Once the dungeon was cleared, I reopened my interface and accepted the reward of two Golden Coupons for completing the mission of conquering a dungeon. I used one, and the roulette stopped on the Towers section. After the special effects, I had obtained four Crab Towers in my inventory. I summoned them to see what they looked like. Each of them was a massive structure resembling a mechanical crab.
Equipped with articulated legs allowing them to move agilely on any surface, they also had, on their metallic shell, imposing cannons ready to unleash salvos of devastating projectiles.
"Honestly," I thought, "these towers were really good since they combine agility and great firepower." I returned them to my inventory and used my second Golden Coupon. The roulette appeared again and slowly turned, passing the Special Buildings, Miscellaneous Items, Equipment, Towers sections, and ended its spin on Unique NPC. I had obtained: Kazar, the Beast of Shadows.
The name sounded impressive; now it was time to see what it looked like and what it could do. I summoned it from my inventory, and instantly, shadows thickened in front of me, twisting and dancing like snakes made of darkness. The amalgamation of shadow transformed into an imposing silhouette, a creature resembling what seemed to be a three-meter-tall werewolf.
Its ebony fur absorbed the surrounding light, giving its coat a deep and mysterious hue. The beast's scarlet eyes gleamed with a mischievous glow, piercing the darkness like burning lanterns. Its sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, ready to tear through anything in its path.
Every movement was accompanied by a dark aura, as if the shadow itself moved in symbiosis with this nocturnal beast. As it moved, it left behind a trail of undulating shadows, creating a dark and enchanting atmosphere.
I ordered Kazar to demonstrate what it could do, and I was amazed. The Beast of Shadows backed into a dimmer light and vanished completely from my field of vision. I activated my skill to see if I could find him, and indeed, Kazar was visible to me and still in front of me. I ended my skill and asked him if he could do anything else. Kazar became visible again and looked me straight in the eyes before letting out an even more sinister howl.
All around us, the shadows began to whirl and merge together, creating small shadow wolves. The entrance of the dungeon cave was now filled with wolves, to such an extent that, in my opinion, just with Kazar, I could have conquered the dungeon. His skill was formidable; the only downside was that these small wolves could not be created in the light.
After concluding my experiments, I prepared to leave the dungeon when suddenly, my interface activated autonomously, displaying an unexpected notification: "Secret mission accomplished. Reward awarded: Ascension Tower."
This announcement plunged me into deep contemplation. I was completely unaware of such a mission, let alone the nature of the "Ascension Tower." Until now, every reward I had received was of exceptional value, sparking increasing curiosity about this new prize.
I then checked my inventory, where the Ascension Tower was now accessible. Without hesitation, I selected this mysterious structure, and a brief but significant message appeared on the screen:
"Activation of the Ascension Tower successful!"
A crucial reminder followed for me:
"As the Creator of the Tower, you are bound to its essence, as it is to yours. The destruction of one would inevitably lead to the destruction of the other.
From this moment, you have 90 days to complete the construction of the next floor, failing which your soul will be annihilated. This rule persists until the complete construction of the Tower.
The inhabitants of this world also have 90 days to conquer each floor of the Tower.
A floor conquered within the allocated time will be ceded to the inhabitants as a reward. Conversely, a floor not conquered within the deadline will undergo destruction, plunging the Tower into a period of rupture for 90 days.
Every death that occurs within the Tower will contribute to increasing your power.
At the end of 100 floors, any individual who has died inside the Ascension Tower will be resurrected."
The moment the rules of the Ascension Tower unfolded before my eyes marked a decisive turning point, not only in my quest but in the very essence of my existence. What I had initially perceived as a reward revealed itself to be a colossal burden, an indissoluble pact binding my soul to this mystical structure. The message stated that each floor of the tower not only symbolized a personal challenge to overcome but also engaged the fate of the inhabitants of this world. A Sword of Damocles now hung over us all, ready to strike if the fragile balance between construction and conquest was to be broken.
The realization of this reality plunged me into deep contemplation. The Ascension Tower, far from being a mere tool for personal elevation, imposed itself as an existential challenge, an inextricable moral dilemma. It wove a delicate link between my own survival and that of the universe surrounding me, each constructed or conquered floor sketching the contours of a shared destiny.
I felt torn by this sudden responsibility. On the one hand, the prospect of increasing my power and contributing to the prosperity of this world excited me; on the other, the idea of becoming, despite myself, humanity's enemy in case of failure terrified me. This relentless system, where death and destruction could be the price of the slightest misstep, positioned me at the heart of a cruel paradox: to save my soul, I risked assuming the role of executioner of those I sought to protect.
The rules stating that after a certain number of deaths my power would increase added an extra layer of moral ambiguity to my mission. Did this mean that the path to salvation would inevitably involve the sacrifice of others? The very idea that after the conquest of the hundred floors, all those who had fallen would be resurrected, offered scant comfort in the face of the magnitude of potential losses.
Faced with these revelations, my mind oscillated between determination and doubt, hope and apprehension. Was I becoming, by the force of circumstances, an antagonist in this vast epic? This question echoed within me, amplified by the uncertainty of my ability to navigate this complex game of power and peril, each choice, each step forward, would determine not only my future but that of an entire world.