He looks up and only finds a clock ticking on the wall opposite him. It is a simple white clock on a brown wall, ticking with every turn of its second hand. The ticks seem to match his own heartbeat, bringing him a weird sense of peace and serenity.
“How are you doing now?” A woman speaks from beside him. Adrian calmly turns to look at her, the movement itself bringing pangs of pain from within him.
“Are you the one who healed me?” Adrian asks, over the pain.
“No. I’m not capable of dealing with soul damage. The one who did it is a pro though, so you need not worry,” She says calmly, her voice sweet and soothing. She wears a black combat suit, covering her whole body as well her neck. There is a hoodie attached to the back.
“Soul damage?”
“Yes. Somehow a small part of your soul was completely destroyed. We don’t know how, and were wondering if you might know anything about it.”
“I don’t know. I don’t really have any abilities related to soul,” Adrian frowns. “Why am I here?”
“We wanted to speak to you alone for a bit. It is regarding your special circumstance-”
“No I mean, why am I on the third floor already? I can infer this much that you guys are the revolutionaries and that I’m being kidnapped. But why am I on the third floor suddenly?” Adrian frowns and shifts his body, even though it hurts him a lot. He is untied, so that’s a relief.
“How much do you remember? What is the last thing you remember?”
“I remember sitting by the camp we had set up. We had escaped from the fight between the High Rankers and were waiting for the floor boss to spawn. Then… I think I fell asleep? I don’t know,” Adrian’s frown deepens, his mind rumbling and churning as he tries to find the memories which seem to be missing within him.
“Don’t push yourself. You’ll only widen the soul wound if you overexert yourself. Don’t even use your abilities for a few weeks, I’d say. Just rest, and let the wound heal on its own.
“And your memories are missing because of the soul injury. Missing a part of your soul not just comes with the pain, but also with memory lapses, like the one you are experiencing right now. Those memories might never come back, but if you push yourself too hard, then you’ll only lose more.” The woman says, strictly this time.
Adrian reluctantly stops his efforts, a suffocating feeling haunts him at the thought of lost memories.
“What really happened?” He asks.
“The Second Floor was contaminated so the Tower decided to destroy it completely and is now rebuilding it. You must’ve left something connected to your soul there, which led to this state.”
Adrian stares in shock at the woman. The Second floor is destroyed? Something like this can happen? He quickly brings up all the pending messages on the corner of his vision.
You have entered the Third Floor: Burial
There are two settlements on this floor. One to your west, and one to your north.
There is only a single floor boss across this floor. Once killed, the floor boss takes three days to respawn.
To clear the floor:
-
You must defeat the floor boss, or at least be a contributor in defeating the boss.
-
Sacrifice 450 litres of magically treated blood at the altar after defeating the floor boss.
Warning! Movement between floors is halted due to the destruction and reconstruction of the Second Floor! Warning!
Adrian stares at it for a minute, reading and then re-reading until the ache in his heart becomes a little more persistent.
“You weren’t lying. The Second Floor did get destroyed. How? Do the High Rankers have such strength?” Adrian asks.
“I can’t say anything about their strength at my stage. There are some things in life that you must see and experience yourself, and this is one of them,” The woman says, “But now that we are up to date, let’s get this meeting over with. We don’t have much time to waste after-all.”
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“What exactly is the purpose of this meeting? Why have you kidnapped us? Is it to corrupt us into some super soldiers for your organisation?”
“Hah! That would certainly make our task much easier, but no. We are merely giving them the gift of free will. A mind and soul free of the Tower’s influence. To decide their own faith and their own journey,” The woman says, spreading her arms in a benevolent act.
“What do you mean by Tower’s influence?” Adrian asks, feeling like he’s on the cusp of knowing something he shouldn’t.
“The reason why the Tower doesn’t allow for mental magicks or mental resistances. The Tower constantly sends a particular wavelength, a mind magic trick, which subtly changes the mind and soul of people, making them a devout believer of the Tower.
“The intensity of their belief might differ, but they would never even think about betraying the Tower. The very thought would repulse them, and make them hate those who do it even more vehemently. All we are doing here is to break them out of this illusion and tell them the truth. Many people after learning of the truth choose to stay with us and help us, while the others struggle and persist in their beliefs.”
“Why would someone struggle even after removing the magic?” Adrian asks, forcefully quietening the existential crisis rising within him.
“It’s not easy to change someone. They’ve been following these ideals for years. It is part of them, and this makes them feel part of a whole. Part of the twisted community the Tower has created. Suddenly removing the magic won’t really make them wanna go back,” The woman says with a sigh.
