It was perhaps an even worse choice than the two obvious ones. But Evelyn wasted no time in leaping from the cliff. As she sailed through the air she gathered her mana. Her back still ached from the previous activation of Flashfreeze Flamecharge and using it again might have severe consequences. However, she had little choice if she wanted to bring Anathalan to its knees.
Or well, reduce it to a puddle. It didn’t have any knees. Right at the moment she lost momentum and began to...
2024-06-14 11:51:00 +0000 UTC
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Just like the one before it, this elemental had the ability to fire a stream of flames at her. However, now that she was prepared for its attack Evelyn had no problem jumping to the side to avoid it. This one was a little quicker and whipped the stream in her new direction, however it was still just a matter of bobbing and weaving to avoid the searing fire.
After about ten seconds of constant flame, the stream sputtered out and died. It seemed they couldn’t maintain it fo...
2024-06-14 11:50:00 +0000 UTC
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Oppressive heat slammed into Evelyn the moment she stepped out of the portal on the other side. There was no message from the tower to greet her. Even though it was possible to challenge this floor as a party, it hadn’t mentioned a multi-challenger instance.
Perhaps it was curated for whoever decided to enter.
If that was the case, then she was in for a world of torture. The last floor the tower had cooked up specifically to test her was the brutal metal box. Evelyn shuddered as...
2024-06-14 11:49:14 +0000 UTC
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You have received the following skill:
Galactic Expansion (Unusual) - Every 1 star value reduces the cooldown of your stars production by 1 second. Every 25 star value multiplies your stars’ production by 100%. Stars multiply the production of the tier below by their base production for each star you own. Multiply your stars production based on your total attributes - the multiplier begins at 1.00x and increases by 0.3 for each point you have i...
2024-06-14 11:45:00 +0000 UTC
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Oh dear. It looks like that woman from earlier was rather well connected. Is this her boyfriend? Or just an admirer?
The man in the lead was burly and covered in leather and furs. Handcrafted armour. Either he was talented in the field or had a friend who was. His weapon was equally impressive - a two headed warhammer with a sharp spike at the top. He wielded it in both hands as he strode across the plaza, glaring at Evelyn with pure hatred. And he wasn’t the only one.
...
2024-06-14 11:44:00 +0000 UTC
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The woman had a button nose and full red lips that were quivering as she glared at Evelyn. Clearly she wasn’t used to people not tripping over themselves to serve her. Or maybe she was just rude. Either way, it didn’t matter to Evelyn.
She had places to be, and even though the woman was more stunning than any model she had seen before, it wasn’t the time nor place to entertain her more vulgar desires. Plus, she could return to Haven at any time during her climb according to the to...
2024-06-14 11:43:00 +0000 UTC
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Sheer bliss.
That was all Evelyn could think as she had that first, incredible sip of the liquid essence. The barkeep hadn’t been lying. It was better than any other liquor that came to mind. Whiskey, Gin, Vodka, Rum, Tequila - none compared.
The best way she could describe it was that it was like drinking pure honey, but if it had a kick that sent shivers down your spine and made you woozy enough to pass out after just a few gulps. The effect faded within minutes, however.
<...
2024-06-14 11:42:00 +0000 UTC
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Of all the things she had expected to encounter when she went through the portal, this hadn’t even been close to the realm of possibility. The simple fact the tower even had a place like this was so antithetical to its behaviour so far that Evelyn began to wonder if she was dreaming. But, after pinching herself and feeling the burn she knew that wasn’t the case.
Congratulations on being the 403,265th Challenger to reach Haven! Every floor from now on will be far more difficu...
2024-06-14 11:41:39 +0000 UTC
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It was not something she had attempted before. The main reason being that splitting her thoughts into two and focusing on multiple important tasks at the same time was incredibly taxing. But, it was necessary. Never more so than now.
Maintaining a level of attention on the draining nodes while doing her best to mitigate the ramping damage from the still striking lightning, Evelyn opened the skill synthesis menu. It was when the woman first cast a debuffing spell on her that she had been...
2024-06-14 11:38:00 +0000 UTC
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Sharp claws raked through the skin of her back, but failed to pierce beyond the first layer of her epidermis. Evelyn had Bulwark to thank for that. She offered silent thanks for the fact this mini boss was one that relied on melee strikes. If it had been more magical in nature, like the boss on the 10th Floor, her defences wouldn’t quite be up to par. The cuts still hurt, though.
But, Evelyn reacted fast. Spinning to face her new opponent, she charged at it. Not empowered by her usual...
