Chapter 401 [401] Climb!
[You have passed the 29th trial, Trial of the Sword Emperor.]
Did I pass?
I wondered as my head stared at the clouds, or rather what was left of them anyway. My eye was bloody and although I was barely able to see, I could still make out the clouds having been split apart.
The attack of the Sword Emperor had missed me barely, but the sheer force of it had split the sea of clouds we were fighting in.
*THUD*
"..."
Ah, it seems my head hit the stairs.
I can't feel anything…My muscles have been torn apart and blood is leaking out from every hole in my body.
'How am I still alive..?'
I thought, as I caught sight of my arm, which had been severed by the attack of the Sword emperor.
I barely managed to twist my body and dodge the attack and thrusted my spear at his head with all the force I had.
His head exploded…and my arm was gone.
'It's…getting dark.'
It's getting darker…I can't breathe.
I am losing consciousness..aren't I?
Fucking hell, How great it would have been if I had the Pheonix bloodline right now. But I don't. Samantha needs it more.
I can't let it end here…I can't. There are still more than 70 floors to clear left…I can't die here.
I'm using whatever is left of my mana to prevent my death…But can I hold on for long..?
I don't know.
When is this damn tower gonna transport me to the lobby…?
I hope the lobby of the 30th floor has a healing factor…It's like that in most games right..?
Please.
Please.
[And the challenger fell…His heart and organs are pierced by numerous blades. Blind in one eye, his items having been torn apart…
How sad of a fate…How sad an end…]
"To…wer…"
Did I speak? Can I talk? I don't know…I can hear the tower's mechanical voice but… it's muffled.
I can't hear it properly. I think the reason is the state I am in…But who knows?
That tower might be up to something.
[His consciousness slowly fades…unable to understand what is happening.]
I shouldn't have gone easy…I shouldn't have! I should have used everything from the get go! From the start!
I should have been ready!...
But what use is it now..?
What use is regretting it all now?
[He forgets the reason for his drive to challenge the trials, as he slowly enters the gates of death.]
What is it saying?
It's making me angry!
…
…
…
COUGH!
…shit.
My mana is diminishing. I am bleeding again. Fucking hell.
[The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras orders you to get up.]
…Suleras..? What are you saying? I can't hear it.
[Get up.]
Ah…I can hear it now…clearly.
[Get up, it's okay. You made a mistake here, but get up.]
…I know…But how?
I can't. I don't have enough mana to support my muscles again…I am dying.
For real this time, the Phoenix bloodline isn't here to heal me nor are others.
Ha…I'm too reckless.
[Get up. Remember why you are here.]
…why am I here?
[The reason you are here…whose suffering do you wish to end?]
…
…
..!
Samantha…
[Yes, Now get up.]
…Get. Up.
Get up.
Get up.
COUGH!
[Get up, did you not say to yourself that no matter how much you suffer it is nothing compared to hers?]
COUGH!
Yeah… I did.
[And the challenger puts forth a desperate struggle…but isn't it all for naught?]
Shut up tower…shut up. I can't hear you well but it's fucking annoying.
[He thinks he is able to climb again…but how?]
Is it mocking me..?
It's mocking me.
[Ignore it Alan, get up.]
Thanks…Suleras.
No matter how much I suffer…it's nothing compared to Sam's…I need to get the cure…
I need to.
[Use your legs to climb, only an arm has been severed.]
Suleras…I can't. All major tendons, ligaments, and muscles have been cut…I can't move my legs.
I can't even feel them.
It's all numb. Everything…is going numb.
[Then are you helpless?]
What do…you mean?
COUGH!
I coughed again…More blood.
[Shadow Corruption rate:90%]
It hurts…the shadow is spreading…I can feel it.
What do you mean Suleras...?
[If your legs don't work, use your arm.]
…
…
…
Thanks…
[And he tries to tread the stairs with a single arm…but can he?]
That damn tower again…
[Use your damn teeth, your arm, your body. Whatever you can use and fucking climb.]
