Chapter 7

"Hmm..?" The ground trembled beneath me. I opened my eyes, wincing at the onslaught of bright light that intruded upon my vision. Another tremor followed, more pronounced than the last, and I blinked my eyes rapidly, forcing myself to acclimate to the brightness.

My eyes fluttered open... just in time to see a crimson boulder flying toward me. I leapt to the side, my back aching and my lungs exploding from the effort. The boulder crashed to the ground, rolling harmlessly along the... cobblestone street?

I looked for my attacker, finding only rubble and smoke in the distance. My mind cleared as I observed the destruction around me. I wasn't on the First Floor anymore. I was back on the Origin Floor, only...

"No..." I looked down... and found that I was looking at the body of a decrepit old man. "No... No! Not again!"

Wrinkled hands probed my chest pocket, searching for the Card that had given me a second chance. Nothing. I fumbled for the Deck Box that never left my side... also gone.

My heart ached. Never had I been without my father's Cards, which had accompanied me throughout my long life. A feeling of vulnerability overtook me, and I suddenly noticed an endless sea of corpses stretching far into the distance.

That feeling of helplessness only increased when the sound of a guttural roar reached my ears. I turned and found a massive creature standing in front of one of the many ornate churches that saturated the Origin Floor.

The beast had five legs and tens of tentacles squirming from its sides. A few pious worshipers of the Church of Liberation threw their hands up before the monster, crying and prostrating themselves before it. Insensitive to the humans' worship, the tentacles snaked out, tearing into the still-smiling faces of the believers.

Another heavy growl pulled my attention to the north, toward the location of the stairs leading to the First Floor. My knees began to tremble as I looked upon the carnage. The mansions that once reached for the sky had been razed to the ground, and standing in their place was the largest beast that I had ever seen.

It was humanoid... but only barely. It was pitch black. Purple veins wriggled visibly beneath its skin, and two massive purple horns nearly pierced the bottom of the First Floor above. The monstrosity held an enormous scythe, bathed in a dark aura that seemed to spread hundreds of feet around it.

My body wouldn't stop shaking as I looked upon this living calamity. It was attacking the stairs. Why would it be... I forcibly tore my gaze away from the creature and noticed that the high walls that once connected the Origin Floor to the First were gone.

"The Tower hasn't... fallen?"

Did I just speak? The voice was raspy, much like the voice of a decrepit old man, but my lips never moved. Still, the voice was real, and it seemed that it didn't go unnoticed.

The hellish creature turned its gaze upon me... and I felt a fear that I'd never felt before. Its eyes bore into me. My body quivered, my legs gave out under me, and the warmth spilling out of my trousers reminded me of just how vulnerable I was.

"You... Shouldn't... Be... Here..."

The words echoed in a language I didn't know yet somehow understood. It seemed the sound came from right beside me, even though I was miles away. Waves of raw force resonated with the voice, tearing my skin, rending flesh from bone, and ultimately obliterating the old man that had once been quivering in the street.

"Haahh!"

I woke up panting, covered in a cold sweat, and my body shaking. Looking around, I found myself in a dark space, though the signs of morning showed near the entrance. Probing my side, I found my Deck Box fastened to my belt.

A dim, glowing ball appeared in my hand. It was a youthful hand with no wrinkles or scars marring the smooth surface. The panting turned into laughter as the sleep faded from my mind.

"It was just a nightmare..." I told myself, though my body shivered, remembering the fear I'd felt. With no choice but to brush it off, for now, I stood up and collected my packs. "I have to get stronger."

Tap... Tap... Tap...

The butt of my cane echoed throughout the small cave, the familiar sound further calming my nerves. I stepped out into the morning sun, the stone ceiling of the First Floor swathed in the purple morning light. The fresh, untainted air of the forest filled my lungs, bringing on a smile.

Today was a new day, and with it came new opportunities. There were only two lesser-known hunting tasks to go and two new Cards for me to earn. With a life in my step that hadn't been there prior, I turned and jogged into the hills.

The sounds of grunts and fighting flowed into the hills from the Old Boar Forest. Today, the students of the Academy were given free rein since the final exam would be held the following morning. I smiled, thinking of my prior, pitiful results.

My schedule had been packed in my previous life, as the need to earn Essence kept me from my studies. I'd splurged on the Memory Enhancement Card to help overcome my lack of time, but at Level 1, it could only do so much.

Things would be different tomorrow. Since my practical scores were actually on the higher side, doing well on the exam would help me rank amongst the top students. The Academy awarded the top ten graduates a Holy Ranked Card, and the top student even received a Sacred Card.

