by L. M. Kerr
'Status.'
.
— - Status — -
Name: Micheal Care
Points: 8,200
Race: Human
Age: 18
- Stats -
Strength - 11
Endurance - 11
Recovery - 10
Soul - 10
- Abilities - (1/7)
- Life Orb Master
.
His stats remained unchanged. His Strength was slightly above the average of a normal human at 11 points as was his Endurance. Both stats were vitally important, with Endurance representing his stamina and physical durability, while Strength represented his physical strength.
His Recovery stat was normal, but that was to be expected. It was one of the harder stats to raise. It also affected his stamina, but in a different way. It could be considered the regeneration factor that a being held.
At his strongest, Micheal had reached a Recovery stat of roughly 412. That meant his physical regeneration was slightly more than 41 times as powerful as that of a normal human. He could heal from injuries at an abnormally fast rate, vastly increasing his survivability.
It was nothing much when compared to some of the monsters among the Human Race that had achieved Recovery stats in excess of 1,000 or 2,000, able to quickly and visibly see themselves regenerate from gruesome injuries, but it was extremely noteworthy to him.
And, finally, his last stat. Soul.
'Aw man, it didn't carry over.' He sighed as he realized this. He had been hoping that some part of his Soul stat would have stayed with him when he went back in time. Alas.
The Soul stat affected two very important things. The first was how powerful many Abilities were. A stronger Soul meant one could handle using or unleashing powerful Abilities and increased the power of certain types of Abilities.
The difference between someone unleashing, say a Lightning Lance, at 10 Soul and a Lightning Lance at 500 Soul was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The second thing it affected was just as important. One's perception of time.
The stronger your Soul stat, the faster your perception of the world around you. This was vitally important to close combat warriors as battles at a high level could end in an instant.
'Well, I can increase it like normal. With the secrets I know, getting powerful shouldn't be impossible, even with my several years late start.' He thought, rubbing his chin.
That was right. He was starting pretty far behind the leaders of humanity.
'A large number of people were chosen every month, teleporting away from earth to here. But time in here operates much faster. A month on Earth is a year in the 7 Layers…' He sighed.
He was part of the Fourth Wave of people Chosen to come to the 7 Layers. Everyone in the First Wave was already three entire years ahead of him. Most of the leaders of humanity in the 7 Layers had been a part of that First Wave.
'I can still catch up.' He nodded his head sharply.
He turned his attention back to the shop, looking through various parts of it. Every human could have exactly 7 Abilities. No more and no less. Some Abilities one could remove just by tapping on one's Status Screen, while others would become a near-permanent addition that were extremely difficult to remove.
Choosing what Abilities to use was an extremely important decision.
The two Abilities Micheal had originally picked, Enhanced Strength and Enhanced Recovery, weren't actually bad options. Enhanced Strength increased his Strength by 30%, while Enhanced Recovery enhanced his Recovery by 30%.
Both Abilities were quite useful and had powerful effects that would always affect him even as he grew stronger.
However, once applied, it was also almost impossible to remove these Abilities. Thus, when Micheal eventually gained a large number of Points later on, he found that those two Abilities had become dead slots, dragging him down from using stronger or better Abilities.
'I am a Life Orb Master currently…' He spoke aloud, turning his focus back to the Ability he had chosen.
'I can't believe I managed to snag the last one.' He smiled, a feeling of glee filling him.
He pulled up the rather succinct description of the Ability, looking it over.
.
—-Life Orb Master—-
A Life Orb master can manipulate, create, and use orbs called Life Orbs. Life Orbs automatically take the place of a user when that user otherwise would have died, fully healing the user. Life Orb Masters cannot have any Type Modifications.
.
It was an Ability so powerful that even the Holy Shop placed it in the limited section. The Ability to cheat death itself, and not just once, but multiple times, depending on the number of Life Orbs one had.
Of course, there was also a reason it had been so cheap for him to buy.
Every positive had a negative.
Life Orb Masters could not have any Type Modifications. This didn't mean he couldn't get Abilities that could boost his Strength or Recovery, like Herculean Strength or Troll's Heart, that also happened to change his physique.
Instead, it focused on 'Type Abilities or Modifications.' Abilities that allowed one to become an Adapted Human. As long as Micheal was a Life Orb Master, he would be unable to use any Type Abilities.
Type Abilities were pretty huge in the 7 Layers. A huge number of people used at least one Type or another, the most common being Vampire and Werewolf Types.
Even he had originally used a Type Ability, the Ironblood Body Type. This Ability transformed his physique into one that was much more durable and strong, greatly enhancing his Strength and Endurance. It had worked particularly well for a close combat expert like him.
As a Life Orb Master, he would have to give up on Type Abilities.
'But I'm fine with that.' He thought, smiling.
The powers a Life Orb Master had were simply too overwhelmingly useful.
He had first heard of this Ability on the 6th Layer. A legend had been told to him of a powerful warrior that had presumably died while exploring unknown lands on his own. The warrior had been one to challenge the impossible, doing whatever he pleased freely. He disappeared on the 6th Layer to never be heard from again.