Adrian simply nods, feeling the weight of the woman’s words settle over him.
This explains so much. Why everyone in the clan is so reverent towards the Tower. Why Matthew decided to betray Martin, a friend he has known for so many years, just because he found out that he’s an Unfaithful.
The very term Unfaithful, suddenly makes more sense. What distinguishes one from the other.
“So my friends are…?”
“Yes. They have been treated and have been removed from the influence of the Tower. There have been no strong reactions from anyone in particular, but some of them aren’t talking much either. Some more time with us and some more help would perhaps have converted some of them to our side, but sadly we don’t have enough time.”
“You keep saying you don’t have enough time,” Adrian says, pushing down all the revelations that he has just heard, “But what are you running from?”
“The church of course. They are most probably coming for us as we speak. This is not a formal hideout either, just one we made for temporary use. Also, it is a part of your mission,” She says, checking the clock.
“My mission? Why do I have a mission? When did I decide to join your organisation?” Adrian complains.
“You have a special talent, don’t you? You help us, and we can tell you about it, and how to use it properly. Don’t you just wanna destroy this damn tower and the god who created it? Join us and we’ll help you get there. We’ll go there together, and we will destroy the Tower,” She smiles and puts her hand forward in a shake.
Adrian stares at it, his heart skipping strongly. “Isn’t the special talent the same for everyone? Some form of mental resistance?”
“It is true for most of them, but some people develop it in special ways. And yours… yours is connected to the very Spirit Realm. You’re a special little thing, and that’s why we want you. Join us, help up, and I can assure you that you can go far,” Her smile broadens.
Adrian can see a sales pitch when he hears it, and yet he can’t help but be moved. What if what the woman is saying is true?”
“Tell me the name of my talent, and we have a deal,” Adrian says.
“Spirit Refuge.”
Adrian rolls the word in his mouth. It has a nice feel, and for some reason he can feel it resonating with himself. Like a part of himself that he didn’t know has just been unearthed.
Adrian shakes her hand, a magnificent smile blossoming on her face.
#
As the clock ticks away, Adrian stares blankly at the second bar. The members of the church move around him, searching every nook and cranny, looking for any revolutionaries.
Jarad stands beside him, his work persona on him. It seems like he did get promoted after the information Adrian gave him, for him to be here.
“Did you see anyone?” He asks.
“No, I just woke up when you guys entered here.” Adrian says, looking away from the clock. He has indeed been put to sleep by the woman before leaving to sell the story.
“Why are you in a separate room though? Everyone else is packed into one room, but not you,” He asks, his eyes glowing with the familiar use of an ability.
“I seem to have suffered some soul damage on the last floor and was in a very delicate situation. Maybe that’s why they put me here?” Adrian tries to guess.
“And how would you remember that you had suffered soul damage? From my information, soul damage usually leads to short term memory loss.”
“I don’t remember everything. I have vague memories of the time I was being carried away, and I was in serious pain. Also I have had enough time since waking up to check the messages and know that I’m on the third floor.”
“Paul check Mr. Alphona here if he really has soul damage as he says so,” Jarad says, moving aside for another man to take a look at him. The man’s eyes turn white as he looks at Adrian, scanning him from top to bottom before nodding.
“Critical damage, but seems to have been recently healed. The soul is still very tender, so he must still be experiencing a lot of pain from speaking itself. I’d recommend treating him immediately. Oh, we should also put him to sleep just in case,” Paul says.
“Do you think they could do to him what they did to others?”
“Not a chance. In his condition, his soul would explode if they even come near it,” Paul shrugs. Adrian flinches at hearing about his soul exploding.
“Hmm, it seems you are in the clear, Adrian,” For a moment the informal persona peeks out from Jarad, before vanishing just as quickly, “Take him away please. And make sure he’s treated well. He’s a friend of the church, so treat him like one.”
Paul nods, casting some other ability as his hands glow in the ethereal light of a dream element. Before Adrian falls asleep, he can’t help but think about the mission he has been assigned by the woman.
‘There is something many forces are looking for on the 3rd or the 4th floor. The church can move in the light, but we can’t. We want you to be our eyes in there, and help us before they do. Also if you find it yourself, then you must give it to us. Providing false information, or not fulfilling the contract will make you the enemy of every revolutionary.’
The mission has been simple, yet Adrian couldn’t help but wonder what kind of treasure could move all these forces. Even the High Ranker has spent most of his time on the 3rd floor. Perhaps looking for it.
Things are getting too exciting and dangerous at the same time.
#