Tower Apocalypse 3, page 36
The changes were unbelievable.
The damage output had skyrocketed. Even my basic skills were far beyond anything I could have accomplished before.
DIAGONAL STRIKE
DESCRIPTION: Strike the target diagonally, causing ATTACK * 300% damage.
DOUBLE SLASH
DESCRIPTION: Slash the target twice in quick succession, causing ATTACK * 600% damage
NOTE: Can cause bleed to target, dealing 150% ATTACK as damage over 5 seconds.
HIDDEN STRIKE
DESCRIPTION: Strike the target from a blind spot, causing ATTACK * 550% damage.
NOTE: Can cause bleed to target, dealing 150% ATTACK as damage over 5 seconds.
QUICKDRAW
DESCRIPTION: Unsheathe your blade and attack the target, causing ATTACK * 350% damage.
SNAKE BITE
DESCRIPTION: Strike the target’s weak point using the tip of your blade and inflict bleeding debuff, causing ATTACK * 700% damage.
NOTE: Causes bleed to target, dealing 150% ATTACK as damage over 5 seconds.
ARMOR BREAK
DESCRIPTION: Strike the target’s armor several times, decreasing their defense and armor durability, causing ATTACK * 400% damage.
NOTE: Causes defense down from -55 to -70% and durability by half
FORCE WAVE
DESCRIPTION: Imbues Force into the attack and releases a wave, hitting everything around the target, causing ATTACK * 620% damage.
NOTE: Causes targets to stagger for 5 seconds.
IAIDO STRIKE
Automatically draw your blade and lunge through the target, dealing ATTACK * 500% damage.
When it came to my sword skills, the only move that hadn’t dramatically increased in damage output was [IAIDO STRIKE], but that spell was more about movement than damage. What mattered was the cooldown drop.
The best bonus was to [SNAKE BITE].
The modifier and bleeding damage were just ridiculous, and it felt like I’d stumbled onto a secretly broken move.
Between this and Shai’s barb bonus, it seemed like Gaea’s overlords really loved bleed moves. Maybe one of them even used blood magic themselves. If Luparia wasn’t going to tell me anything, I had to get any hints about their identity I could.
As for my hexes and curses, the improvements were just as impressive as the ones to my swordsmanship. The hex amount—and the range for the area-of-effect curses—had been boosted almost beyond recognition.
DEBILITATE
DESCRIPTION: Reduce target Defense and Attack by 40%.
MANGLE
DESCRIPTION: Reduce target Speed and Reaction by 35%.
SHEER
DESCRIPTION: Reduce target Accuracy by 35%
BODY TRANSFER
DESCRIPTION: Share 25% of your stats with allies in a ten-yard diameter.
TORMENT
DESCRIPTION: Casts a hex in a thirty-foot radius, lowering target defense by 30%, movement speed by 15%, and reaction speed by 10%
PARASITE
DESCRIPTION: Casts a hex in a thirty-foot radius, lowering target health and shield by 30%
HEXEN
DESCRIPTION: Casts a hex in a thirty-foot radius, absorbing enemy stats anywhere from 10-25% depending on the number of targets (up to 20 random targets at a time)
BLIND
Guarantees the opponent will miss the next 5 normal attacks or 2 skills/spells
All the skills were impressive, but I was actually happiest with [DEBILITATE], [MANGLE], and [SHEER].
The trusty and reliable debuffs were cheap to cast and had low cooldowns. Now that the modifiers were juiced to the maximum level, they had virtually no downsides.
“Thank you,” I said. This time, I wasn’t just sucking up. The added bonuses were sure to help me against the darkling.
Luparia smirked. “Don’t thank me just yet. The darkling and dwergar received these bonuses too.”
The blue box winked away and vanished, then Luparia waved her hand. White teleporting light enveloped me, and I reappeared in my village.
CONGRATULATIONS! THE HUMAN RACE HAS CLEARED LUPARIA’S FLOORS.
The 11th floor will open 24 hours after the world event has concluded.
LAKESIDE TERRACE
The notification wasn’t that much of a surprise.
We wouldn’t even need an 11th floor if we were wiped out by the darkling.
It was my job to make sure that didn’t happen.
I pulled up my status screen, checking the new power I’d gained after climbing five floors.
STATUS SCREEN
NAME
Devin Cain – the Assault Archon
CLASS Hexmancer
KARMA -125
LEVEL 81
HEALTH 2260 (+1330) [+718] FORCE 1305 (+341) [+330]
ATTACK 1202 (+362) [+313] DEFENSE 764 (+453 [+244]
SHIELD 1760 (+352) [+423] SOULS 0/100
RESISTANCES
FIRE 30% (+20%) AIR 30% (+20%)
WATER 30% (+20%) LIGHTNING 30% (+20%)
POISON 30% (+20%) CURSE 40% (+20%)
I whistled.
Now that was impressive.
In particular, I noticed how the Assault Archon title had been added directly to my name. This went deeper than a piece of equipment or even a perk. It was a part of me now, a title that couldn’t be removed.
