Scott jolted upright in his bed, gasping for air as if he'd been running a marathon. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and his hands trembled like leaves in a storm. The room's air conditioning fought valiantly against the oppressive heat, but his breathing remained ragged.
His bleary eyes took in the unfamiliar room. The low hum of the air conditioner was the only sound, but the echoes of a chaotic nightmare still resonated inside Scott's racing heart.
Unsteadily, he glanced at his hands, noticing they still trembled like a man caught in a blizzard. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, to calm his frayed nerves. The memory of his dream was already fading, slipping away like a wisp of smoke.
Despite his desperate attempts, Scott could only recall fragments – a world in ruins, the accusing eyes of his classmates, and the elemental forces wreaking havoc. He hated the fact that the intricacies eluded him, leaving only the unsettling sensation of dread.
Lost in his thoughts, a soft voice cut through the remnants of his nightmare. A beautiful young woman stood beside his bed, her gentle hands wrapping around his neck.
“Hey, what's wrong?” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.
Scott blinked, baffled. He turned to face her, and his jaw dropped.
“Jessica?” Scott muttered; his voice dazed. The athletic beauty stood before him in her pajamas, hugging him as if they were lovers. He couldn't recall how they had come together, but she was here, in his room, holding him.
Jessica raised a brow, her face cut with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I-I don't know,” Scott stammered, his mind struggling to make sense of his fleeting emotions.
A crease formed on Jessica’s forehead. “Should I call someone?”
Scott shook his head, still bewildered by her presence and the sudden turn of events. “No, I'm fine. It's just... I was startled by your beauty, that's all.”
Jessica snorted, amusement glinting in her eyes. “You're such a goof,” she said as she playfully punched his arm. She then moved closer, her warmth calming the disoriented man.
“Feeling better?” she asked.
Scott grinned, his racing heart slowly returning to its regular rhythm. “Yeah, I'm sorry for making you worry. Let's get some sleep, okay?”
They both settled back into bed, Jessica resting her head on Scott's chest while tracing her fingers along his thigh. As seconds piled into minutes, Jessica drifted off to sleep, but Scott remained awake. His distant gaze fixed on the unremarkable ceiling; his mind still haunted by the dream's remnants.
The minutes piled up into hours, and the room grew progressively darker, and the pressure on his chest lifted. A sense of déjà vu washed over him. This feels familiar, but why?
Unable to peel his eyes from the ceiling, Scott continued to watch the darkness consume the room. Then, the darkness swirled and gave way to a yellow, formless entity. Scott's eyes glowed with a yellow radiance, and a whirlwind of memories surged through his mind.
He gasped for air, struggling to lift his arms as he attempted to scream, but the darkness devoured his voice. The blackness spread even further, swallowing everything in its path.
Scott awoke again, his heart pounding, while struggling to sit up. His vision cleared, revealing a completely different environment. The room was dimly lit by flickering candles, and a foul, rotten odor hung in the air.
“Where am I?” Scott muttered to himself, bewildered by his surroundings. Clothed skeletons, unlike any he had ever seen, were scattered a few feet from where he lay. The room, of circular design, featured a single window veiled by tattered and dusty curtains. Strange symbols and ancient relics lay strewn across the floor, some beyond repair and others obscured by filth.
The stone walls were adorned with carvings he couldn't decipher, and an ancient bookshelf filled with leather-bound tomes lined one side of the room, but the weight of time had claimed them all. A long table, bearing a cracked, humanoid skull on top, stood several inches away, and an ominous, rusted metal door loomed on the opposite side.
Scott rose to his feet, moving cautiously towards the window, the creaking of the wooden floor echoing through the eerie silence. He parted the curtains to gaze outside, unleashing a hail of dust on himself. The full moon cast a pale glow over a vast, dense forest that stretched to the horizon. Towering mountain peaks, veiled in snow, formed a breathtaking backdrop. It was evident that he was inside a towering structure, possibly a castle, set amidst the expansive wilderness.
As he placed his hands on the non-reflective window, a crisp ding resounded in his ears, and a system window materialized before his eyes.
Scott's eyes widened as he read the system message that appeared before him. The words seemed to jolt his suppressed memories, causing them to flood his mind like a surging tidal wave. He winced, collapsing to his knees with a heavy thud, using the wall to prevent himself from smacking his head on the ground.
The room around him seemed to blur; yet Scott barely noticed the legendary items that would have once captivated him. His focus was solely on the vivid recollection of the events leading up to and during the baptism.
