Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

WHEN WRIK WOKE UP, it's already evening. He had been asleep for more than half a day. Apart from a bit of a migraine in the head, he didn't feel much discomfort in his body. He placed his palm around the body to notice most of the wounds, be it fractured bones, broken ribs or muscle pain, were all healed.

Then he inspected the room he was in. It was a hall room, painted in white, with dozens of medical beds laid in rows—some were filled, where most were empty. The first time they arrived at the sanctuary, a few nurses came and took all of them to the medical ward—without caring if they were injured or not. It appears they were quite devoted to their jobs.

"Good evening," Anton greeted from another bed beside him. He was similarly in the same patient attire as Wrik. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm just waiting for you."

"How about others?" Wrik looked around to find most of the beds were empty or with patients he was unfamiliar with. Davin, Evan were here at first while the girls were in a different section. Now, apart from him and Anton, there was only Kevin here. "Where are they?"

"Well, the big guy is there," Anton pointed across a bed where a brown-skinned, tall man was sleeping. Kevin Keplin—they had known him from before, even before the Trial. On one occasion about half a year ago, they had helped Kevin in his most desperate times. The poor guy was wrongly convicted of a crime—he had not committed.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he woke up earlier, asked a few questions about An Byul and the others before losing consciousness again." Anton continued. "The doctor or healer, whatever they were called, said he's fine.. . just needed a proper rest.

"As for others, Jacob—the archer, was not actually injured. While Davin left here a few hours ago, it appeared he was bored here. And Mister Evan left with his two companions after they came to see him."

Wrik nodded. It appeared that everyone's alright. Though he hasn't heard about one person yet.

"By the way, that lady came to see you a few hours ago," Anton said with a smug face.

Wrik looked at Anton with a questioning gaze for a brief second before understanding. By 'that lady' Ton was referring to Tanya. He asked, "When?"

"Mmm, about a couple of hours ago. She left immediately after seeing you asleep," Anton then grinned out. "You like her, don't you?"

Wrik didn't acknowledge or deny it outright. It was complicated. But that was enough for Anton to carry on.

"I can't believe it, actually. Our socially inept brother finally found someone. Aunt would be so delighted hearing this."

"Don't be melodramatic, Ton," Wrik glared at Anton. "And I'm not socially inept."

"You just don't want to bother with anything absurd and unreasonable." Anton finished Wrik's sentence before opening his mouth again. "I know, that was your excuse for everything—you find it bothersome or boring."

"Well, you're not wrong."

"So, you do like her, no? And she seemed to…"

Wrik shook his head."It's a long way to go, Ton. I don't know." he said. "Maybe."

Anton flashed a smile with a few of his teeth out. "That's the first step you would get there."

"How's the girl, by the way? An Byul, I mean." He didn't let Anton carry on with the topic. The more they continued, the more embarrassing it would be for him.

"She's still unconscious, but there's no danger to her life. She will need a few weeks to recover at least."

Wrik nodded, remembering the pitiful figure he had seen at the Infectors Nest. "Let's visit her now," he said. "You should be bored here as well."

Anton didn't complain about his proposal, as got up from the bed. While Wrik felt his head a bit heavy as he stood straight. They left the medical ward, but the moment they came out of it, the two of them exchanged dumb glances.

"Which way?" Wrik asked.

It seemed the Trial Sanctuary was bigger than he assumed. The first thing that he noticed were tall buildings all around. Most are made of white marble or other stone painted in white. While there were green trees of medium sizes across the path. The styles were not anything he had seen in Elania, it's more materialistic and futuristic. It had little grace or aesthetic of the antique, but it was a warm place to stay. At least he was not complaining.

"I think this way," Anton pointed towards the rear at a narrow marble path.

They went on the path without much thinking, looking left and right, not missing any sign or anything. The medical sign showed them they were on the correct path. After covering a bit of distance they finally saw one of those Nurses or healers—their dress or behaviours gave little about which one of the two they were. Anton went over towards her, and conversed a good amount of time, while Wrik stood sideways, appreciating the silence and solitude here.

