LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 19 – Floor 2: Part 1
Chapter 19 – Floor 2: Part 1
A loud ‘Ding accompanied the burning letters that appeared above all of the player's wristbands.’ The elevator had returned. Its doors opening in the middle of the grassy plain had appeared from nowhere.
Mathew had blinked his eyes, and it was there as if it had always been present, but he had just been unable to see it.
A cheer erupted in the night as those remaining shouted their gratitude at being alive and free from this hellish floor. The thought of being able to sleep at night, removed from the awful screams and moans of the undead, was a heavenly bliss to them.
Several people didn’t even wait for the others, sprinting the distance to the open doors and disappearing in a flash of white light. Some were more hesitant, saying goodbye to friends they had made before entering in groups.
Mathew turned to Greg, the only person he had grown close to since Maria died.
“Take care of yourself. Maybe we’ll see each other on the next floor.” Mathew said, sticking out his hand to the other man, who promptly shook it.
“You too. Try to stay out of trouble.” Greg flashed him a grin before setting off toward the Elevator with Amanda and her dog beside him. In seconds, they were gone.
“Well, here goes.” Mathew took a breath and stepped inside the elevator. There was a bright burst of blinding light, and he heard the elevator doors close. Opening his eyes slowly against the glare, it faded to reveal the interior of the elevator.
He could hear the humming of a motor as it carried him to his destination and faint music from a speaker in the ceiling, although Mathew didn’t recognize the tune. The elevator's motion told him he was moving, but as seconds turned to minutes, he was left wondering how far he would need to travel to reach the next floor.
After nearly five minutes, Mathew pulled up the display of his wristband, displaying his status that hadn’t changed since that morning, aside from the amount of Aether he was now holding.
Name: Mathew Larson
Discipline: Charlatan (Level 5) -> Max Level
Level: 5
Aether: 15212
Attributes
Body: 1.7
Mind: 2.5
Spirit: 0.3
Blessing
Create and Control Flames III (Max Tier)
It seems that he had received over ten thousand Aether for either his part in killing the giant undead or burning down August City. Turning to the following sections, Mathew was surprised to see another tab available, wedged between ‘Inventory’ and ‘Blessings.’
He opened the ‘Judgement’ section with a large amount of curiosity. Who was judging him, and on what criteria?
The god of Chivalrous Combat is severely disappointed in your actions. They have barred you from obtaining a Discipline from their Demesne during your next selection.
The god of Blazing Condemnation is exceptionally pleased with your actions and wishes to offer you a boon. A new Discipline will be made available from the Demesne during your next selection.
The god of Unconstrained Longevity is indifferent to your destruction of August City. They will not offer a boon for your completion of Floor 1.
The god of Bound Decay is indifferent to your destruction of the undead within August City. They will not offer a boon for your completion of Floor 1.
Mathew stared at the screen in silence, wondering how much trouble he could be in if he was ‘barred’ from a Demesne. The young woman in the lobby had said the gods couldn’t directly influence him, so it shouldn’t be able to make his life difficult. Could it?
At least he had drawn the attention of another god, making them very pleased. But ‘Blazing Condemnation’ had a sinister sound to their name. Did they like that he burned the City down? With a title like ‘Blazing’ in it, he could only assume that was why they offered him a boon.
Closing the wristband and still trapped in the elevator, Mathew sat on the clean, tiled floor and leaned against the cool metal wall. It had been a long night, and he was exhausted. In moments, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep.
Page Break
Mathew woke when a loud ‘ding’ rang out through the elevator. Disoriented for a moment, he thought he was still in the village, behind the wall and waiting for the undead to begin their assault. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what had happened.
Running a hand over his face, he slowly stood. Stretching his arms and legs, he thought that he must have been asleep for hours.
By the time he was ready, the doors silently opened, revealing an entirely new world.
Mathew stepped out into a stone room, barren of everything save a wooden door to his right. It was silent and peaceful, reminding him of the Temple that had given him a similar feeling. Checking his Wristband, he saw that ‘Shop’ and ‘Disciplines’ were available, confirming that he was indeed in a Temple.
Before he could do anything else in the tabs, the image above his arm shifted, displaying a summary of the second Floor.
Floor: 2
Summary: The City of Bellmare holds a festival every decade in celebration of the gods associated with the Harvest Demesne. Six crystals must be gathered before the Harvest Moon, or the crops will wither and die.
Goal: As the summoned Champion of the gods, you must gather the crystals from the six Houses and present them to the Mayor within thirty (30) days. Failure to do so within the required time will result in expulsion from the Second Floor and the required completion of the ‘Penalty’ Floor.
“Penalty Floor? How bad would a penalty floor be if the first floor was fighting a city of undead?” Mathew asked, not willing to find out.
“Alright, find the crystals, give them to the Mayor. Sounds a lot easier than burning down a city.” He nodded, closing the tab and opening the “Discipline’ portion of the wristband. Gradually warming on his wrist, a streak of light shot out of the silver bangle, showing three images on the wall.
The first showed Mathew in white priest robes, holding his hands up in prayer while a pillar of fire fell down on a horde of undead. The bangle offered a description below it.
Discipline: Preacher
Rarity: Uncommon (Discipline offered by the god of Blazing Condemnation)
Attributes per Level: Spirit +++
Summary: A bringer of holy flame, you smite down your enemies with divine fire. Your Blessing provides you a portion of their power through your connection to a Patron Deity.
Unique Blessing: Sacred Flame
Summary: Divine Radiance of the god of Blazing Condemnation falls upon your foes, burning them with holy fire. Your Spirit Attribute determines the size, duration and intensity of the flame.
Cost: 15000 Aether
“I’m….probably not going to pick this one. My Spirit stat isn’t great, and I already have a Blessing that lets me create a fire.” Mathew muttered, turning to the following Discipline.
The next showed Mathew wearing black robes, pointing to an armoured person rushing toward him with a sword raised high above their head, about to slash down at a skeletal hand reaching up from beneath the ground, gripping them tightly.
Black energy was coursing up from the hand and through the armoured figure's leg. They were clearly in pain and were screaming in terror.
Discipline: Occultist
Rarity: Uncommon (Enhanced by completion boon for clearing a floor.)
Attributes per Level: Mind +, Spirit ++
Summary: You have been around death, felt its power and desired to harness it. Through unholy rituals and magic, you can touch the other side.
Unique Blessing: Touch of the Undead
Summary: Summon an undead hand to grip and attack your enemies. Drain them of their life force to prevent their recovery while they are in death’s icy grasp.
Cost: 15000 Aether
“What the hell. I’m all about progressing through the Tower, but this seems evil.” Mathew said, hurrying past the middle painting. So far, he was zero for two for desirable Disciplines. Hopefully, the last one had something that he wanted.