Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3)

by Cameron Milan

  Eventually, Jason opened his eyes. The aura around him changed from despair to resolve and purpose. By this time, the curse binding Jason was gone. His wounds had almost healed; his heart grown anew. Standing up, he pulled out the arrows in his chest before looking down at Cay. The man was collapsed on the ground, his tears soaking the dirt.

  “Did I do this?” Jason muttered as he connected the dots. Unfortunately, when Jason had used Cay’s will as inspiration, doing so with his state of mind at the time had altered Cay’s soul. It was evil to corrupt another’s soul for your benefit. Jason felt regretful, yet when he recalled all the people Cay had killed, he only felt pity.

  Regardless, Jason felt great and entered his mind. There, he found Tank in a deep sleep. Opening his eyes, he scanned the horizon with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll revive you in no time.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Cay’s muttering came from below.

  Jason looked down at the man with a conflicted gaze. “Now, what do I do with you?”

  The man had a lot to answer for, and Jason’s pity for Cay wouldn’t stop him from finding justice. It was time to find Olivia.

  Chapter 46

  Jason took out a potion he used to aid in sleep, then forced it down Cay’s throat. His emotional outburst currently incapacitated the man, but the strength Cay showed made Jason take caution, nonetheless. It only took a moment for the assassin to fall asleep, after which Jason carried him over his shoulder before jogging back to the haven.

  Jason moved with confidence, each step bringing him towards his goal. His will was focused on one singular purpose: break this tower, brick by brick, piece by piece. He’d crush any obstacle and slay any monster. The will to conquer the world coursed through his body, filling him with endless strength.

  Not much time passed before he returned to the haven. The others in his team wouldn’t be back for hours, so he went to find Peter. Jason’s voice boomed throughout the sanctuary. “Peter, buddy, I got a present for you!”

  Peter’s head popped out from a window in bewilderment. Something was off about Jason’s tone. Regardless, he stopped what he was doing and approached Jason, eyeing the motionless body. “Who’s that? Why does he look familiar…?”

  Jason used one hand to lift Cay for Peter to get a better look. Sure enough, Peter’s face went grim as soon as he recognized Cay. “This bastard finally showed himself?”

  The closest people to Walter were Roy and Peter. After Roy healed Walter’s soul, the man retired from the tower, and the matter with Cay ended. Not for Peter. He pulled every string he could to find Cay’s whereabouts. Alas, the assassin had vanished as if he no longer existed.

  Jason tossed Cay to the ground as if disposing of trash. “I’m pretty sure he’s been here longer than us; look at his runes.”

  Peter gasped when he took a closer look. “Six runes?! How did he enter before us?”

  Within the time since this floor opened, it simply wasn’t possible to hunt so many demons. Finding them was more problematic than killing them. If Cay had an entire alliance backing him, then getting seven, eight, or nine runes was plausible, but he was alone. Peter made sure of that.

  “He’s a demon, ain’t he?” Jason shrugged, not caring much for a reason.

  Peter gave Jason a once-over. “You’re lucky to catch him by surprise.”

  Cay was a top assassin in Peter's mind, and with six runes, Jason was no match if Cay got the first strike. Jason explained casually, “He caught me by surprise, man. I almost died. If not for a miracle happening, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Peter nodded, only to notice the lack of a familiar creature on Jason’s shoulder. “Where’s Tank?”

  “She’s dead, for now.” Jason glared down at Cay.

  Peter froze. Considering Jason’s mental state the past few months, what would happen if his soul companion died? Peter spoke his next words carefully. “Are you okay?”

  Jason met Peter’s gaze. “I should be sad, right? But I’m not. I have the utmost confidence I can revive her.”

  At that moment, before Peter could release a sigh of relief, the air shuddered, and the ground trembled under the pressure of Jason’s spirit. Peter felt a powerful force press down on his body, making his bones scream in pain.

  Jason realized what was happening as soon as Peter’s knees hit the ground. He quickly calmed his emotions to bring his will under control. A notification appeared in front of Jason as Peter gasped for breath.