"Let's go, this way," Anton came back, and took him inside a building. "She's on the first floor, room number 107."

They climbed the stone stairs, which were white too, and finally arrived in front of ward number 107. It's a private medical ward for more severe cases. The door was not closed, only shut. Anton opened it as the two of them entered.

Apart from the patient An Byul, there's another person there. Michelle, the red-haired girl that cast the last spell at the Ghoul. She was sitting on a stool across the bed and looked at them, noticing the door opening.

"You two are from the same organisation?" She whispered.

Wrik nodded as they walked up close towards the bed. A tiny figure rested on the bed, with shoulder-length hair even shorter than Wrik. Her eyes were closed, breathing slowly. The external wound in her head healed, as well as the others. Her face was still pale, but better than the last time he had seen her. He could not tell about the internal injury, though.

"How's she?" He asked.

"Her mental condition is quite severe, with the wound in her head, besides the backfire from spell casting. She would be in worse shape if she hadn't transmitted the berserk Mana away." Michelle clasped her palms together. "She would be fine; I know it. She's a strong girl."

Wrik nodded. "Is there anything we could do?" He asked.

"I don't know, we should wait until she wakes up." Michelle said, then suddenly her stomach growled. Her face turned red, not as bright as her hair.

"You should eat something, how about you go with Ton while I stay here?"

"I'm fine," the redhead said, but her stomach denied, growling again.

"Ton, will you take her somewhere to eat?" Wrik asked Anton. He looked back at the young lady. "Don't worry I'll be here, moreover as far as I know your health is not that good as well."

The redhead was about to protest again, but Wrik gestured at Anton, who took her away. And Anton took Michelle almost without her consent.

.. . 

"I can walk by myself; you can stop pushing me," Michelle said to the unfamiliar man she had seen once or twice during the Trial. The first time was when he helped her with his other companions and the other time was the same, but could be said as the role reversed.

"As you say, young lady," Anton said as he came in front.

"Where are we going?"

"A place to eat," Anton said, looking around. It appeared he didn't know this place well. "A cafeteria or pub should be fine."

"So, you don't know where we're going, do you?" Michelle eyed the man—who should be a couple of years older than her. Was his name 'Ton'? She mused. She recalled hearing the other guy calling him 'Ton'.

"I'll find a way." he frowned, not at her but looking around the tall erections. The darkness already intensified by quite a bit. Most buildings were glittering with limelights, but that didn't make the joy any bit easier.

"Thank you, but we should go. . ." She pointed as she took the lead. "This way."

The man said nothing but followed her without any fluster.

"By the way, do you always follow what others ask of you?" She found the silence a little unaccustomed to, so asked.

"No, but I agree most of the times when I have to go on with a beautiful girl." The man with darker hair grinned out.

Michelle couldn't help but look at the face of the youth that had a smug—waiting to be slapped. But she didn't do any violence, just carried on with a glare. Well, her glare was enough for him to be more civic. Michelle found that his personality was quite similar to the stupid archer she knew, though his grin was twice stupider—his bountiful confidence in himself might pave for that.

Thinking about the stupid archer, Michelle remembered, she hadn't seen him after coming here. She asked. "By the way, did you see Jacob? The archer? He was in the same ward as you guys."

"Yes, but he left after his checkup. He should be in his room or somewhere else."

Michelle nodded and noticed that they had arrived at the cafeteria. It was a broad building, the entire ground floor was for being a restaurant. Walking inside, she noticed lots of empty tables of crystals and glass on the white marble. The limestone lights were brimming as the darkness was increasing. Dozens of people were seated, some were waiting for food while some were eating. Nevertheless, most of the seats were empty.

"Hey, Michelle."

A familiar voice called her name. Michelle glanced at the source and found Jacob was waving his arms at her. He was seated at a table with another person—who she had seen before with the other guys in the dungeon. He was waving his arms as well to call the person she was with.

"Let's go," Anton said.

