章節 384: Chapter 45: First Floor Completed!
KRABUM!
A large crimson bolt of lightning struck one of the Junction buildings, where the first ritual was held. The roof was destroyed, and debris flew all over the place. A large chunk fell and completely blocked the initial room, preventing entry.
But that was not the last; multiple lightning bolts began to strike and hit different parts of the city. Heavy rain began to fall along with strong winds that bathed the city, and the canal that passed through it filled up quickly with the water that fell.
It only took a few seconds for everyone to be completely drenched as they tried to avoid the debris of falling buildings.
Chaos and disaster was falling, the end was near.
Looking at all that was happening, Adryan quickly ordered, "Buy more bullets and go to the station!"
...
Huff! Huff!
Feeling the negative effects of Tauk Millenium hitting him already, the red-haired man could only lean against the wall to catch his breath.
Adryan knew this was bad. Not only did he feel weak, but it would take him half an hour to recover.
Time he didn't have!
Knowing that carrying his artifacts with him would only be a problem in his current state. The solution to that was obvious.
Tauk Millenium was given to Flora, while the Burnt Band and Vecchio Pomodoro—along with some paper figurines—were given to Maric and Sharron, respectively, along with a quick explanation of their abilities and negative effects.
Of everything he had brought to the Tower, Adryan kept only the charms. These were almost null consumed spiritually, and these beyonder objects drew their power more from the language of incantation and materials used in them.
"I recommend you keep the glove," Flora said, glaring at him. The sun medal was placed on her waist like a bug. "It can save your life."
"A paper figurine exchange is going to leave me without spirituality; adding that to the fact that I'll have to use the sword, it's certain that as soon as I make an exchange, I'll lose control or won't be able to move well through the ravings." With more air in his lungs, Adryan said rosily as he straightened up.
"Don't worry about me. Let's focus on finishing the floor."
Flora looked at him, squinting slightly before nodding. Glancing at the duo, she shook her head and turned away.
Adryan inhaled about three more times before lifting his head and looking up.
The words were still there if they looked up. Forming back up.
Main Floor Mission Found: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out.
13:20
Secondary Mission [Hidden]: ???
"This isn't like what you told us we should do." Maric looked down from the mission to the redhead. It wasn't an accusation. He was pointing out something in the way it was marked.
"If the floor is complete just by defeating him, then all the better for us since we already know the side mission," Adryan replied with a sigh, fixing some of his hair that had blown out of place from the rain and wind.
"Are you sure we can finish in time?" Maric looked at him after seeing the time left.
Letting out a long, exhausted sigh, Adryan straightened up. "We can always escape if the situation gets out of control. Isn't that right, Miss Worm?"
"Just shout 'Exit' in Ancient Hermes, and you'll be off the floor quickly." The Jacob replied calmly, looking at the man for the fifth time.
While wet and somewhat exhausted, she could also see the bright side of the rain. After all, she didn't know she needed to see the white shirt and harnesses.
She wasn't worried. So far, her partner had proven with excellence that he knew the floor they were on better than many knew their own homes.
'At this rate, the record for the fastest completed apartment will be broken. Even she didn't manage that...' Her lips lifted slightly, a discreetly proud sideways smile on her face.
Her gray eyes then focused on the other side.
A purple glow was coming out on the opposite side where they were, in the hole that overlooked the ancient ruined hall.
The group was ready, with the maximum capacity of ammunition they could bring and the artifacts already in better hands.
Walking towards the huge hole that served as the entrance, the group stood before it but did not enter. They stayed several steps behind and observed well how the interior had changed.
The basin stones still bore the glowing worms, but above them now floated the guardians who, unlike the previous rituals that were only energy, were in their physical forms.
The numerous cracks that covered the murals now gave off a soft crimson glow, while the huge fissure in the ground gave off a bright fiery orange, intense heat, and smoke, all accompanied by small but distinct bubbling sounds.
'Of course, it would be lava.' Rolling his eyes at that, Adryan raised his shotgun and advanced, his team following close behind.
No sooner had the last of them fully entered the room than a nearly transparent portal wall of yellowish-orange fire cut off the exit.
