Just as everyone began to leave, Peter reminded, “Oh, and don’t forget to take Nightbane—I’m counting on you all to strengthen yourselves as much as possible.”
Nightbane was a potion that allowed the user to skip sleep without any side effects. You would think everyone would use a potion like that – but only after trying it would you realize sleeping had a hidden benefit: a reset of your mental state. How many times would someone fall asleep in a negative mood, only to feel refreshed and calm the next morning?
At Peter’s reminder, the crowd groaned at the thought of another sleepless night, or more accurately, half did. The ascenders who participated in the fight against Hector had been using Nightbane ever since. That feeling of powerlessness stayed with them, pushing them forward to greater heights. Fear was the greatest motivation of all.
Peter made his way to Shenlong’s house, and just before he knocked, a voice called him in. As he stepped inside, he was astonished to find his stress disappear. The only thing of note was the aroma of herbs, the source coming from incense burning in the corner of the room. Peter found Shenlong resting on a couch adjacent to the incense. Taking a seat nearby, he commented. “Huh, I might have to get some of this myself.”
Shenlong waved his hand. “Talk to Olivia.”
“What, is she our drug dealer now?” They chuckled as Peter continued. “Who knew she’d be so well versed in these things.”
There was a moment of silence before Shenlong narrowed his eyes. “She’s frighteningly talented.”
Only five people finished the training on day one: Roy, Olivia, Amara, Jason, and Dubaku. Roy, Jason, and Amara had a higher tier of energy, while Dubaku had entered the fourth realm. Olivia used mana and was only at the second realm's peak, yet was so talented she was no slower than Jason and the others.
Shenlong glanced at Peter. “How has your side been?”
Even though Peter still trained with the others, he plateaued on the third day. The main reason he stayed behind was to build camaraderie, or in his own words, ‘team-building’. Another reason was to organize his thoughts. Jason shared a lot of information about future floors, so he felt it was his duty to plan. The logistics of supplies, marketing, recruitment, team synergy, buying infrastructure, hoarding items that would be useful in the future, developing professions, etc. It was overwhelming, and yet this was Peter’s favorite thing to do.
Hearing Shenlong’s question, he nodded confidently. “Financially, we’re good for a long time. We’ve monopolized the profitable markets. We buy Elixirs as soon as they appear, but they’re just too rare. I could go on forever, but I’m guessing you aren’t too interested.”
“Just knowing the overall picture is enough.”
Peter scratched his ear as he said. “Su Long can’t seem to stop complaining about his new students.”
Shenlong grunted. “Crazy bastard must be micro-managing them like crazy.”
“Hah,” Peter exclaimed. “Half of them already quit. If not for me giving extra benefits, I’m afraid there’d be none left.”
Shenlong let out a hearty laugh as he imagined Su Long berating the students forced under his tutelage.
Peter stood up and prepared to leave. “I’ll leave you alone now.”
When Peter put his hand on the doorknob, Shenlong asked, “How’s Jason been?”
“Same as usual.” Peter saw Shenlong’s awkward expression. “Why?”
“You haven’t awakened your soul, so you don’t know.”
Peter raised an eyebrow in confusion. He knew what abilities an awakened soul gave, so he wondered what Shenlong’s concern was.
“His mental state seems off,” Shenlong said.
“Huh?” Peter was perplexed.
“I asked Dubaku, and he agrees.”
The room fell silent. Peter looked down at his hand on the doorknob and said. “Well… I can’t say I blame him. Can we rely on him?”
“Yes,” Shenlong answered immediately. “I think that turtle of his is keeping him afloat. I had Roy ask his god regarding their relationship, and he said their souls are bound. The feelings I get from the turtle are ones of innocence, joy, and the like.”
“That’s good to hear.” Peter let out a sigh of relief as he left. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
A couple of weeks passed as the Alliance continued their preparations until finally, they were ready. The nobles must die, for if any more time passed, they might become invincible.
