ALL NOVEL Chapter 79 – Floor 8: Part 5
Chapter 79 – Floor 8: Part 5
The Margrave counted down the days until the Champion left his castle with anticipation.
It wasn’t that the man did anything, or even said much, to make the Margrave dislike having him as a guest. In fact, after the initial questioning of the Nobles and the Prince, the Champion had barely left his room or even said more than a handful of words to anyone.
No, it was just that the mere presence of the young man in his castle unnerved him and all of his staff.
Mathew had an Aura about him that could be terrifying at times.
It had started a few days after the Emperor had left, leaving the Champion to rest alone at the Margrave’s castle for a month until the gods could transport him to his next destination. At that point, the Champion was a superhuman figure to everyone who had witnessed what he had done.
Strength beyond that of mortals, magic that could move objects or create destruction at a gesture; the stories were already spreading far and wide about him. But he was still human, still just flesh and blood, and the Margrave found that the few times he had engaged with the Champion in the days after the investigation were rather….mundane.
Mathew ate and slept, relaxed and bathed or took long walks through the castle or the grounds of the Margrave’s estate. People were curious and respectful but not fearful of him.
That had changed overnight.
The Margrave had felt this growing sense of unease all morning like an unknown worry gnawing at his insides. His breakfast had tasted like ashes in his mouth, and he lost all appetite after only a few bites. His wife felt a similar sense of anxiety, fiddling with her skirts in apprehension.
It was almost a relief when he heard a servant scream from upstairs.
They had rushed up the stone steps of the castle to the guest quarters to find one of their servants laying on the ground, pointing and screaming at the top of his lungs at the door to the Champion’s room. Inconsolable, the Margrave had left him to the care of his wife and checked on the Champion.
What greeted him was a figure from a nightmare.
The Champion stood in the room, cloaked in darkness. He seemed to be as tall as a mountain to the Margrave’s eyes, an impossibly colossal character made of pure menace and malevolence. The balding man swore he could hear the sounds of bones crunching beneath Mathew’s feet as he took a step toward him, and the young man’s crimson eyes locked onto his.
Then, there had been nothing.
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Mathew watched with satisfaction as the Margrave fainted in the doorway. A part of him, long distant and nearly forgotten, felt a tinge of regret at tormenting the poor man. He seemed an alright person, an arrogant noble but not cruel.
But that part of Mathew had been smothered by half a decade of violence on the seventh floor and a number of years in the Tower of Avarice so long that Mathew couldn’t recall precisely how many he had spent here.
He wished he could blame his new attitude on the ‘Villain’ Discipline, but the truth was that he had been like this before. Perhaps that was why it had been chosen for him.
Detached from the situation he had created, Mathew stopped funnelling mana into his new Blessing. The ‘Fear’ he generated ceased immediately, and when the Margrave’s wife came running to her husband’s aid, she found Mathew in his normal state.
No longer a terrifying being, she was confused when her husband awoke and spoke of a demon haunting their castle instead of the Champion.
A Blessing required practice, and Mathew would occasionally turn on the ‘Fear’ to test its effects. By the end of the month, he had gained a new reputation, and everyone was glad to be rid of him. He had chuckled at the stammering Margrave’s hollow attempts to ‘persuade’ him to remain longer.
Out of politeness, Mathew didn’t tell the Margrave that he knew he was lying.
In compensation for the terror he inflicted on the Margrave and everyone around him, Mathew gifted the man a selection of healing potions and a large diamond he purchased from the store for a pittance. Jewels and precious metals only had value to players when crafting items, or they could sometimes be used for components in spells or select Blessings.
To Mathew, they were worthless. However, he appreciated how one of the servant’s eyes comically enlarged at the sight of a ruby as large as an egg he had given her for taking care of him the last few weeks.
Finally, the time came for Mathew to step into the Elevator and travel to the ninth floor. As the doors closed, he caught the look of relief on the Margrave’s face. He couldn’t help letting out another chuckle at the expression.
Perhaps his Discipline was affecting him.
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While Mathew waited to arrive on the Ninth Floor, he checked his wristband for the ‘Judgement’ of the gods. The goddess of Truth and Reconciliation had invited him, but he was sure that several of the other gods were keeping an eye on him.
They had been watching him closely since the Seventh Floor.
The goddess of Truth and Reconciliation is pleased with your performance, although they are concerned with your behaviour toward their followers. They have chosen to withhold a completion bonus.
“Stingy.” Mathew grumbled.
The god of Righteous Subjugation has attempted to request your assistance but has been denied by the other gods of the Tower.
“Good. Righteous Subjugation is becoming too interested in me.” Mathew commented softly. He had no interest in becoming an Apostle.
The god of Mischievous Depravity is pleased you accepted their Discipline. Your presence is requested and has been approved by the gods.
Mathew closed the screen after seeing the last judgment. Mischievous Depravity didn’t sound like a god he wanted to associate with, but, to be honest, none of them were too appealing. Even the good ones seemed to have agendas.
‘Ding!’
The Elevator began to slow, and Mathew’s wristband began to vibrate to announce a new message. Raising his wrist, it projected words on the wall beside him.
The god of Mischievous Depravity has named you its ‘Champion’ for the ninth floor. A bonus will be granted if you complete the Floor in the manner dictated by your Patron Deity.
Floor 9: Every Hero Needs a Villain
Summary: The world of Arista has stagnated. The people are lax in their faith in the gods and grow callous and uncaring. Power is held in the hands of a class of mages and warriors of incredible strength who oppress the populace in the name of ‘good’ and ‘morality,’ all the while acting in the opposite in secret.
Without conflict, there can be no growth. Fire burns away the rot and allows new life to spread.
You will be that fire, burning away the weeds and allowing a new generation of Heroes to rise.
Objective: Conquer the town of Reesh. Additional objectives will be named by your Patron Deity of this Floor upon completion.
Mathew closed the screen with a wave of his hand. He had selected ‘Villian’ not because he wanted to be one but because he didn’t want to become an Apostle of a god. Was he being punished for his choice?
‘At least I don’t have to kill anyone. I just need to conquer a town, but the method is left to me.’ Mathew thought. ‘Fear’ would be an incredibly useful Blessing to achieve that goal.
Making plans for how to go about completing this Floor, Mathew hardly noticed when the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened, revealing the Ninth Floor.