It has been a couple of days since I started flying around looking for a city, settlement, or anything remotely giving a hint of civilization, but so far, I saw a whole lot of nothing but a lot of trees, lakes, and mountains. The occasional monsters appeared but a simple flick of a [Fireball] and problem solved.
While flying, I was also thinking about the Everlast tower. It was a patch update that I was designing concerning players who don't have a lot of time to play but still want to get a healthy amount of action. The premise was simple it is a giant tower with 100 floors, and each floor is a dungeon with a floor boss. To access the next floor, you must defeat this boss and so on. In addition, the very bottom level of the tower is a lobby where players could exchange a specific currency called [Trial Token] for various items, some of which can only be unlocked if they reach a particular floor.
It sounds easy enough to make, especially with the [Origin Core.] Still, my issue is in the game, there is no problem if the players die because they could respawn a few minutes later, but that won't be applicable in this world, or even if I did find a way to do it, I could only see it bringing a whole set of problems.
While thinking about all of this, a sudden change in the scenery disrupted me. I saw a giant walled city in the distance surrounded by a vast field of what seemed to be wheat. I stopped flying and landed a reasonable distance away from the city. For now, my initial goal is to learn more about this world.
I walked and soon found a line walking towards a giant gate with several guards in it. I stepped into the very back of the line and patiently awaited my turn.
"Next!"
"Hi"
"Wheres your identity card?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have one. It's my first time entering a city."
"Come with me. Hey! someone take over."
I followed the guard to a room, and he gestured for me to sit down on the wooden chair.
"Ok, first of all, I'm one of the guards in the south entrance of this city. This city is called Elysia. From time to time, there have been people from rural areas that come here for the first time, and it's a part of our job to inform you of the policies of this city. First, you need an identity card which I can issue to you right now. Second, you are not allowed to sell merchandise here unless you get permission from the merchant guild or if you registered as an adventurer."
"I understand; sorry for the inconvenience."
"Don't mind it; as I said, it's a part of our job. I need you to write your name on this card; this card is a cheap magic item that registers your name and the place where you were registered. Usually, that same place is where you were born, or it's the closest city to where you were born.
He handed me what seemed to be a metal card and a pen, but just as I was about to write my name, I forgot if the language I knew was the same as theirs. I can understand them, but I don't know whether the form of writing is the same. So, with slight hesitation, I wrote the name Cyril Archon and hoped for the best. The card then glowed a little, and my writing got engraved alongside the words Elysia below it.
"Don't lose that it will cost you five silver pieces for it."
"I won't thank you very much."
"I suggest you find an inn to stay in for the night; it's already almost dark outside."
"I will."
Although I didn't have any form of their currency, I'm technically broke. So I would fly outside later on. My only goal is to have a feel for this city and formulate my tower plans.
"The guard said something about merchants and adventurers, so maybe ill check them out first."
I asked around and was directed to a massive building with two large doors on each opposite end. Each entry had a different emblem which I assume stands for the Merchant and Adventures Guild, respectively. Again, I tried asking around and came to certain conclusions.
First, they work just as we imagined it in novels back on Earth. Adventurers take jobs from clients or from the guild itself, and they are rewarded for their completion. On the other hand, the merchant guild operates like a local market where buyers and sellers meet and talk about their products. The guild also acts as a bank storing coins and other valuables for their clients.
I also explored the city afterward and learned that it's a frontier city. It is also the farthest city away from the capital and is basically near the borders of the kingdom's territory. The city of Elysia was under the Kingdom of Reval, and apparently, it is one of humanity's largest kingdoms.
As nightfall came around, I got into a secluded alleyway and flew away as fast as I could, and landed into a nearby clearing in a forest. I found a cave and made a simple bed, and blocked the entrance with a boulder. I digested all the things I learned today, and I now have a firm grasp on what is typical for this world and how their society, at least human society, worked. I never planned to stay in the city because of two reasons.
First, their way of life is too different from mine; I would still like the comforts of modern Earth to be with me where I live. And secondly, I don't feel like I belong in that place. That being said, as I lay in my bed, I began conceptualizing the plans for the Everlast Tower.
I had my breakfast early the next morning and readied myself for a workday because I planned to make the tower today. I started by using [Origin Core] to create a [Designer Stone.] A [Designer Stone] was an item that allowed the admins to create dungeons that the tower would technically be.
The design I chose was quite simple, A spiral tower that rises from the ground towards the sky with a large entrance. The surrounding area has been flattened with a radius of about 5 km from the center. The tower itself will be enchanted with a protective spell name [Aegis] and a maintenance spell called [Restore.] this will ensure that the tower is protected, and even if it is damaged, it will repair itself on its own. The bottom floor is the lobby with a counter for exchanging [Trial Token] and an extensive portal frame that leads to the first floor. I also added a ranking board for the top 100 challengers indicating what floor they are on. As for the problem of too many challengers dying, I decided to give them an [Escape Talisman,] which, when torn apart, causes them to be transported back to the bottom floor. I also made [Ai] the receptionist for the bottom floor. She will be responsible for entertaining the challengers. In addition, she is a part of the tower, so she gets the benefits of [Aegis] and [Restore.] Finally, above the 100th floor will be my home abode, modern minimalist architecture with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, and control room for the tower.
"This should do it for now. I can make changes later on."
I exited the cave after cleaning up the bed and boulder I placed there and selected a place not too far from the city but also not that close. I invoked the [Designer Stone] and watched as the Everlast tower materialized.
It was an ordinary morning for the city of Elysia when suddenly a powerful earthquake was felt city-wide. The city guards were the first to react and noticed a large spiral tower materializing from the ground; it was already taller than the walls that protected the city, but it still kept getting higher. Knights and adventurers that were sensitive to mana sensed a vast amount of it being concentrated on the location of the mysterious tower. Then it stopped, and silence returned; the only change was broken buildings and a large tower that seemed to attract the attention of the sky itself.
In the city's center, a large mansion was currently filled with people running around treating the injured and noting the damage the earthquake had caused.
"Sir Farrell, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine; do you know what happened, Lester?"
"A powerful earthquake has struck us, sir, and also I felt a vast amount of mana converge southwest of the city."
A young woman then entered the room with a hurried look on her face.
"Father, are you alright?"
"Yes, I am. Are you alright, Dianne?"
"Yes, father, I am unharmed."
"Father, I was outside when the earthquake struck, and I think there is something you need to see."
The three of them went out of the room, walked straight into the courtyard, and saw a high tower that touched the clouds.
"What on Astrelia's name is that thing?"
"That is where I felt a large amount of mana was concentrating."
"Whatever it is, It should have been the cause of the earthquake; call the guild master of the adventurers guild and the captain of the knights for an emergency meeting.
"Yes, sir."