after around 500 meters stretch from where the forest began. He couldn't see what was inside the forest but what attracted him was the big tree in the middle.
'Big' wasn't the right word, rather it should be 'giant'. The tree looked like the great Indian banyan tree. It was 3 times higher than the trees surrounding it. The view was beautiful. For someone like him, it was hard to resist. But…
'Could it be another illusion?' This was the most obvious question rose in his mind. There was no way to confirm it. Rex took a few steps and touched the grass.
It felt real enough. Then again those stairs of the first floor or the human in the last felt real enough too.
He wanted to explore the jungle but failing to clear the floor will result in enslavement and what worried him most was Aria and his family may not be able to hold out if he went missing for five years. He had to survive and for that, he has to take the best path.
*Ahooo*
The cry of the wolf was contagious. Others followed the cry. It sounded like there were hundreds of them.
"Fight a pack in the open ground would the craziest thing one could do." Rex looked around to find any living one. After confirming that there was no wolf in the vicinity he ran towards the forest.
Within one minute he had reached the edge of the forest. He had acknowledged the change in the body while fighting with the copy puppet on the third floor. His body control was topnotch, to begin with. With enhanced capabilities, it didn't take long to get accustomed.
Rex climb up the tree. The branches were thick and the forest was dense. He didn't have much problem in moving, from tree to tree. For now, his aim was to reach the giant tree middle of the forest.
But the journey couldn't be so smooth. Rex took a leap to the next tree but something lunged at him from the shadow. He failed to reach the destination, slammed at another branch and fell. His fall was broken many times by the dense tree branches but a cry of pain escaped his mouth as he touched the ground.
It was a black leopard. Might have been a black panther but that wasn't important to him. The beast looked at his eyes. It was hard to discern the body of the beast on the dark jungle floor and it was using that at its advantage.
Without a weapon, Rex faced it head-on. Its movement was swift in the jungle. The first attack was from the front. Rex countered it with a punch at its face. With agile movement, it avoided the direct punch, moved around and went for Rex's neck.
It was within in his expectations. Rex gave a kick on its jaw. This time it was right at the target. The cat wasn't expecting the attack and failed to dodge it. The cat fell on the ground taking Rex's kick. Rex's next crystal punch went straight for its skull, smashing it into bits.
The bloody sense didn't appear. The whole body of the black leopard vanished with puffed up smoke leaving behind a thumb-sized crystal. He didn't know any use of it but to be safe he took it and climb the tree again.
*Awooo*
It was not even five minutes. The wolf was on hot his trail. Rex didn't even understand how that happened but all he could do was run.
'There is no way the wolves could attack me here.' He stopped, hid in the shadow to observe. The movement of the beasts sounded until they came into vision. But the next scene wasn't what Rex was expecting. The wolves were chasing but he wasn't their prey.
The thing looked like a child not more than four feet tall. It's breathing was hard and had a leg injury but somehow it was able to stay in the lead.
'Could the sense be more cliche?' Illusion or not Rex was sure it was the tower's doing. Rex was about to leave but changed his mind at last moment. As expected the pack catch up to the child right under the tree. The child caught up on a root of the tree and fell.
The wolves went straight for his head. Rex was sure about the child's fate. The child moved out of the way and looked up. Their eyes met and the child cried, "Brother, help me." A chill ran through his spine. The voice was too similar to the voice of Aria. Four wolves weren't something he couldn't handle. So Rex jumped down.
He broke the fall with a punch at the wolves head. Black smoke came out again leaving a round crystal. The wolves were waiting for his move. Even before he could stand up one bit his ankle and another caught his neck.
It was unfortunate for the wolves, that Rex was more experienced in fighting than before. He had changed into crystal form, and the teeth were not strong enough. Soon both the wolf was taken care off. Before Rex could move the last one ran away.
'That one will bring on some more.' Rex had a rough idea of how a pack work and top of that they were very vengeful creatures. He didn't hesitate claimed the tree again and was ready to move.
"Brother, don't leave me."
Rex looked down in surprise. He thought the kid was a prop and he wasn't expecting this kind of expression. But he didn't come down.
The time inside the tower was messed up. In the fourth floor, he had spent time in hours where he felt it was more than years. He has to prepare for that kind of stay and an injured child was extra baggage which he wasn't willing to carry.
"Who are you?"
"I am Will." The child said in a clear voice.
"Go to your parents. It's not safe here."
"I don't have any parents." It wasn't sympathy what Rex felt rather it was an irritation.
'No matter what kind of scenario you are creating I am not going to fall for it.'
"But I have a grandfather." The child spoke.
"Go to him."
"He lives under the giant tree."
