Chapter 8

It only took me a few minutes to jog to the base of the Bear Peak Mountains. I could feel the effects of the Stamina Enhancement and was pleased that I'd commandeered it from the mercenaries. Though, I couldn't wholly credit my comfort to my current physique.

The base of the gorge had a nice, smooth surface, so traveling through the canyons of the Howling Hills was much more agreeable than traversing the uneven terrain above. If I'd been hunting the hills, I would have worn myself out even with the boost from my recent acquisition.

I glanced up at the mountains on the outskirts. They were nothing special... At least not compared to those further up the Tower. On the First Floor, all but one mountain was small enough that their peaks could be seen clearly from their bottoms. Higher up the Tower, the Floors expanded, and even the hills would take immense effort to climb.

Hiking the slope leading out of the canyon, I eventually came to see the semi-barren land that separated the hills from the mountains. Along this line, the glowing tracks of a few other Climbers appeared, but I couldn't see any sign of my prey. Luckily the number of hunters was low, four or five at the most, and it didn't seem likely that they would interfere with my hunt even if I stayed in this area.

"I should really consider Leveling my Movement Card..." Recently, I'd acquired many new Cards and had enough wealth to Level one of them while still having most of what was needed for the payment on my estate. Leveling the Movement Enhancement or Dash would save me time in this hunt... but there were still the task rewards and the Holy Card I should earn from the Academy...

"Aaaagghhhhh!"

Before I could consider it further, a frightened shout sounded from the left side of a nearby mountain. Recalling the screams on the Origin Floor, I used Dash to get to the top of the nearby ridge... and almost exploded with laughter at the scene below.

Two men were fighting a bear... or, at least, they seemed to be trying to. The bear was sprinting forward, chasing after a chubby man with cropped brown hair that bounced around like a toupee. He wore a set of brown robes that were too small around the midriff and only carried the belt upon which his Deck Box was fastened.

Behind him, the other man was the source of the screaming. He sat atop the bear, clinging tightly to the fur around its neck and holding on with all he had. With every bound of the giant bear, the man's loose robes flew into his face, covering the red hair and freckles beneath. Weapons and supplies were strewn all around the small valley.

"Deacons," I scoffed.

I wasn't sure what had happened, but I was convinced that if I didn't step in, these men would die. Containing my laughter, I sped down the hill, unsheathing my sword and triggering Rend. How often would I have the luxury of live bait to test my abilities? Of course, if things became too heated, I would end the fight swiftly.

The bear was faster than me while Dash was on cooldown, but the stout man had noticed my presence and turned toward me, waving his arms. To my surprise, he didn't cry for help. Instead, he yelled for me to run away, saying it was dangerous. What a breath of fresh air after all the trouble people had caused me since my return.

I smiled and sprinted by him, ducked under the bear's paw as it made to swipe at me, and dragged my blade across its stomach. The beast howled in rage and stood tall, flinging the small red-headed man from its shoulders as it did so. Though my strike hadn't wavered, the wound on the bear's side looked like it had been torn by jagged claws.

The damage was impressive.

The bear struck out, ignoring the wound that spilled blood as it moved. As Rend didn't have a cooldown, I kept it active and sidestepped while striking at the creature's shoulder. Another irregular gash emerged following the trajectory of the sword's strike.

With an angry snarl, the bear gave up on me and turned to chase down the easier prey. The red-haired man still lay prone where the beast had tossed him. However, it never had a chance to reach him. Between my sprint down the hill and the brief encounter, Dash had come off cooldown.

I activated the skill, leaping forward at high speed and activating Pierce. My sword drove deep into the creature's neck, the effects of Rend tearing the inside of its throat. Yanking my blade free, I leapt back, avoiding the blood that spilled from its various wounds. In seconds, either from asphyxiation or loss of blood, the brute fell to the ground, lifeless.

I frowned and looked at my sword. A dull red aura surrounded it, which promptly vanished when I deactivated Rend. The Ability would be practical against larger targets, but for normal mobs, it did nothing more than make a mess. Fresh blood still poured from the corpse's wounds, and I hadn't been able to avoid the spray from the initial strikes.

My thoughts were interrupted when the two Deacons approached me. The short, red-haired man stared at me with a goofy grin on his face. He was bouncing up and down with excitement, and from this distance, I could tell he was no older than me... Well, the current me.

