After several minutes of discussion, Jason spoke for the first time, his gaze on Sam. “Did you find any points of interest?”
“None.” Sam furrowed his brow. “Though it was just a preliminary expedition. We didn’t go far.”
“Hmm.” Jason folded his arms with some disappointment.
Peter added with a stern tone. “Speaking of, how confident are you in heading out again tonight?”
“Pretty confident.” Sam smiled with pride. “Most of us get a boost to our stats and skills during nightfall.”
“Pick a direction then,” Peter said carelessly. To him, it didn’t matter the direction they took; it was all the same.
The usually silent Ebba raised her hand. “There is a large density of death energy to the east.”
Hearing her comment, Jason came to a sudden realization. Ebba harnessed death energy as a necromancer when killing monsters, thus making her particularly sensitive to it. Peter had been paying close attention to Jason in the past few weeks, so he immediately noticed Jason’s change in expression. “Figure something out?”
“I just realized something—on this floor, Ebba is a living treasure radar.” Jason looked at Ebba with strong emotions, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
Peter’s swift mind quickly figured out what Jason meant. “Right, this floor is related to the god of darkness. Death energy gathering in large amounts should indicate something special.”
Sam clapped his hands. “East it is.”
“I’ll come with you.” Ebba volunteered. She was particularly interested in gathering all the death energy for herself, as it could strengthen her skills and undead.
The conversation gradually changed from small talk to a discussion between the various leaders. They brainstormed how to best strengthen themselves before the week was up, and only after several hours did the meeting finally end.
Inevitably, the sun fell over the horizon. The floor was dyed pitch black, and if you stood on the edge of the haven, it would seem as if you were staring into an abyss. Even specialized skills did little to pierce the veil. There was no moon in the sky. Instead, a giant eyeball with a red slit for a pupil stared down.
You are suppressed. All stats have dropped by 20%.
Your willpower has allowed you to resist partially!
Ebba led Sam and his team east. While Sam’s specialized skills allowed him to detect danger, Ebba’s minions were the perfect scouts. As a renowned scout himself, Sam wasn’t frustrated—his team had many things a necromancer couldn’t replicate.
It wasn’t long before they left the safe zone designated to their haven. The constant howling and stench of blood gave it away.
Under Ebba’s direction, she steered the team away from ongoing brawls, keeping them safe. She couldn’t see anything in the dark, but the death of her minions was a good enough indication of danger. Although a few demons ran into them, Sam and his team could bait the intruding monsters away from the party, preventing a fight to the death.
The night dragged on. What was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission was instead a fight against oneself. The combination of mental suppression, darkness, howling, and inability to use the communication necklaces left the team tense and on edge. Even their battle-hardened wills were left strained. Any weak-willed ascender would have found themselves unconscious, or worse, deranged.
Eventually, after several hours of detours, they arrived at their destination. The team could only see less than twenty feet out, but they all stopped without a word. Ahead, corpses of monsters riddled the ground. Strangely, the blood didn’t pool together but instead sank into the ground.
Countless roars came from within, these much fiercer than before, and the ground frequently trembled from powerful attacks.
Ebba ignored all of that. Being so close to this much death energy left her intoxicated. She couldn’t help it—the nature of her abilities gave rise to a type of gluttony that wasn’t human.
When Sam’s danger sense skill suddenly went off, he immediately motioned for his team to retreat. Ebba snapped back to attention. Her affinity for death energy gave her insight into what was happening. Something was absorbing death energy at speeds she couldn’t imagine.
The team turned and fled, but it was too late.
A figure flew out from within the corpse-riddled field, hitting the ground and rolling for forty feet before coming to a stop. Ebba and the others froze, afraid to make a sound.
(Mutant) Demon Arand - Level 250
Health: 378,400/500,000
Besides an absurdly high level, the demon had ten runes. Ebba was astonished. Based on her estimations, they would need an entire raid party to kill it.
