The sea of memories was stripping Eric bare, leaving only the vessel that was to be. With each memory an aspect of Eric was removed.

  Does he like dogs? Cats? Snakes? These questions were becoming irrelevant as each answer depended on something that wasn’t genuine.

  His likes or dislikes weren’t his.

  Everyone in the throne room was still. While Eric was going through an entire ordeal on his own, it hadn’t even been a second of real time for those that weren’t him.

  While he was being carefully dismantled into his core components, the others stood still.

  Then came the memories of anger, the only true emotion that he had ever felt.

  But that’s also not me, Eric corrected. It’s something within me that influences. It’s not mine. Gray noticed it and said as much.

  Each memory of rage was examined and carefully dismantled.

  That is not me. It has never—an image of him with a bloody grin as he spat something out as a young Stella stood frozen in fear. That—That was also not me.

  The memory was leaving, abandoning the vessel.

  Then, as if something fundamental and essential had been damaged, a part of Eric’s mind, whatever remained, began to panic and raced.

  It was searching for something, anything that could confirm Eric’s very existence, but that wasn’t to be. Even his mind was part of the vessel and through its rapid advancement, it only hastened Eric’s death.

  At least, that’s how it should have been. Before he knew it, Eric grasped onto something that he hadn’t noticed before. Doubt! his mind screamed in victory.

  Eric reached for such a small and simple thread. But he had to reach for it, it was proof of his very existence.

  Why would I feel doubt about anything when I shouldn’t even care about anything to begin with?! The very fact that I am having such trouble to distinguish between what I am and what I’m not, is proof that I exist at some level.

  Eric, who had been sitting for a second or two after he demanded silence, shot up.

  A smile that nobody had seen since they met him appeared on his face and it fit perfectly, there was no awkwardness in his expression.

  “My doubts, they’re proof of my existence, aren’t they?” he asked, looking directly at the king killer. “All this time I’ve taken from others, trying to be more like them. Their smiles, their anger, even their sorrow… but I never felt it. It was never mine.” He paused, the weight of his realization solidifying. "All those expressions, those reactions—they weren’t mine.”

  Everyone in the throne room was stunned. They didn’t know what was happening and some of them felt genuine fear as they saw what was happening before them.

  According to the head knight’s words, he was a sage and before them he was having some sort of revelation, that or he was breaking down, putting them all at risk.

  “But I also can’t reject reality. This is me, unfeeling and indifferent,” Eric said conclusively. “I don’t need joy, or sadness, or anger. I don’t need to be more than this, because being exactly this is already enough.” His smile now conveyed serenity.

  “Perhaps, at some level, I’ve always known the truth. Whether things will change or not, it doesn’t matter. I genuinely don’t care. I’ll just continue as I have and change as needed,” he added with a confident smirk. “If I take and add things, or remove some more, it doesn’t matter, since I can do it without really caring.”

  Nothing changed, not truly. But there was something different, a mental difference, a different perspective. He basically resolved the issue of discordance between what he was and what he appeared to be by being completely genuine to himself and not caring and somehow being both, at least at surface level.

  He was indifferent to the very existence of this discordance; he was indifferent to the very fact that he didn’t genuinely care. If he acted like he cared, did it matter?

  “Is this more about—”

  Before the princess could continue with her usual barrage of words and insults, Eric appeared before her, his hand wrapped around her throat.

  “The thing about not caring and merely pretending,” Eric exhaled through his nose, “I get to choose who I care about and who I don’t… And you?” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “You’re just annoying.”

  Grasping the princess’s throat and tightening his grip, he squeezed until something cracked. The princess fell to the ground, struggling to breathe, but still alive. Eric crouched and yanked the red diamond necklace that she wore on her neck.

  Quest complete!

  +10 Reward Points.

  A portal appeared in the middle of the room, but nobody reacted to it, not even Eric.

  “Just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I’m a homicidal maniac,” Eric said with a false smile.

  Then he turned to face the king killer, who immediately froze when Eric set his sights on him. “If you answer a question, I might just leave, and I’ll just leave you to do your bidding. How about it?”

  The king killer, staggered in place, surprised by what Eric said. “Wha—What is the question?”

  “A simple one really. Why?” Eric asked. “Why kill the king now and not later or before, or at all?”

  “Lo—Look at the princess,” the king killer resolved himself to answer. “She was the best of them all. That should give you an answer.”

  Eric frowned, looking at the princess that was grabbing her throat, still struggling to breathe, then his sights shifted to the head knight.

  “Is that true?” Eric asked. “Does the entire royal family kind of suck?”

  The head knight had her attention focused completely on the princess, but she had been listening and she suddenly felt herself being watched.

  Rapidly turning to where the feeling was coming from, the person who she assumed was a sage asked her a question. And it wasn’t just any question. It was one that inquired about the attitudes of the royal family.