The group took a second to examine it; the meaning was evident.
There was no turning back now... Of course, it's not like they were going to turn back.
Pumpum
With the run of Sharron's Dragon's Glare slide, the group advanced to the Stone basin on the right. Reaching the floating guardian, Adryan raised his hand.
Everything had already been discussed; his group knew what they had to do and their roles.
With nothing to say, his hand touched the worm under the floating guardian just as the time in the air reached 12:00.
Foosh! Gong!
A mighty wind whipped the whole place, moving the clothes and hair of those present who had to cover their faces before this sudden movement.
All the guardians glowed momentarily in crimson-orange flames and then raised their arms. Four rays of blood-red energy flowed from them and concentrated on a specific point, generating a white glow at the point of origin.
Forcing the space open and accompanied by a turbulent purple flash, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' appeared!
The shield around him was now clearly visible, and the sword in his free hand burned with turquoise flames. But unlike before, the hood was down, allowing them to see his face!
It was split in two, not perfect, as the human part - the left - was being consumed by the right part - a monster.
One of those halves showed the face of a man with an ascended Bayam. His face was extremely relaxed, and with his eyes closed, he seemed to be sleeping.
The other half was that of a monster, much more like the heads of the margwas and guardians, with greenish scaly skin full of yellowish glands that released a thick yellowish-white liquid. It had no eyes, and where the 'face' should have been, there was only a huge toothy mouth, sharp yellowish teeth stretched across the mutated flesh without any pattern, a mess of flesh and pus.
If it weren't for his other monstrous half, one could say the man was once a good-looking man.
Seeing that appearance, the Provoker's mouth immediately attacked. "Heh, you're more Two-Face than me."
Their group paid no attention but discreetly stepped aside, moving away from the man.
What little was left of the eyebrow on the human face quivered; in annoyance, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' raised the sword and brought it down with some intent as his team accelerated towards the other guards.
Fion!
Watching as the energy sickle approached him, his eyes lit up.
That attack could easily cut him in half, killing him, but he was not alarmed or frightened. He got excited!
Unlike the previous times, he had reacted to his provocation this time!
It seems he has a conscience now!'
Instead of drawing his sword to block, Adryan just laughed and jumped onto the mural, running across it with a smile. " I didn't take you for the insecure guy because of looks!"
Fion!
Reaching the other side, the redhead immediately had to roll again to avoid another energy blade that left a deep gash in the ground and caused the platform to shake a bit.
"Huff huff..."
'The only time I suffered the negative effect of Tauk Millennium was that day, but I was Sequence 6, so the effect wasn't powerful. Now I can barely be considered a Beyonder...'
Breathing a bit shakily, Adryan could only swallow a bit of saliva and straightened up, his hand moving quickly to his waist.
The thing was a few steps out of place, and like the good ex-architect he was, he couldn't afford a base that was less than perfect.
"Cursed... bastard... Cursed... bastard..."
The ravings, once rasping and annoying, were now so loud that Adryan could almost see what was making them. Crimson streams were falling from his eyes and ears, and they gained a slightly crimson glow.
Ignoring the ravings through half-cogitation, the red-haired man made a sharp slash with his sword. A great sickle of crimson fire manifested and accelerated against the figure!
Seeing the slash, the figure disappeared in a flash of purple and reappeared in the middle of the half-destroyed bridge.
The 'Chef Who Lost Control' also had his sword, its flames blazing, ready to kill the bastard that had been bothering him so much. Yet, as he brought his sword down to strike, it wobbled, his movements becoming slow and clumsy.
Turning around, he looked stunned as all the guardians fired bolts of light blue energy at his shield, which had turned green to blue!
Flora and Maric, standing in front of the basin stones where the guardians were floating, had activated them the second the 'Chef Who Lost Control' was in position.
Quickly, the creature tried to use its teleportation, but all that came out was a slight, harmless discharge of electricity.
His teleportation was no longer working!
Crick...
To the side of the figure, a lone paper figurine was floating innocently, slowly burning.
