Chapter 17: Ash
『 Fifth Trial [Elemental Affinity]』
『 Checking the User's affinity.』
Neo saw a bright light which made him close his eyes and when he opened, the notification appeared before him.
『 Player has Fire affinity.』
{Well. I thought it'd go with no affinity.}
The tower could reset everything except the Nether and Divine energy. There would definitely be Nether and Divine energy in the tower as he heard of Winged and Demon races, Necromancers and such. So he didn't know why Tower didn't choose to go with Divine and Ether affinity.
There was no more time to think about it as he found himself teleported to the center of a lava mountain, which looked like it was about to explode.
Bolt growled as it felt uncomfortable in this extreme heat and he disappeared the next second. Neo was stunned by this, and he hurriedly looked around, but found no traces of it. He opened his panel to see and found Bolt's name and its panel was still there.
"Phew."
He heaved a sigh of relief and thought that the Tower might have teleported it away. He didn't have the time to be concerned about Bolt and could only hope that it was alright.
『 Conjure a fire shield or gain a high Fire resistance.』
『 Intelligence x 50』
Neo was stunned as he didn't know M about magic, and he was suddenly told to create a fire shield, but then Blaze interrupted his thought process.
{ [Authority of Flame]}
Neo slapped his forehead as he forgot about this ability.
{Idiot, Same brain but different usage method.}
He ignored that and activated [Authority of Flames]. He felt his hand a little warm and then a small spark flashed as a small fire flickered as it grew in size the more it flickered.
In no time it became as large as the size of a basketball, but then the problem arose as none had any idea how to use it and make it a shield.
{Idiot.} Blaze said as he extinguished the flame and opened the notification bar once more, scrolling down, looking for something.
It confused Neo at first, but then knew what he was searching for and thought: 'Is this even possible?'
"It is now."
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Element Basics Knowledge]
Required Intelligence: 120』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Electronics]
Required Intelligence: 140』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Machine Master Knowledge]
Required Intelligence: 180』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Advance Computing Knowledge]
Required Intelligence: 220』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Magic Circuitry]
Required Intelligence: 250』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Runes Knowledge]
Required Intelligence: 1000』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Gnomes Machinery Knowledge]
Required Intelligence: 300』
『 Bella Oswald shared the [Knowledge of Merlin]
Required Intelligence: 5,000』
His mouth arched even further up as he tapped on the notification and the knowledge entered his mind directly, becoming a part of him. It went on, and he learned everything Bella shared.
"Now, I feel good."
'Don't get drunk because of the feeling. It's not true.'
"I know"
Neo used the [Authority of Flame] again and this time the control over it was much smoother, and he could mold the flame according to his desire and formed a shield around him, but didn't stop there as the energy from the lava got sucked into the shield, and its color got more and more vibrant so much that one would have trouble even looking at it.
{Let's see if we can get that rating thing again.}
Neo nodded as he chanted something and a string of energy seeped from the shield and slowly entered his body. After some time, a notification appeared.
『 You gained: 0.1% Flame resistance. 』
『 You gained: 0.1% Flame resistance. 』
『 You gained: 0.1% Flame resistance. 』
.
.
.
.
This went on for a while and the lava that was vibrant slowly started dimming and eventually burned out as the smoke rising from it also disappeared and Neo could see red-hot rock, where the lava should have been and then looked at what he gained.
『 Flame resistance: 5% 』
{Well, time to seal everything.}
Neo nodded as he formed hand seals and all the knowledge he absorbed from Bella got sealed in his mind, as even having it would melt his mind. And that was why Neo was shocked as this was pretty risky and if there wasn't a sealing magic in there, they would've been dead.
He looked at his mana and found only 100 mana was left after he was done with the seal.
'And this was the lowest level seal.'
He muttered pretty shocked by the level of knowledge and how much of a monster Bella was.
{She's called Hildr for a reason.}
Neo nodded and turned his attention toward the notification that appeared. Nervous over if he got what he was aiming for or not.
Neo found himself in the white room again, and something jumped into his embrace. Which was Bolt as it rubbed its head against Neo's chest.
