Chereads / Tera Tower / Chapter 12 - Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12 - Chapter Twelve

Welcome to "Overcome" Trail 5

Can you change the past? Fix your mistakes!

Completion: 7,200,000 coins, and a new skill Failure: Death

Good Luck"

Blinking at the swirl that once again flooded my view. I still felt as nauseous as I had that first time. Swaying for a moment, I'm glad that this is the last trial and I would get to go home soon. Finally, the only trial that's never the first. It feeds of what you've been through. From what I remember, the cursed got this trail second to last. It was rough for them, as they relived losing their friends and family that entered the tower with them.

The concrete city scape rolled out before me. Over grown and silent. The first trial stood before me. This time, a new feeling clawed its way out of my heart. A monster that wanted to be noticed and feared. However, the streets had no life. Vines swaying in the breeze being the only thing moving. Taking the first step back into the trail. Thinking that the world would spring to life the moment I did. Though I was left with nothing again.

"What am I doing here?" I asked. Having nowhere to go and no reason to stay, I started moving. I remembered the apartment but not how to get there. Walking the empty streets, with nothing but the sound of my steps. I tried to think about why I'm here. The girl that died from the monster attack? It could be the reason. I don't think that it's the worst part of my time in the trials, though. Thinking back, I would say that the worst part of the trials was almost dying or Lacy. The tower put me here instead. 

The worst moments of this tower. The zombies attacking me after the skill announcement. Being chased by them. Running into one. Lacy hunting me down like a rabid dog. Saying goodbye to Mindy. Bruna almost getting killed. I have been through so much, but it's here that they have sent me. 

The clattering of leaves caught my attention. Turning to the origin of the sound. Nothing. The hair on my neck rose, the itching at the back of my mind. 

"not safe here," something whispered to me. Snapping my head toward the words, I saw a vine had sneaked its way towards me. It having grown down from a building to dangle in front of me. Taking a breath, I looked back at where the sound originated. The chameleon. It's the only answer to why I'm here. I don't remember how I beat it. Just that I… 

Did I beat it? I remember walking to the stairs to see what was coming up the stairs, then waking up in bed. Lifting my hand up to the scar on my shoulder. That night wasn't fuzzy, it just wasn't there. I thought I killed it while being poisoned. Then how did I get healed? Why don't I even have fuzzy memories about it? 

Lacy's death flooded my memory. The plants lifting the candlestick. Then the repeated wet smacking of Lacy's blood and brains. Gasping, I grabbed at my collar, pulling it away from my neck.

The plants. They acted on their own. It can't have been the first time. There had to have been others. They could to do anything. 

"Danger" the vine whispered to me again. The words brought me back to the plant infested world. Raising my gun. Using the skill aim of picking the gray wall across from me, I took a shot. If the monster isn't here yet, then I'm wasting bullets. However, the plants and vines that pulled at my psyche told me otherwise. A breathy wheeze rang out after the first shot. The gray wall on the other side of me slowly changed into the striped chameleon. 

Now standing here looking at it. There was no way that I had fought it before. It towered over me. The chameleons' height reaching into the double digits. The dark green lines on its body making it look longer than when it was laying dead in the living room. How did this thing even make it into the living room? 

The chameleon's mouth opened, hissing at me. The sound echoed off the floor and walls. Squinting as I tried not lot look away from the chameleon. A soft tong flew out at me. The vine pulled me back, causing me to stumble and fire a shot. Even with aim, there was no way that shot would hit the chameleon. Annoyed at the vines, I smacked them away from me.

"I can do this without you!" I yelled. Turning my attention back to the chameleon. Just the gray concrete greeted me. Taking a few steps back, I knew I had to do something. The chameleon was on the move and I had to make a plan. Taking more steps back, my back bumped into a half broken wall. Aiming at where the chameleon once stood, I took a few more shots. One where the chameleon once stood, then to the left and right of that.

After waiting a moment longer without a sound, I moved the gun to the left and shot. Doing the same to the right. Nothing. Scanning the area with 'investigate' to see anything. A warm, wet drop fell on my shoulder. The same shoulder that had the poison scar from this trial. Jumping forward, I ran to the other side of the road. The sound of a hiss screeching in my ears. Once I made it to the other side, I flipped around, pointing my gun. Nothing.

"Damn it" I hissed. Where does it keep going? I thought Chameleons didn't really change that quickly. If I remember correctly, it takes energy to change their skin tone.

"Danger" The vine's sickly whisper came again. Angry, I ignored it. Wanting to mock it, but I forced my mind to think. To find clues of where the chameleon is. My eyes burned from the skill 'investigate'. The skill only worked while I was looking. Causing me to keep my eyes open for as long as I could. The gray world through the skill's vision had small yellow flecks. Those yellow flecks flicker as I watched them. Leading to the left of me from the wall. Turning my gun, I shot. The Chameleon hissed, changing colors. I got it! The gray vision making the chameleon gray as well. Except for the red on the chameleon's right front foot.

The Chameleon took another chance to poison me. Moving back quickly. Taking a shot at the open mouth and I backed away. The tong faster than myself. Bracing for impact, closing my eyes tightly. Something tugged me to the right without warning. Opening my eyes, I saw the vines had moved me again. My right side hit the ground from the vines, pulling me so hard. My jaw locked in distaste. Wanting to do this alone, to prove that the plants weren't as strong. That out of the two of us, I was stronger. Turning on the 'investigate' skill again. I stood up from the ground.

Faint yellow glowing brighter than before. The yellow taking shape into what looked like prints. The strange shape of them leading towards the right side. Following the tracks with the gun until they hit a wall and climbed up. Moving to stay on the other side of the prints. Watching how they climbed up the wall and disappeared over the broken edge.