Suddenly, those flames rose up in a quick explosion, and Sharron stepped out, sword blazing in crimson flames; she tried to slash at the creature, but it barely managed to block it with his own.
Then, Maric shot out from the shadows in front of the figure with his sword held high.
Fion! Slash!
With the sword engaged it was impossible for him to defend himself, a deep gash appeared on the chest of the 'Chef Who Lost Control', spurting black and yellow blood that released a sweet smell.
The creature shrieked from the pain, saliva, and more of its strange blood spurting from its strange mouth that soon began to emit a strange white light.
Shriek!!!
The 'Chef Who Lost Control' let out a horrible, high-pitched, sharp, attacking shriek that struck directly at the spirit bodies of those present.
Tentacles burst out of the sleeves of his robe and tried to grab the stunned Maric and Sharron.
The No-Zombie disappeared into the shadows before being grabbed and reappearing a few feet behind. The tentacles managed to grab Sharron, wrapping themselves around her neck.
Straining the woman's neck bent unnaturally, but contrary to the sonorous crack of a broken neck, instead, there was the sound of paper being torn.
The trapped Sharron quickly thinned and shrank to a paper figurine.
A few feet away from Maric, the gothic-dressed Sharron reappeared. Her brow furrowed deeply.
Frowning and with a vein throbbing in her neck, Flora focused on her target and poured spirituality into the medal at her waist.
Balls of golden fire manifested at her side, lunging towards the creature still blocked by Maric and Sharron, who, despite being at the forefront of the attack, never backed off.
Small purple discharges came out of the figure's body, but its teleportation still could not be used. The golden fire hit its back, sending it flying towards the gothic duo.
Despite being stunned, Maric and Sharron did their part and kicked the creature towards the altar, but a few meters away, it hovered in the air.
Suddenly, and leaping from the side. With bleeding eyes and ears, Adryan jumped up and gave the figure a roundhouse kick with all his might, causing the last few meters to be cut short, and the 'Chef Who Lost Control' was left on top of the altar.
The symbols on the golden sphere floating at the creature's side glowed and opened.
With a shriek, all the creature's limbs froze, all movement impossible.
Everything seemed to stop. With the roar of thunder, the creature was frozen in mid-air. The sword in its hand fragmented and turned to ash, spinning around it.
The same happened with the rest of the swords. They were all fragmented and broke, turning to ash that joined the altar.
KRABUM!
With the thunder signaling the end, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' exploded into a glowing black and yellow mist. This mist concentrated on one point, and with a resounding explosion, the golden sphere reformed.
It then disappeared in a flash of crimson.
Huff! Huff!
Dropping to one knee, Adryan coughed a little, "How...huff! Are you guys...huff."
"Better than you look," Flora commented, shaking her head and standing beside him. "Can you walk?"
Practically savoring the joy of his situation, Adryan laughed ungraciously and then looked at her in exasperation. "Just help me, will you?"
Main Floor Mission: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out. Completed!
Secondary Mission [Hidden]: ???
The Main Floor Mission has been completed; is possible to leave the floor.
The next time you visit the Tower, the doors of the Second Floor will be open to be challenged.
As soon as those words were formed, a sudden wind swept over them, and as soon as it was gone, it was gone.
Adryan blinked twice before smiling, all weariness leaving his face. He raised his right arm and clenched his fist; the whole arm was covered in orange flames.
They burned with excitement and illuminated his face.
Now, he was a Pyromaniac!
"A how I missed that." With a thought, the flames went out, and he looked at his group with a smile.
Maric had finished removing the bandage he had put on his head. The cut that was once there was now completely healed, and there was no scar.
"Shall we go out now?" He asked.
The redhead shook his head. "We're still missing one thing."
"You know what the hidden mission is?" Flora raised an eyebrow as she tossed the medallion back to the man.
Being a Cryptologist now, her earlier weariness and the ravings that assailed her mind were gone. One advantage of this sequence was the augmentation against things that would naturally come from deciphering hidden knowledge.
"I have a few ideas, " Adryan said.
"Then let's hurry." Flora looked up, "We're running out of time."
Even after defeating the 'Chef Who Lost Control' and supposedly completing the floor. Time had continued to run out.
