Chapter 40: Tower
"But Master..." Aakash began to protest.
Rahul interrupted him, speaking firmly, "You don't have to treat me like that. Just call me Young Master and consider yourself a part of this family."
"Okay, Young Master," Aakash responded with a smile.
"I'm going to the tower now, and I will leave a duplicate of myself so no one will suspect," Rahul declared calmly.
"Alright, Young Master, as long as you're safe," Aakash replied, equally composed.
"Neo, teleport all the skeletons here," Rahul commanded.
[Confirmed]
All the skeletons appeared, and Rahul instructed one D-rank skeleton, "Change your skeleton form into a human form and make yourself identical to me."
"Okay," the D-rank skeleton replied systematically.
"Your only task is not to get caught," Rahul instructed.
"Okay, Master," the skeleton agreed.
"Let's check the stat points before entering the tower," Rahul murmured. "World System."
[World System]
– Player status:
Name: Rahul Carey
Health Points: 8000 [20x of Physique]
Mana Points: 16000 [20x of Intelligence]
Darkness Energy: [-] [80 M.P - 1 D.E]
Rank: F+
Main Profession: Creator [EX]
Sub Profession: Darkness Ruler [EX]
– STATS:
Strength: [400/400]
Physique: [400/400]
Intelligence: [800/800]
Spirit: [800/800]
– Stat Points: 3
– Talent: Copy [Incomplete EX]
– Absorption Technique: Predatory Absorption Technique [E] [Unique]
– Combat Technique: Hand Combat Technique [E] [Unique]
– Meditation Technique: Mana Recovery Technique [E]
– Conversion Technique: Darkness Conversion Technique [E] [Unique]
– Darkness Ruler's Profession Skill: Darkness Intimidation [E], Netherworld Soul Devouring [E], Darkness Army [E], Darkness Extraction [E], Darkness Preservation [E], Darkness Energy [E], Darkness Armor [E]
– Trait: Nihility [EX]
– Trait Skill: Absolute Concealment - Active and Passive
– Authority: Creation, Darkness Extraction [20/20]
– Curse: Never Kill
Satisfied with his status, he said, "Neo, let's teleport me and all the skeletons."
[Accepted]
They were instantly transported to the tower's first floor, and a series of prompts appeared before Rahul's eyes.
[Tower System]
[Welcome to the Ranking Tower's first floor, newcomers]
[Choose Mode: Solo/Teammates]
Without wasting a second, he chose solo, and again, a prompt appeared.
[Choose difficulty type: 1st star, 2nd star, 3rd star, 4th star, and 5th star]
Although Rahul understood the meanings of these prompts, he still decided to read the descriptions for each difficulty type.
1st star: 50 F-, 30 F, and 20 F+ monsters
2nd star: 100 F-, 60 F, and 40 F+ monsters
3rd star: 200 F-, 120 F, and 80 F+ monsters
4th star: 400 F-, 240 F, and 160 F+ monsters
5th star: 400 F and 100 F+ and 50 E- monsters
Upon seeing these options, a smile lit up on his face, and without much hesitation, he selected the 1st star difficulty and was instantly teleported to a random location.
Rahul paid full attention to his surroundings, as tower administrators were known to employ tricky tactics.
Despite his considerable stat points, he chose to play it safe.
Suddenly, a horde of 50 goblins attacked, displaying decent teamwork.
Rahul reacted swiftly, and a massacre ensued. In just two minutes, he had eliminated all of them.
He continued to progress through the higher difficulty stars, engaging in numerous battles until he reached the 5th star difficulty.
During this level, he released all his skeletons to aid in the fight, then found a quiet spot to sit down.
Exhausted from battling, he contemplated his skills and techniques, which still required refinement in the chaos of training.
"Huh! I still need a lot of training," he muttered, feeling a tinge of sadness.
Unknown to Rahul and his skeletons, the tower administrator had been watching their incredible feats.
He was stupefied; never before had he witnessed a player easily dispatch all monsters, especially with a summon that was just as formidable.
"Did you record all of this?" the administrator suddenly asked a worker, his expression filled with astonishment.
…
Upon a resounding knock, the butler promptly responded, "Young Master, I'm coming," fully aware of the Young Master's habits.
But suddenly, he took two steps back in fright. "What are you doing here? Where is the Young Master?"
Plop*
Without a second thought, he kneeled on the ground, bowing his head, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"He... he went to the tower."
There was silence for a moment.
But the butler quickly reacted and helped him up. "What are you doing? Stand up!" He glanced at Aakash with scrutinizing eyes, increasing the pressure on him.
Sighing helplessly, he said, "I told him not to go," then looked at Aakash and asked, "Couldn't you stop him?"
Aakash swiftly handled the situation, bowing his head, "I'm sorry."
"Eh!" The butler exclaimed, taken aback by the unexpected response. Still, he muttered in deep thought, "Given his nature, I should have expected this."
But soon, a genuine smile appeared on the butler's face. "Okay, I guess there was nothing you could do."
Aakash just shrugged his shoulders.
...
[Tower System]
[You have successfully cleared the 1st star difficulty]
[You have earned 100 Tower Points]
[You have successfully cleared the 2nd star difficulty]
[You have earned 200 Tower Points]
[You have successfully cleared the 3rd star difficulty]
[You have earned 300 Tower Points]
[You have successfully cleared the 4th star difficulty]
[You have earned 400 Tower Points]
[You have successfully cleared the 5th star difficulty]
[You have earned 500 Tower Points]
[You have earned a total of 21,750 Tower Points by defeating all monsters]
[Congratulations, newcomers]
[You have accomplished a first-attempt clearance of all monster difficulties on all floors]
[You have fulfilled the conditions to unlock the hidden difficulty]
[You have earned more than 20,000 Tower Points]
[You have unlocked the hidden mission, difficulty: 8th star]
[Do you wish to enter?]
"Eh!" He was thoroughly surprised by the tower's notification, exclaiming in his mind, "What the hell?"
He immersed himself in deep thought, comparing his progress to that of the protagonist.
Analyzing his adventures on the first floor, he gathered clues: he hadn't amassed more than 20,000 Tower Points, nor had he slain all monsters to pass the difficulty.