Jason no longer had Killing Intent, as it had evolved into Indomitable Spirit, so he used that one. As soon as he activated the skill, his soul transformed from an orb into a towering figure overlooking the world. The figure looked exactly like Jason, with each detail clear and crisp, like it existed in the physical plane. The figure’s eyes reflected the universe as if all were under its control.
In that reflection was Fox’s soul, so small and delicate. Jason watched as the universe itself bent to his will and pressed against Fox’s multilayered soul so hard it cracked and shuddered from the pressure. Jason knew that with a single thought, he could cause its utter collapse. Fox screamed, “Stop!”
Jason woke up, realizing he wasn’t just a spectator watching a show. He instantly deactivated the skill, upon which his soul turned back into a simple nebula. Opening his eyes, he saw Fox on the verge of collapsing.
It took Fox a few minutes to return to normal. She glanced at Jason. “You’ve learned everything I’m allowed to teach you.”
“Allowed? There’s more to using a soul?” Jason tilted his head.
“You are but a mere child compared to the gods in this tower. Don’t think you accomplished anything amazing here.” Fox’s voice was cold.
“I’m sorry.” Jason could tell Fox was upset with him. “I just acquired that skill, so I didn’t mean to injure you. I’m incredibly grateful for your help.”
Fox’s expression warmed a bit upon hearing that. “Off you go then.”
Jason turned to leave and felt he needed to send Dubaku and Shenlong here for training.
Chapter 48
Jason spent time experimenting with the techniques he learned from Fox as he waited for Shenlong and the others to get back from hunting. Domain was now the most powerful skill he possessed. If he limited Domain's range to five hundred feet, everything appeared in his mind with perfect clarity, but the image began to lose detail if he went farther. Not only that, the regeneration of Soul Force past five hundred feet could no longer keep up with Domain’s consumption. Currently, five hundred feet was his sweet spot.
As his Willpower stat improved, the range would increase further. Speaking of Willpower, Jason noticed the stat no longer increased hourly after his change in mentality. Thankfully, it still increased over time, though much more slowly.
One pleasant surprise while testing his soul's functions was the ability to communicate telepathically with living things within the range of his domain, which netted a new skill.
Telepathy
Communicate with your soul. It consumes Soul Force.
Remark 1: Distance depends on Willpower.
This only confirmed his guess as to the function of the communication necklace. It seemed to bridge the gap between people’s souls, allowing them to communicate through vast distances.
Jason’s rising power and abilities gave him a glimpse as to how the tower functioned. It wasn’t magic. There were rules and mechanisms in place here, a few of which he’d begun to understand, though he had a long way to go.
After experimenting for a few hours, it was still a bit before the others returned, so Jason decided to visit Cay. Peter had locked him inside an emptied warehouse guarded by several top-grade ascenders. He needed no authorization and strode right in. The warehouse previously stored crates of ammo, potions, and the like but was turned into a makeshift prison for Cay.
The warehouse was empty except for a table and two chairs, among which sat the assassin. Silver cuffs bound his ankles and wrists, which then connected to chains bolted to the ground. Handmade personally by Su Long, even Jason wouldn’t be able to break them.
Cay sat motionless with his head resting against the table. Jason approached calmly, and only when he pulled back the free chair, which caused a screech, did Cay turn his neck to see who it was. The man’s eyes were bloodshot, with tear stains running down his cheeks. Seeing Jason made him angry. “What did you do to me?!”
Jason sat down and gave a pitiful look. “I don’t know. Something happened when our souls interacted with each other.”
“Do it again! Fix this!” Cay tried to grab Jason, but the chains held his arms back. He struggled violently to no avail.
“Look, I know how you feel, trust me. But I won’t help you; there are things I need to do.” Jason sighed and felt a bit guilty. After all, even though he didn’t mean to, it was his fault Cay ended up like this.