  The head knight knew she couldn’t lie. The sage had shown the ability to discern lies from truth from the incident with the poison expert.

  But to tell the truth might endanger the princess’s, her princess’s, safety. She was her guard and to cause harm to someone who she was in charge of protecting was unthinkable. But so was getting away with lying to the sage.

  Steeling herself full of courage, she reached for her shield, held it before her and covered her entire body with mana.

  “Honored sage, I know that my words will not persuade you, but please consider the young—”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “So that’s a yes, then?” Eric asked, cutting the knight off, already knowing the answer.

  “Honored sage, please allow me—”

  “Yes, then. Ok,” Eric said, cutting her off definitively.

  Then he clapped his mana reinforced hands and let out a loud clap. “I’m out,” he said, walking toward a portal that only he could see, at least that’s what he assumed since no one else reacted to its sudden appearance.

  Quest complete!

  +25 Reward Points.

  “But—”

  “The necklace—”

  A series of loud cries were heard as Eric crossed the portal, but none of that stopped him. As the white light engulfed him, his false smile disappeared, and reality hit him like a truck.

  “I didn’t solve anything. I merely put a band aid on a genuine problem,” he said with an indifferent expression.

  He wasn’t worried, he was merely detailing his situation.

  “I almost lost myself by merely knowing and getting more in tune with my body. And this was only the first evolution. What will happen on the second or even third?”

  In the back of his mind, he noticed that the bright light had lasted longer than usual, but regardless, he continued with his analysis and detailing of the situation.

  “The next time I might just lose myself completely. That being said, I am kind of curious as to what would have happened had ‘Eric’ died. Would I still have such thoughts? Or would I be a mere tool? And what does that actually imply?”

  Letting out a short exhale through his nose, he continued with his analysis.

  “Would I automatically go out and ‘contain’ stuff? Like some sort of robot or would I stand still until someone tells me to go do it? Eh!" He shrugged. "That’s an issue—”

  Congratulations! You have completed the introduction floors of the Tower of Revelation!

  You have accumulated a total of: 118 Reward Points.

  Would you like to continue through the Tower of Revelation? Yes/No

  Time left in the Tower of Revelation: 101:17:51

  Note: If you choose to leave the Tower of Revelation, you will have to return before you reach level 50 and resume your climb. If you return after your second evolution, you will have to start over again and previous points will be lost.

  Eric suddenly found himself within a white space. There was no end in sight, though he couldn’t be sure since he didn’t move. Before him were System windows that demanded his input.

  The answers for Eric were obvious. “I can only continue forward; nothing really holds me back unless I want it to.” But before he continued, he wanted to see what was available for purchase.

  The first options were all recovery items.

  Basic Health elixir: Restores a moderate amount of health instantly. Cost: 10 points.

  Minor Mana regeneration Pill: Increases mana recovery rate by a moderate amount for the next three floors or 24 hours. Cost: 10 points.

  Enhanced Stamina pill: Boosts stamina regeneration rate by a substantial amount for the next three floors or 24 hours. Cost: 15 points.

  Considering his high endurance and bloodline assimilation, he didn’t need a stamina pill or a health elixir.

  The mana regeneration might come in handy with prolonged mana reinforcement, but he still had more to see, so he marked it but continued.

  Minor Concept essence: Temporarily strengthens one conceptual power for the next three floors. Cost: 15 points.

  Cultivation stimulant (Rank E): Temporarily enhances cultivation speed by a small amount, lasting for the next three floors or 24 hours. Cost: 20 points.

  Basic protection amulet: Grants minor resistance to physical damage for one trial. Cost: 20 points.

  The list went on and on with similar buffs and enhancements. Some were upgraded versions of another, lasting longer or being more potent, but in the end, Eric only made note of the ones that could serve him.

  Spirit-Enhancing pills (Rank E): Boosts perception and mana sensitivity for a limited period, making it easier to sense and absorb energy. Cost: 25 points.

  Internal Energy focus elixir (Rank E): Increases internal energy accumulation by a moderate amount for 48 hours. Cost: 30 points.

  Enhanced Skillbook: Unlocks a stronger skill upgrade or variant based on the user’s class path. Cost: 50 points.

  Refined cultivation orb (Rank E): Provides a small increase in qi density, enhancing cultivation progress. Cost: 65 points.

  He then began to divide them into price groups that he could more easily analyze and then determine how essential they were for him.

  After a quick inspection toward the third group, the cheapest he was interested in, only two options called to him. One out of curiosity and the other for an actual practical use.

  The refined cultivation orb that would enhance his qi, and the enhanced skillbook that would upgrade a skill.

  “I want the orb to find out what qi is. Is it mana or is that internal energy? Maybe it’s the energy that is created within my core. If that’s the case, then does that mean that with greater density I’ll achieve the same with less, reducing my leveling time or that I’ll gain more for the same time? Either way, it seems important.”