Even better, the twenty percent bonus took my armor and items into account, adding a third stat category in brackets. Since it took equipment into account before boosting, it was even more powerful than the White Glint’s set bonus, which only added to my base stats.
Overall, I’d leveled up and grown stronger faster than ever before in the last week. It was just like the Demigods said on our first day here—the tower was the main source of strength.
Even after this, I supposed we’d just have to keep on climbing. If only I could get Verdunn on our side. Now that we were back on the tenth floor, the restrictions were back.
The next floors would only unlock if our species worked together, and while he was just one man, his strength meant he could lead a lot of people forward.
But if he wasn’t going to do that, it’d have to be me.
After all, I’d forged the alliance with the dwergar, and now I was organizing the event to seal our alliance and make sure we worked together to defeat the darkling.
I pulled up my village chat, where I had several messages waiting for me.
The first messages were from Boris, Frank, and James, wondering about the upgrades to the villages they managed. I sent them a quick reply, explaining it was part of the rewards I’d received for being the first to finish the tenth floor.
I was much more interested in the messages from the Blade Dancers.
MARC ROSEWATER: Hey boss, we contacted the dwergar. They’ll be coming shortly, and were happy to see us. I’ll meet you in the tavern for a full report.
I thanked him, then headed for the tavern.
The villagers bustled around me, doing their usual business. I didn’t pay them too much mind. After the Village Mission and seeing the great results from Nick’s Resource Hub and Anna’s Dungeon Hub, I trusted them to get the job done.
Outside the tavern stood the four Blade Dancers.
“Boss,” Marc said, bowing briefly before offering me his hand.
I took it. “How was speaking with the dwergar?”
“Good. They were happy to see us—they even remembered us from the battle, which was a pleasant surprise. We had a bit of a trip getting to them though—the forests between our territory are crawling with monsters.”
I hadn’t realized that, but I supposed it made sense. That was the wilderness after all. There were already small monsters in the human-controlled forest outside of our barriers, so even tougher creatures outside our territory were only logical.
“I hope it wasn’t too hard?” I asked.
“We managed,” he replied. “The new gear, skills, and perks made it all worth it. Anyway, the dwergar will be here in an hour or so. But Thunderbeard said Ymir always makes them go early, so expect them soon.”
I smiled.
That was just like them.
Thunderbeard was brash and aggressive. Ymir was the responsible one.
Sarah opened the door, a stern expression on her face. “That’s just what I’ve been telling everyone. We need to prepare early. Fortunately, we’re ready.”
Linda poked out from behind her, grinning. “Luck’s got nothing to do with it. You just pistol-whipped everyone into shape!” Then she waved at me, smiling. “Nice to see you Devin, it’s been a while.”
“Ladies, you’re lifesavers,” I replied, smiling back at them. “We need to make sure the dwergar are in the best mood possible the night before a battle.”
“Then you’ll be happy to hear that we’ve prepared a lot of booze,” Linda said.
“It’s not super strong or anything—you’ll be ready for the battle tomorrow--but it’ll give just that added friendly buzz.”
A beer that wasn’t very strong…
That was what we needed for this event, but it didn’t sound like something Sarah and Linda would come up with without another added reason.
“Does it add a buff?” I asked.
“You bet your ass it does, boss!” Sarah laughed. “But it’s totally random. Probably fitting for a drink!”
“As long as they don’t provide any debuffs, I’m happy. What about the venue? We’re going to need something big with another species coming.”
Sarah breezily waved her hand, “The guys are in charge of that. Frank, James, and a group of over twenty others have been working hard ever since you asked us to prepare to host them. It’s almost done. They’re just adding the finishing touches over at the lakeshore between Sonya’s and our villages.”
I blinked.
Right.
Sonya’s village.
I’d totally forgotten to invite my allies.
“Something wrong?” Linda asked.
“Yeah. You reminded me what a shitty neighbor I am.”
The sisters scowled. “You didn’t call them?”
I shook my head. “No, only the dwergar. I should have remembered. I’m guessing most of them are in the tower anyways. By the way, you’re free to come to meet them. All the original villagers are—the rest will have to party in the taverns, though. I don’t want to impose too many of our people on them.”
Sarah shook her head. “No, that’s fine. We’ll stay in the tavern.”
Linda nodded, “Yeah, we have a few people going to serve food and drinks, but we don’t want to get in the way. You guys have a battle tomorrow. The dwergar should focus on meeting the people they’ll be fighting alongside.”
“Alright then,” I said, a little frustrated. “I suppose you’re right.”
“We are,” Sarah said. “The generals have to talk. Us civilians are the ones who get to relax!”
I knew they were right.
This meeting wasn’t a celebration—we still had to talk business. I didn’t know what kind of event it was tomorrow, but I assumed it was some kind of army battle, especially since we’d chosen leaders for our species.
As if on cue, a new notification appeared.
CONGRATULATIONS! MICHEL VERDUNN HAS CLEARED THE 9th FLOOR
MICHEL VERDUNN HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE TANK ARCHON.
“What?”
I cursed so flagrantly that Linda and Sarah stared at me in shock.
“Devin, you okay?”