“Ahh, damn beast.” Arand’s tail pushed off the ground, bringing him to his feet. He clutched his dislocated shoulder and popped it back into place. Only then did he notice Ebba and the others standing nearby. “Oh? What manner of life are you? Strange, you look like a demon, but not quite.”
Upon taking a closer look, Arand laughed in disdain. “You don’t have a single rune? How pitiful.”
A deep roar cut off Arand’s laughter. His eyes narrowed as he let out a guttural growl in response. “Think I fear you? You don’t know your place!”
One of the runes on Arand’s body took on a gaseous form. It spread out to cover his entire body before transforming into a suit of flexible scale armor. Another rune came to life, evolving Arand’s tail into a fearsome weapon reminiscent of a spear. Three more symbols activated, their effects unknown.
Ignoring Ebba’s group entirely, his tail smashed against the ground, shooting him forward like a bullet. Ebba could barely trace his body, much less react. Thankfully, Arand’s target was the monster behind them.
“Let’s go!” Sam hissed.
Luck seemed to be on their side as they returned to the haven with little trouble. Upon entering, they collapsed to the ground, feeling as if a significant burden had lifted from their shoulders.
It was only then they understood. The mental suppression on this floor possessed an insidious nature, weakening their resolve and raising their fear. After reporting to Peter, they returned to their homes and fell into a deep slumber.
They concluded that, although Ebba could lead them to a fortuitous encounter, if they didn’t possess enough strength, it would instead be a disaster.
Chapter 30
The darkness beyond the haven dissipated like snow under the sun. It was only now that weaker monsters, blinded during the night, began to search for prey. They had no choice. If they didn’t hunt and kill to gain strength, they had no hope of surviving. Sadly, they didn’t know their struggles were pointless—they would end up as food for demons in the end. At least, that was the paradigm for a long time. Not anymore. The floor of death had visitors.
Jason stepped out from behind the barrier and inhaled, his lungs immediately burning. The air here would incinerate a regular human’s lungs, but it did nothing to someone at his level. It was just unpleasant.
You are suppressed. All stats have dropped by 20%.
Your Willpower and Killing Intent skill have allowed you to resist fully!
Unlike most of his companions, he was able to negate the floor-wide suppression. Jason was very familiar with the air here, so it didn’t bother him, but his companions started coughing and crying as soon as they stepped out of the barrier. Only Shenlong, Ebba, and Sam’s team remained calm.
“This is becoming more and more like hell,” Amara commented in between coughing fits and drinking from her magic water bottle.
Carly took out a napkin to wipe her tears before looking at Amara worriedly. “Monsters here shouldn’t be resistant to fire, right?”
Carly was concerned for her friend, who only used fire magic. She’d never seen Amara have a problem, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“Hmph, I dare the monsters here to have fire resistance.” Amara raised her chin to the sky. “My magic recently gained a defense penetration effect.”
<
br /> “Oh, that’s good.” Carly heaved a sigh of relief. As usual, she was a worrywart.
Sam checked over his equipment once more before leaving with his team. The remaining ascenders split into two parties. One group, led by Peter, consisted of over a hundred ascenders. The other had just seven members: Shenlong, Dubaku, Amara, Carly, Jason, Roy, and Olivia.
Before separating, Peter glanced at Shenlong with complicated feelings. Shenlong’s team would become the Alliance's spearhead, and only the best of the best could enter. The berserk division and Cheslov, Ebba, and other talented ascenders in the raid division were under Peter’s leadership.
The reason for separating their forces was due to the mechanics of the floor. Demons, both strong and weak, would eventually come to destroy their haven, forcing them into a passive position. Based on Jason’s experiences, fighting hordes was inevitable.
Shenlong’s party would be responsible for killing the demons leading the horde. As such, they needed to perfect their teamwork.
