Jenny gazed expressionlessly at the corpse of the ogre that sat before her feet. His entire body was dyed in blood, a mixture of her own and that of her enemy’s. Her face was stained with the viscous liquid.
She stared at the dark sky, devoid of any illumination. Yet, her vision was intact, symbolizing the presence of some form of light. She let out a sigh, sheathing her sword as it produced a faint sound.
The sound of metal colliding with another object.
Klang!
As she read the system message, a look of understanding blossomed on her face. She stepped into the portal, expecting to be the first one to pass. Alas, there were always bigger fish in the sea.
*
As Jenny’s eyes opened, she observed the isolated room she was in. The metal benches, the lack of windows… and the presence of someone she had somewhat expected to sense. Arthur Solace.
The man was truly exceptional, both in power and leadership.
Jenny couldn’t allow his image to fade from her mind. The pressure he emanated when treating all the newbies in Physical Training like mere hunting dogs… The abyss that seemed to exist within his eyes…
It was terrifying, sometimes. However, usually, he was a decent man with acceptable social skills. He sometimes dug for information using Harry and the others, which Jenny found peculiar.
Also, he seemed to be familiar with the layout of the tower itself.
‘How does he know so much?’ Jenny found herself wondering that several times across their stay at the hotel. Each time, it was due to another wild act Arthur had committed, which seemed to lead her closer and closer to the truth. 𝑜𝑣.𝘯𝑡
But she was quick to realize each path led to an even more complex web of lies.
So, as she gazed at him in the isolated space, unknown emotions flickered in her eyes. She had never experienced such emotions. She wasn’t certain what to refer to them as, but knew they were negative.
Nodding in acknowledgement towards Arthur and the others’ presence, she simply sat on a bench a few hundred feet away. Then, she assumed a meditative stance, placing her sheathe beside her.
At that moment, her wounds closed up. Although she was initially stunned, Jenny was quick to recover. With one last, silent glance at the crimson-eyed man, she became lost in the melody of mana.
*
The core of research, the truth of the world… it all lay within an energy that seemed simple externally, but when one meddled in its affairs internally, they discovered the various paths leading to differing destinations.
They were all correct, but represented a possibility of infinite growth. Each path strayed from the broader concept of ‘mana’, and delved into an entirely unexplored realm of knowledge. That was the beauty of seeking answers.
The paths broadened each time a ‘grand discovery’ was made. Epiphanies, enlightenment… there were nothing but meager boosts along a possibly unending, infinite path.
Not even the Demons and Angels were apparent to the complexities of the all-encompassing force that provided living beings power. But power wasn’t the only aspect that mana specialized in.
There were thousands of other uses.
Each use symbolized an aspect of mana.
*
Jenny’s deep thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of another portal. She let out a sigh, withdrawing her consciousness. It seemed another newbie had arrived after finishing the first tier.
It was Randy.
His breathing was erratic, and wounds covered his entire body. Considering the state of his body, it wouldn’t be shocking for his heart to stop beating at any moment. However, as soon as he stepped into the isolated room, his survival was ensured.
However, the fact that he completed the first tier without the use of mana accurately displayed his unfaltering resolve to climb the tower. There weren’t many who would accept the lack of such a vital force.
It wasn’t that mana did not exist in Randy’s body. Mana existed in everything.
It was simply that Randy could not control it. His mana channels were obstructed by an unknown force, which prevented him from circulating the energy across his body, in turn gaining control of it.
Nodding at Arthur and Jenny in acknowledgement, Randy sat on the metal bench. It seemed the aura of the necromantic beasts had affected his mental prowess.
He soon fell into a deep slumber.
It was only obvious, considering the fatigue that must have assaulted his body. Battling for prolonged periods of time without the use of mana was difficult, and one couldn’t recuperate by meditating, either.
He could simply sleep, hoping to have healed most of his exhaustion by the time the second tier began.
“Your friend there is devoid of any mana…” Heather muttered, gasping. She seemed shocked that such a person managed to reach this far, considering his glaring disadvantage compared to the other newbies.
How had he even cleared the mana test?
Arthur nodded in response. “The tower can be climbed by those without mana… although it might be increasingly difficult to do so.”
“I believe you,” Heather replied, but scrunched her eyebrows while observing Randy with much intensity. She seemed amused that such a person could even enter the tower.
Neon’s gaze fell on Randy, and his eyes flickered with an unknown emotion. However, he was quick to avert his gaze.
The isolated space was silent, and newbies kept flooding in one by one. A few hours passed, and most of the newbies moving on had entered.
They began with thousands of newbies, but now… there were barely 800-900 newbies left. A majority of them had perished while battling the necromantic beasts.
The newbies mourned the deaths of their comrades or friends, and conversed with others to possibly form allies for their upcoming predicament. It would be a tough battle to become a player.
Finally, when everyone had entered the isolated space, system messages manifested before the eyes of the future players.
The last battle before they became players had begun.