Soul Nexus: A Fantasy Tower Ascension LitRPG

Killa’s enthusiasm was infectious. I smirked at her as I headed over to open it. I’m our group’s frontline fighter after all. The wooden door to leave was heavier and thicker than I anticipated. Once the door cracked open, I was assailed by a deafening roar of cheers and screams.

I paused and turned to my sisters. Shadara’s tail perked up and twitched at the tip as her eyes went wide. Now she’s excited.

With another push, we exited the room, and the door closed itself behind us. The roar was deafening, and I could barely hear myself think as I headed down the hall towards the outside, towards the noise.

My eyes adjusted instantly to the blindingly bright suns. Three globes of light hung in the sky. My eyes panned downward. An expansive colosseum filled to the brim with screaming fanatics. The deafening roar of their cheers reverberated through the air, creating an electric atmosphere. A multitude of diverse species occupied the cushioned seats, their vibrant colors and unique features adding to the spectacle. Some individuals greedily occupied multiple seats, while others squeezed in beside them, creating a chaotic jumble.

At the far end at the top of the colosseum, in an exclusive box, sat the largest sphinx ever seen. Its majestic presence commanded attention, and like everyone else, its eyes were fixed upon the center field, where the anticipation was palpable.

The center field was a sprawling arena, designed for the upcoming spectacle. The ground, a mixture of sand and compacted dirt. The energy sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the collective adrenaline coursing through the crowd, the pulse of their anticipation reverberating within me. Maybe it’s my body vibrating from all the shouting.

Killa leaned into me and yelled, but I couldn’t hear her over the crowd. She gestured for us to get closer. Shadara grabbed me and followed Killa through the crowd and closer to the front row of seats.

In the center, a group of eight individuals stood, their presence commanding attention. Clad in a formidable array of armor, each person brandished a weapon, ready for battle. Their attire consisted of varied quantities and qualities of armor. One figure donned a striking full-body suit of plate armor in vibrant hues of red and yellow. The remaining six individuals wore a patchwork of armor pieces.

Among them, a powerful-looking green-skinned orc loomed. Two humans, their swords gleaming, swayed as they couldn’t hold them straight while wearing no armor. The short goblin held a pair of short daggers in reverse grips with ill-fitting leather armor. A gaunt elf, her eyes darting everywhere, tightened her grip on her bow. A stout dwarf brandished his ax as he shifted his feet.

Lastly, a feline cat woman turned to look at me. Her eyes were bright green with thin pupils. She had tawny brown fur. Her outfit looked like it was meant for an acrobat and was very revealing. A tight fitting yellow suit hugged her very toned curves. Her tail coiled around her legs as she trembled like the others around her.

The only one who wasn’t trembling was a minotaur holding a steel slab shaped like a sword. His horns were larger than his head, and he looked down at the others in front of him. His armor was black, with spikes covering his shoulder pads and gauntlets. A massive grin spread across his bovine snout.

He’s enjoying this?

I tilted my head at the cat woman. I can feel her fear, but I don’t see anything I could do, other than jump in. And that would be stupid.

She looked away, her eyes wide, as she gripped her staff. The staff was topped with a green gem.

A man walked onto the field from the opposite side of where we were. He held his arms up. The crowd quieted slightly. The man spoke with a deep voice, “Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between! Welcome to the final slaughter of the day. These seven offerings are tonight’s pleasure. How long will they last?”

The crowd began screaming.

“I can’t hear you!” the man yelled.

The crowd screamed louder.

“That’s what I thought,” the man laughed. “Who will be our first victim?”

A sense of disgust filled me as I listened to the announcer’s words.

The orc roared and charged the minotaur. The minotaur stood still, but I noticed his grin shrink. The orc jumped into the air, holding his battleax over his head. The minotaur raised his steel slab as he braced for impact. The orc brought his axe down, and the slab slammed into it.

The orc roared, and the minotaur smirked as he smacked the orc back and to the side with a backhand. The orc fell to the ground with a loud thud. The orc was up again in a fraction of a second. The orc roared and charged the minotaur again. What is he thinking?

The minotaur slammed his weapon into the orc, sending him flying again. The orc let out a cry as he was folded in half sideways. I could imagine the sound of his bones shattering from the impact. He hit the ground but didn’t get back up.

The minotaur turned to look at me and winked. He raised his arms, and the crowd went rabid. The screams only got louder as he strolled to the orc, kicking away the ax before slowly crushing his skull under his hoof. The crowd went silent as the blood and bits of brain splattered out from under the hoof.

The crowd erupted in cheers again. The minotaur raised his weapon above his head. The crowd responded by screaming louder.

The minotaur turned around and pointed his weapon at the rest of the people, who had been cowering in fear.

The cat girl and two humans began moving to surround the minotaur. They moved in unison and attacked from multiple directions. The minotaur swung his slab at the humans, but they dodged. The cat girl’s hand shot out a blast of sparks that danced over the minotaur’s body, not even phasing him.

