The staff member approached Ari with a palm sized crystal in hand.
“Cadet Ari Haynes, your crystal registration is complete.”
Ari accepted the crystal. “Thank you.”
“Since this is your first time entering the Lumus Tower, I have to confirm that you have read and understood all the rules and regulations regarding tower etiquette and safety protocols,” the staff member remarked.
‘Right, with the portal displacement incident, I didn’t have a crystal, so this is officially my first time entering the tower.’
He glanced at Maya who nodded.
“Yes, I have. I will follow procedure accordingly.”
“Excellent. Your permit allows you to explore the lower floors only. It is linked to your crystal, and will notify us immediately if you venture beyond the lower floors. Please keep that in mind.”
“Understood, I will not venture beyond the lower floors of the Lumus Tower.”
‘It’s not a lie, technically.’
The staff member nodded. “Have a prosperous ascension.”
“Thank you.”
Maya turned to Ari and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I have faith in your abilities, but...don’t do anything too reckless, okay?”
“Well, that would depend on your definition,” Ari responded.
Maya frowned. “Ari, I’m serious.”
“I understand your predicament, but please put your own safety first.”
Ari flashed a placating smile. “I'll be careful, I promise.”
“I will hold you to that promise,” Maya remarked. “And, I know you mentioned it before, but ensure that you are back before the placement examination. Allow for one full day to rest before.”
‘Yeah that would be for the best.’
“Yes, I’ll make sure of it.”
“Keep moving please.”
The staff urged ascenders who stopped to stare at Maya and Ari, to proceed down the terminal.
The midday rush had yet to settle, Ari had to move now or risk getting stuck waiting in line for an hour to enter the tower.
“See you later, Maya.”
“Yes, later.”
Maya stared at Ari’s back as he joined the long line of ascenders marching down the terminal.
After ten minutes of waiting, he finally reached the teleportation platform.
The group ahead of him walked across the circular platform and readied their crystals.
The platform shone with a brilliant purple glow, igniting the crystals in their hands.
The colour of the crystal determined which floor the ascender would be teleported to.
‘Blue and green...middle floors.’
Ari clutched his crystal and stepped onto the platform.
His crystal shone with a purple light, an indicator that he had yet to enter the tower.
[System Message]
[Select Tower Difficulty]
[Normal/Nightmare/Hell]
‘No way!’
At this stage of the story, Divine Towers had a standard difficulty.
Only once a certain floor is cleared will all ascenders gain the ability to select the difficulty of the tower each time they enter.
However, that only occurred at the end of the first season.
‘Is this the privilege of a Modifier, or?’
The opportunity fell into his lap too perfectly, Ari couldn’t help but question the timing.
However, as a TO veteran who completed the game on the hardest difficulty setting available, his competitive spirit ignited the moment the option became available.
He selected Hell difficulty.
[Warning: Currently, Hell Difficulty Is Only Available For Solo Runs.]
[You Alone May Enter Hell Difficulty Floor]
[Select Hell Difficulty?]
[Yes/No]
‘Basically, I’m on my own with no way to get help if I’m in danger...’
Ari did not hesitate.
[Yes]
[Hell Difficulty Selected]
The light within his crystal synchronised with the platform, enveloping him in purple light.
When the light faded, Ari found himself in a hallway paved with beige bricks that covered the floor, walls and ceiling.
Rows of dimly lit torches lined the walls on either side of him.
Ari’s heart raced as he took in the sight.
The aesthetic of the lower floors resembled a classic dungeon often seen in manga and anime.
The hallway appeared to stretch for dozens of kilometres, giving the illusion that one only had to follow this lone path to clear the floor.
Ari knew however, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
He was in the labyrinth of the lower floors.
Naturally, the labyrinth had been mapped, so no one loses their way anymore.
Maya included a map in the obsidian ring, which Ari initially intended to ignore and head directly to his destination, but now that the difficulty upgraded, he decided to explore the labyrinth first.
Floors one through ten were considered the lower floors, and were solely comprised of F-Rank to E-Rank monsters.
Each floor had a boss that protected the portal to the next floor.
Ari knew which monsters and bosses to expect before the difficulty upgrade, now however, he had to move with more caution.
Rgaar
Rgaar
Strange noises echoing ahead brought his attention back to his surroundings.
‘Right on time.’
He used Detect immediately.
Several red dots flickered in his vision.
‘Around that corner.’
Ari summoned his D-Rank sword then headed towards the group of monsters waiting to ambush him.
He approached the group slowly, setting Magic Mines as he walked.
Ari turned the corner and dashed backwards to avoid the tip of a knife aiming to puncture his leg.
As the creatures stepped into the light, Ari identified them immediately.
Small in stature, green skin with yellow eyes and sharp teeth, covered by a brown loincloth.
<Observe>
[Goblin Scout]
[Monster Rank: F-Tier 1]
‘Tier 1 from the start huh?’
Rgraar!
Rgraar!
A pack of five goblins charged towards him, running with their knives overhead.
Ting-Ting!
Ting-Ting!
Ari deflected four knives then executed a dash to his left, followed by another diagonal dash to circle around the goblin trailing behind the others.
Vhoom!
Vhoom!
He launched four Magic Missiles into the backs of the goblins ahead of them, knocking them off their feet, then swung his sword at the trailing scout to decapitate it.
[You have gained 5 AP]
Ari switched his grip on the hilt then plunged his sword into the skull of the closest goblin to his right as it tried to get to its feet.
[You have gained 5 AP]
RGAAR!
The remaining goblins recovered and rushed at him, swinging their knives and claws ferociously.
Ari deflected the strikes of the first goblin, then dodged the attacks of the second scout at the last second to trigger Perfect Dodge.
He decapitated the second scout then, with a swift motion, decapitated the third.
[You have gained 10 AP]
The remaining goblin scout stared at its fallen kin, then retreated, screaming at the top of its tiny lungs.
‘Is it calling for reinforcements?’
Ari used Detect again.
The amount of red dots approaching him grew rapidly with each second.
‘I knew it couldn’t be this easy.’