  Congratulations! With the consolidation of your will and the stimulation of the m-serum, your Killing Intent skill has evolved!

  The m-serum could evolve maxed-out skills if there was enough stimulation. Since Killing Intent was from Aros and only leveled up when his Battle Physique did, this evolution was a pleasant surprise.

  Indomitable Spirit

  All shall kneel under your will. Consumes Battle Energy.

  Remark 1: Oppresses those with lesser Willpower, lowing their stats.

  Remark 2: If the difference between the target’s Willpower and yours is too great, you can choose to obliterate their soul.

  “What the hell was that?!” Sweat soaked Peter’s clothes as Jason helped him to his feet. The feeling a moment ago was like Shenlong’s mental suppression, except dialed up to eleven. He felt powerless under it.

  “My bad, my bad.” Jason scratched his cheek and explained. “Like I said, a miracle happened. Cay awakened his soul too, but he was on another level. Not only could he block off his ‘voice’, but he could also use it to deceive me. Man, it was close! Ha-ha. Anyway, something happened. It was like our souls connected, dude. I was able to feel his deepest emotions, and well, some strange things happened after that. Who cares exactly? I feel great!”

  “Your souls connected? Strange things happened?” Jason’s behavior weirded Peter out. “Are you okay, bro?”

  Jason looked down at his hands and clenched them. “Yeah. I feel full of motivation and hope like I can accomplish anything as long as I work for it.”

  Peter took a close look at his friend, searching for something amiss. He didn’t know much about souls. The only experience Peter had was Cay consuming a part of Walter’s soul, leaving him traumatized for life. It was because of this Peter was so cautious hearing Jason’s tale. Still, his thoughts changed when he saw something in Jason’s eyes. A gray flame burned deep in his pupils. A will to live. To struggle. To survive. That was all Peter needed to see.

  “I’m happy for you.” Peter clasped Jason’s shoulder and felt one of his many burdens disappear. Just then, a twitch from below reminded him of something. Peter quickly contacted Su Long to build some things, and soon, Cay was locked up in a building.

  Today was a good day.

  Chapter 47

  Jason sat on the wall with arms crossed and legs hanging over the edge. While waiting for Shenlong and Dubaku to return, he kept thinking about Cay’s techniques. The fight made him realize the way he used his soul was basic. If someone had taught Cay how to do what he’d done, it was only a matter of time before Jason encountered another opponent who could do the same. Just the thought made him fidget in place anxiously.

  “Ugh, I can’t wait all day.” Jason couldn’t sit still any longer. He flipped off the wall and asked a passing ascender. “Hey, where’s Lavos?”

  The woman answered respectfully. “He went back to visit his tribe for a few days.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Jason scratched Lavos off the list. It would take hours to reach the minotaur tribe, so why would he go there when someone was closer? Jason informed one of Peter’s aides of his intentions before taking the portal back to the robot floor. Since there were five such floors, he’d need to travel quite a bit to return to Sanctuary 06.

  Instead, he teleported to his home on the community floor. This way, it only took about an hour to reach the portal to the first robot floor, which wasn’t far from the Sanctuary.

  The guards in exosuits stationed outside the Sanctuary recognize
d Jason and let him in. Too familiar with the place, Jason soon entered the headquarters, upon which he approached the receptionist. “Is Commander Fox in?”

  The receptionist, a stern middle-aged woman with military training, instantly recognized Jason, the hero of their world. If even he didn’t have the clearance to ask about Fox’s whereabouts, who did? She quickly rang up Fox, who just so happened to be in her office. After exchanging a few words, the receptionist turned to Jason. “She’s on floor 18.”

  “Thanks.” Jason gave a warm smile before heading to the elevator. A few minutes later, he was standing before the door to Fox’s office. Just before he was about to knock, her cold voice came from inside. “Come in.”

