Rivyn stood amidst the dissolving body of the final goblin in the wave. He felt a surge of triumph wash over him, his body trembling from exhaustion and exhilaration. He had finally done it. He'd conquered the wave of fifty goblins—a task that had seemed impossible not long ago. His breath was ragged, and his muscles screamed for relief, but he couldn't help but grin.
He sank to the floor, letting the weight of his sword rest at his side, and opened his system screen.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 10]
[Strength - 40]
[Agility - 37]
[Defense - 34]
[Mana - 22]
[Unallocated Stats - 18]
Rivyn stroked his chin, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction as he glanced at his updated stats. He had grown significantly since entering the tower. The physical changes were obvious: his arms were thicker with muscle, his movements more fluid, and his reflexes sharper. But the real progress was in the feeling of power coursing through his veins. Strength, agility, defense—all of it had improved beyond what he had ever thought possible.
He spent the next half an hour catching his breath, his mind buzzing with the thrill of victory. The tower had tested him relentlessly, and he had persevered. Finally, a break.
But as he rested, the air shifted again. A familiar sensation washed over him. More monsters were spawning.
Rivyn's frown deepened as he stood up, clutching his sword tightly. I thought I was done. He glanced around the endless white void, waiting for the next wave to appear. He expected goblins—more of the same, perhaps in greater numbers—but what materialized next shook him to his core.
Emerging from the void were green-skinned, hulking figures.
Unlike the goblins, these creatures were taller than him, with broad, muscular builds that made the goblins look like weaklings. Their skin was a darker, richer green, and each of them was adorned with beads slung over their shoulders. Their long tusks protruded from their mouths, and their eyes gleamed with an eerie intelligence.
Orcs.
Rivyn's stomach clenched. He had never seen an orc before, but from their imposing size and demeanor, he could tell these were no ordinary creatures. There were a hundred of them, all standing tall and firm, their chests rising and falling with deep breaths, their weapons glinting menacingly in the white light.
Rivyn's heart raced as they began to charge. One hundred orcs. He instinctively turned and ran, reverting to his hit-and-dash strategy that had worked so well with the goblins. But as he spun back around to strike at the closest orc, his sword met flesh—and stopped.
His eyes widened in horror as he realized his sword had barely pierced the orc's skin. The blade was stuck. Before he could pull it free, the orc bellowed a roar and swung a massive club, crushing Rivyn's ribs in a single blow.
[You Have Died]
He revived in the familiar white space, his body trembling from the memory of the orc's devastating strike. That wasn't like fighting goblins. Not at all.
He stared at the red system screen, feeling the weight of despair creeping in. How am I supposed to fight them?
The orcs were so much stronger, so much tougher. His usual tactics had failed completely. If my sword can't even hurt them, how can I possibly win?
But he wasn't ready to give up. He hadn't survived this long in the tower by backing down from a challenge. He opened his status screen again, taking stock of his current stats. He had leveled up.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 11]
[Strength - 42]
[Agility - 39]
[Defense - 36]
[Mana - 23]
[Unallocated Stats - 21]
The orcs gave a significant amount of experience. Just killing one had raised him to the next level. He allocated his stats immediately, adding 7 points to strength, 5 to agility, and 4 to defense. He needed more power and durability to survive their overwhelming attacks.
[Strength - 49]
[Agility - 44]
[Defense - 40]
[Mana - 23]
[Unallocated Stats - 5]
Rivyn gritted his teeth, feeling the added strength surge through his body. I have to try again.
He went back into the fight, and again, he died. But this time, he learned.
The next time he engaged an orc, he didn't go for a direct strike. He went for the legs, a weak point. And it worked—he managed to wound one before being overwhelmed. When he revived, he kept thinking of new ways to fight them. Could he trip them? Could he bait their attacks?
He kept pushing forward, trying different methods to wear them down. After a few dozen deaths, he got lucky—managing to kill another orc. This time, he managed to survive a little longer, bringing down two more before falling once again.
With each orc he killed, his level jumped by a whole point. The experience was immense, and soon enough, his level skyrocketed to a point where killing just one wasn't enough to gain an entire level.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 20]
[Strength - 60]
[Agility - 52]
[Defense - 50]
[Mana - 30]
[Unallocated Stats - 35]
He was growing stronger, faster than ever before. The orcs were different from the goblins. They didn't charge blindly, attacking as a horde. Instead, they valued one-on-one combat. As long as Rivyn didn't run, the orcs approached him individually, each one a formidable foe that tested his abilities to their limit. They fought with honor, never using cheap tricks, and this forced Rivyn to fight at his best.
