Tower of Paradise

ARCEUS PENDRAGON'S POV

A drop of water fell on my face, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up at the sky, observing how dark clouds spread across the sky at a speed that couldn't be natural. In a matter of minutes, they would completely cover the firmament, engulfing even the sun in their dark mantle, while a threatening rumble resonated in the air. The light breeze from before had quickly turned into a powerful gale and the temperature had begun to drop rapidly. Rain was almost inevitable.

KathyIn and I had been sitting for a good while, chatting about trivialities when the rain abruptly interrupted us.

Two days had already passed and today would be the last night. In that time, many things had changed, although many others remained the same. We continued to sleep in shifts, watching over the village in case something unexpected happened.

KathyIn behaved as always, cheerful and friendly. It was as if our emotional conversation had never happened. However, I perceived that something in her was different. I couldn't identify exactly what had changed in the girl, but she seemed to have more determination. It wasn't bad.

This brutal and ruthless reality was, for better or worse, the best training field for a true fighter. There was no room for mistakes, only progress, because a single error would probably become the last.

A real fight was worth a thousand hours of training. With experience, I could acquire knowledge. With clarity, I could turn this knowledge into a seed of understanding.

After fighting side by side for so long, KathyIn and I had developed a tacit and intuitive understanding. Without the need for words or signals, we could act in unison, perfectly coordinating our attacks and actions to better control the battlefield and annihilate our opponents.

The importance of this unity was difficult to overestimate. With proper cooperation, it was as if our number doubled. The effect was immediate and overwhelming, at least while we chose our battles carefully. It was truly exciting.

Our clothes were dirty, worn, with scattered bloodstains and multiple cuts in various sections. Neither of us had had a chance to change in days. The armor covering my body partially concealed my condition, but KathyIn, with her simple black tunic and metal greaves on her calves, showed much more evidence of the wear from our battles.

The strangest thing was that, despite the sun beginning to hide and now thick drops of rain hitting the ground hard, the expected wave of undead had not shown signs of appearing. An unusual fact that disturbed my mind.

— Huh... But, why hasn't even a single monster come out today? —Asked KathyIn as she contemplated the drops falling on the deteriorated houses of the village surrounding us.

— I wonder the same thing —I answered honestly—. It's distressing to wait like this.

— Rather, I feel more anxious because I'm taking my time this way. —She commented while leaning on the enormous rock we had been protecting as if it were an invaluable treasure.

— I know. I wouldn't be so frustrated if a monster came out to refresh my mind. —I nodded, leaning against the opposite side of the same rock.

— Maybe, are they letting us go because today is the last day? —While KathyIn asked with a tone that denoted more hope than conviction, the wind lashed at their skin and the drizzle covered the plains.

— It can't be. —I refuted immediately, analyzing our previous experiences.

— Do you think this tower is so lenient?

— You're right. —KathyIn conceded with resignation.

I reviewed the patterns we had observed so far. The undead had systematically appeared twice a day, at regular intervals although at random times that never overlapped.

Generally, they emerged around dawn and again at dusk. However, this time, even past lunchtime and the moment when the second wave should have appeared, there was no sign of them.

There wouldn't be two waves coming at the same time, would there?, I wondered, wishing everything would proceed without incident, although my instinct warned me otherwise.

The winds howled strongly among the abandoned houses, lifting pieces of mud and dirt. Storm clouds accumulated densely in the sky, dimming the sunlight until it turned the environment into a premature cold twilight.

A torrent of rain flooded the earth. This scene was already familiar to us, so it didn't surprise us. The rain kept falling. The water soaked our bodies, washing away the sweat. It was a refreshing sensation after our long struggle against the undead. KathyIn's blue hair waved in the wind. It was a weak north wind that blew with the rain. One couldn't even feel it without paying attention.

— It seems that Caria isn't going to return at all. —I commented, remembering our deserter companion.

— Do you think she would after running away? —KathyIn replied with evident skepticism.

— Even if it's just because it would be uncomfortable, there's no way she would do it. —I reasoned, knowing human nature well.

— Still, she could come back today, at least. This rock could even be a portal back, you know. —She suggested, although without much conviction.