  Jason inspected the large office as he entered. It was barren, or rather, tidy. There were no pictures, paintings, or personal belongings. The room only had a desk and a few chairs for guests. Behind the desk sat Fox, who was typing away on a laptop. Jason took a seat as he inspected Fox closely, trying to find some secret. Instead, he only saw a mature woman with sharp features—nothing out of the ordinary.

  Eventually, Fox closed the laptop and faced Jason for the first time. After a few moments of silence, Fox spoke. “You’ve changed.”

  “For the better, I hope?” Jason jested.

  Fox gave a curt nod. “What are you here for?”

  “For you.” Jason gave a charming smile.

  “Not interested,” Fox replied instantly.

  Jason burst into laughter before turning serious. “Are you one of the tower’s masters?”

  Fox leaned back in her chair and gave Jason a look of disdain. “You finally figured it out?”

  As soon as Fox announced her identity, the information hovering above her head changed. Her health pool and level increased drastically. To Jason’s surprise, she was also the first artificial intelligence, the one they could never find. Jason expressed his dissatisfaction. “Why say there are twenty m-serums up for grabs if, in reality, there are only nineteen?”

  To this, Fox smirked. “I have two identities: the first A.I. and a master of the tower. If you figured out the first, but not the second, would you have killed me?”

  Jason immediately understood. Would they kill her, knowing she’d result in another m-serum? Over seven billion lives were on the line, so of course they would. However, doing so would result in the loss of a master, someone who taught ascenders valuable skills.

  Jason clicked his tongue at how sinister the tower was. Thankfully, he’d guessed correctly and didn’t end up killing Fox. He gazed at her expectantly. “What do you teach?”

  Hearing this, Fox sat straight and met Jason’s gaze. “Soul techniques.”

  Jason’s eyes lit up expectantly. “Can the champions of gods receive your teachings?”

  “I’m different; I can teach anyone. Follow me.” Fox brought Jason to an underground training facility. The place had shooting ranges and rings for boxing, in the middle of which stood robots. Fox used a keycard to book a side-room the size of a basketball court. The place was empty. Fox pointed to a spot near the entrance. “Stand here.”

  Jason did as directed while Fox moved to the other side of the room. The two faced each other some thirty feet apart. Fox stood as straight as a rod with her hands clasped behind her back and asked, “What do you know about souls?”

  “Not much,” Jason admitted. “My world can’t even grasp its existence. Even now, only a handful of us can sense our soul and use it.”

  Fox pursed her lips. “Pitiful. Your world has no mana, so the growth of souls is nearly nonexistent. Let me explain then: a soul is the root of your ego, memories, and self. Like most mortal beings, your soul is weak and fragile at the start, so your brain and body take on the role of a host to protect it.” Fox paused. “The growth of a soul is slow. Only by refining universal energy like mana can you expedite the process.”

  Jason clicked his tongue. It almost made him feel like he should be grateful the tower had arrived, or else humanity would never have encountered mana.

  Fox continued regardless of his thoughts. “Mana is the most basic form of energy. Not many things are as pure as mana, yet a soul is one of them. This purity allows your soul, once strong enough, to interact with and sense almost anything.”

  “I call this the voice of the world,” Jason commented.

  “Fitting.” Fox smiled. “Once your soul can perceive beyond itself, then you have reached the basic requirement for me to teach you.”

  Jason recounted his recent experience. “I just fought a monster which could mask its voice and even deceive me with its intentions.”

  “Child’s play.” Fox scoffed. “Close your eyes. Imagine the form of your soul as an orb at the center of your being, inside which houses your memories, ego, and self.”

  Jason did as told. Perhaps because of his experience with communicating with Tank, he quickly finished the task. In his inner mind was a gray round orb floating stationary in the void. He formed a body inside, where he found the transparent figure of Tank, sleeping silently.

  “Good,” Fox continued to speak. “The next step is to recognize the existence of the outside world, or as you say, the voice of the world. Spread your awareness to the edge of the orb.”