  “As for the skillbook… Both Mana Insight and Mental Focus are almost at level twenty. If I can skip one, maybe even both of their leveling afterword, who knows what I’ll be able to do.”

  Mana crystal (Rechargeable): Provides a continuous mana supply for emergencies. Capacity: 500. Cost: 70 points.

  Rare cultivation manual: A random rare cultivation manual with a higher stat gain and other benefits. Cost: 75 points.

  Minor spirit companion: A low-level spirit familiar to assist in battles and cultivation, adaptable to the user’s abilities. Cost: 120 points.

  “The rechargeable mana crystal might be useful, but what I felt was possible when that anger took over completely removes the necessity for such a thing. It reminded me of a mana core, now that I think about it. I should talk to Stella about it.”

  “The companion could be hit or miss. Considering what I know now, would I even care for it if I don’t see a path forward with it? It’s better not to subject it to such a possibility. And the manual.” He paused, considering something. “I still haven’t even cultivated the one I currently have in the correct manner. But this one offers higher benefits and stat gains. The manual is definitely the only option for this group.”

  Conceptual awakening shard: Awakens a dormant aspect of a conceptual power, granting the possibility to gain a concept. Cost: 150 points.

  Specialized weapon: A custom weapon with a slight affinity for the user’s main class, designed for growth. Cost: 180 points.

  Legacy technique scroll: Contains a powerful legacy technique, tailored to the user’s class and path. One-time-use only. Cost: 220 points.

  Major breakthrough pill: Boosts cultivation speed to an unparalleled degree, allowing for a near-instant breakthrough in the current minor stage. Cost: 250 points.

  Infinite essence: Profoundly boosts the cultivation foundation, strengthening your core and pathways, greatly enhancing potential and progression rate. Cost: 250 points.

  Essence of awakening: Force a connection to the heavens and gain insight into a random aspect of your truth. Cost: 280 points.

  “I can’t even buy any of these yet. Though, maybe I should start saving in case one of them is useful. Hmm, let’s see.” Eric carefully began to go through each option that was before him, when something suddenly caught his eye.

  The last option, “Essence of awakening,” was greyed out. “It can’t be because of the cost, the others aren’t, and I also can’t afford them. So, something odd is happening here… But I can’t even afford it. Maybe it’s something for the future floors. I’ll just wait and see if it solves itself.”

  After going through the options one more time, Eric realized that if he really wanted to purchase something at this junction, then there were really only three options for him to consider.

  Refined cultivation orb (Rank E): Provides a small increase in qi density, enhancing cultivation progress. Cost: 65 points.

  Enhanced Skillbook: Unlocks a stronger skill upgrade or variant based on the user’s class path. Cost: 50 points.

  Rare cultivation manual: A random rare cultivation manual with a higher stat gain and other benefits. Cost: 75 points.

  Eric took his time looking at the three options, but no matter how much he looked, he didn’t gleam any more information that might allow him to choose.

  “I could wait and purchase all three with points from the following floors, but that wouldn’t be efficient. I need to get the skillbook, two of my skills are nearing the end, and it would be best to use it as soon as either of them is upgraded. That way I can get a head start on their new level.”

  He then looked at the remaining two options for some time, considering which to be more crucial than the other.

  “I could probably get a cultivation manual outside… but what if I come across a mana dense environment that is perfect for leveling? I mean, I haven’t yet, but I might.”

  “But I’m also curious to find out what qi is.” He closed his eyes in resignation. “Whatever,” he said, closing his eyes and pretending to not know the option he would choose.

  Then, as if they were on a platform, a small steal orb covered in complex patterns and a thin futuristic looking piece of stone appeared before him.

  One was the cultivation orb, and the other was the skillbook. He swiftly put the skillbook into his tattoo storage and stared at the orb in his hand for a moment.

  He was about to confirm whether the orb did something to his mana, but he felt the effects of what it did almost immediately.

  His cultivation sense suddenly felt heavier. It wasn’t like he was even using it to begin with, but it was affected just by having grabbed the orb.

  Would you like to continue through the Tower of Revelation? Yes/No

  Time left in the Tower of Revelation: 101:17:49

  “Wait, time left? I’m being timed? And I only have… 4 days left?”

  The System prompt flashed before Eric, bringing him back to reality and pushing the matter with his core to the back of his mind. Without even thinking about it, he selected yes.

  You are now entering the Tower of Revelation proper. There are no more tests. The difficulty will now increase with each floor.

  Each floor now grants a minimum of ten points and a maximum of twenty. Additional quests can be discovered on each floor to reach the maximum of twenty reward points.

  You will now enter the multiversal pool of tower challengers. The likelihood of being alone on any given floor has been significantly reduced. However, a vast array of quests is available on each floor.

  Congratulations and good luck!