Neo felt bad about leaving him even though he did not, but still he consoled Bolt for a while and it settled down. He brought his attention to the notification.
『 Congratulation on absorbing the lava mountain.』
『 Reward: All element Resistance +10%, All elements affinity+5%』
『 Title [First in the era] has been strengthened.』
『 Completion Grade: AA+.』
『 +30 Intelligence, +10 Vitality, +10 Chaos points.』
{I'm pretty badass?}
"That sounded weird."
{Who cares?}
"…."
Neo then proceeded to check and found a new status in his panel.
『 Resistance:
Fire: 15% Water:10% Wind: 10% Earth:10%
Nature:10% Dark: 10%. Light:10%
Divine:100% Nether:100%』
He didn't know there were these many affinities to begin with or there might be more, but the tower had kept them under the veil for now and would unlock when he came in contact with them. This was how the Tower worked. According to Bella, it did.
Neo was pretty new to the tower, so he did not have the know how or anything like that, as he was pretty cut off from the world before.
{Ok, no need to mull over it that much. Let's go, the last one is starting.}
Bella told them that there were 6 trials, so if they were not bad at counting, then it was definitely the last one.
'Will it be about luck?'
{I doubt that. Remember, no one had any change in luck after they were born with it. If their luck did change, then they should have bragged about it and Bella would've known about it.}
『 Last Trial: [House of Illusion]』
『 Survive and Break the Illusion.』
{Oh, this will be interesting.}
The room flashed brightly, and Neo closed his eyes. After a while, when he felt the light dimming, he opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the white room.
{…}
"…"
『 … 』
{Did it malfunction?}
Neo didn't have the time as the notification rang in front of it.
『 Congratulation on Breaking out of the [House of Illusion] 』
{Hey, wait}
『 Stat: Willpower has been Unlocked.』
"I said wait."
『 Title [First in the era] has been strengthened.』
"Dammit, listen to me."
『 Completion Grade: Unknown.』
"…."
『 +30 Willpower, +20 Perception, +50 Chaos points.』
"…"
『 Congratulation on passing [The Rite of Passage]. Ascend to the top and achieve the impossible.』
"Wait, you goddamn----"
Blaze was teleported before he could continue.
...........
"Damn you!" Blaze cursed, but found many stares landing on him as he found himself in the middle of the street.
{Just handle it. I'm too angry and might end up cutting someone.}
Neo looked around and found that he had arrived at the first floor of the tower, and was greeted by a bustling city. The buildings here were made of stone and reached high into the sky, with carved pillars and arches decorating their entrances. The streets were wide and paved with cobblestones, with vendors selling their wares on either side.
The people here were a diverse mix of races, each with their own unique features and clothing. Some were tall and muscular with green skin and pointed ears, while others were small and nimble with furry tails and cat-like eyes. Many of them carried weapons and wore armor, suggesting they were skilled players.
As Neo walked through the city, he saw groups of people gathered in taverns and shops, sharing stories and discussing their adventures. He also noticed a few players sitting on the ground, meditating with their eyes closed, likely replenishing their mana and energy after their ascent up the tower.
Despite the many races and cultures represented here, the city felt cohesive and welcoming, with a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among its inhabitants. It was clear that this was a safe zone, a place where players could rest and recharge before continuing their journey up the tower.
Neo decided to get some information before deciding what to do next and what better place other than the tavern was to get information.
With Bolt in arm, Neo moved around, looking at different buildings and people. He used [Inspect] and found their level varying and some had straight up question marks in their level, which meant that their levels were pretty high, but his [Inspect] skill, because of being at max level, was not caught by them.
The player only thought that he was new and was looking at their shiny armor and weapons, so they ignored him. Otherwise, using [Inspect] skill was banned on the first floor.
Neo was looking around when he got interrupted by a boy about 11 years old. He looked at the boy, who had blond hair, a friendly face, an arched nose and brown eyes, and asked, "Yes?"
"Big brother, are you looking for a guide?"
"Umm… Sure."
"No problem, big brother. You just have to help me with something, and I'll tell you about the first 10 floors."