“I will never forgive those bastards for doing that to me...” Scott vowed in a low, bitter tone. A storm of rage distorted his features as he vividly recalled how Omar and the others had seemingly sent him to the desert to die.
The realization that he could still see the system interface was an unsettling confirmation that he had somehow entered the Tower of Champions. Yet, one crucial detail eluded him: he couldn't remember how he had managed to escape the unforgiving desert.
Scott sat on the floor for a moment, lost in thought. His mind raced to make sense of the fragmented memories and the gaping hole where some of them should be.
With a deep breath, he mentally commanded the system to reveal his status.
Scott's gaze remained locked on the flashing screen, his mouth agape, as the words etched in the system message sent shivers down his spine. “Eldritch Spawn. Half-human. What the hell happened to me?” he muttered; his voice tinged with disbelief.
The confusion that gnawed at him only intensified the more he delved into the details on the status sheet. In a matter of hours, he had transformed from an ordinary university student into a being he couldn't even comprehend. Questions swirled in his mind like a maelstrom, leaving him grappling with the unsettling reality he now faced.
Then, an unsettling thought gripped him. How long have I been here? he wondered, staring at the archaic room. His composure stat, remarkably high, played a role in keeping him calm despite the eerie and unfamiliar circumstances.
Scott then turned his attention to the door at the opposite end of the room. I don't know what's going on, but I need to get out of here.
Using the window frame as support, he pushed himself upright. One final glance at the breathtaking view beyond the window reminded him of the world he had lost access to. He sighed, parting with the beauty beyond the glass.
As he took his first steps toward the metal door, he halted abruptly on his third stride. His gaze fixed on the very spot he had lain earlier, where he had first awakened. There, barely noticeable yet undeniably present, he discovered faint yellow markings that formed a complex and ritualistic pattern.
Scott's frown deepened as he examined the intricate symbols. I wouldn't have noticed this if I hadn't moved the curtains, he thought.
His eyes lifted to the table that stood in his path, blocking his way to the door. A plethora of weapons, concealed by layers of dust, lay scattered across its surface. Scott couldn't help but frown, as he reached for a chipped silver dagger.
Scott's eyes darted to the system message, absorbing its contents as he processed the information it provided. His focus shifted to a longsword; its blade snapped in half. He assessed the weapon briefly, then shifted his attention to the item placed beside it. Carefully, he reached for it.
Scott raised the war hammer, feeling its weight and balance. While unfamiliar with such a weapon, its craftsmanship was evident, and he sensed that it might suit his newfound abilities.
He surveyed the other items on the table but found them either too damaged or ill-suited to his preferences. After a moment of consideration, he made his choice, addressing the system and watching as the war hammer vanished in a purple shimmer, stored safely in his inventory.
Scott flexed his arms, reveling in the newfound energy coursing through his body after the level-up.
This is ridiculous. He felt a power greater than anything he'd ever experienced.
Closing the system screen, he turned his focus to the steel exit. With a few brisk steps, he approached it and tapped the massive steel door, which promptly opened with a loud creak. The fetid stench of rotting air struck him as he entered the dimly lit hallway, revealing a scene of macabre horror.
The passage was filled with debris of bones, covered in dust and cobwebs. Piles of skeletons, whole and mangled, each bearing signs of weapon-induced damage, lay stacked on top of each other.
What happened here? Scott pondered, his gaze fixed on the damaged skeletons and the ruined walls, despite their enchantments.
Scott proceeded down the eerie corridor, the sound of bones cracking echoed with each step, and the whisper of the surging winds seemed to strike the wall’s exterior. After a few minutes of walking, he encountered a mirror that left him shocked by his reflection. He had aged significantly, his hair unruly, and his body malnourished. Scars marred his torso, and his once-normal eyes now possessed a sickly yellow hue, dilated and unfocused, devoid of cognitive awareness.
What in God’s name happened to me?
However, only more questions filled his mind the longer he mused. Turning away from the mirror, he continued his journey through the labyrinthine hallways, each filled with more skeletal remains to the point that the floor was obscured.
Suddenly, Scott entered a massive hall with a closed wooden door at the end of the winding path. In front of the door, a figure in black armor banged a shield against the enchanted surface. Puzzled and curious, Scott watched the figure, wondering about its identity and purpose.
App and Mobile users, are the system notifications legible?