His fighting style changed. He became more aggressive, more confident. The orcs weren't like the goblins who required patience and outmaneuvering. He needed raw strength and precision to defeat them. His attacks grew more deliberate, his movements more fluid. He could feel his body adapting, becoming stronger with each fight.
After another hundred deaths, Rivyn noticed something change in the system.
[Skill Unlocked: Orc Swordsmanship]
[Skill Info: Orc Swordsmanship (Level 1) - A combat style that emphasizes brute force and precision, learned from battling orcs. Increases damage with heavy weapons by 15%.]
Rivyn stared at the skill in disbelief. Orc swordsmanship? The name confirmed his suspicions—these creatures were orcs. He had learned from them. He smiled to himself, the thrill of learning a new skill sending a rush of excitement through his veins.
But there was one problem. Orcs typically wielded greatswords and axes. Rivyn had been using a regular sword this entire time. His new skill wouldn't be as effective unless he switched weapons. I need to start using their weapons.
The next time he revived, Rivyn fought through the wave of goblins, finally reaching the 100 orc wave again. He killed one of the orcs and immediately took its weapon—a massive greatsword. The weight of it in his hands felt awkward at first, but as he swung it, the skill kicked in.
He felt the power surge through his arms, and when the next orc approached, he swung the greatsword with all his might, cleaving through the orc's defenses with ease. It worked.
Rivyn's fighting style changed once again. He became more proficient with each death, learning to wield the orcs' weapons to devastating effect. His progress accelerated. Soon, he was able to slay up to twenty-five orcs in a row before succumbing to exhaustion and dying.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 35]
[Strength - 90]
[Agility - 75]
[Defense - 70]
[Mana - 45]
[Unallocated Stats - 45]
He was now a quarter of the way through the wave of 100 orcs. His strength was immense, and he hadn't checked his stats for a while. But now that he was stronger, he allocated all his unallocated stats. This was a new level of power.
For Rivyn, time had lost all meaning. He had been fighting and dying in the tower for what felt like months. He had lost track of time somewhere around the second month. He no longer cared how long he had been trapped here; all that mattered was getting stronger. He fought, he died, and he revived, over and over again.
The orcs were honorable foes. Even after so much time, they never looked down on him. They respected his efforts and fought him with all their strength, never underestimating him, even as he grew stronger. Rivyn had come to understand their emotions. They valued glory in combat, honor in strength.
After spending another two months in the tower, Rivyn reached a milestone. He had fought through countless orcs, becoming stronger with each death, each victory. But the challenge wasn't over. He still couldn't defeat the wave of fifty orcs. He was close, but not quite there.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 60]
[Strength - 150]
[Agility - 120]
[Defense - 110]
[Mana - 80]
[Unallocated Stats - 60]
His stats were absurdly high now. He had reached a level of strength that he could barely have dreamed of before entering the tower. But despite all of that, the wave of fifty orcs remained his greatest challenge. He fought, died, and revived, each time learning a little more, becoming a little stronger. But the sheer number of orcs, their strength, and their coordination made it difficult for him to win.
Yet, after what felt like an eternity, he finally did it. He didn't know how long it had been, how many deaths he had endured, but at last, he stood victorious over the final orc.
The orc's body dissolved into the void, and Rivyn was left standing alone, breathing heavily, his hands trembling from the effort. He had done it. He had defeated the wave of fifty orcs.
[Quest Complete]
[You have completed the waves.]
[Would you like to leave the tower? Yes/No]
Rivyn stared at the notification, his heart pounding in his chest. It was over. He had done it. He had completed the waves. The sense of accomplishment washed over him like a wave of relief.
He opened his system screen, checking his stats one final time.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 70]
[Strength - 170]
[Agility - 135]
[Defense - 125]
[Mana - 100]
[Unallocated Stats - 75]
His stats were incredible. He had grown so much since first stepping into the tower. He smiled to himself, feeling the thrill of his journey, the pain, the deaths, and the hard-earned victories. All of it had led to this moment.
He clicked "Yes."