Chapter 16

Stones rolled down the cliff as I lost my grip for what had to be the hundredth time. My hands slid down the rock face, searching for a grip while my pack threatened to tilt me back and toss me from the mountain. My Strength hadn't been great enough to use the climbing picks, so this was unavoidable.

Eighteen... I struggled to find a handhold while gravity tried to get the better of me. Nineteen... My foot slipped, and my thigh snagged on a jagged rock. Gravity won...

Twenty. The cooldown for Dash ended, and I careened upward along the steep precipice and onto the flat summit of the great mountain. I landed awkwardly and collapsed in a heap beside one of the great tree's mighty roots. That was a close one.

My hands were bloodied from scraping against the cliff. Luckily none of the damage was too severe. The worst was my thigh, where my uniform was torn apart to reveal a bleeding scrape. It wasn't deep. I was experiencing more pain from the backlash of pushing Dash to do something it shouldn't be able to than I was from the various cuts and bruises.

"Heal..." I grimaced as the healing effects of the Card took effect. Not because of the pain but because I'd always found it awkward to have to speak the spell when using it. It was only temporary. The magic was still relatively new to me, and it took using a Card regularly for one's body to properly acclimatize to having it in their Deck.

The downside to this was that the more attached one became to a Card, the more backlash one faced when unequipping it. It became worse the more powerful the Card was. A Level 2 Card might only cost a migraine to remove, while a Level 5 Card could leave one bedridden for months if it didn't kill them first.

Thus, building an appropriate Deck from the start was crucial. As I thought of this, I calculated the Essence I had left after paying Jacopo and collecting shards from the corpses during the previous day's travels. I was up to 5,238 Essence.

If I'd Leveled Constitution and Stamina, that climb wouldn't have given me so much trouble... No. I need to wait until I've seen my Origin Card. Tara forbid it's the same as last time... If it is, I'll need to build a Deck that can counter the effects.

I really... Really don't want to be trapped by that weakness again. One lifetime of endless pain was enough. Regardless, I'll have to wait to use my Essence until I know what shape my future Deck will take.

"Heal," I targeted the injuries on my hands again, watching as the skin laced itself together and left light pink marks in place of the wounds. One more Heal would keep the scarring to a minimum.

While waiting for the cooldown, I pulled out a vial of Infernal Wash to take care of the blood and dirt on my equipment. I now had just over two cases of the stuff left and didn't really need the extra case Crook had given me... There had already been enough to last me at least a month. Still, I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

With a grunt, I stood and walked to the cliff's edge. The sun shone brilliantly, the early morning light casting shadows across the horizon. No mist or fog was blocking my view, and I could clearly see the Academy in the distance. Its pearlescent walls shimmered as the rays were cast upon its surface.

I turned my gaze to the foot of the mountain, my grin widening as I scanned the distance. Maybe I was a bit mad, but there was a thrill to succeeding at something that could have taken my life. Acting so recklessly was something I'd never been able to do in my previous life.

"Hahaha," I laughed heartily and turned away from the scene. Sightseeing wasn't on the agenda for today. I cast heal again as it came off cooldown and looked up at the mountain's only tree.

It was an impressive specimen, about three times the width and height of the trees in the Old Boar Forest. The roots extended into the flat, stone top of the mountain. They ran deep enough that there were even hand and foot holds formed from the roots on the cliff face I'd just climbed.

There it is, the first of the last four tasks.

I looked at the tree's crown, several tens of yards above me. This part of the task would be much easier than scaling the cliff side, as the branches offered plenty of support.

Nothing to it but to do it.

I cast heal one last time while jogging up to the nearest branch. My head was still aching from compelling Dash to do things it shouldn't without taking breaks between, but my wounds were closed, and I didn't have time for the backlash to wear off.

When I reached the base of the tree, I tucked my pack cozily in a cranny under one of the roots before grabbing the lowest limb and hoisting myself up. The branch was broad, at least wide enough for three or four people to sit comfortably and play a game of brag.

Not really in a rush and also not in any danger at this point, I decided to hold off on using Dash. It would take a few minutes for the migraine to cease, and I didn't care to make it worse. So, I leapt up and caught the next branch with a bit of a running start, foregoing the use of any active skills.