The taller, stout man was more reserved and wrung his hands as if he weren't sure what to say. I'd been so tied up in my head that I hadn't even seen the shorter one get to his feet. I really needed to stop doing that.

"Th-" the bigger man began, but the redhead beat him to it.

"Thank ya fer helping us!" He almost shouted in excitement, "I'm Locke! An' this 'ere is Nick! We was kicked out o' the Church last week. What Card caused all 'at there damage?! Are you really only a student from the Academy? Wh-"

"Easy now, lad," I chortled. "Can't answer more than one question at a time, after all."

The youth blinked quickly and then blushed in embarrassment. Locke looked down at his feet, and the fellow named Nick stepped forward to take his place. The Deacon bowed slightly, surprising me, as even a mere Deacon of the Church typically held more authority than most of the wealthy merchant families from the Academy.

"Greetings, sir. Thank you for stepping in to assist us. We may not have survived otherwise," he smiled and stood still, his head slightly bowed.

I patted him on the shoulder and helped him up, "No need for that now, chap. I'm no one special. What were you two gentlemen doing out here anyway? It's uncommon to see a member of the clergy this far from the church pulpit."

"Ahh..." Nick scratched at the back side of his toupee as if he weren't sure how to answer.

"That's my fault, it is," Locke said timidly, still looking at his feet. Though he suddenly seemed to find his confidence again as he spoke, "I-I questioned the Book of Liberation cause somethin' just didn' seem right. The Priest 'ad me tossed out, and Deacon Nicholas 'ere walked out with me. He's taken right good care o' me since I was little he 'as."

"I see." Turning to the ex-Deacon, "I suppose you gentlemen are out here trying to earn enough Essence to get to the Second Floor."

The stairs may have been within the Academy, but they were guarded by the Tower's government. Without proper registration, the guards would bar anyone from entering the Second Floor. It was the government's way of keeping up with the Climbers when they returned to the Origin Floor. For example, they didn't want some powerhouse from the Thirty-Fifth Floor walking around the city without their knowledge.

"Yes, sir," Nicholas nodded. "There is no place on the Origin Floor for an excommunicated member of the clergy... and everyone on the First Floor knows us. Our only option is to register and start over somewhere new. We were hunting the smaller wolf groups in the hills last night, but when the day came, I thought we would be safer taking one bear at a time than attempting the canyon on our own."

I nodded, rubbing my chin. He was right. Taking on a single bear was much more straightforward than facing a cave full of wolves. At night, the wolves only traversed the hills in groups of three to five. If they could handle that... then they weren't useless...

"That's settled then. I think we can come to some accord," I pulled a vial of Infernal Wash from my pack and placed a drop on my hand, cleansing the blood from my skin and garments.

"S-Sir?" Nicholas squinted as if he were trying to get a read on me. There were numerous stories of Climbers luring others off to kill them and take their Cards. "I'm not-"

"Jus' tell us what ya be needin' from us!" Locke shouted enthusiastically.

The boy's naivety made me chuckle. That was something he'd have to work on if he wanted to survive the Tower. I turned a questioning gaze to Nicholas, who, after a bit of hesitation, nodded in agreement.

"Good lad," I patted the youth's shoulder and looked at Nicholas. "As a Deacon, your registration should already be taken care of, so you only need the Essence for this exemplary young fellow, correct?"

The man looked at me oddly but nodded, "Aye. We've already earned the 50 Essence needed for his registration. Our goal was to save enough to cover a month's stay on the Second Floor while getting our bearings."

I smiled, clapping my hands. "Brilliant! Then you blokes follow behind for the afternoon, collecting the Essence of the bears that I hunt, and you can keep 100 Essence from the pile. Does that suit your fancy?"

"Why would-"

"I'm on the clock, you see," I nodded to the corpse. "If you gentlemen choose not to accompany me, the Essence will go to waste."

"So... yer sayin' we can jus' follow you anyways an' take the Essence if we want?" Locke asked, confused. I just shrugged in response. They could if they wanted, but if they landed in a spot of trouble, I wouldn't help, and I'd end up with the Essence anyway.

"We'll take the work," Nicholas said quickly. "Thank you for your generosity."

