20 Book 3 Chapter 16

In contrast to the community floors full of life, on another floor yet discovered was what could only be described as hell itself. The soil was bright red, as if it had been soaked in blood. Trees and plants were withered, awash with dark colors, while the sky was pitch black. Strangely, though, the floor was as bright as day.

Deep within the depths of this hellscape was a structure so vile that it was obvious only countless horrors lurked within. Countless bones had been used to construct this castle of death. Most terrifying was the streams of blood that fell from every eye socket. Hundreds of thousands of tears fell to the ground, creating a moat of blood.

In an open courtyard within the castle, a deadly battle had just finished. Hundreds of demons littered the ground, lifeless.

Except for one.

A lone demon stood among his fallen kin, his body covered in countless wounds. He glanced down and found the reward he so desperately fought for; red lines reminiscent of ancient symbols formed to create a tattoo on the back of his palm. This symbol was created by plundering from the bodies beneath him. They were the losers, while he, the victor.

Frowning in disgust from his black leathery skin, he let out a grunt. His body trembled as he slowly took the form of a human. Wolf smiled. He was finally able to close his hand without his claws getting in the way. Glancing once more at the tattoo, he made his way into the depths of the castle until he was stopped by two demons guarding a giant door embedded with countless gems.

Wolf had met them several times before, but only now did he understand their strength. Unlike his small, crude tattoo, both demons were covered in them. How many had they killed? Hundreds? Thousands?

"You lived?" One of them said, more amused than surprised. The derision with which they looked at Wolf lessened, but only by a sliver.

"You may enter." A deep voice entered Wolf's mind.

Wolf pushed open the giant door with all his strength. Inside was the living quarters of the owner of this castle; the most powerful monster on this floor, or perhaps the tower.

A demon no larger than ten feet tall sat cross legged in the center of the room. The first thing Wolf felt was his heartbeat. No, that wasn't right. It was the tattoos covering the demon that pulsed with such power that the air itself trembled. Unlike Wolf's nearly static tattoo, the demon's tattoos traveled over its body in an orderly manner.

Billions. That was Wolf's gut answer.

The demon's eyes were shut as its voice entered Wolf's mind. "You have survived, good. You can now be considered a member of my race, although barely."

The demon's back was as straight as a wall as it replied. "I am aware of your situation; you seek power, yes?"

"Strength." Wolf clarified.

"A form of power," The demon nodded slightly. "Very well. As I have been tasked with training you, I have several methods to increase your strength. Actually, there is a painless ritual you can undergo that will vastly increase your power."

"At what cost?" Wolf asked calmly, already familiar with the way Vex's methods worked.

The demon smiled slightly. "Your emotions. Simple, right?"

Wolf immediately shook his head. "Then I decline."

"Are you sure? I guarantee you'll more than triple your strength."

"I'm sure."

"Hmm. May I ask why?" The demon tilted its head. "I thought you would do anything for power. Hell, you even killed your wife and kid."

Wolf glanced down, hiding the regret on his face. "Killing them saddened me, for a time. But to have no emotions? What's the point of living?"

"Haha!" The demon opened its eyes, two black holes surrounded by a sea of red stared at Wolf. "So many humans have failed to see such a simple truth. Good, I'll take your training seriously, then."

Wolf was relieved. Everything had gone wrong so suddenly that he had been forced to run. But now, when he looked at the monster before him, he wondered just how far he could go.

(Mutant Floor Boss) Aamon - Level ???

Health: ???

Skyfall's headquarters overlooked a large town bustling with activity. Although many grumbled over its particularly high taxes, it had everything an ascender needed to begin a profession not focused on combat. Better yet, Skyfall would even fund talented ascenders to pursue their craft, though not without a contract, of course.

One of the most renowned buildings on the community floor was Skyfall's mansion. Compared to the first time Jason saw it months ago, it was now larger than the white house after being upgraded several times. Besides the typical guild banners lining its walls, dense mana filled its surroundings, invigorating the minds of those nearby.

Appearances aside, the functions the mansion provided was well worth the absurd cost. Many rooms were enhanced with spatial magic, making the insides several times larger than what logically made sense. There was a built in arena the size of a colosseum, a spa, training room, and several other essential features. Most useful was the room with the ability to control your kingdom building floor.

At this moment, the lounge, typically open for all, was now blocked off via Peter's administrative powers. Shenlong, Amara, Ebba… everyone in their party relaxed on magically enhanced chairs and couches. The plan was originally to meet up in the war room, but after Amara saw how dull it was, she threw her hands up in the air and made an executive decision. As such… the meeting was moved over to the lounge.

"Ah, thanks, Randle." Jason accepted the jug of beer from the butler with a nod.

Randle, a butler created by the system, had numerous high grade skills that, well, helped him perform his duties. Perhaps most disturbing was the one that allowed him to know what his guests wanted before they even voiced their desires. Jason thought it best not to think about it too much.

When Randle exited the room with his typical bow, Jason became the center of attention. After taking a sip from his drink, he leaned back and got nice and comfortable. "Well, I hope my voice doesn't break after today."

"Or my brain." Cheslov rubbed his forehead with a worried look.

Amara rested against her armchair as she spoke. "If your intelligence is over 100, you basically have a photographic memory. You'll be fine."

Cheslov coughed awkwardly. "I haven't unlocked it yet."

Amara froze. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "I should have expected as much."

Peter knew what Cheslov was worried about and consoled him. "It's pretty easy to unlock the stat, and getting 100 intelligence can be gained from just equipment alone."

"Fine, fine. Just start, okay? I'll get it tomorrow. Probably."

"Ahem," Jason gathered everyone's attention and began.

And so, as Jason no longer had to hide his secret, he utilized his foreknowledge to its fullest. With the world's strongest ascenders at his side, quests were completed, bosses were killed, and more reputation was acquired.

A month later, Peter and Shenlong brought their guilds to the robot floors. Shortly after that, the other top-tier guilds arrived as well. It didn't take long before countless ascenders grew at lightning speed. Besides the nobles, the robot floors possessed no threat. There was a few losses due to the changes Jason wasn't aware of, but for the most part everything was progressing smoothly. It seemed like clearing the tower was just a matter of time.