Chapter 244 – Floor 45: Part 1
Congratulations on creating the Prime Tower. The connection between this world and the Tower of Avarice is tenuous and requires time to stabilize.
Unyielding Declaration has charged you with protecting the Prime Tower until the connection is rendered permanent. Although this is an opportunity for the people of this world, there are many that would see it destroyed.
Goal: Protect the Prime Tower for one (1) Year.
Mathew lowered the silver wristband and allowed the flaming words to disappear.
“One year.” He muttered as he ran his hand through his hair. There was a time when a single year felt like a long period, but now it was inconsequential. After all, time was one thing he had in abundance.
Mathew could hear sirens in the distance and the sounds of police cars approaching. Soon, there would be crowds here, all looking in awe at this new structure that had sprung to life in the heart of the city. He could imagine the reporters, the helicopters and rows of people with their cameras and questions.
Mathew let out a sigh and approached the sealed doors at the front of the Prime Tower. Made of glass, dark metal and black stone, they looked both beautiful and elegant while still being strong enough to stop an army in their tracks.
The mist on the ground swirled around his ankles as he walked forward; the soft ground and damp grass muffled his footsteps. The doors silently opened as he neared, revealing an interior of bright, white light. Passing through, Mathew barely noticed as they closed and sealed behind him once again.
The interior remained a white void for just a moment before dimming to reveal a familiar sight. It was his old apartment, the one that he had in his New York City.
The living room stretched out in front of him; its high ceilings reached above his head. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed Central Park around the Tower, while Mathew knew that no one outside would be able to see inside.
Polished hardwood floors reflected the soft glow of recessed lighting embedded in the ceiling. In the corner, a sleek and modern fireplace flickered with gentle flames.
Every piece of furniture looked as though it belonged in a gallery. A charcoal-coloured sofa was flanked by two beige armchairs, and a coffee table sat between them, with a few books and a vase of white flowers on top of them.
Against one wall stood a built-in bookcase; its shelves held an assortment of hardcover law textbooks and novels he had found the time to read after work. Mathew knew that if he looked closely enough, he would find a few books that Emily had left before she had moved.
It was home, as close to it as he would get without returning to the real thing.
“Despite the years we have spent together, Human aesthetics are still unfamiliar to me, Student.” Lunara said as she walked through an open door inside the apartment that led to the kitchen. She was studying every object with interest in much the same way she had done in his room at the League of Heroes.
“I could say the same about the Celestials, Mentor. Your furniture leaves a lot to be desired.” Mathew replied while walking to the bookshelf and scanning the titles. One caught his eye immediately: A Story of Art was one of Emily’s books that had survived the purge after she had left.
Mathew ran a finger down its spine as he remembered her reading it on the couch behind him while he worked on something for the Firm.
“We believe in leading lives free from the burden of ‘things,’ while your people insist on cluttering their spaces with nonsense.” Lunara stated with distaste. Her face was expressionless in that maddeningly Celestial way, but her tone had carried a hint of emotion.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Do I have you to thank for this? It seems uncharacteristically kind of you to provide a taste of home.” Mathew asked, gesturing vaguely to the apartment around them. Lunara paused and looked up from the small statue of a dog that she had picked up before replying.
“You understand me well, Student. This was created by your subconscious when you summoned the Tower into existence. No small part of you longs for home, and it bled into your creation. You still have much to learn.” Lunara said before placing the statue back on its shelf and moving on to a new object.
Mathew turned away from the bookshelf and took a seat on the comfortable couch, sinking into his spot in a satisfying way that other furniture lacked. Placing his feet on the coffee table, he folded his hands behind his head and relaxed.
“We’ll have time for you to teach me. I need to guard this Tower for a year before I can move on to the next Floor.” Mathew responded. Lunara shook her head, causing her white hair to shimmer in the artificial light.
“I suspect you will be more busy than you realize. I haven’t come here to teach you but to deliver your reward on behalf of Unyielding Declaration.” Lunara explained, causing Mathew to lean forward in anticipation.
“Reward? The notification hadn’t said anything about that when it gave me the quest.” Mathew replied with a bit of confusion. Rewards were normally given through the Tower’s wristband, with them being directly applied to his attributes or items appearing in his inventory space.
But this was something directly from Unyielding Declaration, something that hasn’t happened since he became an Apostle.
“It has not been awarded through the Tower. This is a gift to you from your deity. There is no reason for outside interference. You have been granted an opportunity to progress three Floors during your year of guard duty here in the Prime Tower.” Lunara explained.
“Three Floors?” Mathew responded, stunned by the gift he was being given. His entire purpose was to reach the top of the Tower, and three Floors would take years off that journey, not to mention the hazards associated with climbing the Tower.
“There are two ‘SS’ Class Heroes and one ‘SS’ Villain present in this world that have taken offence to the Prime Tower and the opportunity it presents. They will subtly be ‘convinced’ to face you one at a time. Each success will allow you to climb a Floor of the Tower.”
“And if I fail?” Mathew asked.
“They may kill you, which will be punishment enough. But if you fail and the Tower is harmed, you will be sent to a punishment Floor, and you will no longer be considered an Apostle.
Page Break
Lumina rushed down the path through Central Park; the massive Tower that stretched into the sky was like a beacon, drawing every Hero in the city toward it. The Villains may have been stopped, with many of them lying low and not causing trouble at the moment, but Lumina should have known that things wouldn’t stay calm forever.
“Where the hell is Mathew?” Lumina muttered as she pushed past a barricade the police had set up and resumed her sprint. She had gone to look for him at his apartment in the League accommodations but hadn’t had any luck finding him.
Lumina’s boots thudded against the pavement as she tore through the park, her breath visible in the crisp evening air. The Tower loomed above like a shard of obsidian piercing the sky; its smooth, dark surface caught glimmers of the full moon overhead.
Her concern for Mathew’s safety mixed with her fear of the strange structure, and she couldn’t help but think the two were connected. First, Mathew rips a hole in the sky and blasts Mercy with a pillar of fire, and a day later, this tower appears in Central Park.
As she approached the Tower’s front exterior, she could see a few dozen Heroes already gathered. It was a mix of familiar faces and new recruits. All of them had looks of determination, anxiety or curiosity on their faces as they studied the building.
Since Blaze had died, it had fallen onto her and the other Class ‘A’ Heroes to manage the League and protect the city.
“Took you long enough.” Vigil said as the crowd of Heroes and onlookers parted to let him through. The acting head of the New York Branch of the League of Heroes looked exhausted, even with the mask blocking half his face.
He had taken Blaze’s death hard, and the responsibility of managing the League hadn’t allowed him to take a break to mourn.
“What do we know about it?” Lumina asked as he came to a stop beside her.
“Scans show that it’s a normal building. Except it shouldn’t be here, and we don’t know what’s inside of it. Nothing will penetrate the exterior; we’ve tried everything we can think of. We’re waiting for more equipment from the Boston Branch.” Vigil explained.
“Have you tried the doors?” Lumina inquired jokingly, pointing to the double doors at the front of the tower in an attempt to lighten the tension. Vigil scoffed.
“Never thought of that. Why don’t you give it a try?” Vigil responded, already knowing that they were sealed. Even their strongest members couldn’t get them to open.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lumina walked to the front of the Tower and placed her hand on the dark metallic handle. Giving it a half-hearted tug, fully expecting it to be locked, she was shocked when it opened, and she was engulfed in white light.