7:40
7:39
7:38...
...
KRABUM!
The last step had been completed. The group was now under the road links that connected the various districts of this city.
The lightning strikes were now relentlessly lashing the city, and the rain had stopped. That did not mean it was all over.
Only that they were now in the eye of the hurricane; above it all, the behemoth, with its gigantic size, was still descending.
It could easily devour the city in one bite.
A lone figure hovered in front of it all—a guardian in the middle of the Junction.
In his hand floated the golden sphere, but unlike before, the symbols glowed crimson.
The guardian descended and extended his hand to the front, the intention clear.
"The secret mission is just to take back the orb?" Flora murmured, watching everything, her brow furrowed in doubt at the red-haired man.
There was no way it was that easy.
Sharron and Maric looked around, their weapons held high at anything that might come out. It had been a while since more zombies or Margwas appeared, so they were on high alert.
"..."
Adryan, without much thought, extended his hand to the right, and a stream of fire was shot out.
The next second, a fissure formed in the air next to the guardian, which proceeded to open, creating the same star portal.
From it, a man emerged. This man wore a white shirt with some blood stains and a brown vest. He carried a stylish mustache and looked elegant.
This same man was already a few steps away from grabbing the sphere when the stream of fire hit him directly in the chest, sending him flying.
"Aurghh!!!"
"Don't let him move," Adryan said calmly as he grabbed the Golden Sphere from the guardian.
He had greatly diminished the power of his attack only to incapacitate.
His group just nodded and raised their weapons.
The man held a hand to his burned chest with an expression of pain and disbelief, "What the..."
"Doctor Richtofen. If it were any other situation, I would ask for an autograph, but this is a somewhat special situation, don't you think?"
The man, now identified as Richtofen, looked up. His clear eyes looked at the young man before him, and his eyebrows raised.
"You... You're not the one who should be here- No, that doesn't matter now!" The Doctor shook his head energetically as he raised a hand toward him.
"You know who I am, and since you haven't killed me, you must know the importance of what I'm doing!"
"I do." Adryan nodded.
The man's eyes lit up in relief. "Then hand me the Summoning Key! We don't have time to waste, the universe-"
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't do that. At least, not yet."
"You insolent brat! Do you have any idea what's at stake- Urgh!" Richtofen tried to get up, but the significant burns on his chest forced him to the ground.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Doc. You know better than I do. You'll only make your condition worse." Giving him one last look, Adryan walked past the wounded man.
"I don't have time for this! You know what's at stake!" Richtofen howled in fury, his tidy hair now a mess.
The red-haired man didn't respond immediately; he just looked up. A small smile graced his lips.
"Nah, I reckon I do have time."
5:50
"What are you talking about?!"
The group looked uncertainly at the conversation between the 'leader' and the man with the strange accent. They did not understand what they were talking about but did not intervene other than to make sure the latter didn't move.
Reaching the middle of the junction, Adryan looked up towards the colossal behemoth, which was falling faster and faster.
"This world can still be saved. I can't let you take that one chance before you accomplish that." In a calm voice, the red-haired man raised his hand with the Summoning Key to the sky.
The crimson symbols glowed, and the sphere left his hand, beginning to float and spin with great speed.
"It's a futile attempt!" Richtofen shouted, trying to grab the pistol at his side, but before he could do anything, Maric's foot forced him to the ground.
His attempt to reason could not be suppressed or contained despite being restrained.
"You'll risk the universe's survival for just one agonizing world?! Even if you stop the connection, that won't sever it! Other deadbeats will appear to reopen it!
"This world is doomed. No matter what you do, its end will eventually come!
"Yet you're still going to save it!? Fool!"
Adryan looked at the man on the ground, his face empty of emotion, before he broke into a mischievous grin. "Of course."
The symbols covering the Summoning Key's body glowed, and a vast pillar of crimson energy shot into the sky.
This pillar collided head-on with the Behemoth in the sky, passing through it effortlessly and continuing beyond.
Beyond what they could see but not what they could feel, they all felt something 'shatter', the sensation not unlike a broken mirror.
