The second method was to increase his Willpower. If it was high enough, he could just directly wipe out the demon king’s soul. There were a few problems with this route. Firstly, if there were methods to attack souls, there were probably defensive methods as well. Considering the tower placed increasingly greater importance on souls, then this was likely the case. Secondly, stats raised slower the higher they were. Jason couldn’t hope his Willpower increased indefinitely. That was a gamble he wasn’t willing to take.
The third method was to raise his Battle Physique to the next level. Alas, the process of doing so was unknown. Jason had a hunch the next level was different than the rest. There had to be something so powerful that even the tower didn’t give a clear explanation.
The fourth method was to form more runes. Not only did it give new skills, but it also increased various stats.
Of the four methods, Jason crossed off the third. It was too unreliable. The same went for the second. Since he didn’t know of any ways to increase Willpower, he’d just let it grow passively. Of the two remaining methods, he didn’t have to pick one over the other. His plan was simple: use most of his soul force to massacre monsters and gather essence, then hunt with his sword while it regenerated.
While he could use his time meditating instead of raising his sword’s power, he couldn’t help but remember how mighty Roy’s divine-grade sword was in the previous timeline. Not only that, Jason could still recall the god-like power when he killed Hector with a single swing. Aros’s legacy sword was something special, and he couldn’t let it go to waste.
With his thoughts settled, Jason set off into the wilderness.
Chapter 53
The dread plains were a vast, rugged wasteland filled with violence. In this place alone, thousands of monsters died every day in their never-ending pursuit of strength. Territories between monsters might have formed if not for the tower spawning a new monster for every death, creating an endless cycle of chaos.
On the plains' eastern side, a minotaur standing twelve feet high swung two maces with reckless abandon. There was no need for technique. Brute strength alone allowed the minotaur to overpower any foe. Every swing shattered skulls, and each kick collapsed ribs.
This minotaur’s name was Tarok, and he was currently undergoing the rite of passage to become an adult. After wiping out the blood ant nest before him, he would become a respected warrior in his tribe.
It was rare for monsters to work together, even those of the same species. In this case, the thousands of blood ants living in this nest were under the control of a queen. As such, they were considered a single entity. These queens spawned ants faster than the lone Tarok could kill them, so there were only two ways to win. Slowly exhaust the queen’s energy, or destroy her directly. Tarok’s eagerness to prove himself made the choice easy.
Things quickly got bad.
The walls were covered in mucus, making them harder than steel, so Tarok could only follow the passages aimlessly. An hour later, not only was Tarok’s stamina gone, he didn’t know right from left. It was only then he realized his mistake. The right plan was to drain the queen’s energy rather than charge in like he did.
Just as Tarok determined to fight until the end, a disturbance came from a nearby passage. Glancing over, Tarok saw a human he recognized.
“Yo.” Jason gave Tarok a friendly smile as he danced between the ant’s bodies, dodging all their attacks by a hair’s breadth. A sleek sword cut through the gap in their carapace, severing their heads. No skill was necessary to kill runeless monsters with Jason’s current stats. Though since there were too many ants, he used Cleave a few times. A thin line of battle energy shot out in an arc from Jason’s next swing, directly severing anything it touched, including the walls. Unfortunately, as these ants were considered puppets, they didn’t drop any essence.
“What’s your name?” Jason arrived next to the exhausted Tarok in no time at all.
“Tarok.”
Jason introduced himself as he fended off the nearby ants. “What are you doing here?”
“Kill queen,” Tarok replied as he sat down and ate the corpse of an ant he killed to recover his strength.
Not long ago, Jason created his fourth rune after using half of his soul force. After that, he came across this nest and decided to explore it. Only now did he send out Domain and find a tier four ant that continuously spawned monsters. Jason couldn’t help but wish the queen could create ants with runes. If that was the case, wouldn’t he have an endless supply of monsters to level up his sword and new rune? Thinking of his fourth rune, Jason pulled up its information.