Michelle took a seat next to Anton and across Jacob and waited for the food to arrive. After a bit of greeting and formally introducing themselves, she learned that the guy she came with wasn't named 'Ton' but 'Anton'. Ton was only the nickname his brother called him. She quickly noticed that he liked to chatter, as most of the conversation was driven by him.

"You should check out the training facility here," Davin said. "I went there before, it's nothing like the place I used to practise."

"Really, I might check it out tonight."

The food arrived rather quickly with nice smells of seasonings and flavours. A maid in the usual costume of white and black arrived with their plates on the strolling table. The maid served the plate in haste, but that didn't lack grace. It was toast, fried eggs with vegetables and juice of a weird green colour. It was rather poor compared to what she was served at home, but that didn't stop her from emptying the plate. Maybe because she was extra hungry today. She felt fulfilled eating it. Is it because she felt a bit accomplished? Or was she only because she was hungry? Michelle didn't know.

"By the way," Jacob, who was silent most of the time in the conversation, said. He hesitated a moment before opening it. "What are your plans now and after this?"

Michelle could not tell if this guy was really that stupid or acts like one. From his expressions, it is clearly discernible that he didn't have the slightest idea of what to do next. On second thought, Michelle became silent as well. Her problem was not like Jacob, as Jacob didn't have any idea about the Tower world, but she was not like that she had been properly educated about the Tower and probably knew better than anyone sitting here.

Yet, she didn't know what she would do after the Trial finishes. She pondered for a while before resting on the topic for now. 'I'll think about it when the time comes, besides I don't think I have that much time.'

She didn't ponder on her problems but changed to someone else's. It's always fun to gag when someone else has problems. Her expression changed to the usual sunshine as she opened her mouth. "Mister Archer, you got only two paths from here: go home or go high. Which one would you choose?"

Jacob frowned at her question.

"She's right," Davin joined in as well. "You can only go two ways from here. One is safer but less fulfilling, while the other might be dangerous, but it comes with its perks."

Jacob's expression didn't become any better after hearing that. The frown on his brows deepened as he contemplated closing his eyes.

"You're making it difficult for yourself," Anton said, glancing at the poor fellow. He gulped in the green juice for the first time, and his expression turned sour. "What is in it?" He put down immediately and drank a few mouthfuls of water. "What I was saying. .. Yes, you're making it difficult for yourself. It's not like you have to decide now, you have one and a half months to decide. Get busy here, discover if this kind of life was for you or not. And besides, climbing the tower is not always about fighting, is it?"

.. . 

Wrik sat at the stool where Michelle sat before and stared at the unconscious figure. She was sleeping quietly, breathing softly. Her posture was peaceful, while her face was serene. 'She should be fine,' he thought. He didn't know how, but he could tell that the worst was over for her. She only needed time.

The limelight in the room automatically brightened by a bit, sensing the darkness. His stomach growled as well and remembered that he hadn't had anything to eat since he woke up. His mouth felt a bit dry. Glancing around, Wrik found a water flask on the desk beside the bed.

Wrik didn't waste any moment, opened it to gulp down a mouthful. Then he found out that it was not pure water but a sweet solution of glucose and other ingredients. Well, it's not anything unhealthy, so he gulped down a few mouthfuls more.

Then the door of the room opened again, and a lady in her late twenties came in. She was dressed in long white clothing that reached her knees—the usual code of the healers. There's also the symbol of a tower on her chest. Her exterior was round, quite good-looking, with brown-black hair, and a spectacle in her eyes.

"Ahh!" She was not expecting someone here. She looked at the patient on the bed to make sure she was in the right room. "Are you her friend as well," she asked.

"You can say that," Wrik nodded. He invited her in, gesturing with his arm. "Please."

The lady came nearer An Byul before starting her job. She placed her palm against the patient's arm, then ran a basic checkup. She remained like that for a couple of minutes before withdrawing her palm.

"How's her condition?" Wrik eyed the newcomer.

The healer said, "She's good, should regain her consciousness today or tomorrow."

