Chapter 245 – Floor 45: Part 2

  Lumina was confused when the bright light faded, and she found herself in a well-furnished and comfortable-looking apartment.

  After looking around for a moment, she spotted Mathew sitting on a couch in the living room with his feet up on the coffee table while the tall, beautiful woman who had been in his apartment a few days ago stood next to the bookshelf, browsing the titles.

  “Mathew? How did I get here?” Lumina asked as the young man turned his head to look at her and smiled. He looked exhausted; his skin was pale, and his eyes were half shut as if he had trouble keeping them open. The young woman who Mathew called his ‘Mentor,’ ignored her completely.

  Lumina hadn’t seen Mathew since his fight with Mercy, and he had disappeared from his apartment at the League of Heroes.

  “You entered the Tower. Normally, this would have brought you somewhere different, a place that you had obviously not intended to go. Thankfully for you, this Tower isn’t working yet. Can I get you something to drink?” Mathew asked, his casual tone worked to calm her down a bit.

  ‘If Mathew could be so flippant about what was happening, it couldn’t be end-of-the-world level stuff, right?’ Lumina thought.

  “I don’t understand.” Lumina responded, only for Mathew to nod his head and gesture to a comfortable-looking armchair across from him.

  “I think it’s time we had a talk.”

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  Lumina’s disappearance sent shockwaves through the crowd of Heroes present. The tension was palpable as the Heroes present buzzed with speculation, and their agitation only grew worse as time passed without anyone finding an answer.

  She had been right in front of them only moments before, then she was gone in a flash of white light. The suddenness of her vanishing left everyone uneasy, but no one more than Vigil. He was in command of the investigation, and it was he who suggested she ‘try the front door.’

  Lumina’s safety was his responsibility, and now that she was gone, he needed to do whatever it took to find and rescue her. Vigil turned to his second-in-command, a Hero named Fantastic, and gave him an order.

  “We need to get inside that Tower. Do whatever it takes.

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  “I knew there was something off about you, but another Earth?! Traveling through Floors of a Tower in order to be granted a wish? If I didn’t know you I would think you were insane.” Lumina exclaimed, causing Mathew to grin.

  “You can see why I didn’t tell you right away. It’s better to ease into the whole ‘interdimensional traveller’ thing until we get to know each other better. It isn’t a typical first date sort of conversation.” Mathew joked, and even Lumina smiled a bit at the comment.

  It was overwhelming but made a strange sort of sense. After everything she had seen over the past few weeks, all of Mathew’s oddities and his fight with Mercy, there were very few explanations that she could accept.

  “And this Tower that you created is supposed to give our world the same opportunity?” Lumina asked curiously. It seemed like a dream come true: explore the multiverse and get a wish at the end.

  “Yes. But there are risks. It’s part of my task to warn anyone off who isn’t 100% committed to climbing the Tower.” Mathew explained before their conversation was interrupted by the room shaking around them. Dust fell from the ceiling, and several small statues that Mathew had placed around the room were toppled over.

  Lumina noticed that the beautiful woman, Lunara, didn’t react at all to the sudden chaos around her.

  “What’s happening?” Lumina asked as she shot to her feet and looked around in confusion. Mathew rose from the couch, his face losing that frivolousness and friendly expression as it hardened into an expression she had seen when he fought Mercy.

  “The Tower is under attack.”

  Page Break

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The large group of Heroes gathered in front of the ominous black Tower; its glossy, obsidian-like surface was stark and unblemished in the spotlight shining on it. The structure was silent; its interior showed no motion or life.

  But Vigil knew that Lumina was likely inside, and every attempt they had made to enter had been rebuffed. Without knowing her status and without any other choice, he ordered the Heroes to attack.

  With grim expressions, they launched their attack in the hope of chipping away at the seemingly indestructible structure.

  At the forefront of the attack was Vigil himself, utilizing the advanced technology he had developed and crafted using his unique talent for creating items. Mechanical arms extended from Vigil’s back with extra hands that wielded tools that carved into the black rock with precision. Lasers crisscrossed sections of the exterior, leaving gouged and superheated lines in the rock.

  Standing next to him was Flare; her body crackled with barely contained energy. With a sweep of her hands, she hurled explosive charges at the front door that detonated on impact, creating fiery bursts that left scorch marks on the glass and stone. The explosions rang out like thunderclaps, and the glass soon started to crack.