Even though it was ultimately his decision, Peter’s pride was wounded because he was no longer qualified to fight alongside Jason and Shenlong. It was all due to focusing on the administrative side of things, preventing him from training as much as he could. Still, he didn’t regret it. He chose this role, and he would fulfill it as best he could.
“We’re off.” Shenlong nodded to Peter before picking a random direction to travel in.
Jason glanced at Peter, aware of his friend’s emotions, yet left without saying anything. He was not in the mood to console him. Tank, on Jason’s shoulder, squeaked at Peter as they left.
The haven eventually disappeared as Jason went deeper into the wasteland. He followed behind Shenlong, spotting patches of dried blood on the ground now and then. The atmosphere was tense. No one seemed to be in the mood to talk. Well, except for Roy. He spoke to Olivia, who ran at his side. “I really, really, REALLY hope this floor isn’t all this dreary—that Architect or whoever needs a better color palette.”
Olivia rolled her eyes and responded sarcastically. “Go leave a review.”
“Oh, I wish I could. I have a journal chock full of suggestions and ideas.” Roy laughed as he pulled out a thick diary full of unorganized bookmarks.
Amara scoffed and was about to comment when Jason and Shenlong abruptly stopped. Just ahead, a cave sat at the bottom of a small hill. Bones of various beasts lay at the entrance. All of them shared one thing in common: they were picked clean of any flesh.
As the party silently prepared for battle, the sound of bones shattering came from inside as an imposing beast emerged. Its body was too big to live comfortably in the cave, yet only a glance was needed to clarify any confusion.
An unknown creature lay half-eaten in between its jaws. Blood continuously dripped from the lifeless body, coating the matted hair of its killer. The monster towered over Jason’s party when it left the confines of the cave. It had a humanoid shape, black skin, a bull’s head, and two horns. Most striking were its tightly woven muscles. Even its biceps was larger than Jason’s head.
(Mutant) Minotaur Kresh - Level 230
Health: 234,200/300,000
Wounds riddled the minotaur’s magnificent body. Across its torso was a deep gash stretching from its shoulder to its hip. Inside, yellow pus popped and bubbled. Most creatures would have succumbed to such a fatal wound, yet the minotaur seemed unconcerned.
Jason’s face was grim. The first thing he searched for was the number of runes the minotaur had. On this floor, runes determined the outcome of a fight more than stats or levels. As for the minotaur, he counted six.
After several tense moments, the minotaur swallowed its food in one gulp before speaking in a deep, booming voice. “Not demon. No rune. Weak. Go now. Dangerous here.”
Everyone’s jaw dropped. Not only was the demonic creature intelligent enough to speak, but its expression was also full of pity. That was a first.
Shenlong sent Jason a questioning glance. He could only respond with a shake of his head. Even he had never encountered something like this.
“Bah,” Kresh grunted when a portion of flesh near his wound fell to the ground. It sizzled and popped before falling still.
Roy stepped forward when he saw the minotaur’s health continuously drop. “Uh, sir, are you okay? I can heal you.”
Amara hissed at Roy. “What are you doing?”
Roy gave his companions a look and pursed his lips. “Adapting.”
Kresh blinked his large red eyes, now experiencing the same surprise he gave Jason. “Little creature. You no rune. How heal?”
“Uh.” Roy rubbed his cheek as he answered uncertainly. “I was born with it?”
Kresh nodded in understanding. It seemed he found the answer satisfactory. Thinking it over, Kresh tilted his head. “If heal good, we trade. You weak. Me strong. Help each. Yes?”
“Great!” Roy’s face flushed excitedly as he cautiously walked up to the fifteen-foot-tall minotaur. Looking up, he froze when he saw the minotaur’s eyes staring down at him. Gulping, he raised his hand as a golden glow spread across the minotaur’s wound.
Roy soon ran out of mana. The wound was still there, though thankfully, the poison was gone. The health pool of the minotaur was too large for Roy’s mana to restore fully.
Roy stepped back, unsure if the minotaur would be angry.