Vitality Extraction – Tier 1 Rune
There is a minuscule chance to increase your Health and Stamina regeneration by .01% upon killing a monster.
Passively reduces the consumption of Stamina by 1%.
Of course, he tried to include Battle Energy and Soul Force in the equation, but the price skyrocketed beyond reason. Jason’s dream was to recover his total Health and Stamina in one second. With all the skills and stats he had, it currently took over four minutes for his Health to regenerate fully and a bit less for Stamina, so he had a long way to go.
Focusing back on Tarok, Jason asked. “Do you know where she is?”
“No,” Tarok replied between chewing.
“Okay, follow me.” Jason used Domain as a guide to lead Tarok to the queen, which he gobbled down with relish after killing it in a fierce battle. Shortly after they left the nest, Jason clicked his tongue and asked Tarok, a native of this floor. “Do you know a place where there are countless demons to kill?”
Jason felt running around was a waste of time. Blood moons were the best; the monsters came to you, so there was no need to search for them. If there was a place like that, it was worth checking out.
“Um.” The question stumped Tarok, and only after straining his brain did he recall something his chief said. “Abyss.”
“Abyss? Like a giant hole in the ground?” Jason tried his best to communicate.
“Yes. Many demon. Dangerous. Death.” Tarok’s tone was grim.
Considering Jason’s current strength, he felt invincible. He immediately wanted to set out for the place, yet the memories of this floor cooled his head. “Does anyone know more about the abyss? Your chief? Maybe Lavos?”
“Elder? Yes.” Tarok nodded firmly.
“All right, I’m gonna head over to your tribe. What about you?” Jason’s attitude toward the minotaur tribe was friendly. The Alliance owed Lavos a great deal.
“Me stay.” Tarok shook his head. Truthfully, the rite of passage wasn’t complete, so he felt like he needed to hunt an equally hard monster before returning home.
“Okay, here, take these potions.” Jason handed over some recovery items and explained their usage before heading off in the direction of Korata Mountain, hoping this ‘abyss’ lived up to his expectations.
Chapter 54
The barrier surrounding Korata Mountain let Jason pass unhindered. A few minotaurs glanced over before turning back to whatever they were doing upon recognizing him. Humans were no longer strangers to the minotaur tribe, rather, they were quite familiar with each other. Not long ago, Peter sent some ascenders over to teach minotaurs how to grow food. Although crops in the tower grew much faster than usual, Lavos was too impatient. By using earth and life spirits, he was able to shorten the growth time drastically.
As Jason entered the tribe, all he could see were vegetables and fruits wherever he looked. One minotaur gorged on a boulder-sized watermelon, while another ate apples by the handful. It was quite a sight. Jason went over to the fields and saw a group of ascenders following Lavos around as he pointed this way and that. As Jason approached, he could hear Lavos ask. “You say there are many types of apples? Which one is the best?”
“Fuji!”
“Granny Smith!”
An older man and woman responded simultaneously, though their answers were at odds. The two glared at each ot
her. “Fuji is too sweet. Aren’t ya afraid of gettin’ a toothache?”
“I ain’t had a single cavity in ma’ life!” The man scoffed as he showed off his pearly white teeth. “Aren’t ya afraid of getting more wrinkles from yer tart apples?”
“What’d ya say about ma’ wrinkles, you pile o’ manure!” The woman pulled the man by the ear as she hollered.
“Ow, ow, ow!” The man collapsed to his knees and pleaded, “Ma wife, why ya always resortin’ ta violence? Ya know I’ma pacifist.”
“Ya still know to call me yer wife?” The woman smacked her husband across the back of the head with a snort.
By the side, Lavos couldn’t help but mutter, “What about the apples?”
Lavos learned a lot about the world of farming from this couple, but their constant bickering gave him a headache. That was why he excused himself as soon as he noticed Jason waiting nearby.