I tried to move my right hand, and once I felt a hard surface I grabbed it with all I could. But I could feel my grip slipping. It's probably because my hand is covered in blood…Isn't it?
[Yes, Do it. You still have an arm and your teeth. Use them!]
I bit down, My teeth crushed the stairs and debris filled my mouth and throat. Sharp marble pieces…I can feel them in my mouth…it hurts.
But I don't care.
[One step, he has managed.]
[GO!]
The tower and Suleras…both are speaking now. Whilst the tower is hard to understand I can understand Suleras perfectly.
[GO!]
He's encouraging me…and I'm pretty sure the tower is mocking me.
I deserve to be mocked…
[If you have no mana to teleport then stop thinking and climb! Focus only on me!]
Alright…
I will climb.
With my teeth I bit down into every step of the stairs so I would not fall, with my hand I climbed.
It was slow…But I can feel myself moving.
I can feel it…The cold feeling of my blood is being replaced with the feeling of marble and debris cutting my body more.
Ha…
Ha!
Climb!
Fucking climb! For Samantha! For the damn cure!
[CLIMB!]
Climb!
I could only chant in my mind now. I need to do this.
I need to!
Climb!
[Climb!]
Climb!
[Climb!]
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you! Climb!]
Climb!
Climb god fucking damnit! I don't care if I can't see! I don't care if the world is all red due to my blood or if my consciousness is fading! I need to climb! I need to!
[CLIMB!]
The only thing I can hear is Suleras's voice. And that is enough!
"Urgh!"
Did I let out a groan? I don't know.
I just climbed. Biting into every step! Using every drop of strength I had in my body to climb with my arm!
[And he climbs the stairs leading to Hope.]
Fuck you tower! I have already cleared the trial but why do you not transport me to the lobby?!
[And he climbs more.]
"AAGHHH!"
The feeling of sharp marble pieces slipping down my throat, cutting it apart…the feeling of my own blood making my hand lose its grip…!
I don't know…everything is becoming numb…I can't feel any stairs now, It's all flat ground…Did I reach the platform?
Did…I?
Ah… it's all numb.
The realization hit me suddenly, as the last thing I could feel before everything went Numb was my head hitting the marble ground.
And everything went dark.
[The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras has gone to sleep.]
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha worries for Suleras.]
[Magnificent!]
The tower, overjoyed by this, laughed.
I enjoyed the struggle Alan put forth! I enjoyed it immensely.
He fought!
He struggled!
It was as if the Tower was finally being shown something so good! Something is finally worth it!
[Very well!]
Its voice changed, now it contained pure bliss. Ecstasy!
[Climb forth! I shall give you that chance.]
[Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha snarls at the tower.]
The tower laughed.
[You can't do anything here! You cannot interfere with the trials without paying a heavy price! Did you not see what happened to the King of Chaos?! You supreme beings cannot do anything here without causing harm to yourself!]
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is angry.]
However, The tower insulted Lanesha more. It had gone crazy.
[I am the reader! The watcher! The keeper of Trials! You cannot do anything to me because I am protected by the universe itself!]
[Supreme Dragon Of Frost Lanesha is enraged.]
The mountain became chilly.
[This is all you can do!]
It laughed.
[Supreme dragon! You have no power here!]
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha promises the tower it will destroy it.]
[And fall asleep like your friend?! Then what about him?]
The tower focused its attention on Alan.
[One of you must always be watching him…lest he will fade. Chaos will notice…won't it?]
A blizzard encompassed the floor, and the mountain was covered in snow in no time.
[Come on! Do more! Fall asleep and lose him!]
Will lanesha do it? Will she leave Alan 'defenseless'?
She could not.
She couldn't do it lest the consequences be disastrous.
[You cannot risk it…Keke.]
It laughed, insulting a supreme being.
None who had done so had lived to tell the tale, but because he was protected…he could.
[No one has cleared the trials! No one will!]
It had finally lost it.
[Challengers are only my entertainment!]
It laughed, as it transported Alan to the lobby.
[Entertain me longer…I will make sure of it…]
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