A huge white flash mowed everything down, and the creature that was about to fall on them was 'pulled' by an invisible force. It disappeared into the horizon beyond the sky.
The sensation of 'breaking' returned, and the whole world became a spiral. Up was down, and right was up.
It was only an instant, and before anyone could process what was happening, everything was back to normal...
The destruction in the Junction was gone. The buildings had returned to normal before they were destroyed, and the sky was no longer covered by storm clouds, showing a big blue sky.
The blood was gone, along with the feeling of death. The Junction no longer felt so empty.....
"Fruits at 10 cents! Take your fruits!"
"Attention, attention! Detective arrested for corruption! Buy a newspaper to find out more!"
"Famous magician murders his wife! Buy one..."
Carriages passed and crossed, and the sublime, lively activity of the Junction was seen from the initial alleyway by the group hiding in the darkness.
"This is a futile attempt, you know that, don't you?" Richtofen complained, looking up from sitting against the wall at the red-headed man.
"It will only be a futile attempt if you fail at what you want to do," Adryan replied in amusement.
"..." The man tensed momentarily before looking away, with complicated emotions on his face.
Extending his hand, Adryan dropped the Summoning Key to the ground and rolled it to the Doctor's feet.
"It's all yours."
Staring into the dull scarlet eyes, Richtofen snorted and took the Summoning Key, slowly rising to his feet. Grunting a little from the pain coming from his bandaged chest.
"Was it necessary to burn me? You look strong enough to subdue me." The Doctor groaned.
"And partake in your weird fetishes? No thanks. I like women." Adryan replied flatly, his face stony.
Richtofen laughed in a strange tone." That's what everyone says at first. Don't worry. The day will come when someone will change your mind~"
"You already wish that someone was you." Wanting to get out of this strange conversation, he grunted a little. "What don't you have some Boytoys to go back to? Shu shu, go."
"Fu fu~ Men, they tear your body apart and kick you out when they don't need you." Richtofen snorted ungraciously yet backed up a step as the man's hand burst into flames.
Knowing he had already overstayed his welcome, the Summoning Key glowed, and another portal formed.
"That's my call! Bye!!!" With that said, the Doctor sped off with a few groans of pain accompanied by a limp and disappeared into the portal, which soon closed.
Ping!
Following the notification sound, a floating screen appeared in front of everyone present's faces.
Main Floor Mission: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out. Completed!
Secondary Mission [Found!] Prevent Doctor Edward Richtofen from stealing the Summoning Key and save this dimension. Completed!
All missions have been completed!
You will be transported to the room to collect your rewards in a few moments.
Thank you very much for participating!
As soon as the message was read in its entirety, the entire group disappeared in a blur.
Voices from the Junction echoed in a cacophony through the empty alley. None knowing how close they came to being devoured.
章節 385: Chapter 46: So Close, So Far
From one blink of an eye to the next, the group went from an old alley to a completely white room.
There was no better way to compare it than a large white room. With a small living room with white sofas and a small table of the same color.
In one corner was a bed that could easily fit three people and still have room. Its sheets and blankets were the same color as everything else.
With so much white, the strange black rectangle in the middle of the wall in front of the room stood out that much more. Below it was an empty long metal table.
'A television...' The red-haired man looked at the familiar object he never thought he would see again without knowing how to react; his expression showed no change.
"Is this some kind of hotel?" Maric asked, looking around.
"Do you really want us to answer that question?" Adryan walked over to the couch and sat down, placing an ankle on his knee and resting his cheek on his knuckles.
Out of curiosity, he taped over the place where he had kept Margwa's Heart, but it was now empty.
Maric's lips trembled slightly, and the trembling intensified as he noticed Sharron looking at him from the side.
Closing her eyes, the goth walked over to the sofa and sat gracefully on the one-seat couch.
Flora, for her part, looked around with a sideways smile. The redhead could easily notice the pride welling up in her, and he could only roll his eyes in amusement.
As that happened, the screen suddenly lit up, and Hermes began to be written live.
Congratulations on Completing the First Floor!