There was no chance of my placing above Aurora, but earning a Holy Card would be doable. Having another Card with the same Rank as my Pixie... The anticipation was killing me. But, I had to take things one step at a time.

Pushing my slightly enhanced senses to their limits, I listened for the distant howls of the wolves that were common in this area. Though the trees weren't as densely packed as those of the Old Boar Forest, they were still spaced near enough to keep one from climbing to the top of a hill to examine the area.

After a few minutes of jogging, tiny blue shimmers began to emerge here and there along the foot of the hills. My new Tracking Enhancement seemed to be doing its job, and I recalled the description without having to pull out the Card.

[Card Name: Tracking]

[Class: Enhancement]

[Rank: Blessed]

[Level: 1]

[Essence: 381/1000]

[Foundation: Perception, Wisdom]

[Effect: Grants Wielder the ability to detect tracks left in the vicinity. The Wielder must be within 5 yards of the trail, and the track can be no more than 10 minutes old]

The older the tracks were, the harder they were to make out. At 9 minutes, the trail would be cold, and the shimmering was barely detectable. Even with the 5-yard limit, they were impossible to make out unless you were almost on top of them.

If the tracks were only a minute old, however, they would glow brightly, and you could even use the Inspection Spell to get a few minor details about the creature or person you were hunting. With my Perception boosted, my current detection range was increased by about one and a half feet, but unless I acquired a Wisdom Card, the time limit would only increase with the Level of the Enhancement.

I smiled and took off briskly in the direction the tracks were facing. More and more tracks materialized, dully glowing, while the more recent trails started to shine brightly. There were about a dozen, all heading in the same direction.

This was a good sign. The wolves in the Howling Hills would emerge from their dens at night and stalk around the hills looking for wandering travelers or Wild Boars that crossed into their territory. During the day, they traveled back to their caves.

It was rather dangerous to hunt wolves during the day since a dozen or more of the cunning beasts would be packed together in one area, but there was no other way if I wanted to finish this task. Generally, only the top students were allowed to venture beyond the Old Boar Forest without a party.

Of course, I wouldn't be adhering to any such rule. It wasn't like the professors were here to enforce it, and during our free time, students weren't expected to stick to the rules, only encouraged.

Just a few minutes later, I could hear the sound of whimpers and growls coming from beneath me. The ridge I was standing upon was illuminated by hundreds of glowing paw prints, and I had to will the Card to dim the glow so I could see clearly.

"That would take much less effort if I had all of the Foundation Cards," I muttered and shook my head, not caring if the wolves heard me. Bending my knees, I crouched forward and looked into the small chasm below. I'd reached the spawn zone for the Howling Hills.

The Howling Hills consisted of four quadrants, each separated by a long ravine that connected the Old Boar Forest to the foot of Bear Peak. Many parties looking to farm Essence would enter from the Old Boar Forest and work their way through the many caves. I didn't have the luxury.

To complete my task in 6 hours, I would need to be as swift as possible, and competing with others was time-consuming. Thus, I found it prudent to enter from further down and make my way toward the third goal as I completed the second.

"One... Two... Three..."

Using my cane, I pointed out four thin ledges between myself and the bottom of the gorge. With gravity's assistance, my Agility would be more than tripled between each leap... It was feasible.

I tucked my cane beneath my arm, adjusted the straps on my packs, walked back from the cliff's edge... and ran full tilt toward it. Pushing my muscles to their limits, I vaulted toward the wall on the opposite side. I cleared the eight yards to the other side, gravity pulling me down onto the thin ledge.

Just before landing, my boots gave off a dull, green glow. The soles hit the ledge, but rather than slowing, I bounded from the wall like I'd hit an elastic surface and soared across. Twice more, I changed direction, flipping in the air so the balls of my feet would hit the canyon walls.

My Dash dried up just as I hit the final ledge. Rather than changing direction and bouncing down, I hit the wall, my legs buckled... and I dropped like a sack of rocks. With great effort, I managed to land on my shoulder and roll painfully across the stony ground.

Luckily, the final ledge was only a few yards up, not much higher than the lowest branch of most trees. If I'd known that Dash would run out before I hit, I could have perched on the ledge and hopped down safely from there.

Shaking my head at my carelessness, I cast Heal upon myself and pulled out a vial of Infernal Wash, using it to dissipate the dirt and blood from the few scrapes I'd earned. Overall, my descent was successful, even if the landing was unsatisfactory.