  As soon as Jason did so, he saw the existence of countless wills entering his soul. They took on the shape of a line, almost like a ray of light. Just like before, he could sense his surroundings, except now he understood precisely what was happening. Upon seeing the thousands of lines interacting with his soul, he felt vulnerable, like he was defenseless.

  Just then, a will entered his soul and turned into the figure of Fox. Shockingly, she entered his soul like it was nothing. She landed next to Jason and spoke after feeling his emotions. “Don’t worry. This is only a strand of my will interacting with yours. Considering the power of your soul, you can banish me with a simple thought.”

  Jason calmed down after hearing that. He immediately felt it was wise to seek out Fox before encountering a demon with skills similar to hers. The way he used his soul was like a baby waving around a knife, completely harmless.

  Fox walked to the edge of the orb. “You are constantly releasing your will, the sign of a rookie. Now that you’ve consolidated the shape of your soul, blocking off your will should be a simple matter. Imagine a one-way window. You know what that is, right?”

  Jason nodded and focused his senses on the orb. The edge transformed into a barrier, where signals only entered and didn’t leave. Fox gave a nod. “Good. If you want to deceive, then you know what to do, right?”

  His body stepped to the left, but he intentionally released a signal stating the opposite in his soul. Jason smiled as he began to get the hang of utilizing his soul. For most people, this step was quite tricky. It was like speaking a sentence but thinking a different one. Only because Jason had absurdly high Willpower could he quickly grasp the trick.

  Fox shook her head. “Unfortunately, you’d only deceive rookies with this. It can’t even be considered a skill.”

  Jason’s joy deflated upon hearing that. True, it only took him a few minutes to reach this level. He could only fool people who’d awakened their souls but had yet to learn how to use them.

  “Let me ask you: why wait for the voice of the world to come to you?” Fox looked at Jason. “The next step is to change the shape of your soul. An orb is simply the most basic form it can take.”

  “Okay, what should I use?” Jason grew expectant.

  “Still an orb, except change it to a solid state of matter. After that, change a small portion of the orb into mist, which will then encompass the orb like a nebula,” Fox explained calmly.

  It took a bit longer for Jason to accomplish this, yet the world changed as soon as he did so. Everywhere the mist touched, he experienced with his senses. The structure of the basketball-sized training room appeared in his mind. He could see every scratch, mark, or flaw on the walls. It was almost like Shenlong’s skill to see everything within a
certain distance, or rather, it was exactly like that.

  At the same time, a notification appeared in front of him.

  Congratulations! You have learned a new skill: Domain.

  Domain

  Sense your surroundings with your soul. It consumes Soul Force.

  Remark 1: Distance depends on Willpower.

  Remark 2: Soul Force drains faster the farther Domain reaches.

  Congratulations! With your new understanding of souls, you’ve unlocked a new resource: Soul Force. All skills involving the soul will consume Soul Force. The quantity and regeneration of Soul Force depend on your Willpower.

  Jason did a quick check on his stats and found Soul Force under his Stamina. It clocked in at over three million. Jason’s attention turned to his new skill, and he wondered how far he could reach. The result shocked him. The intangible mist expanded past the training room until it covered the entire Sanctuary and then some. Besides the absurd drain on Soul Force, he noticed the farther he went, the less detail his soul picked up unless he focused on a particular area.

  After a few minutes of experimenting, he withdrew his domain until it only encompassed the training room. He focused on Fox, beyond her physical form, until he saw her soul. It was beautiful. Unlike his simple orb, it took on the shape of some complex machinery, with layers upon layers of moving parts.

  He approached cautiously and formed a tendril to touch her soul. “Hello?”

  “You’re a quick learner,” her soul replied.

  Now that Jason had a much better understanding of souls, he deduced how some skills worked. “Are skills like Killing Intent and Mental Suppression a method to attack the soul?”

  “Yes. Mental Suppression is a basic soul skill. Killing Intent is a level higher; it’s backed by intent and not just primitive force.” Fox confirmed Jason’s guess. “It’s better to show than tell. Use one such skill on me and observe closely.”