Cay fell back in his seat, defeated both mentally and physically. A moment passed before he glared at Jason with some resolve. “Then kill me. I can’t live like this.”
Jason was startled. Seeing no response, Cay started to scream. “Kill me, you coward. KILL ME!”
Jason’s expression hardened. “That’s up to Olivia to decide.”
“She’s here?” Cay quivered, though strangely, Jason could sense some anticipation amongst his fear. Whether this was Cay trying to deceive Jason or not was unknown. After all, Jason no longer made decisions based solely on the voice of the world. Cay had taught him that.
“Yes, she’s hunting demons and should be back soon,” Jason confirmed. There was no reason to hide anything.
Cay struggled internally, his emotions a mess. There was guilt, regret, and anticipation. After a moment, he asked. “How is she? Is she strong?”
Jason didn’t answer and instead asked a question of his own. “Is strength the only thing which gives her value?”
“Yes.” In this, Cay was confident. “If you have enough strength, no one will be able to control your fate, especially in this new world.”
Jason had to admit he agreed. However, he didn’t think a person’s strength determined if they had value. What about musicians, artists, writers, cooks, and any other profession? These people provided value in one form or another.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Cay smirked at Jason. “In the past, I thought the same, but things are different now. This tower, with all its miracles, is also a warning. There are forces out there beyond our understanding. They can decide the fate of our civilization on a mere whim. Doesn’t that scare you? Doesn’t that frighten you?!”
Jason silently clenched his teeth. He knew more than anyone the fate of humanity. The creator of the tower could be considered benevolent. It threatened their existence, but it gave them a path to survive. What if Vex had found humanity? He’d probably suck them dry of their essence to form a rune.
“I won’t let that happen,” Jason answered Cay with such resolve the air thrummed with power.
Cay’s jaw fell. “What’s your Willpower at?”
While training under Aamon, Cay caught a glimpse of the demon king’s power. His will could manipulate reality, much like what was happening now.
“Over 6,000,” Jason answered with some pride.
“How is that possible? Willpower is the hardest stat to raise. I only have around 2,500.” Cay spoke in disbelief.
“I don’t know.” Jason also felt it was strange. The previous rise could be attributed to Tank anchoring him during his prior state of mind. But why was it rising, even now? The m-serum made unlimited growth possible, provided there was a catalyst. Overexerting yourself during a fight could raise strength and agility. The other stats had similar methods. So, what was fueling the growth of Jason’s Willpower?
At this time, the door to the warehouse slammed open as Olivia entered, followed by Shenlong and the others. Olivia’s face hardened upon seeing her father. The two locked eyes, only for Cay to glance down after a moment of contact. This response shocked Olivia. Her father felt guilty? HIM?
The group approached Jason, with Shenlong and Dubaku inspecting Jason as if he was a zoo animal. Shenlong spoke in bewilderment. “Peter explained what happened.”
Jason stood and faced Shenlong with a smile. “Crazy stuff, huh?”
“Yeah,” Shenlong responded absentmindedly as he tried to find Jason’s voice.
Jason gave the silent Olivia a glance before clapping his hands. “Let’s leave these t
wo alone, yeah?” Jason looked at Shenlong and Dubaku. “You two should head to Commander Fox. She’s a master who teaches soul techniques. Good stuff.”
“No wonder.” The two immediately agreed and left in anticipation. Carly, Amara, and Roy left the warehouse under the urging of Jason. Finally, it was just Olivia and Cay. The warehouse fell silent, save for the occasional clanking of chains due to Cay squirming anxiously.
After a few minutes, Olivia finally spoke. “You’re different.”
“Jason did this,” Cay immediately replied with a tone full of resentment.
“Of course.” Olivia nodded with a sneer. “There’s no way the proud and mighty Cay Wolf, feared assassin, would feel guilt, shame, and regret on his own, right?”
Cay raised his voice as he slammed the table with a fist. “What do you want from me? I can’t bring them back.”