The Invincible Kim Jiwoon from Korea. The only known user of the Life Orb Master Ability, part of the First Wave.
'And now I have the same Ability as him…' Micheal couldn't help himself, shivering in glee. With this power at his disposal, so many doors opened. He would be capable of doing so much more.
'I stand a real chance at saving humanity now…' He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with determination.
'But first… let's use the last of my Points.'
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Chapter 5: Arrival
He looked back at the Shop, nodding his head sharply.
…Several minutes later…
'Status!' He called to mind his Status Screen.
.
— - Status — -
Name: Micheal Care
Points: 0
Race: Human
Age: 18
- Stats -
Strength - 22
Endurance - 16
Recovery - 12
Soul - 10
- Abilities - (2/7)
Life Orb Master
Ki Cultivator (Mortal Tier)
.
After looking over everything he could buy, Micheal had finally managed to spend the remainder of his Points. Since his Points would disappear upon leaving this starting area, there was no point in trying to save any of them up.
He had first obtained the Ki Cultivator Ability, the most common Ability in the 7 Layers. This Ability was so necessary and needed that he would be a fool not to pick it up. It was an Ability that one could grow naturally, without even needing to spend Points, though it was possible to speed up growth using Points. At higher levels, this Ability vastly enhanced one's strength to such a high degree that almost everyone chose it.
Because of t
he Ability, his Strength stat had already doubled, meaning he was slightly stronger than two average humans on Earth. His Endurance had been boosted, and his Recovery had even increased a little bit. His Soul stat remained unchanged, though not unexpectedly. It was the hardest stat to change.
In terms of physique, Micheal was already in better condition than most humans on a normal, non-Chosen Earth would ever be. While his body would appear like that of a slightly fit 18 year old, he was functionally equivalent to a top tier bodybuilder.
'And this is just the start…' He thought, clenching his fists and nodding.
'I should just automatically obtain my Sword Mastery Ability by swinging a sword once I enter the 7 Layers, too.' He thought, nodding his head again. It wasn't as if he had forgotten the many years of effort and practice he had put into his training.
'As for the Artifacts I purchased…'
The Holy Shop had two sections. One for Abilities and one for Artifacts.
.
—-Artifacts—-
Food Selection - Custom
Drink Selection - Custom
Iris Holy Shield - 23,800,500 (0/1)
Angelic Sword - 15,900,000 (0/1)
Vast Dragon Chariot - 20,700,500 (0/1)
Golden Defense Formation - 8,800,400 (0/1)
Enhancement Staff - 15,000
Black Iron Mail - 6,000
Titan's Robe - 400,000 (1/25)
Spatial Backpack - 16,000 (40/100)
Green Firebomb - 20,000
Heldven's Blade - 450,000 (0/1)
Soaring Wings - 680,000 (1/25)
Black Wand - 15,000
Solar Glasses - 180,000 (2/25)
Fasfel Boots - 220,000 (12/200)
Ancient Shield - 18,000
Blackmire Bow - 15,000
Aeon Spear - 800,000 (0/10)
Enhanced Iron Hasta - 3,000
… (1/39 page)
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Abilities were something one could only purchase for oneself. They appeared in one of your 7 Ability Slots and could not be traded away.
Artifacts, on the other hand, had a plethora of usages and could be used for tons of different things.
Micheal looked down at his hand as he looked at the Artifact he had purchased for 1,000 Points.
A Low-Tier Spatial Ring. The ring had 3 cubic meters of space within it. It was a magical ring that let him carry huge amounts of supplies or tools, all within a ring that fit squarely on his pointer finger. One of the many impossible legends that had become a reality in the face of the apocalypse, and one that was pretty cheap too.
Spatial Rings were a necessity in the 7 Layers. Trying to live without one, especially in the higher Layers, was incredibly difficult.
'Many Artifacts are like the special Abilities. Only a limited number of them exist in the Shop. These Spatial Rings run out pretty soon if I recall.' He thought, nodding his head. Most of the spatial storing Artifacts would run out from the Shop after the Fourth Wave finished establishing itself.
Inside that Spatial Ring was a Steelborn Sword, a decent, well-made blade that would last him for a while. As a fighter that practiced the sword, going into the First Layer unarmed would be incredibly foolish.
The Steelborn Sword had taken up the last of his Points. There were a few other Artifacts he had considered, but he couldn't bear the idea of going into the First Layer with nothing to fight with but his hands.
'Or the Life Orbs too.' He thought, correcting himself. The Life Orbs were small blue orbs that would float around him once he spawned a few. According to the Ability, he could control them at will and technically use them as a weapon to bash into things, albeit one he had never used before. He had no idea how effective they would be.
"Spirit, can you send me to the First Layer now?" Micheal spoke aloud, his voice calm and collected.
An ethereal, feminine voice responded,
"You still have several minutes to decide on how to spend your Points. Are you certain you wish to proceed?"
"Yes, yes, I've already spent my Points. Please send me through." He responded, feeling slightly impatient.