Kresh let out a soft growl as he flexed his muscles. A rune on his side flashed, healing his flesh at a visible speed. He grinned, showcasing his white teeth. “Little creature. I shocked. Poison from pure demon. You good!” Kresh continued on, “You stay. I hunt. Short time.”
Roy watched as Kresh charged into the distance, letting out a joyful roar as he did. Before he disappeared, Roy remembered something and shouted. “Leave it alive!”
Sadly, he wasn’t sure if the minotaur heard him or not. If he brought back corpses, they wouldn’t have to eat them, right?
Chapter 31
The wind cleared the smell of blood and poison in the air. It was only then Amara uncovered her nose. She rested a hand on her hip and voiced her opinion. “Are we gonna wait here?”
“Why not? He could have fought us after I healed him. That was his best chance.” Roy was confident he’d made the right choice, so he was quick to defend himself.
Shenlong pulled out a stool from his inventory and sat down, his back straight. “Kresh was sincere. We wait.”
Pursing her lips, Amara summoned a table with an outdoor umbrella and chairs. Carly took out two refreshing drinks and handed one over to her friend. Dubaku, Roy, Olivia, and Jason also made themselves comfortable. As experienced ascenders, they knew how important it was to relax when they could.
Not much time passed before Kresh reappeared in the distance as a dot. His figure was hard to miss, so Jason and the others quickly prepared themselves for what came next.
Minotaurs were known for their strength. Together with his height, he was able to cross thousands of feet in moments. Upon seeing Roy, Kresh let out a roar, though Jason and the others weren’t able to tell it a happy one.
Kresh carried several monsters over his shoulders, and when he arrived at the cave, he carelessly dropped them on the ground. At first glance, it was clear Kresh heard Roy’s request to keep them alive. The monster's limbs twisted this way and that. It was a pitiful sight.
(Mutant) Demonic Warwolf - Level 210
Health: 130,000/200,000
There were six monsters in total—all from different species. Instead of groveling at Kresh’s feet, they growled threateningly. Even disabled, they were determined to fight to the death. It just so happened the warwolf landed near Kresh’s leg. It opened wide and took a bite.
Seeing this, Kresh casually bent down and flicked the wolf’s forehead. “Bad doggie!”
The wolf yelped as its head smacked against the ground, creating a small shockwave. All of its teeth shattered from the impact, effectively destroying its pride at the same time.
&nb
sp; The casual flick of Kresh’s finger had incredible strength. It wasn’t unlike getting hit with a sledgehammer.
Kresh turned to Roy and grinned. “Little creature. I bring ten food. Maybe rune form.”
“Ten?” Roy blinked and began to count the monsters again but stopped midway. He didn’t want to correct Kresh after seeing what happened to the wolf.
Kresh suddenly frowned as he stared at Roy. “Monsters strong. You weak. How kill?”
Roy broke into a cold sweat upon seeing Kresh frown, but he quickly relaxed after finding out why. He asked after a moment of thought. “Can you let us fight one at a time?”
“Ok. Three at time.”
“I said o—” Roy quickly stopped himself. “Thanks.”
Roy fell back and got into position. Shenlong and Jason took point, with Olivia on the right, Amara on the left, Carly in the middle, and Roy in the back. They watched as Kresh picked up a twenty-foot-long black snake and tossed it over.
(Mutant) Demonic Death Cobra - Level 220
Health: 120,000/150,000
Jason was level 180 after several months of hard work. His stats and skills had soared after consuming the m-serum, yet even with all that, the death cobra was still a formidable opponent. First, it was a mutant. Second, it had three runes. Jason was unsure how to quantify the strength of such a creature, but it didn’t matter. It was his job to step forward.
The cobra raised its head to Jason’s eye level, evaluating his strength. On other floors, this moment would have lasted longer, but not here. The snake's innate aggressiveness won over its cautiousness.
Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3) Page 14