“Elder Lavos,” Jason greeted with a warm smile. “Are they giving you any trouble?”
“No, no, no, none at all!” Lavos wrapped his arm around Jason and dragged him away. “I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“I’ve had a change in mentality recently.” Jason gave a summary of what happened, hoping Lavos could shed some light on the matter.
Unfortunately, Lavos, too, was at a loss. “That’s strange, indeed. Although I’ve had my share of battles involving souls, I’ve never had such a thing happen. Souls are mysterious things and beyond my understanding.”
Jason’s eyes lit up upon hearing Lavos recount some battles. “Do you know if there’s any demons skilled in soul techniques?”
“A few, a few.” Lavos nodded his head and unknowingly went into teaching mode. “There are three general paths all skills take: body, energy, soul. A demon can specialize in all three, depending on what type of direction they choose to go in. Not all lifeforms have this talent, you see.” Lavos pointed at himself. “Take my tribe, for example. We’re born with strong bodies, so we focus all our efforts on the body path. Oh, I’m an exception. I specialize in the energy path.”
Jason listened patiently, having gotten used to Lavos going on random spiels. However, as Lavos went on, Jason came to a realization. Body, energy, soul. All skills and stats belonged to one of these paths. Ascender or monster, there was no exception. Ascenders were like demons; they could focus on any path. On the contrary, monsters generally specialized in one. Understanding this, Jason asked. “Which path is the strongest?”
Lavos turned and pointed at Jason’s chest. “It depends on you!”
Jason nodded and returned the topic to demons. “Soul attacks are currently my forte. Do you know if there’s any generals on the soul path?”
“Not sure.” Lavos shook his head. “I’ve only met a few of them.”
“How strong are they compared to you?” Jason probed, hoping to compare his current strength.
“Hmm.” Lavos furrowed his brow. “I can beat some. It depends.”
Jason was surprised to hear that. “What about the doom hydra?”
“That thing?” Lavos snorted in annoyance. “It can’t kill me, and I can’t kill it. Although as dumb as a beast, it boasts tremendous vitality.”
Jason had another question, but this one was insensitive, so he was reluctant to ask. Lavos could tell something was up from Jason’s expression. “What is it?”
“Well,” Jason began hesitantly, “you said there are other tribes, right?”
“Twelve in total.”
Jason watched Lavos’s expression as he asked. “Why does the demon king allow your tribes to exist?”
Lavos’s body tensed up for a moment before he sighed. “This is a shameful matter. A long, long time ago, the demon king gathered the leaders of all the tribes and answered that very same question.”
“How arrogant,” Jason remarked.
“Yes, but he has the strength to back it up.” Lavos shook his head. “The demon king wants a sustainable ecosystem. My tribe, along with the others, acts as a balancing force. The general's and tribes' strength are similar, and there have even been cases where tribe leaders have killed generals.”
“The demon king doesn’t interfere?” Jason asked, learning that the demon king cared little about ruling the world.
“No, he hasn’t been seen for centuries,” Lavos revealed. After a pause, he looked at Jason. “Are you wondering how strong he is?”
“Yeah,” Jason admitted. The demon king was the tower's final boss, so if Lavos knew something, he needed to know.
Lavos lowered his voice. “Many lifetimes ago, there was a legendary warrior in the ash orc tribe. She was unrivaled in her time. After forming her twentieth rune, she directly slew all twelve generals and forced the demon king to appear.” Lavos smacked his lips in envy. “Twenty runes! Can you imagine that?”
“What happened next?” Jason held his breath.
Lavos grew excited. “The battle between them destroyed the land, crumbling mountains and forming ravines. Only after three days and nights did their fight end in a tie!”
“A tie?! Is she still alive?” Jason quickly asked, hoping to find a powerful ally.
“No, she was mortally wounded and died soon after.” Lavos sighed with regret. They were so close to freedom back then.