Chapter 25
It was unknown whether all Nobles fought alike. Ascender’s combat styles varied greatly, so it was wise to expect Nobles were the same. Ideally, it was best to have a raid composition to counter every archetype. Peter and Shenlong had the workforce and resources to accomplish this, but there was one problem. Through trial and error over the many years in the tower, the optimal raid size was determined to be fifty. Any more and things started to get troublesome.
Long-range ascenders such as mages and rangers needed a clear line of sight to hit their target. If the boss was small and there were too many close-ranged fighters, friendly fire was a big concern. Although unfair, the most effective strategy for raids was to have a few select close-ranged ascenders.
Nineteen Nobles still lived. Due to ascenders flooding the robot floors over the past few months, their locations had all been found, except one. The good news ended there. Not every Noble was alone; some controlled cities in groups of two or three, while there was even one group of four. It was hard to imagine fighting four monsters with Hector’s strength, but that didn’t deter Jason and his allies.
Two weeks had passed after Eboni’s party wipe. Since then, the world saw Nobles as invincible, with Hector’s death being a fluke. That would change today.
Among the decaying corpse of what was once a vast metropolis lay a fortress, much like Hector’s. Inside lived a Noble named Catherine. A specter flew over the fort, giving Ebba a clear view of its defenses. By using the multi-purpose contact lenses, which almost everyone had by now, Peter could see what she did.
He thought it was so cliché how Nobles treated humans. It was almost comical. Like really, this was the best that Architect could come up with? Give the villains some complexity! Peter reminded himself to focus as his back pressed against the fortress wall.
“How many?” Peter asked. Rather than count himself, it was best to leave it to the best multitasker he knew.
“Around a thousand,” Ebba responded within a second.
Peter flashed a grin as he switched channels. “Plan B. Wipe them out.”
At Peter’s command, two hundred ascenders scaled the wall, reaching the top in moments. Rangers used a skill to highlight hostile targets, then lead their squad down into the fort. Fifty feet above them, a specter followed along, invisible and soundless.
Screams of terror came from captive humans as death and destruction wove its way through the fortress. When the captives figured out someone was attacking the fortress, they thought the military had arrived to free them, and their screams turned into cheers. Up above, Ebba saw thousands of laser beams at any given moment. It was beautiful, yet sadly, that sight ended as Catherine’s defenses fell like flies against the might of the Alliance.
The reason for such efficiency, besides more numbers, was Peter’s new tactics. As the strategic head of the Alliance, he worked day and night to maximize the synergy between his allies. For example, by using Ebba’s specters as a type of camera, she was able to coordinate with every squad, sending them away from danger at a moment's notice.
Another change came from Peter’s appreciation for the Lightning-Shroud skill. Berserk-type skills like that weren’t useful in long-term fights, but what if he split his forces into two: one focused on clearing the way, another for fighting the target. Peter’s heart ached at the cost. It was expensive, nearly cutting his, ahem, the Alliance’s treasury in half, but seeing his forces mow down the robots like cattle confirmed he made the right decision.
The berserk divisio
n’s overwhelming power inevitably vanished, leaving them exhausted and afflicted with heavy debuffs, unlike Peter’s berserk skill, which came with no repercussions. Those were too hard to come by. But it was enough—Catherine’s forces no longer existed.
“Berserk division, fall back,” Peter commanded as he stood atop the wall overlooking the battlefield. Within these few short moments, the dystopian fortress was now more pleasing to the eye. Roots, rocks, and ice covered the streets, while projectiles and magical explosions scarred the buildings.
Howling came from the heart of the fortress as the berserk division retreated. It sounded like a wolf, yet there was something artificial about it. Peter squinted. “Ebba? Got a visual?”
“One moment.” Ebba paused. “Catherine is heading right for you, with four mechawolves, it seems. Ah!”
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked calmly, his concern for Ebba non-existent, considering she was outside the fortress.
“Damn, she can see my specters.”
