Night enveloped the forest of the first floor of the Tower of Babel. As the campfire began to fade, Arthur prepared to spend the night alongside his newfound allies, Sophia, Liam, and Ethan. The camaraderie and spirit of cooperation that had prevailed throughout the evening gave him hope for a promising future in this mysterious Tower of Babel.
Arthur settled on a bed of leaves and closed his eyes, hoping to gather strength during his sleep. However, something in the atmosphere had changed. A silent tension hung in the air, as if the shadow of danger lurked among them.
As the night progressed, Arthur was awakened from his slumber by a subtle rustling sound. He opened his eyes and scanned the darkness. There, he spotted a furtive figure moving close to him. His survival instinct kept him still, observing carefully.
The figure approached, and to Arthur's astonishment, it was one of the adventurers he had shared dinner with. The young man moved cautiously, a glinting dagger in his hand. The moon's light revealed a determined and malevolent look on his face.
Understanding the imminent threat, Arthur suppressed his breath and remained motionless, trying to grasp the traitor's intentions. Why did they want to kill him after forming an alliance?
Finally, the young man stood right next to Arthur, poised to strike. It was then that a chilling voice broke the silence of the night.
"Arthur, I know who you truly are, and I know what you represent," he said scornfully. "You are a bastard of the Diamond family, aren't you? A pariah, without rights or title."
A shiver ran through Arthur's body.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked calmly, concealing his concern.
The young man smiled cruelly. "I am Ethan Bronze, and I was sent to ensure you never discover the truth about your origins. You are an obstacle on our path to absolute power. But do not worry, your existence will end here and now."
Arthur now understood the truth. This group of adventurers had never intended to form a genuine alliance with him. They had lured him into a trap, seeking to eliminate him because of his ties to the prestigious Diamond family.
His heart pounded rapidly, but he knew he had to defend himself to survive. His gaze met Ethan's murderous dagger, and he prepared to fight for his life.
"I won't let you kill me so easily," Arthur declared firmly. "If you want to kill me, you'll have to defeat me first."
The battle began in the darkness of the forest. Swords clashed, the sound of strikes resonated in the night air. Arthur did his best to defend himself, his will to live giving him unforeseen strength.
Ethan was a formidable adversary, but Arthur was determined to fight to the end. He drew strength from his love of life and his quest to discover his true identity.
Minutes seemed endless, but finally, Arthur found an opening in Ethan's guard and managed to disarm him. The dagger fell to the ground, leaving Ethan vulnerable.
"You have failed," Arthur said firmly. "I am not as weak as you thought, and I won't let anyone prevent me from uncovering the truth about my origins."
Ethan, breathless and defeated, realized he had underestimated Arthur.
Without hesitation, Arthur swung his sword at Ethan, ending his life.
However, just as Arthur's sword pierced the traitor's body, the other two members of the group attacked him from behind, one with a bow, and an arrow was shot straight into his heart.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back as one of the traitors managed to hit him with a well-aimed arrow. Arthur collapsed immediately.
"He's dying; go fetch his head so we can present it to the Diamond family and receive our reward," Sophia declared with greed in her eyes.
The battle had left Arthur gravely wounded and exhausted, but his determination to survive was unwavering. As he was on the brink of losing consciousness, he tapped into the depths of his being to try and use his powers.
But as Arthur was dying and taking his last breath, he heard a sound.
A synthetic voice addressed his mind directly: "Do you wish to transfer your soul into this body?"
The text appeared before him, projected as a hologram in the air.
Below it, a simple button: "YES" or "NO."
With his last bit of strength, he reached out to press "YES."
Arthur's soul exited his body and enveloped the traitor's body. In an instant, he found himself in some sort of trance, his mind merging with the traitor's body.
Rising with the traitor's body, Arthur walked determinedly toward the other two remaining traitors while holding his sword tightly in his hand.
"You really managed to survive, Ethan. I thought he killed you," Sophia said nervously.
As Arthur approached Sophia, in one swift and precise sword strike, he coldly ended her life. Before she could comprehend why an ally had attacked her, she was already dead.
With an unwavering determination, Arthur faced the second traitor.
Deflecting Karl's sudden attack, Arthur managed to disarm him. Then, without any empathy, he delivered a fatal blow that ended the traitor's life. It was a matter of life or death, and he could not afford to show mercy.
However, the fight had taken its toll on Arthur. He was injured and exhausted, but he had survived the betrayal. Now, he had to face the other trials of the mysterious Tower of Babel and uncover the truth about his past and his connection to the Diamond family. The night was not yet over, and new challenges awaited him along the dark path of this enigmatic tower.
The night continued to unfold, but Arthur could no longer sleep. He remained awake, keeping a vigilant eye on the forest, preparing for whatever the future held for him. He now knew he was a bastard of the Diamond family and would stop at nothing to make his way through this mysterious tower and discover his true identity.