I felt something soft beneath me as I slowly regained consciousness. My body sank into the bed's comforting embrace, making me feel as if I were floating in heaven. The fatigue that weighed on me for so long seemed to melt away. For the first time in what felt like ages, I was truly comfortable. I had no idea how long I'd been asleep, but it didn't matter. I felt refreshed and ready to face whatever challenges came next.
Suddenly, I heard the familiar voice of the system echo in my mind.
[Congratulations, you have completed the first floor - Darkness.]
[Your rewards will be settled within 1 minute.]
I was finally done with the first floor of the Tower of Elements. As the countdown finished, the system's notification rang out once more, showing the rewards I had earned.
[You have received the following rewards:
God of Darkness Element Stone
??? Sword Fragment
Points: 9980 (Max points per floor: 9999)]
The rewards seemed impressive, but I wasn't entirely sure what to make of them. I took a closer look.
1. God of Darkness Element Stone:
The Darkness Element Stone is the core of the God of Darkness. Before he died, he passed it on to ??? to aid in defeating a powerful individual named <><>. When crushed, the stone grants its wielder an elemental affinity to darkness, along with other powers tied to this element.
2. ??? Sword Fragment:
This sword fragment, infused with the powers of both the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Creation, is only half of the full weapon. If you find the other half, you can wield its full power and possibly gain the abilities of the God of Destruction and Goddess of Creation him/herself. The fragment already contains immense potential, but its true strength remains locked until the sword is complete.
The idea of wielding a sword with the power of gods was both exciting and intimidating. I didn't know there were gods in this world. I wasn't the all-knowing protagonist from some cliché story, and I hadn't read any book detailing this world. I was flying blind, but that also made things exciting. There was so much more for me to discover.
But those "???" and "<><>" marks... they bothered me. Who or what were they hiding? Why couldn't the system reveal these details? All I knew was that these beings, whoever they were, must be powerful. If even the gods lost to them, then I had a long way to go before I could face such threats.
For now, though, my goal was clear: find the other sword fragment and unlock the full potential of the God of Destruction's power.
I decided to rest a little more before claiming my rewards. After all, I had just survived the first floor of the tower, and the battle had taken its toll on my mind. As I lay on the soft bed, I let the exhaustion from the fight slip away, falling into a deep sleep.
\\10 hours later...//
"Haaaa..." I exhaled as I stretched. The bed was so comfortable that it made me want to stay in it forever. But I couldn't let a mere bed keep me down. "Heh, as if something so simple could stop me," I said, half-joking. I noticed I was starting to develop a bit of an ego the stronger I got. I needed to watch that. Staying humble was key.
"Alright, let's claim these rewards."
I summoned the God of Darkness Element Stone, and a large black crystal appeared in my hand. It was diamond-shaped and shimmered with a dark, ominous glow. Without hesitation, I crushed it, and as I did, a flood of black light erupted from the crystal, shooting directly into my mind.
The black light coursed through my brain, spreading out and invading every nerve. I could feel it moving down towards my heart, where it collided with my mana core. The pain was instant. It felt like my core was being devoured by the darkness itself. Every fiber of my being screamed for me to fight back, and I did. My will alone fought against the invading force.
After what felt like hours—though it was probably just minutes—the darkness subsided, and I could feel the new power within me. I had subdued the element.
[Congratulations, host, for subduing the Darkness element and gaining its affinity.]
[You have obtained the memories of the God of Darkness. They are stored in your mind and can be accessed when you will it.]
[You have gained Darkness Resistance (Passive Skill).]
[Main Quest is forming due to current requirements being met.]
The next set of system notifications appeared quickly.
[Main Quest: Path of the God]
Task: Complete the remaining floors of the Tower of Elements and obtain all elemental God Stones and their memories.
Rewards: Full activation of Chaos Destroyer Physique (currently only at ¼ power), memories of ???, and powers of ???.
Punishment: ###
Progress: <--4%------------------------------->
[Main Quest: Ragnarok]
Task: Participate in the battle of Ragnarok, which will occur 50 years from now, and become the victor. Afterward, absorb the mana cores of fallen gods to strengthen yourself.
Rewards: Increased chance of victory against <><>.
Punishment: ###
Progress: <0%---------------------------------->
[Main Quest: Rescue]
Task: Ensure the Goddess of Creation is not killed at any cost.
Rewards: (???)
Punishment: ###
Progress: <0%---------------------------------->
What the hell...? I had never received a quest directly from the system before. Sure, I got tasks when I was younger, but those were different. Those were from the Author. And now, I had quests with massive consequences and cryptic punishments attached.
The tower's rewards were more incredible than I could have ever imagined, and now I knew there was more to this than just clearing levels. The mention of Ragnarok, a battle between gods, raised even more questions. The fact that it was tied to my destiny meant I needed to grow much stronger if I was going to survive it. And then there was <><> again... why did thinking about this mysterious figure fill me with frustration and hate? I didn't even know who he was, yet I couldn't shake the feeling of contempt. Was he the Author?
I didn't know how many floors the tower had, but the name Tower of Elements gave me a clue. If there were 20 known elements, then there were probably 20 floors, and I had only finished the first one.
Next, I called out the ??? Sword Fragment, and in my hand appeared a sleek katana with a gleaming purple blade. The hilt was wrapped in black and dark purple leather, and the handguard formed a swirling vortex, while a glowing purple aura surrounded the blade, pulsing with mystic energy. The aura twisted like mist, giving the weapon an otherworldly presence. Despite being just a fragment, it was awe-inspiring.
Even though the sword wasn't complete, it still had significant power.
[??? Sword Fragment]
Passive Skills: Indestructible & Growth Weapon.
Active Skills: Shapeshift (Other skills locked).
Though most of its abilities were sealed, its passive ones were enough to make it a formidable weapon. Indestructible meant it wouldn't break, and Growth Weapon meant it could evolve, gaining strength by absorbing the mana cores of defeated enemies. The Shapeshift ability would allow me to carry it more easily, changing its form to suit my needs.
I hope the future will be interesting.