"Oh, and one more thing," I smiled. "No matter what, don't touch a single beast until I've confirmed their death."

The two nodded in response, though their faces were filled with confusion. In unison, they began collecting their scattered gear, and while Locke farmed the corpse for its Essence, Nicholas approached.

"As most of my Cards are only Level 1, I wasn't made to return them to the Church," he said hesitantly. My eyebrows rose in surprise, it was a considerable risk to tell me this, and he was trusting that I wouldn't kill him for his Deck Box. "Would it provide any benefit if I cast my Blessings on you?"

My surprise turned to delight, "That, sir... would be bloody brilliant."

The hours passed, and the beautiful blue sky turned orange as the sun moved to the far corners of the Floor's ceiling. The inner edge of the Old Boar Forest bustled with activity as the hunters and woodsmen made their way back to town.

Climbers, students, and simple hunters who resided on the First Floor wandered by the farms as they boasted about the day's kills. Horses and carriages waited by the path for the wealthy hunters, while those without means were forced to return to the town on foot.

The less fortunate coughed and eyed the carriages with annoyance as they threw dust in the air. Many had to quickly step to the sides of the road to avoid being trampled. Others were already walking through the mud closer to the fields to avoid the hazard in the first place.

Injured Climbers limped slowly or leaned on their party members for support. These groups, in particular, stared at the swiftly receding carriages covetously. Those with wealth didn't know the hardships of those who started with nothing. Most Climbers never earned their first Cards until reaching the Second Floor, where the mobs had a chance to drop them upon death.

Injuries on the First Floor were dangerous. Only the Churches held Cards with healing or curing spells. It was common for people to die between the forest and town, their eyes glazing over as they stared hopefully toward the steeples. Even if they managed to drag themselves to the altar, they would only be healed at the cost of the day's Essence.

Such was life on the First Floor. The rich would rush home, get plenty of sleep, and be back at it in the morning. The poor would get home late, wake up early, trudge back to the forest, and risk making mistakes that could cost them their lives due to their lack of sleep.

Many came to accept this way of life, but others strove to change their circumstances. One such man watched the carriages with a light in his eyes. The smell of booze kept the other hunters at arm's length, his haggard appearance not helping his allure. A drunken smile played on his lips as he trudged through the mud, tracking blood with his bare feet.

Elsewhere, in the gullies around the edge of the First Floor, two men rushed to carve out corpses as a young man slaughtered his way through the mountains. The small satchel Nicholas brought along had already been filled, and he'd had to ask for another from their young benefactor.

"Oi, Nick! Did ya see that?" Locke called as he cut open another corpse. "Rowan's already killed nearly four 'undred o' these blokes, and he's still puttin' it to 'em!"

"Yes, yes, I see," Nicholas shook his head over the boy's zeal. In all the years he'd known Locke, he'd never seen the youngster so worked up. "If only I could have gotten you to show the same interest in your studies."

Still... Nicholas turned to face the strange youngster again as he thrust his sword into the neck of another bear. Through the slaughter, the youth remained calm and collected. Though, there was an incident a few hours prior where he'd been pretty riled up.

The young man mentioned something about not being fast enough and said he needed to find a spawn zone. Nicholas was horrified at the idea. Killing them one by one was doable... but a horde?

As it turned out, there was no need for him to worry. The lad seemed to be an expert at luring out perfect-sized groups, which he then proceeded to tear apart with that tiny sword of his. He'd bait each group to a different location, allowing the pair ample time to collect the Essence. So far, they were just shy of 1200, and this last group would push them over.

Rather than watching the fight, Nicholas turned to Locke, smiling. The boy's eyes were blazing with a fire the old man had never seen. He'd found Locke on the street a few years prior and brought him into the Church. The youth wasn't the best pupil, but he was ambitious.

"Locke..." Nicholas started to say something but was distracted by a bright light coming from the direction of their benefactor. He whipped around, holding his staff out, prepared to cast a spell... but stopped when he saw the cause. His jaw dropped. "By the Tower..."

A Card had just descended from the sky.

I stood with my hand outstretched, patiently waiting for the Card to fall within reach. The second hunt had gone much more smoothly after locating a string of spawn zones that weren't too far from the Howling Hills. Bears were much more spread out than the other creatures, and I'd only managed to kill just over twenty an hour in my first attempt.