“You think that’s what I want?” Olivia shook her head. “What’s done is done.”
“Then kill me. Avenge your brother!” Cay half-pleaded, half-demanded.
Olivia let out a grim chuckle. “That’s too easy.”
“Torture? I thought it beneath you,” Cay replied with surprise.
Olivia glanced at her father. “You don’t know me at all, do you? The Alliance I’m in is made up of the strongest ascenders in the world. Our goal, my goal, is to conquer the tower before the monster waves overrun society. All my strength, all the ‘training’ you gave me, is now being used to help others. To save others.”
Cay was aghast. His daughter was going against everything he believed in.
“And you know what?” Olivia continued. “It feels great. Every life I save fills me with purpose. Every friend I make hardens my resolve.”
With that, Olivia turned and left, leaving Cay alone to drown in his emotions.
Chapter 49
Everyone returned to the haven after a long day of fighting. Friends grouped up to make small talk, discussing the day’s haul and cracking jokes. Among one of the many campfires sat Roy, Carly, Amara, Jason, and Olivia.
“Are you okay?” Carly asked Jason with tears in her eyes. Tank’s death was devastating news. She heard what happened from Peter, but she still wanted to check up on her friend.
Jason gave Carly a side-hug. “I’m fine. I can revive Tank as soon as I level up my Battle Physique.”
Roy sat across from Jason as he inquired hesitantly, “You can’t level up your Battle Physique by absorbing energy from weapons anymore, right? Haven’t you been stuck on level four?”
Olivia gave Roy a fierce glare to which he reacted with a cough. Jason didn’t mind and shrugged helplessly. “The requirement to level up is just question marks. Unfortunately, I can’t ask Aros questions anymore, so yeah, it’s been a while.”
“That dummy Aros!” Carly clenched her tiny hands and blurted. Her comment left everyone surprised because she’d been afraid of angering the gods in the past, but now she didn’t seem to care. She was upset Aros broke the rules and ended up harming Jason. Only after a moment did Carly realize she spoke aloud. She quickly clasped her hands and muttered, “Aros is a nice grandpa!”
A monster suddenly howled near the haven, which scared Carly so much she shrieked and fainted in her chair. Her reaction left Roy bewildered. “Doesn’t she fight fearlessly? Why do the gods make her so afraid?”
A person who could fight monsters and demons without fear could still faint from an unintended remark. ‘Doesn’t it scare you? Doesn’t it frighten you!?’. Jason recalled Cay’s words when he heard Roy’s comment. Aros and the other gods’ power was unimaginable. Were they spying on them? Could they read minds? Would a single wrong thought make the gods kill them? Nobody knew. They existed in a much higher realm.
Aros took great care of Jason, so maybe it was because Jason had an amicable relationship with a god that he wasn’t afraid of them. That was in the past. After talking with Cay and watching Carly’s reaction, Jason’s thoughts changed. How did humans on Earth treat creatures, knowing they couldn’t defend themselves? Hunting for sport, enslaving them as companions, and breeding them for food.
What was this floor then? The floor of death? No. The pure demons treated this floor as a farm. Humans were the same. Gods were the same. Everyone was the same. If your power overwhelmed the opposing party, morals, ethics, and compassion went out the window. Only the strong could play with concepts like that. The weak could try, but they couldn’t enforce it.
Jason had an epiphany when his train of thought reached this point.
“I’m heading to bed. See you in the morning.” Jason faked a yawn and stood. As soon as he turned around, his expression hardened. Was he strong in the grand scheme of things? No. He was weak. If pure demons came to Earth to farm humans like cattle, would he fight back? Would he struggle? Would he protect his friends and family?
Yes!
Until he drew his last breath, he would struggle!
He would fight!
He would kill!
Jason felt his blood boil. His Willpower stat rose with every passing second as energy—Battle Energy—exuded from his body. It shrouded him, yet it could not hide his gray eyes. Jason’s body might appear to be flesh and blood, but he’d never honestly had the urge to slaughter ever since attaining a Battle Physique.
