NOVEL WEB V1 Chapter 54: Towers
- 1st Person POV (MC)
-Present Time-
Yup! There it is...
Lies in front of me is a dilapidated tower labelled ‘Forbidden Tower’. Its entrance was barricaded, windows shut complete with cracked glass to sell off the ‘Abandoned’ feeling. Cobwebs and moss can be seen littered around the Forbidden Tower.
It’s so eye-catching that will tempt any adventurous players to explore. Players who got curious about this structure tried to enter it but suddenly stopped in the middle staring at mid-air.
I presume it’s the system telling them that Forbidden Tower is a restricted area. The very same thing that happened to me prior when I explored the gardens.
*THUNK*
“What’s this?” -Random Player-
She held her hand mid-air and seemed like exerting some strength. As if an invisible wall is erected to prevent unauthorised players from entering. Some use offensive {Spell} that got deflected and alerted Guard NPCs to simply warn them off or take them to jail. Resulting in players to simply give up and go on their way.
I waited until there were not a lot of players or NPCs roaming about before finally taking the chance to come close to the Forbidden Tower.
*PING*
A panel appeared before me. At first, I thought it was the same panel that warned players but it’s not.
Instead...
It reads ‘Would you like to enter Forbidden Tower Dungeon? (Yes / No)’.
My eyebrows quirked upward in a questioning gesture as my curiosity was piqued.
(“After all, it doesn’t hurt to try right?”)
Tapping on the ‘Yes’ button my view instantly changes.
The fresh air from the Mages’ Garden and the sounds of flowing water from the fountains. Into a dark dingy place with stale air.
Judging by a quick look around, I seemed to be in a massive chamber and right in the middle of this room was a spiralling staircase.
Moving closer, it’s made from wood but it has been a long time ago, that it has rotted away. As per usual with Dungeon, I cannot access my Safe Inventory. Behind me is the exit, in the form of a door that’s slightly ajar allowing sunlight to peer through just a bit.
Several questions appeared in my mind just from stepping into the dungeon.
(“Why was it abandoned? What levels are the monsters here? What kind of loot I would get?”)
I promptly quashed them down in favour of exploring the place first. It seems this ‘Chamber’ or ‘Ground Floor’ is somewhat... Safe. No enemies abound or traps as far I can tell using {Spell}.
With that in mind, I cast several buffing {Spells} to myself before finally deciding to venture towards the upper floor.
Each stair creaks underneath my weight so much so that I got annoyed enough to cast [Muffle].
-1st Floor-
Right... so this is the upper floor. It's incredibly dim the only lighting I can naturally rely on are sunbeams piercing through those cracked windows.
Well... *Naturally* I mean
“[Light]”
The tip of my staff glowed in white light illuminating the area and allowing me to see everything fully.
“Huh... What’s that?”
Pointing my lamp-staff in a direction, I focused on what I had just seen.
*SQUELCH* *SPLAT*
That noise... sounded remarkably similar to a wet cloth being flung at a wall in high force. As I got curious to check.
(“I am sure in a horror movie, I would be the first to die.”)
With a chuckle to lighten up the mood, mainly for myself to not get overwhelmed by fear.
There! I see it.
Hm? My eyes aren’t fooling me, right?
In front of me, there is a kneeling figure of a human facing the other side as I can only see the back. They are wearing the standard clothing of a magician.
(“Must be an NPC”)
Though... An NPC in a dungeon? That is certainly new, maybe they’re a guide!
“Hello? I’ve come to help.”
It twitches startled by my calls as I waited for their reaction.
“H... help?” -Strange Mage-
His voice is strained and parched as if he has not drunk for years.
“Y...yes. He...lp” -Strange Mage-
(“You know... It feels like this is a horror cliché.”)
I decided to play along but...
With a simple command, my body is coated by glimmering prismatic light protecting me. Then I began to cast [Sigil] on myself.
A slight smile decorated my face and my confidence bloomed as I approached the kneeling figure.
*CRACK*
The figure twisted its head a complete 180 degrees showing me his face. They pin down the horror cliche accurately.
Though...
I’m used to seeing this from Siegfried's constant morphing so this doesn’t faze me.
This ‘Person’ is or emm... was a human once.
His face is still looking like a human albeit there is an undulating flesh on his cheek with tendrils seemingly pulsating and...
It's growing????
Like a heartbeat, that fleshy growth continues to pulse and in turn those tendrils kept creeping into this man.
It must’ve been uncomfortable right? But...
“HAHAHAHAHAHA, YES!!! HELP. WE’LL HELP YOU BECOME US.” -Mad Mage-
He cackled crazily and firmly held my shoulder to make me stay in place. Immediately appearing in the corner of my view is an enemy {Status} bar.
Aptly named Exploding Fleshling, his grip is incredibly strong as I cannot budge away and judging by his name... I do not like when it is going.
(“Shit, my [Sigil] activate when I got hit. Not being immobilised.”)
“[War-]”
*SQUELCH*
A disgusting sound from him ensues with the pulsating flesh growth growing much... Much larger it’s pumping something and bloat like a balloon as if it is going to burst. Far quicker than I can cast...
(“Well... I guess I’m dead?”)
I shrugged my shoulder and calmly faced my fate, bracing for the impact this enemy would cause.
*KABOOOOOOOOOM*
A thunderous noise of an explosion echoed in my ears and with it a sudden wave of intense drowsiness hit me.