They’re working together. Good. Anything less will get them all killed. I don’t know who any of these people are, but I can see that this minotaur is far stronger than the others. Even still, it may not be enough.

The dwarf charged the minotaur while he was focused on the other two. The dwarf jumped, bringing his axe down towards the minotaur’s knee. The minotaur turned in time to see the axe and swung his great sword to knock it aside. The dwarf flew off to the side and slammed into the ground.

The goblin ran over to the dwarf to help him. The minotaur was too busy dealing with the two swordsmen to pay them much attention.

I watched as the minotaur kicked both humans away. They were both thrown across the field and landed next to each other. The elf tried to run, but the minotaur caught up with him and dropped his weapon down. His blunt sword crushed the poor man.

I glanced at Shadara and Killa. Killa’s hands were wrapped tightly around Shadara’s tail as they watched in silence. I looked back at the fight. The minotaur had the dwarf by the throat and was squeezing until his body went limp.

He tossed the dwarf’s body to the side as the goblin jumped onto his arm. The goblin slashed at the minotaur with a pair of daggers, but they barely scratched the armor. The minotaur stomped the ground hard. The goblin looked like the ground shook underneath him before being stomped on by the minotaur. His body was reduced to a pool of gore.

The cat woman shirked backwards before turning and running. A metal gate slammed shut before she could leave the center field. The minotaur’s sword obliterated the humans into a mist of blood before he made a show of laughing at the cat woman.

She trembled and held her staff in front of herself, not that it would do anything to defend her against him. The minotaur stomped towards her, raising his sword high above his head. The cat woman closed her eyes. I didn’t think. I ran past my sisters and jumped down into the center field.

The cat woman screamed as the minotaur’s weapon fell towards her. I jumped and tackled her out of the way. My body wrapped around her to protect her from the blow.

The entire place went silent.

The minotaur looked down at me in confusion. “And who are you?”

I glared at him. “Nobody.”

He laughed. “Well, ‘Nobody’, I’m guessing you don’t know who I am; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. You stand before Tulm’i. Now, who said you can take my kill?“

“This is wrong,” I said, pushing myself off the cat woman. “It’s disgusting to kill people for sport like this.”

Tulm’i grinned. “Well, this is new. It’s not often I have people lining up for me to kill them. I guess today is my lucky day.”

“You won’t kill me, and I won’t let you kill her,” I said, stepping in front of the cat woman.

She put her hands on my back and pushed before taking off running. That’s gratitude for you.

Tulm’i growled. “Now you made me mad. I challenge you to a deathmatch.”

The arena broke out in cheers as he raised his sword high above his head. I prepared myself by extending both armblades. My computer estimated his speed to be only four twenty, give or take ten, so I wasn’t worried he’d be able to hit me.

As I extended my arm blades, he paused and lowered his weapon. “What kind of freak are you?”

Somehow, the cheers weren’t as loud as before, allowing me to hear his question. Oh, now he cares about what I am? He doesn’t get to know.

Instead of answering his question, I darted to his left side. I swiped at his throat with my right arm blade. He brought his sword up to block. As my arm blade came into contact with his weapon, the minotaur pushed his weight into me and shoved me back. The force sent me sprawling to the ground.

I looked up at him as he approached, a look of confusion on his face. He was moving more slowly before. Was he only toying with them and taking me seriously?

I rolled out of the way as he brought his sword down; the sand flying into the air as the blade slammed into the ground. He turned and glared at me. His nostrils flared. The estimation of his speed jumped up to almost six hundred. That’s a problem.

I took that moment to dash forward, enhancing my tendons after infusing them with my magic. My right stinger arm blade struck him across the chest, leaving a long scratch mark along his breastplate. He swung his sword in a horizontal slash aimed at my midsection. I ducked under it, uppercutting with both of my left arm blades into his groin.

He roared and doubled over. I kicked up, striking him in the snout. His head didn’t move, and my foot dislocated from the impact. Tulm’i’s eyes turned bloodshot as he recovered quickly and punched me in the gut. I twisted on my one good foot, but it wasn’t enough. I flew thirty-five feet and exploded in a shower of sand.

I looked down to see my waist was horrifically concave with a perfect indent of his fist. If I could feel pain, that would be very, very bad. I rolled backwards onto my feet and put pressure on my dislocated ankle. It popped back into place.

I stared at the minotaur, who was staring back at me, confused. He looked down at his fist and back at me. My gut popped and cracked as it was repaired. I leaned forwards, my toes digging into the sand. I pulled my gun out and shot at him.

The bullets bounced off his armor. Shadara moved to join me, but Killa held her back and shook her head. What is she thinking? Does she really want me to take this evil person alone? Why?

My questions would have to go unanswered as Tulm’i stomped his hooves into the sandy dirt before charging at me with a bellow. I holstered my gun and prepared myself to meet him head-on. His defensive estimate was over a thousand, but I had to believe it was even higher than that.

I leaped out of the way as he tried to ram me. He tried to swing his sword at me, but I mostly dodged his attack; his blade nicked the metal skin of my stinger arm. Sparks flew, and I smiled. I stabbed at his knee with an arm blade, where an opening in his armor was barely visible.