The Card landed in my palm, and I wasted no time tapping it with my Demon Glass. The face of the Card had a male body, though it was divided into sections. One quarter showed his body, the next showed his muscles, then his organs, and finally his bones. It reminded me of the portraits hanging in the health and body classroom back at the Academy.

[Card Name: Constitution]

[Class: Enhancement]

[Rank: Blessed]

[Level: 1]

[Essence: 0/1000]

[Foundation: Endurance, Vitality]

[Effect: Increases the Wielder's overall physique. The toughness of the Wielder's skin, bones, and organs are all affected. The Wielder is overall more resistant to physical damage and can push themselves harder without feeling fatigued. The Wielder's overall physical resistance is enhanced by Endurance. The Wielder's resistance to fatigue is increased by Vitality]

I read over the description on the Demon Glass carefully. Yet another Blessed Card to add to my Deck, and this one would assist me immediately. It was a long run back to the Academy, I wouldn't be getting much sleep, and tomorrow was the final exam. When I slipped the Card into my Deck Box, I instantly felt some relief... but even another Card to boost my stamina didn't help with the overwhelming exhaustion.

The sound of footsteps drawing near roused me from my consideration. I observed them as they worked hard to collect the Essence and noticed Nicholas throwing glances my way. I'm sure he was curious about the Card... he had been a Deacon of the Church of Liberation, after all.

I pulled a vial of Infernal Wash from my pouch, dripping the solution on myself, my blade, and my pack. Killing these beasts one at a time was no issue, but I'd been forced to keep Rend active while luring five at a time. The blood and filth vanished as if they were never there.

"Care for some wash?" I asked the ex-Deacon as he made his way toward me.

"Uhh... Yes, please," he said, quickly adding a hurried, "Thank you."

Carefully tilting the bottle, I poured a drop on each of my two associates, "No need to thank me, gentlemen. The two of you have been working hard. I'm sure we're all knackered by now."

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"You were amazing!" Locke exploded as if he'd been holding himself back for hours. "The way you stabbed, and then did the thing with the twist, and that slash, and... and..."

"Hoho! Calm down, lad," I laughed at the boy again, though I had to admit... his attitude was infectious. "So, gentlemen, what's our haul?"

Nicholas handed over his small pouch of Essence along with my much larger satchel that I'd nicked from the Skull brothers. There were just over 60 shards in theirs and over 350 in mine. Being they were Level 3 Essence, the total value was over 1200. I tossed a few more shards in theirs, making it an even 70.

"Here's your cut, chaps," I handed the pouch back to the startled ex-Deacon.

He stammered, "B-But this is more than double what you promised!"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," I laughed and patted the man on the shoulder. "You worked hard. You deserve proper wages."

"Thank you, sir!" The old man bowed gratefully, and this time, so did Locke.

I ushered them to stand, "Now, now. There's no need for all of that. I killed twice the creatures I'd intended, so you did double the work I'd meant for you to do. Think nothing of it."

"Now," I looked to the sky, which was quickly dimming, "It should be dark enough we can head through the canyons. The wolves will be up on the hills at this hour, so we can jog straight through to town."

The Deacon nodded, "I'll cast Blessings of Agility, Swiftness, and Stamina. We'll be as fast as horses for the next ten hours."

Different colored auras enveloped the three of us as the Blessings took effect. I instantly felt lighter, and my movement speed increased by nearly 90%. Glancing at Nicholas, I thought of how well such a man could benefit me in the future. The Deacon's Cards were low Leveled now, so he couldn't stack more than three at a time, but in the future...

We sprinted off, Locke merrily talking about my battles and how he'd love to become a proper Climber one day. The trip went smoothly, and between our boosted speed and not having to face any enemies, we made it back to the edge of town in merely six hours. A well-trained horse might have managed in five.

I sighed inwardly when I bid the two men farewell. They were heading straight up to the Second Floor and told me to visit them when I moved up. Nicholas had a cousin who worked at the Drunken Pony, so they would rent a room there while learning about the place.

"Three down, four to go," I muttered. "It's a shame Nicholas is leaving so soon. If he were around, the tasks I'll be facing later wouldn't be such a chore."

I watched the backs of the two men disappear, then adjusted the weighty burdens on my shoulders and turned toward the Academy.