[Congratulations. You have met the requirement to unlock your skill - Tap Slash.]
[Congratulations. You have unlocked Tap Slash.]
[Please read the description of the skill for further information.]
As Zora's screen displayed these notifications, her heart raced with excitement. Her first-ever skill had been unlocked, and she couldn't wait to see what it was capable of. Her initial urge was to share her joy with Reed, who had been supportive and curious about her skills. But when she turned to find him, she was taken aback by his distant demeanor.
Reed sat alone in the corner, his gaze fixed on other chambers where heroes continued to battle. He sat with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on them. It wasn't sadness that Zora sensed from him, but an overwhelming frustration and anger that emanated from his posture.
Zora felt a sense of unease creeping over her. She knew that Reed had been optimistic about receiving powerful skills and had been disappointed when that didn't happen. Instead of showing sadness, he had masked it with anger and determination. Zora couldn't help but wonder if her sharing her skill would make him feel worse, perhaps misunderstood. She wanted to be cautious, as she believed that Reed might not be in the best state of mind.
She whispered to herself as she observed Reed, "My instincts are telling me that it might not be the right time to approach him. I'll let him know about my skill once we enter the first world. It's a fresh start, and he might be in a better place then."
With her decision made, Zora settled down to rest with the other Heroes as they awaited the gates to the first world to open, knowing that the real survival started there.
Meanwhile, at a distance, a party of seven individuals called 'Shadow Stars' who were the first one to successfully clear the trial floor, observed the events unfolding in the chamber. The leader of the party, a discerning figure, initiated the conversation.
"What do you think of him?" the leader inquired, gesturing toward Reed. "Is he dangerous? What's his name?"
A young woman within the group, her fingers folded into the shape of imaginary glasses, studied Reed with keen interest. She responded, "Yes, he's impressive. But I wouldn't label him as dangerous. 'Formidable' might be a more accurate term."
A third member of the party, somewhat baffled, chimed in, "I fail to see the distinction between the two terms."
"That's precisely why education is important, even in this post-apocalyptic era of heroes and monsters," a fourth member quipped with a smirk.
The leader, growing slightly irritated, instructed them, "You two, knock it off."
"No one in that chamber realized what he did," the girl muttered.
The leader's attention turned back to the girl, and he pressed for an answer, "You didn't answer my question, Lina. What's his name?
Lina possessed a unique ability that allowed her to see the names and stats of individuals as long as they were at or below her level. She pondered for a moment before replying, "Why does his name matter so much to you? But fine, his name is Reed Ross. The name doesn't ring a bell to me."
The group's fifth member, who seemed well-informed about everything, contributed his insights. "According to my intel, the family name 'Ross' was once affiliated with the most powerful mafia syndicate. It disbanded a long time ago, even before the apocalypse began. He doesn't even seem that old, definitely a Gen X."
The leader's curiosity was piqued, and he inquired, "How are his stats?"
"Level 1. He is a new hero," Lina responded as she examined Reed's stats. "No skills or magic spells yet."
The sixth member chimed in, "Yeah, if he could pull off such an amazing feat on the trial floor without having anything special... he's indeed formidable."
Curiosity filled the air, and the seventh member asked, "What were you saying, Xalina? Something about no one saw what he did?"
Lina leaned in, a mischievous grin on her face, and explained, "Did you see the guy who got killed by the golem?"
The seventh member nodded, recalling the incident. "Yeah, he was raging on Reed and then tripped."
Lina's smile widened as she shared her revelation. "Except, that's not what happened. I can still sense the murderous vibes Reed is emitting."
The seventh member was intrigued. "Care to explain?"
"I couldn't hear what the dead guy said to Reed, but something he said made Reed angry," Lina recounted. "Although he kept his calm and acted professionally, he was pissed. And when the dead guy tried to attack Reed while everyone in the chamber was busy dodging and saving their skin, Reed dodged the dead guy's attack, purposely tripped, and pushed him towards the Golem."
The seventh member was taken aback. "Are you saying Reed killed that guy on purpose?!"
Lina nodded, her conviction unwavering. "Yeah, I saw it crystal clear. No one suspected anything because no one looked. Reed knew what he was doing."
The discussion continued, and one of the party members suggested, "That's... unbelievable. Killing someone just because they said something? He doesn't seem fit to be a hero. We should inform the authorities and get his hero license canceled."
"Nah, he has everything needed to be a hero. The determination, skills, leadership, quick thinking, improvising his attacks and moves, lack of emotions, and a clear goal. He is going to be a great hero in the future," Lina asserted while biting her lips, her gaze still fixed on Reed.
"That is if we don't decide to kill him," the leader added, contemplating their options.
"Aw~ Don't kill him. I have taken a liking to him. Just look at him, he is so… tasty…" Lina licked her lips provocatively.