The letters were the color of a rainbow. At the bottom, a happy face with a little hat and a whistle appeared.
You are now in the Room, where you will always stop when you complete a floor and where the door to the next floor will be.
A small click sounded, and a few meters from the screen, a door manifested in the middle of the wall. It had the Number 1 in Hermes shining like stars.
You can always go back to complete the floor if you want to receive different rewards or if you would like to try another challenge of the same level.
Another click sounded, and a new door appeared a few steps away from the other one, but it did not have a number on it.
The door that just appeared will take you to the Second Floor. It will only activate the next time you return to the room, and you can challenge it!
Only once the current floor is completed can one move on to the next floor.
Now, if you like, you will be given the compass to find the Room once you leave.
It is a choice. You can refuse it if you like, but you will not be able to find the entrance without someone who has it.
Do you want to get the compass?
Holding back the corners of his lips from quivering, Adryan sighed quietly. "I want it."
As soon as he gave consent, a warm sensation formed on the back of his left hand. Curious, the redhead removed his glove and saw how a familiar purple tattoo had appeared.
Numerous runes and symbols were interconnected in a shifting pattern, indecipherable, and constantly changing.
The language of these was utterly unknown to him, and yet it seemed to change to a different one so fast that it made him dizzy within seconds of seeing it.
But, despite that, the information of what he had seen had implanted itself in his brain.
Rubbing his forehead with two fingers, Adryan grunted a little.
'November 18th...'
Shaking his head, he looked up, and the screen continued to type.
Returning to the successful completion of the First Floor...
Congratulations!!! You have broken the record for the fastest completion!!!!
Confetti fell on the screen, and the words constantly changed colors to rainbow colors, a grand celebration, and praise.
Please write down your names so we can put them on the list!
Of course, you can also use a nickname if you think it's better.
Suddenly, a transparent blue screen appeared before them, except for Flora.
'A keyboard? It looks like the creator of this Tower was a Pc fan...' Sighing a little, the red-haired man looked at the various letters of the Hermes alphabet in somewhat deep thought.
Placing his name was out of the question. As soon as he finished this round, everyone would know he was climbing the Tower; no one needed to know what floor he was on.
The decision then was obvious: a nickname.
But the question was, which one?
For a moment, Adryan considered placing a certain Russian weapon, but after thinking it over, he only denied it with a chuckle.
'If I used that, it would just be a simple anagram that was quickly discovered. Using AK-47 as a nickname might be fun, but come on! It's so obvious!
'Mmm'
Remembering what he was doing and the mission he had been given, enlightenment fell upon him.
If he was climbing the Tower, wouldn't it be fitting to connect to that?
With that in mind, his finger quickly typed in his nickname, which he would henceforth be known in the Tower.
Finally, his finger pressed the large Confirm button, and the keypad disappeared, replaced by a simple sentence.
Welcome, Ascender Stark.
'If I've already chosen to be a billionaire. Why not finish off and take the other one?' laughing a little, the screen disappeared, like Maric's and Sharron's.
The blue screen changed, and a huge list appeared. The people had different names but shared the same number at the top, a 1. At the end of each was a time.
The list glowed momentarily before changing, and four names were added in a row to present a group, all at the top.
1- Ascender Stark, Dark Doll, Malicious Eye, and Savior Of The J - 30 minutes and 40 seconds.
Inevitably, several eyes moved toward a confident white-haired woman who had suddenly found the empty wall to her left exciting and wasn't looking at them.
"And then you complain about my way of naming things," Adryan said blankly.
"Those were other times when I was immature."
"And has that changed?"
Finally, Flora turned and looked at him, her eyes deep and charged, "Yes."
"..." His eyebrows raised slightly, and the redhead raised his arms in surrender.
You got me there, girl.
As if tired of being ignored, the screen glowed a little brighter, drawing attention to itself again.
The reward will now be delivered. It will be adjusted as the Secondary Mission was found and completed.
As soon as that was finished being said, a small flash formed in front of everyone present, who now had a small table with a silver tray in front of them.
On top of his tray, Adryan looked somewhat lost at the objects on it, which ranged from a few stones to a yellowish piece of paper and an old book with a grape leather cover.