“Ah.” Jason knew the tower wouldn’t make things easy, but that didn’t stop him from hoping.
“On her deathbed, she revealed a terrifying secret.” Lavos’s voice was barely a whisper now. “The demon king can copy his opponent’s runes.”
“What?!” Jason nearly shouted. If that was true, didn’t that make runes useless? Wasn’t the point of this floor to build up a vast arsenal of miraculous abilities through runes? Now it appeared once you were confident enough to face the demon king, the runes you believed in would be the shackles leading to your death. It turned out runes were a trap—a deadly trap set by the tower.
“It’s true.” Lavos folded his arms. “I was going to tell your tribe once you could protect yourselves.”
Jason still had some doubts. “What if my runes boost my strengths? Like, enhance a skill I have unrelated to runes?”
“Mm.” Lavos smiled approvingly at Jason. “This is why I changed my focus to spirits. They are another strength, one the demon king cannot copy.”
“There must be some limits,” Jason continued. “If a thousand of us were fighting him, he couldn’t copy all our runes, right?”
“I don’t know.” Lavos shrugged helplessly.
“Ahh.” Jason rubbed his forehead, feeling things just got more complicated. How many of Jason’s current runes would the demon king find useful? Oh, no. Unity and One Against Many would buff the demon king significantly. If the demon king wore equipment like ascenders, he’d probably become unbeatable. Worse, Lavos already told them before there was no method to remove runes. Damn it, when was Lavos planning on telling them this?
Jason tried to stay calm as he pulled out a map. “Can you tell me where the abyss is?”
“What’s this?” Lavos ignored Jason’s question as he inspected the paper.
“A map,” Jason explained as he informed Lavos of its functions.
After a minute, Lavos exclaimed in understanding, “Amazing. With a map, you’d never get lost. The abyss? It’s right here.”
“Got it.” Jason stored the map after determining the location of the abyss. It just so happened to be located at the center of the floor.
“I think you’ll be fine on the upper levels, but be careful not to venture past your limit,” Lavos explained the appeal of going to the abyss. Apparently, after staying inside for a certain amount of time, your runes would automatically level up. The deeper you went, the faster the process.
“Thanks for all the help.” Jason felt both gratitude and frustration as he said goodbye to Lavos. Before heading to the abyss, Jason needed to inform Peter of what he’d learned today.
Chapter 55
After informing Peter, Jason stocked up on supplies an
d left for the abyss. It would take a few days to reach, so he didn’t plan on returning to the haven for at least a week or two. If Jason found it not too dangerous, then Peter would include the abyss in the Alliance’s development plan. For now, only Jason had the strength to scope the place out.
In the center of the floor was the abyss, with the demon general’s territories surrounding it on each side. Jason traveled over a thousand miles in three days. By sleeping during the day, he was able to get a few hours of rest, or else he’d be interrupted by monsters. Each night he spent fifty percent of his Soul Force, resulting in a hefty haul of essence. In no time at all, he formed his fifth rune.
Reaper – Tier 1 Rune
There is a minuscule chance to increase your Health by 1 upon killing a monster.
Passively increases Health by 1%.
Jason couldn’t tell the exact chance, though he had a good idea when he used his Soul Force on the third day. A single sweep of his Domain during the night permanently raised his Health by 52. While a seemingly meager amount, it meant Jason could increase his health by about 50 each night with a tier 1 rune. What if it was tier 2? Tier 3?
Both Vitality Extraction and Reaper were useless for other ascenders, but not Jason. With Indomitable Battle Domain, he was more efficient at killing than the grim reaper himself. Now, whenever he killed a demon, he wouldn’t just get essence; he had a chance at raising his Health and regeneration stats.
Given enough time, he could reach a million, ten million, or even a hundred million Health. The only flaw with Jason’s build was regeneration reduction skills like curses. Unfortunately, creating a rune that made him immune to such effects was absurdly expensive and would take months of hunting demons to form.
Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3) Page 24