"Good, go there." Rex didn't want to waste his time here, who knew when the wolves will return. But the child words stopped him from doing it.
"Take me to there and I will let you out." The child's voice was strong.
Rex didn't notice it till now the child wasn't crying or anything. He was doing a fair trade. But his time here taught him to read between the line.
"I am not here alone."
"I will let your sister out too."
Rex knew what it meant. If it was an illusion then this child would never have brought up the words. But now that it did and that meant the clearing this floor had something to do with this child or his grandfather.
Rex didn't ask anymore. He came down, grabbed the child and went into the tree. He moved as quick as possible. He didn't know how much time was left but now that he had found his ticket so he will leave as soon as possible.
There was a horn on the head of the child. The thing wasn't a human. That didn't matter to him as long as the child keeps his words. Rather than the appearance of the child what worried him most was the wolves. He was moving for more than an hour and there was no sign of them. It would be better if they never come back but Rex couldn't shake off the feeling.
The forest got thinner along the way. He jumped down the tree and put the child down. The child ran towards the giant tree but Rex couldn't move. Never did he in his whole life he had seen such a beautiful scene.
The tree was huge. The central body was more than 15 meters thick. The height was something that cannot be explained. The aerial roots of the trees were like beards of an old man. Underneath it, there were many animals were playing around. Rex didn't know a single type of animal but one thing he could say that they were happy. The birds were chirping and the weather was nice. It had an ecology of its own. If he had the chance he would have stayed but the things looked different.
The child ran towards an old man with a long white beard. He stood underneath the tree supporting himself with a long two-handed sword. The animal came running when they saw the child coming. On the other hand, the old man was surprised.
"Will what are you doing here?" The old man wasn't happy to see Will. It wasn't hatred or anything it was the worry.
"Grandfather, I will protect the place too."
"But, that is dangerous. You have to move now. You have to find a new place. They will come here soon."
"No, I am going to protect the place. If I leave they will destroy this place."
"Will, it is not the time to argue." The old man looked at Rex, "You are strong. bring Will out of the Tower with you."
'Even if this is a test, it is too complicated for me to understand.' Rex was confused.
"Brother help me. I will accept you as my master. Protect the place with us."
"WILL." The old man's shout came with surprise to Rex, "What are you talking about? Didn't I said…"
"It didn't matter what you have said, I will do what I want to do." The child's had a very deep resolution. "Brother, I have seen you are strong, help us. I will accept…"
Rex knocked him on the head. "Didn't your grandfather said not to talk about it? And what is with the master thing? Slavery is bad."
"I know what I am talking about, it is you who don't understand. You think…"
The Old man stopped him from talking before turning to Rex. A wooden stele came out of the ground.
[The fifth floor has been clear.
You are free to leave.]
'Just like that? It ended just like that! Who the hell is the old man?'
The Old Man took it in a different meaning, "If you want the prize you have to take Will and…"
"Can I leave now?" The old man was surprised by Rex's interruption. He nodded, "But if you…"
"I don't want anything, I just want to leave."
The old man didn't expect this kind of reaction, "Ok. Take Will and leave. You will get the rewards. He has…"
"I am not interested," Rex said.
The Old man misinterpreted the meaning. He drew his sword, "I will kill you right now if you don't leave with Will."
Rex smiled, "Then what? Who will take the child out then?" The old man didn't have an answer for that neither Rex waited, "I like this place. I want to see who want to destroy this place. If possible I want to stop them." Rex took a look at Will whose face was beaming with happiness, "If not I will leave with him and my sister. I have cleared the tower so you can't force me now."
*Boom* *boom*
The sound stopped their conversation. The trees inside the forest were shaking. The first one to come out was a wolf, the second and their number continued to increase. These wolves were looked a lot like the beast outside the tower, just short in height.
The wolves surrounded them from every side. Then the leader came out, and it was the beast outside the door. The white cat was still sitting on his back. Next thing to come out was the ghosts. Not just ghost, there was banshee too.
A chill spread through the air as they appeared. Those things were waiting for the command to attack. Compared to them the animals along the tree were smaller and fewer in number.
The beast looked at Rex then puffed a big ball of white smoke before turning to the back. The spirits and wolves moved way to clear the entry.
Soon enough a woman came out, looked at the old man and shouted, " Jakhyo, give up Will and I will let you live."
The Old man frowned. He was about to shout out but someone else shouted.
"Aria, what are you doing here?"
クリエイターの想い 
Spunk_image
Spunk_image Jokhya is a type of vengeful spirit from Indian mythology, who guards hidden treasures for eternity. They were sacrificed at the place where the treasure was hidden and bounded to the treasure through rituals. Mainly associated with the myth about the dacoits.
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