The party members looked at her with utter disgust and said, "Stop this behavior and don't go after kids. He looks no older than 15."
"Obviously, I will wait for him to grow up so he can be even tastier," Lina replied with a wink.
"Well, his leadership did save the entire chamber from getting slaughtered by the golem," one of them said, defending Reed.
Lina, who seemed to have been keeping a keen eye on the chamber's dynamics, provided a more in-depth analysis, "I wouldn't say so. There are quite a few oddballs among the group. That boy named Ash, he and the two girls with him had the highest chance of surviving. The others, too. They know how to use their weapons."
The leader inquired, "Reed had the most chance of survival, I assume?"
Lina nodded, "Uh huh, that pink-haired girl, Zora Stellar. Her skills far surpass anyone present in that chamber. Her sword art is perfect, and with her newly unlocked skill... yup, she will be breaking records soon."
"Zora Stellar?" the leader scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I feel like I have heard this name before."
"You say that to literally everyone," Lina remarked with a grin.
The leader turned to the fifth member and asked, "Do you have any intel?"
The fifth member shrugged, "Nada. Not a single thing."
Soon, the gates opened in every chamber, and the Heroes swarmed the gates, eager to enter the first world of the Tower—Arcana.
The gate also opened in the chamber with the Golem, and everyone prepared to leave. Zora and Reed were the last to exit, not because they intended to be together, but rather because Zora waited, thinking she would leave with Reed and start a conversation with him to let him know about her newly unlocked skill.
However, Reed remained seated in the corner. Zora, not wanting to waste any more time, eventually left the chamber. If she stayed and the gates closed, they would have to wait for the next batch of Heroes to clear the trial floors, which could take hours.
When Reed finally snapped out of his reverie and glanced around, he got up and walked towards the gate. He stepped one foot out and looked back, only to see the new batch of Heroes starting their trial floors.
In a chamber far away, Reed noticed a lone figure facing off against three Boss Golems. Since the spawn of monsters was determined by the number and power levels of the Heroes in the chamber, Reed was curious to see how a single girl would fare against three Boss Golems.
The chamber was distant, and all Reed could discern were the movements. His eyes widened as he watched the girl pull a wand from her sleeve and one-shot the three Boss Golems in a single strike, clearing the floor even before other chambers had fully loaded.
"A witch!" Reed exclaimed silently.
Before he could process what he had witnessed, a sudden force yanked him back from the gate's threshold, and the portal snapped shut before his eyes.
[Welcome to Arcania. Your system has been upgraded for Arcania. The Map will soon be installed. It is recommended to roam around the map to explore new areas, items, and quests. The restricted areas will be unlocked once you have reached the required levels.]
"Were you planning to stay behind or what?" Ash inquired, looking at Reed with a curious expression.
Reed, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, responded, "Did you pull me out?"
"No need to thank me," Ash replied with a smug smile, "Your gratitude serves no value."
Reed shot Ash a sidelong glance and quipped, "Thanks for the ass pull."
"What did you say?" Ash questioned, appearing bewildered.
Reed clarified, "Thanks for the pull, Ash."
Reed approached Zora, who was engaged in a conversation with the other Heroes.
"Did you unlock the skill?" he asked her.
Zora excused herself from the group and turned her attention to Reed. She stared at him for a few seconds, squinting her eyes as she examined his expression.
"Is that a no?" Reed inquired, looking puzzled.
In response, Zora opened her stats and displayed them for Reed to see:
Skill:
1) Tap Slash - Upon successfully striking an enemy three times within one second, the next strike will deal 5% of the enemy's total health. (Rare skill.) (Can be evolved.)
"That's an excellent skill," Reed murmured, contemplating its potential. "The fact that there's no exception or cooldown makes it even better."
Zora hesitated for a moment before responding, "But rare skills aren't considered the best. But it's better than not getting any…"
Reed shook his head, dismissing her doubts. "If you use this skill to its full potential, you can defeat any boss in about 20 seconds. I consider this skill better than the best."
Zora countered, "Do you know how hard it is to perform three strikes in less than a second? And doing it twenty times in a row is impossible."
"That is true," Reed nodded. "And now that I think about it, it says 'successfully striking' the enemy, which means that the three strikes should deal damage to the enemy or it won't activate the skill."
"Yeah. If the enemy dodged or blocked the attack, it wouldn't work."
Reed scanned the bustling crowd of players, his eyes searching for the mysterious witch who had left such a strong impression on him. Despite several minutes passing, he couldn't spot her among the countless faces in the starting area.
'It's been five minutes but I can't find that witch. She was most likely in the next batch and she has to wait for a few hours or until the other heroes clear their chambers. I wanted to ask which famillia she belongs to.'
Reed, age almost 15, younger brother of the world's two strongest heroes, a rich and spoiled young master, filled with a hero complex, was obsessed with Witches ever since he was a kid.