The pull at my psyche telling of danger dispersed slowly. Vines were not moving or talking. The idea of them judging me caused anger and disappointment to flood my veins. Taking the clip out of the gun, I saw I had half of it left. Setting my bag down, I refilled the cartage. I will not let the bullets run out at the crucial moment. 

"open" I said while refilling my bag. I needed to make a plan. The next step of this will tell what I do next.

Noa Sanders: Level 87 Health: Good

Nature's sugar baby: level 83

poison Resistance: level 57

Heat vision: 2

Force Field: 1

Feather steps: level 69

Lucky: 46

Aim: 34

Investigate:15

Silent Breath: 6

Looking over the skills, I made plans. Without using the plants, I still had a chance. Taking out a granola bar from my bag, I ate quickly, while keeping my eyes shut. I would need them to investigate soon. Taking a moment to chew and swallow the granola bar, I stood up. Putting my bag back on my back. Using force field for the first time scared me. The force field lit up for a second before disappearing. I moved my hand and passed through where it was. I tried again to have the same thing happen. Of course, it doesn't work. It's at level one and I thought I could do something. With it. I should be grateful that the investigation even works at all when I tried.

Looking around, I didn't know if I would have enough time to make a new plan. This trial isn't timed, so until I win, I'm stuck here. Using the investigation, I followed the tracks. I created force fields as I traveled. When I found the chameleon, it would be over. Skill's ready or not. As I followed the tracks as best I could, I found more things about the world. The buildings topped over the further you got from the center. The trial wasn't as empty as I thought it was. Large bugs flew around making it, so I had to hide from them. The plants doubled in height as I walked. 

While walking, the world soon filled with color again. The vibrant greens, yellow, brown, and blues of the world. A large dragonfly flew past me. Its length is almost the same as my height. The dragonfly's nimble body turning to not run into me. The shimmering fur and flutter of wings rushing past me. 

AS I kept walking, I saw a fluffle of bunnies. They were the same size as me. With their ears shooting straight out above us. As I watched them from the hiding. A large bunny showed up. It was twice the size of the others. The large bunny sniffed and licked each of the little ones. Realizing that they were the babies, I smiled. This trial is so put together. The animals and people all seem real. As though they are people themselves. That the towers lead to another world.

"Danger" the plants hissed. The bunnies I was watching ears twitched, and they ran back into their home. Hiding behind a broken wall, I used investigate to see. Lamenting the way the world faded back to gray. Looking around, I saw it. It made the prints I was supposed to be following. The chameleon is still invisible to my eyes, but the steps it makes are enough. Slowly lifting my gun to the chameleon, I adjusted it. Taking a breath. 

My finger sat on the trigger. The prints leading away from me. Adjusting the gun again. I still didn't pull the trigger. Watching the prints leave my line of sight. The animals seem so real here. As though they aren't monsters. 

"How do I win?" I asked, moving from my hiding place to see more of the chameleon. My gun is now resting in my right hand. Why did the tower show up?

A scraping sound, along with the rustle of leaves, caught my attention. THe vines were moving towards the chameleon. The plants were moving. They were going to kill it. Running forward, I use the force field to stop the vines from moving closer. Though the force field only lasted a moment. The Chameleon uncloaked and hissed at me. It shot its tong out. Throwing a force field up to block it worked. The vines shot out after my minor victory. Wrapping me up on the vines and lifting me up and away. 

Trying as I might to stop the vines. "STOP IT!" I screamed, struggling against the vines. Using the force field to stop some vines, I moved to warn the chameleon. Before I could say anything, the chameleon ran from the vines. Changing to escape, the vines didn't care. The vines didn't stop or slow down as they chased the now invisible creature. Screaming and struggling to get out of the vine's grip.

"too weak," the vines hissed. "We'll do it for you," they said. The vines catching up to the chameleon.

"I don't want your help!" I called out again.

"We'll protect you, feed you, and keep you safe," the hissing continued. The vines wrapped around the chameleon, pulling and tearing it apart. I heard it let out a hiss as it bit and fought the vines. Using a force field wasn't working. The vines already had it. They were torturing it. 

"NO!" I screamed desperately. Red flooded my vision from the corners in. The heat and pain. Vines hissed in pain as well before I started falling. The air rushing past me as I did. I landed softly on something. I couldn't see anything. The pain is too great to think of what's happening now. I lay there on the ground clutching at my eyes. The pain was nowhere near as painful as the first time. Not passing out this time, I writhed on the floor, waiting for the pain to stop. Shifting and curling in different ways to ease the pain. 

When the pain stopped, my vision didn't come back. The world wasn't as dark as I thought it would be. The world instead white like snow. I could still feel the warm tears falling from my eyes.

"How long?" I whispered, no longer looking at anything. Have I completed this tower by my merit or did I cheat the entire way? Do I deserve this? When so many others died trying so hard? There was nothing to do but wait in this void. 

This nothingness…

This prison of my creation…

"Congratulations on making it to the end of trial one!!!! You did a good job!

Here are your rewards, pick a wonderful skill!! The ping from the coins going into my status screen let me know they transferred.

Congratulations!! 69% of the eligible population has completed the tutorial!! Once all eligible have completed the tutorial, you will gain the tutorial levels of land and resources.

Decay

Description: Ability to break down anything into base components.

Psychometric

Description: Ability to relate discs about the past or future condition of an object or location, usually by being in close contact with it

Spiritual mediumship

Description: Ability to see and communicate with the dead.