My arm blade pierced his flesh, but only barely grazed him. He glared at me, a fire in his eyes, as I retracted my blade and hopped away. The minotaur charged after me again. I leaped into the air as he swung at me. His blade went under my legs, and I fell towards him.

I brought my knees up and landed a double-footed kick to his chest. The blow knocked him off balance as he fell backwards onto his back. I turned around and brought both of my arm blades down into his chest. They only went in an inch.

His hands wrapped around my arms. His grip tightened. I felt my arms bending against his strength. The minotaur pulled me off him and slammed me into the ground. I hit the ground, and my vision flickered. His meaty fingers still gripped my arm tightly.

My bones popped as they set themselves back into place. I looked up at Tulm’i. He grinned as he lifted me up before slamming me back into the ground. I felt my bones crack again as my HUD flashed warnings.

I could feel my body getting close to its limit. The nanites were doing everything they could to keep me in one piece, but they needed energy that was quickly running out. If I continue to sustain this level of damage, I’ll die.

Tulm’i grabbed me by my hair and lifted me up. “Not so tough now, are you? You were more trouble than you were worth. But you’re weak and never stood a chance.”

My body hung limp. Well, it looks like I’ve got no other option. Killa and Shadara stared down, holding each other. They don’t stand a chance against him. I’ve got to deal with him. “Then it’s time to take this seriously.“

“It’s obvious you can’t beat me…“ Tulm’i paused as he registered my words. “What?“

My body warmed up as I felt my energy drain, but I had enough to repair all the damage. I let my shadow magic create a field around me and the minotaur. He flung me away, but I twisted myself and landed on my feet, letting the magic mold around my body, activating my shadow lycan form spell.

The minotaur’s eyes widened in shock as I grew in size and mass. My claws and tail elongated. The crowd howled as the minotaur looked at me with utter confusion. He shook his head and snorted.

He charged at me, horns lowered. I lowered my body and ran at him. The world slowed to a crawl before we clashed. I sidestepped him as I slid my claws across his throat.

My claws didn’t just open his neck, they severed his entire head instantly. I caught his head before it hit the ground. Tulm’i’s face twisted into horror as the blood drained from it. That was disappointing.

The crowd was silent as I looked around for my sisters. They stood frozen where they were before. All that work, and I killed him in one eighth of a second. I released my lycan magic and frowned as I headed over to Killa and Shadara.

I tossed Tulm’i’s head to the side until it landed next to his body. The sphinx in the box stood up. He stared at me with wide eyes as he licked his lips.

Rina, you haven’t received any rewards for killing him yet.

I froze as I listened to Orange’s message. But I ripped his head off. How is he still alive?

There was a loud grunt behind me. I turned around to see Tulm’i putting his head back on and groaning. He turned to face me. “So you have some tricks, I see. But as a gladiator, I can’t die in the arena before my followers. Since I’m level eighty-seven, the highest level gladiator here. I will not lose to you!”

I shrugged. “Okay. Then I’ll just rip off your head again.”

Tulm’i roared at me. His speed jumped up again, but it was still nothing close enough to stop me from activating my spell again.

His body went limp as I tore off his head again. It came off easier this time. Nobody will be able to see you now.

I let the magic drop as I created a field around us and anchored it to his body. Seconds passed by, and he didn’t move. I took my time and waited for the message to say I had killed him.

I received 20 stat points and 544,436 shards, and I let the magic go.

I looked up at the sphinx. He was grinning from ear to ear. His teeth were sharp. “Congratulations, Nobody. You’ve almost won your first match. There is still one opponent left to defeat.“

I looked at the cat woman, who just stared at me. Oh, she’s still here?

“Will you accept my surrender?” Her voice shook as she pressed her back against the wall.

I shook my head. “I’m not going to hurt you. You don’t have to stay here. Go ahead, leave.”

The sphinx stood up and spread his wings. “Only one may leave the arena alive, unless the victor accepts their opponent’s surrender.”

“I surrender!” the cat woman shouted.

“Do you accept?” the sphinx asked, promising violence if I answered wrong.

I pursed my lips. “Fine. Sure.”

All the metal gates closing the arena flung up. The cat woman ran through the closest one, crying. I headed to the wall so that I could rejoin my sisters. There had better be a good reason for all this.

I climbed up the wall with my arm blades and stinger arms, digging into the marble.

Shadara wrapped me in her arms. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Then why didn’t you help?” I asked.

“Because I told them not to,” a voice said next to us.

I turned to see an armored man. A pair of massive black feathered wings were folded behind his back. His eyes glowed a dull green through the helmet that hid his face. His armor was sleek and black. He was holding a sword, his thumb stroking the pommel of the blade. “You should be careful. Jumping into the middle of a situation you know nothing about is likely to get you killed. Additionally, you‘ve displayed your power; I’m sure everyone will be keeping a close eye on you in the future. As you can see, this place isn’t very fair.”

What have I gotten myself into?