Zora nudged Reed and gestured toward the glasses-wearing girl who had provided them with potions during the trial floor. She was engaged in a conversation with Ash and the two girls accompanying him.
"We should thank and pay her for the potions," Zora suggested.
"Sure."
They approached the glasses-wearing girl, who greeted them with a warm smile. Reed, however, casually pushed Ash aside without paying much attention to him.
"Oi! What's your problem?" Ash asked, clearly irritated. "Are you looking for a fight?"
Reed turned to Ash with a puzzled expression and replied, "If I was looking for a fight, why would I come to you? Even the goblins are more worth my time than you will ever be."
Ash turned to one of the girls who had smacked him earlier and pointed at Reed, exclaiming, "Are you seeing this? And when I try to defend my pride, you smack me!"
The girl looked at Reed and smiled nervously, not knowing how to interact with him.
"It must be tough looking after someone like him," Reed commented, directing his words at Ash.
Zora, on the other hand, thanked the glasses-wearing girl for the potions.
"There's no need for thanks," the girl replied.
Zora then inquired about the cost of the potions. "How much are we supposed to pay you for the potions?"
The glasses-wearing girl waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, you don't have to. I can't possibly ask for money from you two, especially you, Reed. You saved us all. Without you, we wouldn't have cleared the trial floor."
"Uhm… how do you know my name?" Reed asked, his curiosity piqued. He turned to the other girl. "You too. You called me by my name earlier on the trial floor, but I don't remember telling anyone my name."
The girl blinked in surprise. "Didn't you introduce yourself to us even before the tower gates opened?"
Reed furrowed his brows. "Outside the tower? No, this is my first time having a conversation with you."
The girls seemed equally bewildered. "You met us outside. We were lost and didn't know the way, so we asked you, and you introduced yourself and showed us the way."
"I was with Zora. Did we run into them?" Reed turned to Zora, trying to recall if they had encountered these girls.
Zora shook her head. "Perhaps it happened before I ran into you."
Reed scratched his head, unable to recall the incident. "Well, I might not remember helping someone when I was anxious about finding a way to enter the tower, but I would remember introducing myself to strangers."
Ash stared at Reed and muttered, "What a freak."
"My name is Miran," the girl introduced herself.
Zora introduced herself to everyone too.
"I am Ellie," the glasses girl introduced herself.
Then, everyone turned to the masked girl, waiting for her to introduce herself, but she turned around and walked away.
"She's shy and that's also why she's wearing a mask. She didn't want to come, but I dragged her with me. Her name is Lyra, by the way," Miran explained.
After Miran went after Lyra, Ash turned to Reed. "Bye bye, Zero. Let's not meet again, because by the time you reach level two, I would have already cleared all the 100 worlds of the tower."
Reed smirked and responded, "Bye bye, ass. Watch your ass for the goblins because they won't spare your holes, ass."
"That was lame," Zora commented. "You two are acting like best friends already."
"You must be kidding."
"It seems like that to me too," Ellie added to Zora's observation.
"Well, girls have weird perceptions of literally everything. And as a wise man, I won't try to argue." Reed nodded. "Yes, you are right."
"What are you two planning to do now?" Ellie asked Zora and Reed.
"I will have to look for an inn, just like everyone else. And it's already midnight, so I will sleep. Then… I will probably explore the city tomorrow and spend a few days finishing quests. Once I reach level five, I will start clearing low rank dungeons," Zora responded.
"What about you, Reed?" she asked.
Reed, however, had different plans. "I will spend the night somewhere and hit the dungeon tomorrow. I don't plan to dilly-dally."
Inwardly, Reed pondered, 'To be honest, I wasn't planning to enter the first world. I felt bad after entering the tower and thought of going back after clearing the trial floor, but since I didn't receive any skills or magic, I don't want to return until I have a few skills and unlock magic.'
"What about you, Ellie?" Zora asked.
"I am here as a trader. I plan to become a merchant. All my older siblings and cousins are in different towers, running their shops, and I plan to do the same. Of course, I will level up too, but only enough to defend myself," Ellie explained.
"Are you perhaps from the Crestar family?" Reed inquired.
Ellie nodded, "Oh! Yes, although I am not from the main family."
"Crestar family? Aren't they like super famous and renowned for the discovery of post-apocalyptic doctrine and masters in the elements of the towers?" Zora chimed in.
Ellie smiled nervously and confirmed, "Umm, yes. But as I said, I am from the side family, so we don't have access to the scrolls and the encyclopedias of the main family."
Reed sensed Ellie's discomfort after he mentioned her family name, so he nudged Zora and signaled her to change the topic.
"Shall we go now? If we are late, we might not find an inn, and we will have to pay extra to stay elsewhere."
With that, Reed, Zora, and Ellie left for the opening town—Springlaw.