The first stone was dark brown, much like dried blood, and its surface appeared to have multiple mouths whispering incessantly.
The second stone was very different from the previous one; this one was utterly transparent and similar to amber. In its interior, multiple sentences in other languages were moving.
Adryan looked at these objects, somewhat stunned. The information about each was revealed in simple name holders with their names written in Hermes.
Listener for the first stone and Scrolls Professor for the second.
'These are characteristics! Sequence 8 and Sequence 6!' The red-haired man found himself a bit stunned, not having expected this.
'Surely these characteristics belonged to the Beyonders who failed to climb the Tower.'
Shaking his head slightly, he looked at the paper to the side, an idea already forming in his mind of what it might be.
Grabbing it, he read it.
As usual, it was all written in Hermes.
<>
Conspirator's Potion Formula.
Main Ingredients: A Black Hunting Spider's composite eye and a Sphinx's brain.
Supplementary Ingredients: One Black Hunting Spider's poison gland, 80 milliliters of Sphinx blood, 10 grams of Amber powder, 2 White Oak Fruits.
<>
"..." Adryan took a moment to read the paper. After 15 seconds without moving or saying anything, he carefully folded it and put it in his vest pocket.
That done, the red-haired man brought a hand to his forehead and began to massage it.
Right now, he wished he could feel his right hand to clench his fist in anger.
This would have been extremely useful two weeks ago when he had to die and cook his organs to advance to Sequence 6!
A long sigh left his lips, and he went into a small cogitation to calm himself.
'It's over... it's over...'
Ohoho, he planned to take revenge on his closet after all this.
Putting this episode aside but planning to watch it later, the red-haired man grabbed the last item on the tray.
The leather-bound book.
Despite its aged appearance, the texture was quite detailed and felt pleasing. The grape color only added to the overall elegance.
It didn't have a title, so he could just open it and see what it was about.
While he would usually take this kind of suspicious book to the City of Calamities to read it more safely, he could take a chance that the Tower's security would not fail here.
With that in mind, he opened the book to the cover.
An elegant title written in Hermes, beautifully lettered in black ink, welcomed him along with the soft scent of roses.
<>
Divination, Protection, and Curses through Mirrors.
Written by S.B. in the year 1090 of the Fifth Epoch.
<>
'This...' Adryan looked at the title in surprise.
A book about divination! Something that, despite his considerable knowledge of rituals, was something he was still far behind!
'Divination through mirrors... That's the way Witches use it. This book was written by one? That would explain the smell of roses and the exquisite handwriting...'
'When I master this book, I am sure I will be able better to use the power of the City of Calamities... That part about curses through mirrors is exciting...'
Nodding slightly, the red-haired man noted an appointment with this book later.
As he closed the book with a plop and put it away in his jacket, Adryan felt extremely satisfied.
The rewards were undoubtedly valuable; in his opinion, the best was the book, followed by the characteristics and formula.
He didn't take long to pack them all in containers and put them in his jacket.
After doing all that, he told the rest what he had obtained and asked about their gains.
"Magician's potion formula, a pair of eyes from a Psychiatrist, and some mystical ingredients," Flora commented, holding up a vial with the aforementioned eyes and a piece of paper.
She looked at the vial in her hands before tossing it to him. "Here, you can use it as a replacement for the Dragon Mirror eyes for that brat."
Catching the vial, the redhead looked at its contents momentarily before putting it away. "Thanks."
"Hum."
Maric held up a piece of paper and a book. "Devil's potion formula and a book on different methods of torture."
The redhead paused for a moment before nodding.
"...We can use the book; what would you like to do with the formula?"
Maric sprouted his fingers and burned the paper with his spirituality. Then he looked at the rest and said, "The fewer devils in the world, the better."
"Well said."
His eyes then fell on Sharron, who held up a blackish, burnt book with both hands. "The Characteristics of a Midnight Poet, its Formula and a book on various ways to prepare talismans of medium-high level."
Adryan whistled slightly. His eyebrows raised in appreciation.
The profits had been highly juicy!