“Invisibility doesn’t work? Good to know,” Peter commented as he swapped channels. “Strike squad, listen up. Catherine has four bodyguards—assume each one’s a boss.”
Peter’s role here was over, so Shenlong swiftly took command, “Jason, you’re tanking Catherine. Tan Qiang, Sun Kun, Finn, Wendy: handle those bodyguards. As for the others, you know which tank to follow. Advance!”
As the two hundred members of the berserk division retreated, fifty ascenders jumped off the top of the wall without regard for safety. Within moments they hit the ground, the concrete shattering beneath them as they charged forward. The division split into five squads, each led by an ascender decked out in heavy armor.
“Contact in ten seconds,” Ebba announced as another specter disintegrated.
Jason felt the ground tremble. Looking ahead, he saw four mechawolves the size of tanks come into view. Their design was incredibly intricate—silver metal weaved together to form their bodies, inside which blue energy pulsed as if it were alive.
Commands to split up came from behind just as Jason felt something. Two mechawolves leaped, clinging themselves to a building on each side of the street. Their chests expanded as tendrils of blue energy escaped from their mouths.
“Barriers!” Shenlong roared from behind.
Countless mana barriers sprang into existence while an enormous dome of illusory water covered the raid, created by Tank’s Tsunami, Bulwark's evolved form. The skill reduced enemy attacks' power and could destroy projectiles, given there wasn’t a large strength difference. As support-type ascenders enhanced the barrier’s stats, two dark blue beams arrived.
When the barriers melted under the intense heat, the illusory water retaliated. Gray streaks of battle energy attacked from all directions until finally, the lasers vanished.
Without delay, Jason charged forward as the street came back into view. Sun Kun and Wendy followed, casting defensive skills just in time to block two jaws from clamping down on Jason’s body. With complete confidence in his allies, Jason sped up without batting an eye. His target lay beyond.
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his quasi-divine grade sword created by Andy, then used Cleave. A razor-thin line of battle energy spread out in an arc, followed by a muffled cry. Behind the mechawolf on his left stood Catherine, a woman of unimaginable beauty if not for the inch-deep cut across her face.
(Mutant Raid Boss) The 17th Artificial Intelligence, Catherine - Level 160
Health: 749,230/750,000
“You lowly hum—” An attack from the side forced her to defend. Although her hand blocked the spear, a blade covered in lightning cut into her exposed back. Shockingly, unlike with Hector, each attack left a visible wound on Catherine’s body. Quasi-divine grade weapons were no joke, though unfortunately, Andy could only conjure three for a limited time.
With the four mechawolves pinned down, Catherine seemed to be cosplaying as a salad. Tossed over here, then over there, she was helpless under the power of equipment. The only thing she could do was unleash a barrage of insults, though that only seemed to increase the damage she took.
After several minutes, much to her relief, the divine grade weapons vanished. Now able to fight back, she retreated a short distance and glanced around, only to find herself surrounded. Her mechawolves were far away—clearly, now was no time to hold back. Looking back at her opponents, she straightened her hair and hummed, “I must be having a bad day. Playtime is over now, humans.”
Much like Hector, she hovered off the ground with tendrils of energy extending from her body. Catherine’s confidence soared as the suppression of energy spread out to cover Jason and his allies. She expected to see expressions of horror and despair—yet all she saw were fifty humans stretching about as if they were in a yoga class.
Catherine’s brain short-circuited. She could not understand why her abilities, which had controlled countless humans, were suddenly unable to function correctly. A wave of attacks soon arrived, and for the first time, she felt fear.
She didn’t live to feel anything soon after.
Chapter 26
The Alliance was unstoppable.
While it seemed like the convergence of top-tier talents was the deciding factor for their invincibility, it was really the thousands of ascenders supporting them from behind, which allowed them to shine.
