After being swallowed by the seventh Roaming Tower, my vision went dark. An unknown amount of time went by before my consciousness returned to my body.
When I awoke, I was standing in a hallway that extended seemingly infinitely before me. I turned around, and a pair of double doors met my gaze. They were crafted out of black steel, with carvings of demonic faces bulging out with malevolent expressions. Their horns were curved, extending out of different parts of their head.
I pursed my lips, feeling a sense of unease as I looked at the doors.
I had to make a choice at this moment.
See, the Seven Roaming Towers were a toolset used by the Greater God, Hallienvischa. This powerful being had used the towers to move through the universe, visiting galaxies and traversing star clusters with ease. Lightyears were nothing to the Seven Roaming Towers.
But even the Greater Gods were not absolutely immortal, and Hallienvischa had long since passed away, leaving behind only his corpse and his personal items on the planet of Emerallia.
Without the Greater God to fuel its features, the Seven Roaming Towers were no longer able to display their previous grandeur. Instead, they became a treasure trove for those whose fates were intertwined with their existence. Trinkets and treasures that Hallienvischa had collected throughout the aeons were scattered within every floor and every tower.
Moreover, the towers also could also serve as a pathway between continents. Once all the Roaming Towers appeared on the Pillion continent, then the anchoring procedure would be complete. From that moment on, this landmass would become one of the many destinations that the Seven Roaming Towers would periodically visit.
That would be how Ragnarök would come about.
"I wonder if I should have waited a little longer before activating administrator privileges," I sighed, mumbling to myself as my gaze alternated between the infinite hallway and the double doors.
By activating the tower, I had essentially bound it to my soul. I was this tower's master, and I thus had the privilege to control everything that went on here. At least in theory.
Unfortunately for me, I was simply too weak to change a single setting. In fact, even the gods lacked the qualifications to do so. A huge amount of mana was required to make any adjustments.
To make things worse, the tower now fed off of my mana at a constant rate. The rate at which I regenerated mana was the rate at which it siphoned it from me. I was practically crippled because of this. The only way I could recover my mana would be through potions.
"That damn Imnifictus had taken way too long! He should have been able to activate the tower himself." I cursed, "What the hell went wrong?"
If the old man had taken on the useless role of tower administrator, then I wouldn't have had to deal with this handicap. It was truly my misfortune that my companions and I would've been crushed to death had I refused to take on such a role any longer.
The control room behind those double steel doors was a dreadful presence. What could I do in a room that was full of things that I could not use?
"I wish I created an easier way to break the connection with the tower," I sighed.
If I had done that, however, the Seven Roaming Towers wouldn't have any purpose in the story. I mean, who would be willing to supply one's entire mana reserves for a tool that wouldn't even listen to them? No one.
It wouldn't make sense.
Thus, the curse of logic now dragged me down.
Turning away from the double doors, I walked through the seemingly infinite hallway for several minutes. I watched, annoyed, as I passed lantern after lantern. I saw no end in sight.
I knew, however, when the end would arrive.
"In 3... 2... 1..."
Suddenly, the floor beneath my feet disappeared. I felt my gut lurch as I found myself falling into a dark abyss. Everything around me turned to darkness as I fell for minutes that felt like forever.
When it all ended, I didn't feel myself hit the ground. Instead, I woke up. My eyelids fluttered open, and I felt the weight of the world once more.
It was at that moment that I felt the difference between the senses of the body and the soul.
"I have made my choice, tower." I whispered to myself, "Govern yourself while you drain me of every bit of mana that I have."
I was not going to waste away in a control room in which I could do nothing.
Looking around, I saw that I was lying in the centre of a large, circular room with a domed ceiling. Constellations aplenty were painted in great detail, making the ceiling look like a window into the night sky. Eight different hallways were spread out symmetrically around the room, each shining dimly with a different colour.
All around me were mountains of miscellaneous items, ranging from sculptures to books, from weapons to withered plants, and from gadgets to tools. It was an immense sight, but touching any one of these things would signify a great deal of danger.
The Roaming Towers would become increasingly dangerous the more items one took from them. I couldn't afford to make a hasty decision, as the consequences could be dire.
Taka— taka— taka—!
The sound of several rapid footsteps echoed faintly from one of the hallways.
Hearing this noise, I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes. With a flash of golden light, I summoned Aventine into my hand and got ready for battle. I stood off to the side of the room and covered myself in my robes.
I then stood as still as a statue.
From the echoes, I could tell that there were at least seven beings running through the hall. I did not know if they would be friends or foes. I also did not know their strength levels.
It was best to stay hidden to assess the situation. I already had a bad feeling enveloping my heart.