2024-06-14 11:37:00 +0000 UTC
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The next six hours went by in a flash, with Evelyn doing her best to try and throw herself at the cavern walls to see if she would take any damage. It wasn’t a great experiment. Even before she had the unusual tier of Bulwark, this kind of haphazard charge wouldn’t hurt her much. However, it was the best she could do without advancing to the next floor. Then, her essence shot up.
It was strange. She was now earning thousands of essence every time the timer ran down, and yet it felt ...
2024-06-14 11:36:00 +0000 UTC
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Local Chat
EmperorHan: Little menace, is that really you? It’s Dad
Evelyn had been about to begin fusing skills, but by chance had happened to catch the message. She had left the local chat window open on the off chance something like this would occur. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
How long has it been since I’ve seen my parents? We weren’t on the best of terms, but I guess it would’ve been for Grandma’s fu...
2024-06-14 11:35:00 +0000 UTC
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031: Reconnection
Clearing the 13th Floor had unlocked a new function of the chat system. Before, it had only been able to communicate with other members of a party. Since Evelyn no longer had one of those, it had fallen to the wayside. However, with the latest reward, she was eager to dive back in. And it wasn’t just her.
For the first time since arriving at the tower, every single member of Earth’s population. Or what remained of it, at least.
The tower ...
2024-06-14 11:34:57 +0000 UTC
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She found herself in a small room. Not like the caverns of the lower floors, but modern and sleek. The walls were made of a shimmering grey metal and polished smooth. It was a perfect cube, and that wasn’t the only oddity.
There were small holes in the walls, ceiling and floor beneath her feet, spaced at regular intervals. She could only guess at their purpose. Standing in that empty space, Evelyn found herself at a loss for how to proceed. There was no obvious direction here. And it ...
2024-06-14 11:30:00 +0000 UTC
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Evelyn failed to figure out any new or interesting ways of working the crafting materials she had on hand. Besides the basic manipulation of the chitin plates and the rubbery hide, there was little else to do. That wasn’t a problem, however.
The crafting system hadn’t been too difficult to figure out. It wasn’t dissimilar to the skill synthesis menu, but worked with crafting materials and weapons instead. Rather than do the work for her, it just eased her path to creating a new pi...
2024-06-14 11:29:00 +0000 UTC
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Evelyn was now earning magic as well as gold. That meant it was time to check out the spells menu, to see what new options were available to her. There was also the matter of the barracks, which would give her the option of recruiting more powerful soldiers to her cause. First, the spells.
Spells
Make it Rain - 150 Magic
Double your gold yield for ten minutes
Arcane Surge - 500 Magic
Triple ...
2024-06-14 11:28:00 +0000 UTC
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Just because her feet were rooted in place didn’t mean Evelyn was helpless. Her foe was seconds from smashing into her like a comet, and it would be a waste of time to try and free herself from the rooting spell. Instead, she prepared to do what she did best - give them a beatdown.
She had her new gauntlets equipped, soft around her hands, but tough and brutal - she hoped - for anyone on the receiving end. Evelyn pulled back her arm and as her enemy, which she now recognised was a man...
2024-06-14 11:27:00 +0000 UTC
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~ Evelyn POV ~
Strewn around her on the grass were cracked plates of chitin, half-melted scraps of rubbery leather and an assortment of monster parts in various states of disrepair. She had spent the better part of twelve hours doing her utmost to figure out how to work with her chosen materials, resulting in a single disappointing conclusion - she was utterly unsuited for crafting.
She had figured out how to manipulate the chitinous plates, even creating a...
2024-06-14 11:26:32 +0000 UTC
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~ Lily POV ~
“Cheers Lil, you’re an angel. I honestly don’t know if we would’ve made it this far without you,” said Dwayne, wiping sweat from his brow as she healed the cuts and bruises he’d accumulated during the intense battle they’d just won.
Her mana reserves were almost drained. Her party required constant healing as they weathered the challenges of the tower, which she was more than happy to provide, given that her combat skills were of ...
2024-06-14 11:20:00 +0000 UTC
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Enchanting floral scents tickled her nose as she entered the 11th Floor. Looking around, Evelyn saw an endless grassy plain littered with vibrant flowers. The portal closed behind her and she allowed herself a moment to breathe, calming herself.
Not that she was under any duress, but peaceful moments were hard to come by in the tower and she wanted to make the most of it while she could. Right on cue, a ring of portals flashed into existence all around her, putting her in the cent...