I watched the dust and dried blood evaporate, stretching my limbs to ensure everything had healed properly. Satisfied that the wounds had been minor, I picked up my cane and merrily walked down the path, following the glowing footprints to a nearby cave.

I was unmoved by the accident. Mistakes and pain were common in the Tower, and all one could do was learn from them. Luckily, this had just been a minor setback... I was still getting familiar with these low-level Cards, after all.

The tapping of my cane came to a stop as I entered the closest cave. A dozen sets of yellow eyes stared at me from the darkness. I drew my blade... and they charged.

"Hooooowwoooooo!"

My voice tore through the pack of wolves, the small space amplifying the effects of my Howl. Many of the wolves were stunned, while those that continued to trot forward were slowed. I dashed forward, slashing the heads of the wolves with my blade.

They fell one by one, the effects of the strengthened Howl keeping the beasts from retaliating. In less than half a minute, the cave was still, the sounds of blood dripping from the corpses being all that broke the silence.

I scratched my chin, feeling the childlike stubble that had seemingly grown overnight. The Howl had been highly effective, but Pierce was only useful against one or two enemies at a time. If it weren't for the high-quality materials in my blade, killing these wolves wouldn't be so simple.

"I'll need to acquire some more offensive abilities... My old chum Crook may be able to help me out," I chuckled as I pictured the little man's beet-red face and jogged toward the next cave. If every encounter went as well as the last, I could finish this task in just a few hours and reach Bear Peak before lunch.

My hunt continued for another two hours before I decided to take a break. My kill count had already broken three hundred, and I was well on my way to completing the task. I whizzed in a back corner of the cave, then pulled out a piece of dried meat, using a drop of Infernal Wash on both it and my hands. I still hadn't forgotten the glob of snot that lad had wiped before wrapping my lunch.

Voices from out in the gorge reached me while I was chewing the last bits of jerky. Seeing that others were encroaching upon my hunting ground, I pulled on my packs, grabbed my cane, and was prepared to leave when I found a few familiar faces standing at the entrance.

"Oh? What have we here?"

I raised a brow as I met the eyes of a tall, athletic young man with black hair and an annoying smirk. His tanned skin didn't have a drop of sweat on it, while his companions were drenched.

"Galen," I nodded in greeting and made to leave, not caring to waste my time with the class clown who'd made my life miserable all those years ago. Before I could reach the exit, two of the goons that were with him stepped in to block my path.

"You can't even spare a minute for your old pals?" Galen chuckled and stooped to examine the corpse of one of the wolves. "Or are you running with a new crowd now? Guess you fell behind and are in a hurry to catch up."

He stood up and turned to look at me, eyeing the two packs I carried, "Whoever you're traveling with will be disappointed that you haven't been picking the Essence for them. What good is an ass who can't pull his own weight? I can't even tell you how much Essence we've already nabbed."

The group of students laughed, and aside from the two blocking me, the others pulled out knives and started looting the corpses. Galen walked over and pointed at the larger of my two packs.

"How about you leave your loot with us? Maybe if you lighten your burden, you'll be able to catch up with the party that's dragging you along," he and his friends laughed again.

I sighed and turned to face him, "Lad, you're welcome to loot the bodies, but I'll be holding on to my effects. Thank you for your concern."

Galen scoffed, "Acting tough because you've got a few new friends?"

He pulled a wooden shortsword from the secondary scabbard on his waist, and the four hoodlums that traveled with him did the same. It seemed the group had held on to their Academy issued training weapons. My face brightened for the first time since this pointless encounter began. I didn't care to hurt a youngster, these brats were just being boys. But, remembering the hell I'd been put through by this lot, maybe they did deserve to be taught a lesson... After all, if they didn't learn now, they may offend someone truly dangerous in the future.

My thumb moved from the button on the hilt of my sword. I didn't want to kill them, so maybe a few knocks on the head with the shaft would help the lesson sink in. Before I could act, my ears twitched as I heard another set of footsteps approaching from the ravine. The pace of the newcomer was slow and steady, almost like the trained guards on the Origin Floor.

Galen heard the steps a second later and lowered his weapon slightly, scowling at the cave's entrance. His scowl turned into a look of panic when a giant of a man turned the corner, hands holding tightly to the grip of a polished glaive.

His long, silver hair whipped in the wind that constantly rushed through the canyon. I eased my thumb away from the switch as Galen and his entourage quickly sheathed their weapons. I knew this young man. Nathaniel Syward.

"L-Lord Nathaniel," Galen bowed his head in respect, the others following suit.