Neo thought for a while, stroking Bolt's fur, and nodded.
"Ok, what do you need help with?"
"Thank you, big brother. I'm Ash."
"Hello Ash, I'm Neo."
"Big brother Neo, a group of monsters has appeared in our area and are terrorizing the people. They also kidnapped many others. Please help me, big brother. My sister is also in one of those."
Ash's eyes welled with tears and by the time he finished speaking, he burst into tears. Many people looked at Ash once before ignoring him. Neo furrowed his eyebrows when he saw that, but then put his hand on Ash's head as he said, "Bring me to your house. I'll kill every one of those bad monsters."
"Hey young man, you should drop that. That is an impossible quest." Someone said when he saw Neo following Ash.
Neo stopped as he didn't know that this was a quest and now understood why everyone ignored it. Still, he shook his head and followed Ash. The person who advised Neo shook his head and said, "Another arrogant one, but soon he'll learn and will start taking advice from the elderly."
Neo, on the other hand, was looking at his status panel to see what this new stat [Willpower] was.
『 Status (1 of 2)
Name: Neo Orpheus
Class: Technomancer
Level 13 (123,000/396,400)
Title: First in the Era
Heath: 1,440/1,440
Mana: 890/890
Strength: 96 + 33 Agility: 79 + 19
Stamina: 98 Intelligence: 81 + 7
Vitality: 122+ 20 Perception: 34
Luck: 33 Willpower: 30
Unallocated points: 0
Chaos points: 84
Resistance: [Folded]
Spells: Isolated Space Creation.
Skills: Inspect (Max), Whirlwind, Aether Manipulation, Fear Aura, Soul Tandem
Technique: Primal Breathing Technique.
Equipment Abilities: Dash, Shadow Clone, Rune Fury, Dash of the Wind.』
He found a lot of things and ignored them for now, as his attention was on [Willpower]
[Name: Willpower
Description: A measure of an individual's mental strength and resilience. It represents their ability to resist temptation and overcome obstacles that affect the user mentally. It enables the individual to withstand mental attacks and effects, such as mind control and illusion spells. A person with high [Willpower] can push themselves to their limits and beyond.]
{Sound Interesting.}
Neo nodded as he closed the description panel and then looked at the Chaos point. He tapped at it, but there was no response. He tried once more and got the same result, so he closed the panel and turned toward Ash.
"Ash, tell me about those monsters."
Ash told Neo that the monsters were called Vindicors, and they were unlike any other creatures in the tower. They stood at about seven feet tall and had muscular bodies covered in thick fur that ranged from black to dark brown. Their faces were twisted into snarls of rage, with sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes that gleamed in the darkness.
Vindicors had long, clawed fingers that could rend steel, and they were known for their incredible speed and agility. They could also use magic to enhance their attacks and protect themselves from harm.
They arrived suddenly near their settlement one day and attacked everyone that entered their sight and kidnapped the rest.
Neo contemplated as this attack seemed to be too sudden and from the fact that they could enhance their physique with magic, the matter got more complicated.
Neo thought hard and came up with that a summoner might be involved in this as nothing appears out of thin air, so they must be teleported to the settlement to do the Summoner's bidding.
"Well, I think my problem will also be solved if a summoner is involved." Neo said as he followed Ash to his settlement.
As Neo arrived at the settlement attacked by the Vindicors, the sight that greeted him was one of chaos and destruction. Buildings were in ruins, some reduced to mere rubble, with their debris strewn across the ground. Smoke billowed from the remains of what had once been houses, while the air was thick with the stench of ash and burnt wood. The ground was littered with broken weapons and discarded pieces of armor, telling the story of the valiant but unsuccessful fight put up by the settlers against the Vindicators.
Neo could see people huddled together in small groups, some tending to their wounds, while others were mourning the loss of their loved ones. The once peaceful settlement was now a place of fear and despair. The people's faces were etched with worry and exhaustion, as they had been living in a constant state of anxiety, not knowing when the next attack would come.
He looked around for the traces of the monsters and found the footsteps in red. He then turned to Ash and said, "You stay here. I'll go get your sister and others."