2024-06-14 11:19:00 +0000 UTC
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Her mana surged to fulfil the gluttonous demand of her new skill, Flashfreeze Flamecharge. What began as flickering embers soon blazed into a raging inferno with Evelyn as the source, following which the ground around her feet began to crack and freeze. She could feel the skill guiding her on a path to her enemy, the laser lizard, and she obliged, her calves and thighs in perfect harmony as she exploded forward, leaving a trail of frost and flame in her wake.
In just over a second, she ...
2024-06-14 11:18:00 +0000 UTC
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Evelyn figured it was best to get all the boring bits out of the way first, so she fused all the skills which she had acquired duplicates of, starting with the skill the tower seemed to favour giving her most often.
Bulwark (Common) has fused with Bulwark (Common)! You have received the following skill:
Bulwark (Uncommon) - Take less damage from physical attacks.
You are attempting to fuse two Uncommon skills, please select 1 Uncommo...
2024-06-14 11:17:00 +0000 UTC
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Five grey chests sat on the ground in front of Evelyn in a neat row. The last time she had opened a common loot chest, it had given her the sturdy buckler which, while now broken and buried, had saved her ass quite a few times. The level of strength displayed by the toughest challengers on the 9th Floor had perhaps been near the pinnacle of what the tower considered ‘Common,’ but the correct piece of gear could still prove to be useful.
It was also possible the loot chests didn’t ...
2024-06-14 11:16:49 +0000 UTC
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Her savage opening salvo had left the two duelists reeling, but neither were a pushover like her previous opponents. The armoured youth had recovered his wind soon after her first strike and had unleashed a vengeful assault with renewed vigour, his fists shimmering with the glow of mana as he channelled whatever skill he was using to empower his strikes. Each crackled with force as they struck against her, and the magic began to cut into her tough flesh.
In response, she activated her M...
2024-06-14 11:12:00 +0000 UTC
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~Kayla POV~
Kayla twirled a rusty dagger between her fingers, letting her mind slip into a deep trance as the light of the sun, or whatever artificial replacement the tower had conjured up, danced and glittered across the few specks of clean steel left on the blade. A branch snapped, seven metres away to her right. Her hand flickered and the dagger shot through the air towards the source of the noise. There was a thud followed by a cacophony of yelling and two pe...
2024-06-14 11:11:00 +0000 UTC
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Unlike the previous hapless victims of Evelyn’s diving assaults, the man reacted with near instant timing, eyes flickering up to the sound of the rustling branch and diving to the side before drawing twin daggers from his waistband and darting in to slash at her face and neck. She found her own speed lacking in comparison, the man’s blades slicing across her skin before her body could catch up to her mind, screaming at her to dodge or parry the strikes.
What neither of them had been...
2024-06-14 11:10:00 +0000 UTC
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With the remainder of her essence, Evelyn purchased four common skill crystals. Evelyn had briefly checked out the skill synthesis system, and figured out that not only would it allow her to merge copies of the same skill into a more powerful version of themselves, but also combine different skills into entirely new ones.
It was possible all four crystals would give her skills she would want to keep, but she also wanted to test out creating a completely new skill through her own i...
2024-06-14 11:09:00 +0000 UTC
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God, my head feels like a sack of concrete and my muscles feel like they’ve been bathed in acid. How long have I been out for? I guess it’s satisfying to have survived what should have been certain death, but it won’t mean much if we end up losing the challenge because I was unconscious.
“Hey there darlin’, finally awake are ya? I have to say you gave us all a real scare back then. Even I thought you might be a goner and I’ve seen how you take hits. Whatever you did...
2024-06-14 11:08:16 +0000 UTC
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The closest island to their starting point was colossal, perhaps one of the biggest in the entire floor judging from the map. They had nearly lost Reece again while crossing the rickety bridge to the island, when he managed to slip on one of the planks and lose his footing, but Kayla once again came to the rescue and demonstrated her ridiculous physical prowess by tossing the boy the entire rest of the way to the island - nearly seven metres.
For as far as she could see, the island was ...
2024-06-14 10:43:00 +0000 UTC
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Evelyn was buzzing. It was a small victory, but every little counted a lot in a place like the tower. She had managed to spend every single bit of essence gathered from the 8th Floor in the Local Shop, without leaving any to spare. Perhaps it was smarter to save some in case a new reward appeared on the next floor, but she felt that leaving any uninvested was just inviting regrets in case they encountered a challenge they struggled to overcome.
In the end, she had purchased another five...
2024-06-14 10:42:00 +0000 UTC
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