As I made my way to the top of the tree, the smaller limbs growing off the larger branches became more abundant, slowing my pace to a crawl. Leaves and twigs scratched at my exposed skin and snagged on my uniform, making the climb more of a hassle than it should have been. At least it was safe.

It took several minutes to burst through the canopy, but once I did, the view took my breath away. I stared into the distance, clearly seeing the mountains surrounding the entire First Floor. The Howling Hills spanned a large ring after that, with four canyons each leading from the foot of the mountains to the beginnings of the Old Boar Forest.

The vast farmlands took up the next ring after the forest before finally coming to the large villas of the wealthy. I could make out the steeples of the two Churches on either side of the Academy. The charts in the cartography room didn't do it justice.

"Haahh..." I took a deep breath, tasting the fresh air while watching the light of the Floor's sun flood over the landscape. Glancing at my watch, I saw that there were around fourteen hours to the next day, so it had taken me three and a half to climb from my campsite to the top of the tree.

A golden flash drew me from my admiration, and I glanced at the tip of the tree beside me. There was a Card hovering there, just above the highest branch. I plucked the item out of the air and examined it.

There was no reason to pull out my Demon Glass, as I recognized the Card immediately. It was a relatively common Card called Leap, which extended the height of a Wielder's jump, and lessened the impact from the landing.

Dash should be enough for now...

I slipped the Card into my uniform pocket. For now, I had to be picky about what Cards I put in my Deck, lest I face a significant migraine after I leave the Floor. I sighed and looked over the land again before scurrying down the tree. The landscape wouldn't be so serene after I left this Floor.

It didn't take long to reach the ground and secure my pack. I hefted the massive bundle up while pulling my cane from the side, along with a half ration of dried meat. The journey down to the next task wouldn't be as demanding as the trip up, and I wanted to ensure I was armed in case any bears had spawned in the area.

The jerky was tough and tasteless, and if it weren't for the convenience of the stuff, I wouldn't be eating it. Eating healthy was one habit that I didn't want to break, but this heavily salted meat was all that was available on the First Floor. Finding a Relic for storing proper meals would just be one more item to add to the list.

The northwestern side of the mountain's crest broke into a gentle slope that led down into one of the deep valleys below. Once I came to the foot of the mountain, I would have to travel around another until I reached the back side, where a waterfall should be waiting.

I was trusting my memory to lead me in the right direction, as I'd only seen maps of this area through the Network when information about the tasks had been revealed. Below the waterfall was the deepest valley in the area, and within the valley lay a massive pond. That was my next task, explore the depths, and reach the lowest point of the First Floor.

My cane tapped away as I traveled, resonating with the sound of my steps. It was quiet here. Peaceful. At least for now. That would likely change when the Descendants arrived.

Having a more accurate time frame would have been nice. But, an old man can only do so much. Now... was it a left or a right at the cleaved boulder?

With a shrug, I took a left. Left was always right, or so they said. The Memory Enhancement I had was helpful, but my memories... weren't exactly in my mind. Huh... Where were my memories coming from then?

I continued my venture in silence, contemplating my existence and how the Cards would interpret my past. The Memory Enhancement... I could feel it. Minor details of the textbooks I'd studied throughout my Academy years sprung to mind, along with the lessons I'd been taught in swordplay... and, for some reason, an image of Galen picking his nose.

However, my memories of my advancement through the Tower were normal. Some minor nuances escaped me, but I could still recall everything I'd learned while working for the government. Hell, they'd practically forced it into me to memorize everything, and I hadn't had a Memory Enhancement at the time.

So... Either the Cards worked in some way that I couldn't begin to fathom, or my memories of the future were attached to something else. A soul? If that were the case, did my soul replace the soul of the younger me?

The sound of rushing water pulled me from my reverie, which was fine because I didn't care to contemplate whether I'd accidentally murdered myself or committed some form of assisted suicide. I tucked my cane under my arm and sprinted forward, focusing on the wind rushing through my hair rather than the lingering thoughts.

The noise of the falls grew, and the air became humid as I made my way around the foot of another mountain. Before long, I could see the spray of the falls filling the small valley, and the lake I was searching for sat just below. It was... beautiful.