Like when you’re extremely exhausted from work and all you can think of is just closing... your... eyes...
Zzzz...
Zzzz...
Zzzz...
“WAHHH!!!”
I woke up, my eyes were wide open. Fully expected to see a panel showing where to respawn yet I didn’t see anything like that.
Rather, it is a familiar sight of a cracked stone ceiling and broken windows. Albeit stained with copious amounts of red liquid and fleshy bits pretty far away from where I woke up.
(“[Sigil] worked as that explosion counted as a ‘Hit’ but well...”)
Looking at my HP, I am in Red Zone realizing that creature can inflict tons of damage breaking through my [Star Shield] and managing to hit my HP. I cast a healing {Spell} to recover all of it in one go and re-buffed myself.
(“If there were other monsters, I would’ve certainly died. Quite a fearsome dungeon...”)
Glancing at the spiralling staircase leading upstairs. My gamer hunch is telling me more of those creatures and probably it’s variants will be frequently spawned not just a singular entity like in the 1st Floor.
I guess I’ll save this dungeon for later to explore with Siegfried. Opening my players' journal, I made a note to remind myself. It's pretty handy to be provided with a journal besides its usage for me about {Spell}. I can put reminders and what I am planning to do.
Without further ado, I went down towards the exit and left the Forbidden Tower Dungeon. Returned to the entrance of the dungeon and quickly skedaddle away.
(“There are other things I can check if I can enter beside this Forbidden Tower.”)
Mainly the library...
Following my train of thought, I automatically walked towards the Library of Astera.
-Astera's Tower of Knowledge-
I have been in this tower several times already yet it always amazes me with the structure of this place.
The tower’s walls are essentially bookshelves containing hundreds, of thousands of books. They sorted themselves by levitating away onto another shelf constantly.
NPCs Mages simply waited on the floor manipulating a glass orb as it shined with a specific colour corresponding with a glow covering a book where it floated towards that NPC.
I guess that is how they search for books...
Though I’m here mainly on increasing my Elemental {Trait} and entering their Restricted Section.
Wandering to the glass orb, I hovered my palm over it and a panel describing a {Spell} appeared before me. As usual, it’s the same panel to buy Spell Books and of course, I utilise this by ‘Learning’ them.
Burning zenis, I managed to increase my Elemental {Trait} to VIII which means I can use up to Tier 8 {Spell}.
Hovering over to the rest of the glass orbs, the RNG is not quite going my way since I frequently see the same {Spell} again and again.
Or it’s because there is not a lot of high Tier {Spell} around? Hmmm...
With a shrug, I finished what I did and decided to explore this Tower of Knowledge more in the hopes of finding its restricted section.
The funny thing about this Tower of Knowledge is that structures are randomly displaced. The door to my right leads to the bathroom prior but now it is not instead it goes to a reading room.
That is why players usually come in to buy Spell Book and Scrolls and then out. Only a handful of curious ones dared to explore since it’s ever-changing and highly likely they will get lost.
One good thing though is that players can always access Safe Point so if I got lost I can simply return to Astera’s gate.
I believe if I stand on this corner...
*CLACK* *RUMBLE* *CLACK*
Yup!
Several noises ranging from grating stones and hard leather books thumping against from another resonate. Resulting in a staircase made from those things leading to the underground.
Stepping on it and moving further, it began constructing more staircases depending on my proximity to the edge of the stairs.
-Tower of Knowledge Basement-
Uwah... someone has not cleaned this place for a long while.
The constantly constructing staircases led me to a dimly lit room with only candles as a source of light. In my eyes, I can see cobwebs and sheets of dust covering the stone flooring. No bookshelves were in sight and my footsteps echoed within this basement.
“[Dancing Light]”
Several globes of light appeared in my surroundings, slowly hovering like a dance. I can command them much like how I use [Star Fragment] or [Arcane Eye] to move as I issued an order to follow me in a wide berth. Due to the upcasting nature of my {Trait}, I have more globes than what the {Spell} described.
This means I can direct some of them to ‘Attach’ themselves to the walls acting like a sconce allowing me to see much more.
It says ‘The {Spell} constantly use MP’ yet I didn’t feel drowsy at all after several minutes. I guess it does not consume a lot...
Beside the dusty room, there are several containers made from wood but it’s already rotted away since a simple poke is enough to crush it.
(“Don’t mind if I do...”)
I looked at the inside of each container ranging from crates, barrels, and most importantly chests. I got stray zenis here and there but overall most of them are trash.
Oh?
One of the dancing lights attached to the wall revealed another staircase leading to the abyss. I ordered half of those globes to go in front while keeping the other half at the back.
Now it looks like a trail of light as I continued further...
Arriving in a much darker place, I can tell by how the light emitted from [Dancing Light] is... being subdued as if it’s constricted.
Before long though...
*PING*
-System-
Would you like to enter the dungeon ‘Tower of Knowledge – Restricted Library’?
Yes / No
-System-
Ahhh... It's a dungeon too just like Forbidden Tower. I guess I’ll back out from this one better to go with a party.
Retracing my steps, the staircases lead me to different places now. As the annoying mechanic of ever-changing places settled, I decided to use the Safe Point to teleport somewhere instead. Since I have the other emblem to try and might as well explore a new city!
With a slight spring on my step and a cheerful hum, I tapped on the Safe Point towards Saintear.