"Woah," I exclaimed going through the stats of the second Red Ant I had created. Compared to the Red Ant I created previously the second Red Ant cost me 1 stamina point to create and it had an extra skill: Bite. Following the Tower Master's advice had yielded excellent results.
"Let me, see." The Tower Admin eagerly asked to see the Red Ant's status window.
"Yes," I immediately gave the Tower Admin the authority to view the status window of both the Red Ants.
"See, I was right." The Tower Admin cheered. She sounded nothing like the omniscient voice that made the announcement earlier this evening.
"Thank you master for your guidance." I hurriedly thanked Tower Admin for the advice she gave me.
"Master? Human, who is your master?" The fact that I addressed her as Master didn't get past the giddy Tower Master, which she quickly denied.
"Master, we humans have a saying, Master for a second Master for life," I said cheekily. There is no way I would let go of what could be the only chance I could ever get to associate with the Tower Admin of the Earth Realm.
"I didn't know humans were such a clingy race. And you, stop calling me master." The Tower Admin was taken aback, she was here to fulfill her customary duty as the Tower Admin not to accept a disciple.
"I can't do that, Master. It is against my culture. But you don't have to feel conflicted about this. This is my culture and I solely am responsible to uphold it. You will always be my master in my heart." I knew the Tower Admin accepting me as her disciple was impossible, I could care less about that. As long as I got to associate with the Tower Admin it was a win for me.
"Culture you say… Fine, I will give you the opportunity to uphold your culture. How about it, are you willing to accept it?" The Tower Admin offered with a playful glint in her eyes.
[Congratulations on acquiring a quest.
Quest: Realm Devouring Celestial's Disciple
Task:
1. Agree to an unconditional oath to the Celestial.
2. Climb the Tower of Trials through the Black Gate.
3. Climb 10 floors of the Tower of Trials in 30 days.
Rewards:
1. Meta: Realm Devouring Celestial's Disciple.
2. Tower of Trial's VIP privileges.
Will you accept this quest?
(Yes/No)]
*Gulp* Reading the quest window I could not help but gulp my saliva thinking this quest should not be named 'Realm Devouring Celestial's Disciple' but 'how to die in 30 days.' I finally understood the mischievous smile on the tower master's face.
"Why aren't you celebrating? This is what you wanted right." the Tower Admin asked looking at my ashen face.
"..." 'I would celebrate the fact that I could finally associate with the tower master if it did not involve me dying in 30 days.' I thought while trying not to show my disappointment making it hard for me to voice my thoughts.
Above all, I want to focus on the Tower Admin's Meta Realm Devouring Celestial but the fact that the Tower Admin was trying to have me kill myself in 30 days had occupied my thoughts.
Tower of Trial's difficulty settings, that was what the netizens called the colored gates of the tower of trials. Before climbing to the 1st floor of the tower every trial taker was asked to assign a color to their designated private tower entrance from Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, and Black. Each color corresponds to the varying difficulty level of the tower. The increase in difficulty level of the tower starts from Blue Gate (least difficulty) to Black Gate (most difficulty).
Asking me to climb 10 floors in the tower of trials within 30 days using the black gate was the same as asking me to commit suicide. Apparently, the Tower Admin's opportunity to uphold my culture was her saying either I complete the quest to become her disciple and successfully uphold my culture or die trying.
The difficulty of the quest was alarming but the rewards for completing the quest sweetened the deal. The Meta Realm Devouring Celestial's Disciple aside Tower's VIP privileges alone was worth the risk of accepting the quest. I had seen the privilege section in my status window so I had a hunch of what Tower's VIP privileges could be.
[1. Agree to an unconditional oath to the Celestial.]
This condition was one of the easiest yet alarming conditions of the quest. Unconditional oath? What does that even mean? Trying to discern this only the worst possibility came to my mind. So I could only turn to the Tower Admin for an explanation, "Master, could you give more details on this unconditional oath? I don't understand it."
"It is detailed enough. Don't play dumb. You don't plan on becoming my disciple for free, do you?" Tower Admin saw right through me.
"No, Master. Everything has its appropriate price. Your teachings are unparalleled and this is a little price to pay for it." I answered with a sincere face. As if I genuinely believed the carp I just spewed. From the made-up culture to this bull crap I regret nothing. Since I had to live the second life given to me anyway, I planned to live the right way, that is, my way.
"Good, then what's the holdup? Accept the quest already." Hearing my words the playfulness in the tower Admin's eyes grew and became more obvious.
"Yes, Master." When most would see this quest as a death trap I saw it as another opportunity for me to be ahead of my peers, that is, all of the trial takers in the earth realm.
[You have accepted the Quest: Realm Devouring Celestial's Disciple.
Note: You have 30 days to complete this Quest.]
Why would I who puts caution above everything else accept this quest that is basically a death trap? Because despite its difficulty the quest doesn't have a penalty upon failure to complete the quest. If at any point during the quest I feel like I was in over my head, I would immediately quit without hesitation.