Nathaniel cast his grey eyes about the cave, quickly taking in the corpses, the group of hooligans, and the strange young man leaning casually on a well-crafted cane. He glanced at the wounds on the two-dozen wolves and swiftly noted that none of the swords these young men carried could have caused them.

He'd been searching for the culprit for the last hour and happened upon this scene. Nathaniel was sure that if he hadn't shown up, the five students would have lost their lives today. Even he felt uneasy under the strange man's gaze... as if he were being watched by an experienced veteran rather than another student at the Academy.

It wasn't hard for him to piece together what had happened after following the trail. This young man had been slaughtering wolves, and these thieves were following behind, claiming the bounty. They caught up to him and thought they could pinch his gear since he was alone. But...

"What's your name?" Nathaniel asked, his deep voice sending chills through those weaker than him. The youth bowed casually, spreading his arms much like the heads of the Great Families when they were greeting an equal. Out of habit, Nathaniel returned the gesture.

"Rowan Wilder," he smiled and stepped out of the cave, speaking lightly as he passed. "You'll have to excuse me, young man. I'm in a bit of a rush, you see."

Wilder..? It wasn't a name he recognized. Nathaniel watched the back of the young man as he walked toward the next cave, the tapping of his cane being carried back by the wind. Since when did someone not from the Descendant families know about the Secret Achievements?

After some time, he shrugged. His curiosity had been satisfied.

Nathaniel turned back to the cave, looking at the five youths still standing with their heads bowed toward him. He really didn't care to deal with this bunch today.

"Thievery is against Academy policy," he said sharply.

Sweat formed on Galen's brow as he spoke, "It was just a joke between classmates, my Lord. I swear, we would never harm a fellow student, especially one so much weaker than ourselves."

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions. More than anything, he despised dealing with nobles who polluted their speech with honey-coated words. He would find out about this Rowan Wilder from a more reliable source.

"Flee from this place," Nathaniel said, turning to leave. "You'd do well to spend the rest of your day in your dorm, studying for tomorrow's exam."

"Y-Yes, Lord Nathaniel!"

After my encounter with Nathaniel, I rushed through the canyon, tearing through every wolf den I could find. As far as the Descendant children went, he was a very noble man. But, he would have questions, so the sooner I finished my tasks, the better.

That group knew of the three Achievements that I was working on, but my time was limited. Sometime in the coming days before the graduation ceremony, the Descendants would discover the remaining tasks. For each of these, only a limited number of Climbers could complete them before the tasks stopped giving out rewards.

If I wanted to take advantage of my knowledge, I would need to claim one of these slots in every task. Four of them wouldn't be a problem. The last one, however...

I shook my head, not wanting to think of what I'd have to do before ascending to the Second Floor. The final task could only be achieved by ten individuals, and it required bloodshed.

My Dash came off cooldown, and I tore into another cave, using Howl to stun the wolves before ending their lives. One of them broke free early, and I jumped onto the wall to dodge its fangs, pushing off and using Pierce to drive my blade into its skull.

A light shone from the corpse, signaling my 500th kill, but I continued slashing until the last few wolves were dead. Breathing heavily, I walked back to the glowing corpse and waited patiently for my reward. Just sixty seconds later, it fell into my hands.

This was a Card I hadn't seen before. The back was red with an ornate shield and sword, indicating that it was an Ability Card. On the front, one wolf swiped down on another, leaving a bloody gash on its side. The border was a deep red and looked eerily like the blood pouring from the injured wolf. I tapped my Demon Glass to the Card and waited for the results.

[Card Name: Rend]

[Class: Ability]

[Rank: Blessed]

[Level: 1]

[Essence: 0/1000]

[Foundation: Strength, Will]

[Effect: Can only be used with a bladed weapon. Wielder's blade gains a trace of the wild. Strike tears open the target's skin in a jagged pattern, making it harder to recover. A thin layer of the Wielder's resolve remains on the wound, making it more difficult to heal, even with Spells. The damage the wound causes is gauged by Strength, the difficulty to close the wound is based on Will]

This was an outstanding addition to my current Deck and would give me another means to attack. Pierce would only go so far on its own before I met a creature it couldn't kill. The blade's length was only so much, and it would take more than a simple stab to reach their organs.

I slipped the Card into my Deck Box, collected the Essence, and left the cave. There was only one more of these tedious tasks, and the previous night's rest in the burrow hadn't done much for my recovery. Just two hundred bears...

"Almost done, Rowan," I told myself, stretching my arms and yawning. "Aaahhlmost done."