“What in the world just happened?”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe it. Luparia appointed Verdunn the Tank Archon.”
“Luparia?” Sarah asked. “You mean the female Demigod who greeted us on the first day?” I nodded—since neither of them climbed the tower, they didn’t know much about the specific floors and rewards.
“Yeah, she’s appointing the leaders of humanity right now. But this pick doesn’t make any sense. She told me she disliked Verdunn. Plus, he was trying for a different job…it should have been Ben or Tang or Rhino.”
This was unbelievable.
I would have trusted Ben or Rhino with my life. They’d been with me since the beginning.
Tang wouldn’t have been my first choice, but he was right behind them. He’d risked life and limb to save humanity during the battle against the World Boss.
Verdunn was a different story. He was strong, but what little I’d learned about him didn’t impress me.
He wasn’t even a tank at heart.
“System—how was Verdunn able to get the Tank Archon position?”
“I am unable to share this information.” The System replied instantly, almost like she’d expected me to ask.
Great.
Even more mystery that I didn’t need in my life right now.
The second notification appeared moments later.
CONGRATULATIONS! ALICE DAVIES HAS CLEARED THE 9th FLOOR
ALICE DAVIES HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE SUPPORT ARCHON.
Within seconds of the second announcement came the third.
CONGRATULATIONS! EMMA DIVER HAS CLEARED THE 9th FLOOR
EMMA DIVER HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE MAGE ARCHON.
My good mood abruptly returned.
Emma as Mage Archon was obviously great news, but Alice as support was excellent too. Alice wasn’t directly a member of my village, but she was extremely reliable. I would have died at Prahna if it weren’t for her.
The portal flashed, and Emma appeared.
A wide smile split her face as she saw me, then she sprinted and jumped in my arms, almost knocking me over.
“We fucking did it!” she cheered. “I’m an Archon!”
I kissed her, then put her back down. “How did it happen?”
Emma’s story sounded very similar to mine—she received the Archon title and then was brought into a white room with Luparia, who showed her scenes from her past.
“It was pretty boring if I’m being honest,” she said. “I don’t really care about the Demigods or their past. It’s bad enough they trapped us here—it’s even worse they have to bore us with these stories.”
I grinned.
Emma’s irreverent and fun nature was always a breath of fresh air. She was a good match for me on and off the battlefield.
I was always brooding on the Demigod’s stories, but Emma had a point—the stories were boring and self-aggrandizing. I just wanted a way to get the hell out of here. I wasn’t interested in throwing a pity party every five floors.
“So what’s next?” she asked. “I’m ready to go and kick some ass. I feel so strong now.”
“There’s more than enough time for that tomorrow,” I said. “For now, let’s just invite our allies and get ready.”
I pulled up my chat, quickly sending messages to Sonya, Maxwell, and Schroder, telling them to come to meet the dwergar before the next meeting.
None of them replied, but that was fine.
They were probably still climbing through the ninth floor. Maxwell had gone for the Assault Archon title and Sonya had picked the Support Archon.
Seeing the notifications, they couldn’t get those titles anymore, but it was still worth it for the perks, experience, and quests.
Meanwhile, Schroder had been our alliance’s pick for Command Archon. As far as I knew, he was one of only a few people who’d picked that path, but after what happened with Verdunn, I was still worried. I didn’t want any more surprises.
A message from Ben appeared in my chat.
BEN DIVER: Shit, Devin. I didn’t get the Tank Archon title. Rhino didn’t either…how the hell did Verdunn get it? He wasn’t even doing the mission.
DEVIN CAIN: No idea, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Come meet me by the well. We’ll have to re-meet and strategize for tomorrow’s mission once we find out what it is. It’s probably going to be another army battle. Just because you aren’t an Archon doesn’t mean you can’t fight.
Then I pulled up an overall message for my squad chat, asking them all to come and join me so we could prepare to meet the dwergar.
They slowly filtered through moments later.
Rhino and Hermina came together from the inn.
The two couldn’t have looked more different—Rhino was big and burly, and Hermina was quiet and refined, but they looked great together.
Most of the others followed suit, though a few were living in the houses I’d built across the river. Ben and Jenny came from the new village, and Ren walked in by himself from the other side.
Everybody looked stronger than before.
Both Hermina and Jenny were using the same launchers I’d given them, but they’d gained new leather armor that was sleek, black, and shiny. Force pulsated through the equipment, and my enhanced senses told me the armor could repel certain long-ranged projectiles.
I pointed at the armor. “Did Ren buy that for you guys? It seems perfect for shooting duels.”
They nodded. “Yep. We traded him some equipment we got on the later floors. We only made it up to the eighth floor, but we still got some good loot to help the village.”
“The eighth floor is still great,” I replied.
The sixth to tenth floors were more individual, with fewer group battles, and I knew not everybody had finished them yet. However, even a bit of tower climbing greatly boosted everybody’s strength.
Elisa and Aleena wore upgraded equipment too.
Elisa still had the white healing robe I gave her, but she now held a twisted staff with a blue gem at the end. Aleena’s harpy summon wore a new suit of glowing silver armor etched with runes.
