Inside a dimly lit room, a young man sat cross-legged on a carpet laid on the floor, his focus unwavering. In his hand, he held a black orb, from which violet aetheric energy, commonly known as anima, flowed steadily toward his chest. The air around him hummed with the raw power of the anima, its energy wrapping around him like a protective cocoon.
Beside him, dark, colorless orbs lay scattered, each one drained of its dormant anima. These were the remnants of his previous efforts, their energy now fully consumed.
Nathan exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his breath. He had finished the last batch of anima cores from his share of the loot, the power surge leaving him momentarily breathless.
As the last remnants of energy settled within him, Nathan felt a subtle shift in his nexus core. The change was faint but undeniable, a sign of growth, albeit slower than he had hoped. His satisfaction, however, was short-lived. His eyes darkened as his gaze fell on the faint glow of the
The mark had siphoned away 40% of the anima, stealing what should have been absorbed by his core. The realization sent a wave of frustration coursing through him. His fists clenched tightly, and his jaw set in a grim line as his thoughts turned to the one responsible for this predicament.
"That bitch should be hunted by all the saints in this tower for robbing this poor me," Nathan muttered through gritted teeth, his voice laced with bitterness.
Hestia.
Her name burned in his thoughts. He now understood her intentions. The generous sum of money she had paid him wasn't an act of kindness. It was the price she paid to bind him, to make him her pawn, endlessly harvesting anima for her.
A bitter laugh escaped him. "So this is what it feels like to sell your soul," he sneered, his resolve hardening.
Nathan closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, visualizing his nexus core. It appeared clearly in his mind: a hollow orb with a single line piercing its center. Faint flickers hinted at the slow formation of a second axis.
Each person's nexus core was unique, shaped by their thoughts, perceptions, and aspirations. Some cores took the form of spheres with expanding layers, while others resembled rings orbiting steadily. For those with broader visions, cores appeared as constellations, stars aligning as they crafted an image of their strongest self.
Nathan's core, however, was unlike any of these. It was born from his hatred of his past self, shaped not by a desire for strength but by his will to become better. It reflected his determination to shred the weaknesses he carried and rebuild himself.
During his awakening, he had nearly failed to shape his core. Yet sheer willpower had forged it into a hollow orb pierced by a single line. Each new axis added to the orb symbolized his resolve to destroy the old Nathan and rise anew.
For Nathan, his core was more than just a source of power. It was a promise to himself, a reminder that he would rise, piece by piece until he achieved the perfection he sought.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the time. It was 8:30 in the morning, and his thoughts turned to his parents.
From Dante and the other ascenders, friends he'd made at the tavern, Nathan learned that time flowed differently within the tower compared to the outside worlds in the multiverse. The average ratio was 1:30 days, but it fluctuated often, making it difficult to determine the exact flow of time inside.
He also learned that he could buy a
A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he considered how long it had taken him to absorb the cores. "Almost 15 hours," he muttered, frustrated. The absorption process had been slower than expected, likely due to the
An anima core from an
He had absorbed 30 cores, but only about 25% of his second axis had been completed.
Rising from the floor, Nathan prepared to leave his room. It had been five days since his last fight, and today, with Dante fully recovered, the two of them would continue their hunt for the remaining dire wolves in their quota.
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"So you still need 320 G after this quest to pay off your debt?" Nathan asked Dante, holding a bag of food as he exited from the tavern. The food would be used as bait for their hunt.
They had finished breakfast and were now discussing their finances. The sale of all the corpses they had collected had brought in a total of 460 grand, including the berserker wolf, which Dante had managed to store with Buer's assistance.
Unfortunately for Dante, his share was only 110 Grand, he also got back the 30 Grand he had lent Nathan to buy his spear, plus a 7 Grand interest charge and a 35 G (10%) cut from Nathan for securing his kills.
To make matters worse, the Hospital had charged 50 Grand for his treatment. He couldn't complain, though, as his wounds had healed completely in just five days.
It was worth noting that he had lost a significant amount of muscle mass, as only the hospital medics could regenerate him so quickly.
Dante's only other option was to speed up his recovery by purchasing a single mid-grade healing potion from the hospital for 200 G. This potion could heal his injury within a few hours. Hospitals also sold potions, as they were always stocked with health-restoring and curing items. But Dante preferred the less expensive treatment, opting to rest for five days instead.
" And I only have 140 G at the moment" Dante spoke quite annoyed, while Nathan enjoyed every bit of it as he spoke out proudly, " Well now, I have more money than you, with no debts of course" He added the last part to purposely annoy him further.
" You bastard!" Dante silently cursed at him, but as if remembering something he added, " I bet you would have also become stronger with that many anima cores, ohh! But wait 40% of the anima is ripped off from you, so never mind... hahahahaha" His remark earned him a kick on his hip as Nathan marched off annoyed at his brutal words.
Nathan's mood soured instantly at Dante's remark. He didn't need to be reminded of the constant setbacks he faced, and the sting of it hit him harder than he expected. Without thinking, he landed a strong punch to Dante's stomach.
Dante gasped, but Nathan was already running off, his smirk widening as he heard Dante curse behind him.
