Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 119 – Floor 11: Part 3

Mathew joined Rehn and the other Players on the Atrium as the ship reached their destination.

There was a hum of conversation from the crowd, the excitement of the unknown clashed against the fear and anxiety of what they knew waited for them on the other side of the Singularity.

For some, the thought of gaining more Aether and the power it brought had them pacing with frustration at the delay. At the same time, for many, the Singularity was just another opportunity for them to risk their lives to make their dreams a reality.

Returned to his plain appearance, Mathew leaned against the railing next to Rehn and looked up at the open ‘sky’ above them. There, hanging in the void of space, was a distortion unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The image created by Stalwart Wayfarer during its explanation didn’t do the real thing justice. The way light wrapped around the Black Hole was beautiful and terrifying in equal portions. With each minor movement of Mathew’s head, the stars around it would shift and turn.

But there was something else. Mathew stared into the center of the Singularity, his eyes narrowing as he squinted slightly in an attempt to look deeper within. He swore there was something there, a presence hiding in the darkness.

“What is that…” Mathew whispered. If only he were a little closer, he could see it.

“Are you alright?” Rehn asked, placing her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention. Mathew came awake with a start. He had lost track of time; their ship was now much closer to the Singularity, and more Players had joined them on their deck.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Mathew assured her while running a hand through his hair. He was careful not to stare at the Singularity again. If there was something there, they would soon be coming into contact with it. He needed his wits about him now; Mathew couldn’t risk losing focus when they were just about to enter the unknown.

“Did you sleep?” Mathew asked, firmly turning away from the window that held the Singularity and the World Tree below it and looking at Rehn. She looked exhausted; there were bags under her eyes, and she was the palest he had ever recalled her looking.

“Not much. The World Tree’s thoughts are difficult to keep out with it so near its purpose.” Rehn admitted, and Mathew frowned at the revelation. He needed someone to watch his back, and if Rehn wasn’t in top condition, it could doom them both.

“Can you level?” Mathew inquired.

Leveling up her Discipline was a sure way to drive away the exhaustion. Sure, there seemed to be limits at times, but they seemed to be set up on the Floor they were on rather than a hard barrier. On the Stalwart Wayfarer, Mathew was confident it would be enough to help her.

“No. I would need another six hundred thousand Aether to do so. I took an Elixir, but its effects are slow.” Rehn answered. Elixirs and potions would be considered miraculous for healing back on Earth if Mathew could smuggle some out of the Tower, but there were limits.

They took time to work, and they weren’t particularly good for a single problem. They healed the whole body, not just what was afflicting you. Hurt your hand? A healing potion will cure it, along with that old bruise on your leg and anything else that happened to be hurting.

It was the same with stamina potions but with even harsher limits. It would give you a boost of energy if you have been running a marathon, but it tended to not do so well with exhaustion. Sort of like how an energy drink gave you a rush for a few minutes before you crashed.

They could keep you going in a pinch, but eventually, you’re going to drop.

“I wish I could help, but I had to give up everything in my inventory on the Tenth Floor. I don’t even have any potions.” Mathew let out a deep sigh.

“Was the Tenth Floor that bad for you?” Rehn questioned in surprise. A Player of Mathew’s Level being without any items was incredibly strange.

“No, not bad, but weird.” Mathew gave her a quick description of the previous Floor and what he had gained. While they were talking, the ship began to visibly slow as it reached the boundary of the Singularity’s pull.

When Mathew finished speaking, there was a definite change in the Stalwart Wayfarer. There were now vibrations running through the deck beneath their feet, and the Aether within the World Tree began slowly shifting colours from a bluish-purple to a deepening crimson.

“Attention. Take your seats and prepare for entry.” The robotic announcement came with an accompanying burst of speed from the Stalwart Wayfarer.

Mathew gripped the railing as he felt himself being pushed backwards slightly by the intense velocity that was overcoming whatever system the vessel had to protect its passengers.

“Here we go.” Mathew muttered. Taking a pair of seats close to where they stood, Rehn and Mathew strapped themselves in and waited.

The vibrations in the deck worsened, and creaks accompanied them and groans from the hull. The Stalwart Wayfarer suddenly lurched sideways, the gravity shifting until the loose fabric on Rehn’s jacket was nearly parallel with the deck beneath them.

There were screams from the Players as some of them chose not to grab onto something or take one of the provided seats that ringed the Atrium. Mathew saw one young man fly across the room and strike the window before bouncing off.

Although it was unnerving and terrifying for Players of their levels, whatever injury they would receive from an impact like that wouldn’t be anything severe. It was likely that even Stalwart Wayfarer hadn’t known what the trip into the Singularity would be like.

The shaking continued for a long time before the gravity gradually returned to normal as the bow of the vessel entered the Singularity.

The lights dimmed without warning, and the thrum of power that signified the Stalwart Wayfarer was functional and alive stopped.

“Attention. We have entered the Singularity. This is where I leave you. Good luck.” The A.I. Stalwart Wayfarer spoke for the final time through the still-functioning speakers. Free from its responsibility for delivering the Players, the A.I. fled before the destruction forces within the Singularity could end its artificial life.

Through the windows all around them, Mathew saw their vessel enter the distorted space of the Singularity. A kaleidoscope of colours shone through, a display so beautiful that Mathew was left speechless.

But, deep within that expanse of colours, Mathew swore he could see something watching them.

The ship rocked and shook violently; the groans of the hull were a keening wail to accompany their journey. It became so bad that Mathew’s white knuckle grip on the railing and his arm around Rehn were the only things that kept them in place, even with the straps of their seats straining against their bodies.

The World Tree, its colours such a dark crimson that it seemed as if it were filled with blood, was the only source of light as the windows darkened and the Players were left alone in the void. The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had started, and the Atrium was filled with silence.

“Did we make it?” Rehn whispered.

“I don’t know. I expected it to be worse.” Mathew said, looking around cautiously. There was a sudden burst of blinding white light from the windows around them, accompanied by a deafening sound. The shaking returned, much worse than before, and Mathew clutched Rehn tightly in his arm.

Through the windows and the bright light, Mathew could see a world beneath them. Made of sharp rock and rivers of flame, the Stalwart Wayfarer had made it through the Singularity. In the skies above the nameless world of the Anti-Life, the ship plummeted toward the ground as it streaked flames and debris behind it.

In the Atrium, Mathew had a last look at the windows cracking before large pieces of the ship came loose. Those unfortunate enough to be near the now-open hull were sucked out into the atmosphere.

The ship was being destroyed, and the decking and windows around them rattled and cracked. Mathew was sure that it wouldn’t hold together long enough for them to reach the surface.

“We’re not going to make it!” Mathew shouted to Rehn over the sound of the crumbling hull and the rushing air. The railing groaned and twisted under Mathew’s hand, and he doubted it would hold. Beneath them, their seats were coming loose; whatever mechanism holding them in place was failing.

“I can shield us from the impact, but it won’t hold if we crash!” Rehn yelled, and Mathew had a sudden inspiration.

Lifting her from the ground, he let go of the railing and let the air currents take him. Protecting Rehn with his body, he felt an impact against his back as he struck the hull and bounced before being propelled out of the Atrium.

In freefall, Mathew watched as the Stalwart Wayfarer streaked fire and debris as it fell toward the distant ground. Wheeling and turning, Mathew tried to keep them steady as Rehn began to form a shield of cushioning mana to protect them from the impact.

Mathew just hoped they were ready for whatever waited for them below.