"And the conditions of her body. . ." Wrik hesitated. "—especially the Mana circuit?"

"It's mostly healed," said the healer. "You got to thank the other girl for that. Redhead? What is her name again?"

"Michelle?"

"Yes." she tapped the glass frame. "She paid for everything that was needed for that. .. you know the treatments for the Mana Circuit are quite expensive, especially for newbies like you guys. But she got everything covered, she had quite the sum."

Wrik nodded unknowingly and took a mental note to thank Michelle later. He looked around the room, as he found nothing to talk about. And the growls from his belly made it even more awkward.

"You should leave here, the visiting hours should be over by now." The healer said again, looking at the analytical clock, hitting six.

Wrik was about to say something when he heard her voice again.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands."

He nodded. "Thank you." Saying that, Wrik left the ward. After coming down to the ground floor, he found the outside was quite dark while most of the buildings were shimmering with limelights. It was not anything he had seen before.

'Now where's the cafe?' He mused, looking around. The most confusing thing in this place was that most of the buildings were created in the same design, they all looked the same from afar.

Wrik picked the path on the right and walked unhurriedly from there. He scrutinised each building and sign that came in his way before sighing. 'Do I really have to use [Eye of Insights] for these petty things?!'

He could see much more clearly or even sense each of the six senses better with his ability. It would not be wrong to say his job would be much easier with it. But he was sceptical about using it for normal; moreover, there was the pain from over-exhaustion.

After walking for another couple of minutes, Wrik was about to activate his innate ability when he heard a familiar, soft voice from behind.

"Are you lost, Mr Knight?"

Wrik turned to notice the familiar silhouette of Tanya, a few feet away. She was wearing a loose blue dress, though it wasn't anything fancy, it looked adequate on her. Well, Tanya looked beautiful in anything she wore. She had the familiar smile on her lips as on her emerald eyes.

."I was," Wrik answered.

"Was?" Tanya came closer towards him before continuing. "Not anymore?"

"Well, you're here, I guess you would help me find the path."

"So where do you want to go?"

Before Wrik could answer, his stomach answered for him with a growl.

Tanya smiled. "A place to eat?"

Wrik nodded, as he badmouthed his rebellious stomach inwardly.

"Let's go then," she said, gesturing at the left. "It's quite close by."

Wrik followed her as she brought him to a deeper region; most of the buildings there was single storey while there were few double storeys but not more. Each of them has multiple glass windows reflecting the limelights. These places seemed more private.

'Where is she bringing me?' He thought.

"By the way, is your health sound?" Tanya asked. She didn't falter in her walk, though.

"Yes." he hesitated for a bit. "Where are we going?"

"A place to eat."

"Only a place to eat?" Wrik said. "I'm feeling something more to it."

Tanya turned her head to look at him before giving her ideal smile. "You'll know when you get there."

"Why are you being secretive?"

Tanya didn't answer. "We're here." She said, gesturing towards a double-storey house in front. She went straight before opening the entrance. "Get in."

Wrik didn't question anymore and went inside the house. The house was more adequate inside than outside. Though it's not that huge, its aesthetic beauty wasn't any less. Lights were shone from above as small limelights were on the ceiling. There's not much stuff inside, though. A couple of couches, a small table, a few paintings on the white wall, and a few more accessories.

The house was obviously decorated to accommodate someone's taste. Tanya brought him to another room before gesturing to take a seat at the circular table. The table was made of clear glass, though not big, still it was good enough to accommodate four people.

Wrik complied with her and took a seat at the table before asking. "Is this where you're staying?"

"Yes," Tanya answered. "Wait a minute, I'll bring the food. She paused a second before continuing. "Ooh, there's someone who wants to meet you."

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End of the Chapter: The Trial Sanctuary.

Next Chapter: A Meal With Two Sisters.

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I'm going through an editing process to flesh out the minor mistakes and other inconsistencies in the story. I'm currently at the 16th chapter--it takes more time than I thought. So, the release might be a bit inconsistent for a week. Thank you.