After reaching this point, he was ready to get started. The First Layer was the most dangerous for many people, an incredibly unique world that defied logic and reason.
"Acknowledged. You will be sent through to the First Layer. Upon arrival, you will be informed upon the basics of the 7 Layers and then set free to do as you will." The voice of the Spirit of the Shop replied coolly.
WHOOSH
Bright light swarmed around Micheal before he could reply and, an instant later, he vanished, teleported away.
.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
'The First Layer…' As Micheal teleported, his mind raced.
What exactly were the 7 Layers?
According to what Micheal knew, the 7 Layers were a series of mystical worlds connected to each other. Each Layer grew more and more dangerous and was completely unique, extremely different from the previous Layer. Once you went up one Layer, returning to the previous Layer was usually impossibly difficult. As the years passed, the lower Layers would become more and more dangerous, forcing people to move upward.
The Human Race had been given a 'Goal.' That 'Goal' was to pass through all 7 Layers and achieve the 'Prize.' Heaven.
In this case, though, the 'Prize' also meant survival.
For, Humanity was not alone.
There were multiple other races from different universes competing in the 7 Layers, all fighting for survival. Most races had their own unique First Layer, hidden away from other races. The farther up the Layers one went, however, the more races one would meet as Layers began to merge.
The only way to survive was to pass the Seventh Layer. However, even now, Micheal had no clue how to achieve that. After all, Humanity had been killed the instant it stepped foot into the Seventh Layer. How could he possibly know what they were supposed to do there?
Who created the 7 Layers?
No one knew. No one knew how they came about, how all of these races came to be teleported into them, and what the true purpose of this all was. It was a brutal, deadly game that was incredibly unfair and killed billions.
As these thoughts all flashed through his mind, the flashing light around him vanished.
Abruptly, he felt his body grow slow and heavy as gravity that felt much stronger than Earth's slammed into him. He felt his feet touch down on hard ground, bending his knees slightly to absorb the shock of the landing.
He slowly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath as he looked at the world around him.
He was standing atop the roof of a familiar, towering skyscraper. Around him, as far as the eye could see, were tens of thousands of skyscrapers. Some were connected to each other by long rope bridges set with dozens of wooden planks, while others had fancy steel bridges, or sheer wooden beams set directly across.
At the base of the skyscrapers, empty roads and streets could be seen, like that of a normal city, complete with sidewalks and traffic lights. Micheal shivered as he looked down at the ground level, his memory flashing back. The one rule of this world was that you must stay in the skyscrapers. Never, never go to the ground.
Only death waited down there.
He took a deep breath as he looked around, feeling a sensation of excitement fill him.
He was here. He had truly gotten a second chance.
The unique First Layer for the Human Race.
The World of Endless Skyscrapers.
He was back.
"Oi, looks like the newbies are arriving. Hey kid! Turn around!"
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Chapter 6: First Meeting
"Oi, looks like the newbies are arriving. Hey kid! Turn around!"
Micheal's eyes twitched as he heard a rough voice call out at him, demanding his attention.
He turned around smoothly, his eyes calm as he looked across the roof of the skyscraper.
The roof was flat with a small, about 1 meter large raised grey wall that ma
tched the color of the floor. A small doorway and shed could be seen near the opposite side of the roof, leading down inside the skyscraper.
'We can only safely access the upper levels of the building, though.' He thought, the memories flashing back into him.
The closer one got to the ground, the more danger they would be in, though it wasn't like the roofs were safe either. The main threat on the World of Endless Skyscrapers could be found almost anywhere.
The Morenkai.
"Hey, I said hello. Are you an idiot?" Micheal snapped out of his memories as he looked back up, staring at the speaker.
A trio of figures could be seen, languidly resting in lawn chairs that were set down right next to the door into the skyscraper. All three were men, wearing loose-fitting jeans and plaid shirts. Two of the men had rather forgettable faces, with short brown hair, broken noses, and plain brown eyes.
The last one was the speaker, a man with bright blonde hair and a huge tattoo of an 'X' across his forehead. All three were white.
Micheal stared at them, his memories stirring once more.
It had been more than 10 years since he was last in this world and had met these people. So much had happened since then that minor events or characters gradually faded to the background.
Despite that, Micheal could remember what happened here clearly.
He had arrived as a total newbie. After looking over the Shop list, he ended up choosing the 'Enhanced Strength' Ability alongside the 'Enhanced Recovery' Ability due to their powerful sounding names and the fact that he could afford them. The Abilities were useful, it was true, boosting his Strength and Recovery stats by 30%.
However, due to his rather normal Strength in the first place, the increase in power was incremental. He went from a Strength stat of 11 to a Strength stat of 14. Still well within the limits of an above average human. The same applied for his Recovery.
Micheal's current Strength stat of 22 put him well above the average and close to the maximum limit of a normal human, while his Recovery stat was slightly upped. In addition, his Endurance had been boosted by quite a decent amount. Plus he had a Spatial Ring, a strong blade within it, and the Ki Cultivator and Life Orb Master Abilities.