Why did Aros name it ‘battle’ energy and ‘battle’ physique? Because it existed for battle! For war! For slaughter!
When Jason disappeared from Olivia and Roy’s field of view, he activated Domain and used it to leave the haven secretly. The miasma no longer impeded his vision, and with Domain, he intended to visit the canyon he’d found earlier.
Not much time passed before he encountered a group of monsters engaged in combat. Undaunted, a horizontal arc of battle energy shot out from Jason’s sword as he used Cleave.
While Cleave was a skill from Aros and quite powerful in terms of offense, it still couldn’t kill this group of tier four demons in one shot. However, when Jason’s intent to kill and Battle Energy fused, a miraculous change occurred.
All five demons collapsed after Cleave wounded them. The cut wasn’t deep and would typically enrage them, yet shockingly, they died on the spot. A notification appeared when they turned into essence.
Congratulations! Under the urging of the m-serum, you have prematurely unlocked a skill due to the fusing of your will and Battle Energy.
Battle Soul
Passively infuses your will into your battle skills to cause additional damage to the target’s soul. It consumes Soul Force.
Remark 1: Damage depends on your Willpower compared to your opponents.
Remark 2: Affects all skills that consume battle energy.
Just as Jason finished reading, another notification popped up.
Congratulations! Due to the similarity in your skills ‘Battle Soul’ and ‘Indomitable Spirit,’ the two have combined.
Indomitable Battle Soul
All shall kneel under your will. Passively infuses your will into your battle skills to cause additional damage to the target’s soul. Consumes Soul Force.
Remark 1: Damage depends on your Willpower compared to your opponents.
Remark 2: If the difference in Willpower is too great, obliterate the opponent’s soul.
Remark 3: Affects all skills that consume battle energy.
The same thing happened again as soon as he finished.
Congratulations! Due to the similarity in your skills ‘Indomitable Battle Soul’ and ‘Domain,’ the two have combined.
Indomitable Battle Domain
Sense your surroundings with your soul. You can directly attack any soul within your Domain. Additionally, your battle skills are passively infused with your will, allowing them to damage both flesh and soul. Consumes Soul Force.
Remark 1: Damage depends on your Willpower compared to your opponents.
Remark 2: If the difference in Willpower is too great, obliterate the opponent’s soul.
Remark 3: Distance reduces t
he effectiveness of your Willpower stat.
Remark 4: Affects all skills that consume Battle Energy.
Only then did the notifications end. Jason blinked in bewilderment. Who knew a simple change in perspective would unlock a new skill and cause it to combine twice, resulting in what could only be said to be the most powerful skill he’d ever seen? Of course, the skill was only powerful because Jason’s Willpower stat was absurdly high.
Unfortunately, the third effect—allowing his battle energy to attack both flesh and soul—was a bit redundant. Why would he use battle skills if he could just wipe out the enemies’ souls? Only if the opponent’s Willpower was equal to or higher than Jason’s would the effect matter.
Everyone wanted to test out skills as soon as they acquired them, and Jason was the same. By pushing Domain past his sweet spot, he found thousands of monsters fighting to the death within a few miles. He focused on a tier three demon a mile away with a curious expression, then unleashed his intent.
It was like a thousand-meter-high tsunami wiping out a house. The monster’s soul crumbled under the weight of Jason’s will. Its body collapsed in the middle of its fight, leaving its opponent confused.
The Soul Force consumed from killing it was negligible. Jason was overwhelmed with joy at acquiring such a powerful skill, then shuddered when he realized how truly terrifying it was. It was so easy to obliterate the monster’s soul that Jason felt a strange weight come over him. The burden of responsibility. Indeed, a simple thought could destroy a life. What if Jason got angry around his friends? Would he accidentally kill them?
Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3) Page 22