Su Long produced better equipment with every passing day, while potion brewers, chefs, tamers, farmers, enchanters, carpenters, and every other profession continuously raised their skill levels. The materials required to power level them would bankrupt any country, so it was only because of many ascenders farming for gold that Peter could supply the crafters with what they needed.
That wasn’t to say Carly and the others brought little to the table. No, only geniuses like them could make full use of their backing.
And yet above talents like Carly, Peter, and Dubaku stood the real powerhouses. Combined with their ability, the champions of gods were on another level. Tragically, the most gifted of them all was Shenlong. If Aros weren’t so picky, he would’ve been unrivaled. Still, although merciless, the tower provided many paths to power.
The m-serum broke the chains of whoever consumed it, allowing their talent to be the sole deciding factor behind their growth. Shenlong was the individual most held back by the tower's system, with his understanding of the spear and combat far beyond his skill’s grades. That was the only explanation of how Shenlong maxed out several skills, days after consumption of the serum.
The Nobles stood no chance, and in only two weeks, they were no more. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they searched, the last Noble was never found.
In a closed dimension within the tower, Aros relaxed in his garden, taking in the pleasant smell while his mind watched over Jason and his allies. As every Noble fell, he couldn’t help but think that the reason for all this was Hector’s death at the hands of his old sword. That was the start of this runaway effect.
The tower’s purpose was to find talents across the universe, yet he ruined the test with his blunder. Worse, the contract between him and the tower’s master was void.
Just then, Aros felt a foreign will brush up against his dimension. Wondering who it was, he voiced, “Come in.”
A man shrouded in glowing light appeared in the distance. With every step, he traveled several miles, arriving next to Aros in moments. An expression of shock flashed across Aros’s face. Collecting himself, he summoned a chair across from him as he said, “This is a first.”
“Yes, well, the test is at the climax now. I’ve been focusing my attention on this clone as of late,” the tower’s master replied as he took in the atmosphere, smelling the ancient herbs before sitting down.
Aros recalled the fight between them not long ago. It was only for a moment, but he sensed something when the tower’s barrier broke apart. Coolly, he stated. “You are more powerful than I thought, Ouroborus.”
“You flatter me.” Ouroborus shook his head. “Rather, I�
�m impressed. To think you’ve reached the next stage of your Path after our first exchange.”
Aros clicked his tongue. “Once again, I thought I reached the end, yet even after being able to ‘cut’ any thread, I still wasn’t able to penetrate your clone.”
Ouroborus took a moment to reply. “By thread, you mean the connection between any two things? Have you thought about—”
Aros tactfully held up a hand. “I imagine you understand many things, yet I’d rather you not.”
“My apologies.” Ouroborus bowed his head.
Aros leaned back and stared at the sky, his eyes unfocused. “At first, I thought this current batch of test-takers came from a place isolated from energy, but after I broke apart the tower, I realized I was wrong.” Aros focused his gaze on Ouroborus. “We’re in another universe entirely.”
“It’s true. I’ve found that lifeforms in universes lacking energy, be it qi or mana, tend to perform better upon being introduced to it. I entered this universe after picking you and the others.” Ouroborus slumped his shoulders. “I didn’t intend to hide it from you; I just don’t like the way people look at me after learning what I can do.”
Aros suddenly burst into laughter. “Really? Someone at your level can feel such trivial emotions?”
“Sorry to disappoint.” Ouroborus relaxed with a smile.
Aros wiped a tear from his eye and exclaimed. “I can’t believe there’s still so much more to learn—I was too arrogant. Alas, my lifespan is nearing the end.”
Ouroborus glanced over the herb garden before replying. “I came here to tell you our contract remains, but you still can’t help Jason in any way.”
“Hm?” Aros froze. “Why?”
“Because I wanted the test to unfold like this. I didn’t have to do anything, thanks to you.” Ouroborus shrugged. “Abraxas, the Architect, is a stickler for rules, and since I gave him authority over this tower, I didn’t want to upset him, so I revoked your contract accordingly.”
Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3) Page 12