The rain rapidly increased in intensity, transforming into a torrential downpour where each drop seemed like a small liquid projectile. The winds intensified, hitting our bodies violently. Visibility was drastically reduced, plunging us almost into total darkness.

A blinding lightning bolt crossed the darkness, followed almost instantly by a deafening thunder that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth.

That's when I felt it: a strange tremor that ran through my back via the rock where I was leaning.

— Huh? —I murmured, instinctively moving away and turning to examine the stone—. ...Did you feel that? —I asked, extending my hand to touch the center of the rock, which trembled again, this time with greater intensity.

— Whoa, what's happening? —KathyIn had also perceived it, immediately rising from her seat.

— Let's step back for now. —I warned her with a gesture of my hand, indicating she should keep her distance.

Suddenly, lightning crossed the sky, flooding everything with a blinding light. For a few moments, we simply observed, letting the rain hit our faces.

I couldn't predict what would happen, but faced with an unknown phenomenon, prudence and observation were our best allies.

Meanwhile, the rock intensified its vibrations and, more alarmingly, began to emit a faint but perceptible light from within.

The purpose of this floor was to protect this gigantic rock. But the wave that should have appeared had not manifested, and now the stone was mysteriously trembling.

The vibrations intensified, as did the luminosity emanating from the rock.

KathyIn and I observed the scene with nervous attention. After moments that seemed eternal, a hissing sound preceded the appearance of cracks in the stone surface.

— Oh, don't we have to do something about this? —Asked KathyIn with evident anxiety in her voice.

— ...What could we do? —I responded calmly, although inside, concern grew exponentially.

— It's breaking!

— How could one repair a broken stone? For now, observe in silence. —I advised, trying to ensure my voice didn't betray my internal unease.

Although I spoke with apparent tranquility, I had no way to foresee how this situation would unfold, so I continued watching the stones while biting my lip, an unconscious gesture that emerged when my anxiety exceeded my control.

Suddenly, a message appeared in my consciousness, as clear as if it were written before my eyes:

[The seal on the rock has been absolved.]

[The monster that was sealed has been released.]

[Boss monster summoned: Corpse Guardian (E+)]

Boss? I couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness upon reading that term. I immediately remembered how extremely difficult it had been to defeat the first floor boss, the only monster the tower had officially cataloged as such until now. The goblin champion we had faced on the third floor, although formidable, had not received that designation.

— Stay focused no matter what happens. —I warned KathyIn, giving her a meaningful look. She, momentarily confused by the gravity of my words, nodded with surprise.

— Alright.

Before our eyes, the partially destroyed rock, now intensely illuminated, began to expel a dense fog that rapidly expanded around us.

The mist began to condense, adopting defined and terrifying forms. Dozens of skeletons equipped with complete armor and armed to the teeth emerged from nowhere. Each wore a helmet, sported elaborate breastplates, wielded various lethal weapons, and wrapped themselves in tattered red cloaks. They seemed like the elite guard of some infernal kingdom. None of them gave the impression of being easy to defeat and, to our misfortune, I counted approximately fifty.

But the truly chilling thing wasn't these minions, but the imposing figure that stood in the center.

The mist began to condense before my eyes, transforming into defined and terrifying shapes. I observed with growing unease how dozens of skeletons equipped with complete armor and armed to the teeth emerged from nowhere. Each wore an elaborate helmet, sported meticulously crafted breastplates, wielded various lethal weapons, and wrapped themselves in tattered red cloaks that waved like bloody flags on a forgotten battlefield. They seemed like the elite guard of some infernal kingdom, arising from the darkest nightmares. None of them gave the impression of being easy to defeat and, to my misfortune, I counted approximately fifty.

But the truly chilling thing wasn't these minions, but the imposing figure that stood in the center. There was no doubt: I was facing the Boss monster.

It was a knight of intimidating stature, almost two meters tall, wrapped in an energy aura with a light purple glow, covered from head to toe with jet-black armor. His breastplate was designed with sharp and angular lines, as if each edge could cut the air itself. He wore a helmet with four horns that projected skyward like spears and a Y-shaped opening that revealed his bright red eyes, along with a tattered black cape that extended to his calves, sinisterly waving without the need for wind. He wielded an enormous black sword that matched his height, as if it had been cut directly from a starry night sky.