Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 120 – Floor 11: Part 4

Mathew gripped Rehn tightly as they struck the ground. Her shield was nearly perfect, and Mathew barely felt the impact through the opaque bubble that surrounded them.

They bounced several times before stopping, but the shield eventually failed, revealing the surface to him. They were on a flat section of ground, screened by obsidian pillars on one side and an enormous mountain of crystallized Aether on the other.

Rehn was out cold. The strain of maintaining the shield was too much for her, especially with the lack of sleep she had been dealing with before they arrived. Seeing no immediate threat, he made sure she was safe and recovering before he looked around.

There was a line of devastation and a trail of debris to his left where a massive inferno was engulfing a large part of the mountain. He hadn’t been able to see what was happening outside of their shield, but if he had to guess, it was likely that the remains of the Stalwart Wayfarer were the source of the fire.

The air around them was scorching hot and dreadfully dry. Mathew could feel the heat through his boots, and his skin prickled painfully for a moment before he began to sweat profusely. As bad as the atmosphere around them was, the smell of Aether nearly made him sick.

Everything around him had the overpowering smell of spice, so much so that a blue haze obscured everything in the distance. It was so strong he could taste it on his tongue, and each breath would send a jolt of strange energy through his body.

Mathew could hear nothing but the wind carrying dust and dirt across the ground and the occasional explosion from the fallen vessel in the distance.

“Mathew?” Rehn asked weakly, and he knelt by her side.

“I’m here.”

“I would ask if we are still alive, but I’m afraid you will say ‘yes.’” Rehn replied jokingly, and Mathew let out a scoff.

“You must be feeling fine if you can crack wise. Open up your inventory, and I’ll get you a stamina potion.” Mathew said. The Psion weakly raised her hand and made a grasping motion. Mathew caught the glowing green elixir as it tumbled from her hand.

Popping the cork, he gently touched it to her lips and tilted her head to allow her to drink it. Finishing it swiftly, he tossed the empty bottle into his own inventory.

“Did anyone else make it?” Rehn asked as she waited for the potion to work its magic. She could already feel the exhaustion being driven back, although it would still be there waiting for her after the potion ran its course.

“I don’t know. Stalwart Wayfarer is burning over there, and I haven’t laid eyes on another soul. But the good news is that I haven’t seen anything else here either.” Mathew said, standing and looking toward the mountain.

He could see Aether through the cracks in the rock while a massive section rose from the peak. The clouds above the mountain were a completely different colour than any he had seen before, a deep indigo that swirled around it like a whirlpool.

Mathew could feel the power there, a force unlike anything in any of the Floors he had been on before. He knew that if he had even a fraction of the Aether in that mountain, he would explode with energy.

“How are you feeling?” Mathew asked, turning away from the mountain and looking down at his companion. Rehn had regained some of her colour, although she still seemed drained.

“Better. Help me up, I can walk, and we should go to the crash site. If there are survivors, that is where they will gather.” Rehn advised, and Mathew couldn’t argue with the logic. Helping her to her feet, they made their way slowly across this new world's arid, hostile surface.

Page Break

“That’s not good.” Mathew commented as the pair watched the World Tree burn from where they stood on a rise overlooking the crash. The ship was located in a large crater. The remnants of its hull littered the ground around them.

The World Tree was a blackened husk, charred and shattered into pieces. What little Aether that remained inside of its trunk was fading, and the crimson light dimmed with each second they watched.

“Is it dead?” Mathew asked Rehn. The Psion was frowning as she stared at the remains of the World Tree.

“No. I…something isn’t right. I should be feeling something; even if it's faint, I should be connecting with its thoughts. But…” Rehn trailed off, but Mathew didn’t push her for an explanation. She was the expert when it came to communicating with a tree, and there was nothing he could do but wait.

There were a few other Players in the distance, some sitting on the rim of the crater or clustered in groups and watching the ship burn. Everyone had an air of aimlessness and loss about them. They lacked a leader or a purpose, and it showed in how they acted.

Mathew had seen it on the Seventh Floor before Samuel took charge.

“There!” Rehn said suddenly, spinning around and pointing at the mountain. She had an excited look on her face.

“What is it?” Mathew asked. He didn’t see anything aside from the barren landscape and the unchanging mountain of Aether.

Without warning, the ground shook violently, and a pillar of dirt and debris exploded out from the side of the mountain. A crimson root emerged from the earth and wrapped its way around the exposed Aether. More explosions occurred, and additional roots engulfed the crystallized Aether.

“The World Tree is still alive!” Rehn whispered, staring in awe as the massive plant quickly grew skyward.

In minutes, the Tree was as large and healthy as it had been aboard the Stalwart Wayfarer. Its broad trunk began to absorb the Aether, and its purple leaves spread wide and touched the indigo clouds above.

‘Ding!’

A notification rang out, and Mathew checked his silver wristband.

Congratulations, Objective Completed!

You have safely delivered the World Tree to its destination, where it will slowly grow to close the Singularity, sealing the Anti-Life away and preventing it from infecting any other realities.

Completion Bonus: You have been awarded 500,000 Aether.

New Objective: Survive

The World Tree will require (175,200 Hours) to successfully absorb the ambient Aether and seal the Singularity. Protect it against the Anti-Life until the process is complete.

Reinforcements will arrive every (24 hours) from the Tower of Avarice.

Good Luck.

“I’m normally not great at math, but 175,200 hours is quite a long time, isn’t it?” Mathew asked Rehn. The Psion was lowering her own wristband, and her face showed hints of distress.

“Two decades.” Rehn said, and Mathew winced.

“Two decades in hell, against whatever the Anti-Life throws at us.” Mathew let out a deep sigh.

“At least we got a bonus. I can buy a few potions now.” He would be saving the bulk of it until he saw what the Anti-life were capable of. If he needed new Blessings and equipment, he wanted to know what he was fighting first before spending any Aether.

“We need to hurry. The Anti-Life will have seen the Stalwart Wayfarer fall, and the World Tree’s growth is a threat they won’t ignore. I’m surprised it hasn’t already attacked us.” Rehn advised.

“Maybe we actually caught a break for once. I mean, the ship crashing and a giant tree growing out of a mountain is enough for one day. Maybe we should take this as a sign to rest and prepare. Do they have a saying on your world about not looking a gift horse in the mouth?” Mathew asked.

“No, but we have a similar…wait, something is happening. Look!” Rehn said, drawing Mathew’s attention to the far side of the crater where there was a commotion amongst a large group of Players.

They were so far away that Mathew couldn’t tell what exactly was happening, but some groups were splitting away from others and running.

“The Anti-Life is here.” Mathew said.

“How can you be so sure?” Rehn asked, and Mathew let out a weary sigh as he looked for a defensive position for them to use.

“Because why else would they be running away? Aside from us and them, there isn’t anything else on this world.” Mathew said. He focused on a large root that looked like a good chokepoint.

“There! We’ll shelter under that overhang and hopefully have a good view of what’s happening. If everyone else is smart, they’ll follow us up the mountain unless they want to be picked off one by one.” Mathew said, already walking forward.

“I’m not going to be much use in a fight, Mathew. That shield took a lot out of me.” Rehn admitted.

“You did your part. Leave what happens next to me.” Mathew assured her.