"You bastard! Get back here!" Dante shouted, his voice filled with frustration as he gave chase. "I'll make you pay for that!"
Nathan laughed, his speed picking up as he weaved through the bustling streets. "Catch me if you can!" he taunted over his shoulder, the sound of Dante's footsteps growing louder as he closed the gap.
The two of them continued bickering, their voices echoing down the street as they exchanged jabs. The tension between them was palpable, but it was a familiar routine. However, Nathan's momentum came to a sudden halt when something caught his eye.
A small girl sat in the corner of a stall. To call it a stall was an overstatement; it was just a small carpet with straw hats of different designs scattered across it. But it wasn't the hats that drew Nathan's attention—it was the girl herself.
She was thin, no older than 10, and her face struck him like a punch to the gut. Her mouth was stitched shut, the crude stitching a heartbreaking reminder of the suffering she had endured. Her hands were scarred, the deep marks were a testament to the pain she had experienced.
Nathan's heart twisted as he took a slow step forward. Dante, now beside him, stopped too, his expression softening with pity.
The girl looked up at Nathan with empty eyes, but there was a hidden fear inside those lifeless eyes. Nathan's sharp senses caught the faint trembling of her body. She was scared of him.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. "Why... uh... what... uh?" he stammered, struggling to understand. He couldn't grasp why a child like her would be sitting here, selling things on the corner of the street, nor could he understand the deep scars on her hands or the cruel stitching that sealed her mouth shut.
Nathan had always had a soft spot for children. Even in his own poverty, he had given food to homeless kids. But this girl—this sight—made his heart ache in a way he couldn't explain. It was a pain that gnawed at him, and he couldn't turn a blind eye to it.
The silence that followed was broken by a small, wailing cry. The girl's expression shifted abruptly, her empty eyes now filled with urgency. She scrambled to pick up a small woven casket. Inside, a baby no older than two or three years lay, its weak cry barely audible. The child looked malnourished as the girl tried to feed him some water.
Unable to watch any longer, Nathan reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of milk, approaching the girl with a sense of urgency.
"Amphh... Amm... umphhh, umphhh," the girl hummed in muffled sounds, her hands covering the baby protectively. Her expression was one of fear, as if she thought Nathan might try to take her baby brother away.
Nathan didn't understand her words, but her fear was clear. He took out more food from his bag and offered it to the girl, silently urging her to accept.
She hesitated, glancing at the food before slowly reaching for it. She unwrapped the packaging with careful hands, feeding the baby in small portions, each bite slow and deliberate. A single tear escaped her eye as she did so.
Nathan spoke again, his voice steady and clear, "Don't just feed everything to him. You need to eat too."
The girl froze at his words, then slowly turned to face him. Her tear-filled eyes met Nathan's, her expression a mix of confusion and complicated emotions. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Ye... Umm... Mm, Mm..." she struggled to form words while shaking her head.
Nathan, unable to understand her, was about to speak when Dante stepped forward. He pulled out another bag of food from his inventory and handed it to the girl.
"This idiot is right," Dante said, his tone gentle but firm. "You need to eat more if you want to take care of the baby."
The girl stared at them in shock, unsure how to react. She slowly picked up the second bag, which contained a tray of fish nuggets, a bottle of fresh milk, a small bowl of fruit salad, and a bowl of noodles. Her mouth watered, and she couldn't help but drool, but she just stared at the food, her eyes brimming with tears.
Dante and Nathan exchanged glances. Dante gave a subtle nod, and without a word, he unsheathed his katana. Both of them knew that the girl couldn't eat with her mouth stitched shut.
"Mmmp mmmumk... mphmum emmmm," the girl panicked, her voice muffled and frantic. She seemed to shrink away from Dante, kneeling on the ground, her head pressed to the floor. She whispered something unintelligible, but both men understood the essence of it—she was terrified, pleading for mercy and forgiveness.
"We won't harm you," Dante said gently, his heart aching. "I'll just remove the threads on your mouth so you can eat."
But the girl remained still, her body trembling in fear. Dante gently lifted her chin, his grip tight on the katana as he moved the blade closer to her mouth, intending to sever the cruel stitches. But just as the blade neared, it suddenly glowed an ominous green, and Dante was thrown back, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"It's not just thread," he muttered, studying the glowing strands. "It's magic... embedded into the threads." He leaned in closer, noticing faint, intricate patterns etched along the edges of her mouth.
Nathan's heart twisted at the sight. It wasn't just sad—it was unforgivable. His anger simmered, but there was nothing he could do to ease her suffering. Without thinking, he called for the floor quest screen, his fingers moving quickly over the interface. He clicked on the floor names and the hidden information appeared.
Nathan clicked on the supervisor's name, and two options appeared on the screen.
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Supervisor: Buer
Call ( 1 G | FREE First-time )
Summon ( 100 G | FREE First-time )
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He clicked on the second option, and in an instant, a blinding light fell from the sky, illuminating the area.
Buer appeared, his onyx horns protruding from his head, wearing a flowing cape and gleaming mythical armor that made him look like a hero from a fairy tale. His gaze was casual, with a hint of amusement and curiosity as he looked at the scene before him.
"What do we have here?" Buer said, his voice light and filled with a touch of curiosity.