  Hovering overhead, Roar called down bolts of pure lightning from a storm-filled sky; each strike sent arcs of electricity racing across the dark stone. The energy crackled through the cracks in the walls, expanding them slightly with each strike with enough force that the air seemed to shake around them.

  Adding more raw power to the team was Volatile, whose physical strength amongst Class ‘A’ was unmatched. The Hero ran at the building and slammed his fists against the stone with enough force that cracks would spread from the impact. Every swing of his fist against the Tower sent shockwaves through the ground like an Earthquake.

  Above them all was Delta Beam, one of the most offensively powerful attackers in the entire New York Branch of Heroes. She was often described as a ‘glass cannon,’ one who lacked all the physical enhancements that most Heroes had.

  Her signature attack, The Majestic Condemnation, required a significant amount of time to charge and was a spectacle of raw power and unparalleled beauty. Hovering high above the others, she clasped her hands together with her form silhouetted against the night sky.

  A brilliant, purple light began to coalesce around her, pulsating with energy. It grew steadily, its intensity painting the clouds with streaks of violet. To those watching from below, it was as if a new star had ignited in the heavens, growing brighter and larger with each passing second.

  The process demanded her full focus and attention, with every second charging the attack threatening to overwhelm her if done incorrectly. The hum of energy intensified, vibrating through the air. It caused windows to rattle and loose objects to tremble.

  The force of her charging attack sent waves of static electricity rippling out, sparking car alarms in the vicinity. The light swelled to a peak, glowing with such ferocity that it was almost blinding.

  And then, with a single motion, she released it.

  There was a sudden whoosh of air as the energy descended in a blinding column of destruction. The hum reached a crescendo that shook the ground and seemed to resonate through the very bones of those who watched.

  The beam pushed toward its target with an unrelenting force that threatened to tear through all obstacles in its path as if they were paper. There was an abrupt flash of blinding, purple light that obscured the base of the Tower.

  The attacking Heroes, aware of what was coming, had retreated to a safe distance while shielding their eyes.

  When the light finally faded, it left nothing but silence in its wake, as if the world itself was catching its breath after witnessing such overwhelming power.

  Vigil’s visor slowly lightened, and the darkness that had covered it in response to the assault of light was removed, allowing him to see what had happened to this strange Tower. Surely, such a powerful attack would have breached a hole in the stone exterior.

  Instead, Vigil was shocked when the light faded to reveal that no damage had been done. Instead, a young man stood in front of the doors of the Tower. A glowing white light surrounded him in a protective barrier that circled the Tower.

  Even more surprising was the young woman standing next to him. Lumina appeared unharmed, safe inside the young man’s shield.

  “Lumina! Where have you-” Vigil was cut off as the young man, Mathew Larson, spoke.

  “That was quite the attack! You could do some serious damage; it’s probably best if you come down here so you can join the others in our chat. I wouldn’t want to repeat myself.” Mathew said while making a gesture toward the floating Delta Beam.

  She disappeared from the sky, only to reappear in front of Vigil. She looked around in shock and some fear at the sudden shift.

  “There, much better.” Mathew said, nodding his head. He paused for a moment before gesturing again to the sky above him. An image appeared of Mathew, a giant in proportion and incorporeal like a hologram. All throughout the City, every cell phone and television showed a similar image on their screens.

  Mathew’s voice rang out, steady and commanding, while carrying an air of shakable confidence.

  “My name is Mathew Larson, and I am the Apostle to the god of Unyielding Declaration. This is the Tower of Avarice; it represents both a gift and a challenge from Unyielding Declaration and the other gods. Through it, the gods make the following offer: in one year’s time, its doors will open and grant entry to all those with the courage, determination and strength of will to face what lies within.”

  “The Tower will test those who enter. It will demand their all. You body, mind and soul. But for those who succeed, the gods will grant you a single wish. Whatever you desire, they will make it true for those who reach the top.”

  “100 Floors, each a test and a challenge for those in service to the gods.”

  “In one year’s time, this Tower will no longer be alone. Others will materialize in every corner of this world, and you will all be given the ‘Rulebook.’ I look forward to seeing you all then.”

  Finishing his explanation, Mathew was about to turn back to re-enter the Tower when he was interrupted.