'From the looks of it, it's much better to complete the Tower in a group than alone. Not only is the reward much more significant, but it's much safer.
'Provided there is trust, of course. Otherwise, once outside the Tower, one would have to watch their back.
Could that be a way of spreading knowledge about the Tower? That way, more people come and try to climb it?'
Of course, the red-haired man wasn't taking the gains now as the common one.
They had completed the Hidden Mission, which, according to Flora, further improved the quality of what they got.
'Also...' Patting the various containers on his chest, Adryan frowned slightly.
Everything they had gained benefited them in one way or another, either themselves or people they knew.
'It seems the Tower has a certain way of seeing information about a person... And it seems that consent is once again affecting...'
The Tower could read information about him despite Hunter's Hallow being there.
He was sure of that because of the Listener's characteristics.
Until now, he had never told any living being that he planned for Serena to take that path.
Putting aside the issue of his consent, the red-haired man returned to the bounties.
"Would you like to leave them with me?'
Sharron nodded, "Please."
With more things to take to his Calamity Closet. The group finally had everything to leave.
What the white-haired woman said in Ancient Hermes settled the question of how.
"Exit!"
The table under the screen disappeared, and a white door appeared. This one was huge, easily fitting all four of them through simultaneously.
The screen lit up, and the words Exit were written on it.
"Once we get outside, I want to talk to you two for a while. You don't have anything to do today, do you?" Adryan said, looking at the gothic duo, who shook their heads.
They walked calmly to the door and opened it; the same darkness that strange hallway greeted them.
They had stepped into that darkness when Adryan was suddenly pulled back with force, tripping him.
By mere reflex, he twisted his body and fell over the one who had pulled him.
Thump!
His hands broke his fall, placed on either side of the head of a stunned Flora whose face was inches away from him.
For a moment, their breaths mingled, and the redhead couldn't help but laugh a little. His cheeks slightly reddened.
"Wow, Flora, don't you think it's a little fast for this?"
"Get off me." Instead of answering his question, Flora demanded, her body frozen and her eyes twitching slightly.
This hadn't been part of the plan!
Wanting a little revenge for the scare she'd given him and being knocked to the floor, Adryan decided to play a little.
Licking his lips, his head lowered slightly, their noses now touching. "Oh? And why would I do that? I finally got you right where I wanted you~"
Flora began to tremble, her eyes moving side to side in alarm.
"Princess-"
Chuckling a little, the red-haired man touched the woman's neck and softly sniffed, smiling at the lavender. "We're alone now. Why don't we make up for some lost time?"
"W-wait- Ah!" her complaint died in an embarrassed moan, with her eyes widening in shock as she felt her neck being gently kissed.
With extreme nerves and her heart on the verge of exploding. The Jacob placed both hands on the man's shoulders and stuttered in alarm. "Wait- Adryan- not yet!"
"Okay." With that simple reply, the red-haired man jumped to his feet, leaving a highly shaken Flora in shock.
"Wh-what..." Stunned, the Jacob looked up and watched as a blushing Adryan winked at her.
"I'm a No is No advocate, so when you're ready, let me know. I promise you a good time~"
Flora blinked a little confused, before a vein exploded in her forehead and neck. "That was too much, even for you! Playing like that with a Lady, where's your education?!"
She had never felt so humiliated!!!!!
Adryan smiled gracefully and bowed softly, extending a hand to the woman. "It would only be a game if I planned to stop, my Dear Worm."
The woman's mouth hung. Her face went from glowing red with fury to red with embarrassment.
"W-you w-want to sa-say!?"
His smile grew a little, turning flirtatious. Adryan nodded with a twinkle in his eye.
"Not to be vulgar. Let's say that bed and the various couches would have seen quite a bit of action~"
Flora looked at him with her mouth half open. Her eyes moved to the outstretched hand, much larger and bigger than hers, to the arm and up the man's body that easily covered hers completely.
At this exact moment, she felt something she hadn't in a long time.
It was safety.
Swallowing saliva, she took the hand as a fleeting thought passed through her mind.
Maybe she shouldn't have asked him to stop...
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