BXBX NOVEL Chapter 953 Nostalgic Hunger
"You have to avoid confrontation and monsters for at least ten seconds before being able to return," said Whisker when he saw Arthur staring at the countdown above. "Others could also see that you are teleporting, and some might prevent you from doing so."
"Here is your Return Scroll, too," said Arthur as he presented it to the cat, who nodded. "I will meet you here at sunrise."
The sky has turned dark, although Arthur has not expected it. Night and day also exist inside the tower, with a few modifications. Monsters were more ferocious and numerous during nighttime, but they also rewarded more points and items.
Most challengers died during the night attacks because they underestimated the monsters. Their stats and levels double, making them fearsome even alone. Furthermore, they came in packs.
Arthur returned for the night because Whisker said it was dangerous to fight these monsters even with his lightning. Not all monsters used elements; he needed better stats to fight against the night creatures.
Thus, a few moments later, he returned to the same room, finally feeling at peace. Arthur did not know if this feeling was because of the walls or something built into the room, but being sheltered from the world might be the only reason the tower residents remained sane. This made the Return Scroll the most valuable item for a challenger, proving the leverage Whisker gave him.
Arthur did not trust him, but he did not suspect him either. He remained a safe distance, not sharing any of his weaknesses but also carefree enough to showcase his strengths. After all, the cat wanted him to clear the tower.
As soon as he appeared in his room, Arthur threw his bag to the ground and jumped to bed. He realized that although the colorless lightning used no mana, it consumed his mental energy because it fed on his wrath.
Arthur could not even remember falling asleep, but he felt more refreshed once he awakened. It was the first time in years that Arthur slept well, ever since he awakened his ability. As soon as he woke up, he realized the reason.
The tower has been suppressing the powerful beings in his sea of consciousness, letting him rest for once. He has not realized the toll that these creatures were taking on him until he felt the weight lifted off his shoulders.
"It is only natural since I failed to awaken until eighteen years old because I carried the power of creation," muttered Arthur as he covered his mouth. "I feel… hungry."
The powers of creation made him lose the desire for food and sleep because existence rejuvenated his body continuously. However, since it disappeared now, he regained the need to consume food. Arthur was overjoyed until he realized he did not have any food.
"Oh, right, Whisker gave me a loaf of bread," remembered Arthur with glee as he took out the loaf of bread. It was still fresh and warm because he had placed it in his bag since he got it.
Arthur devoured the bread as if he had never eaten before. It was gone in a few seconds, and Arthur lied down with the most satisfied smile. The nostalgia of sating his hunger was now the most pleasurable feeling in the world.
"I should have taken more food from Whisker," said Arthur with a smile as he rose. "This tower might be the break I always needed from everything. At least I get to feel human again."
As he muttered the words, Arthur walked toward his leveling desk. It was a sad truth to admit, but Arthur still felt joyful from eating. He even hummed in happiness as he opened the leveling station.
[Challenger Name]
[Level: 1] [Raise!]
[Floor: 1]
[Reward Points: 47]
[Strength: 10] [+]
[Agility: 10] [+]
[Stamina: 10] [+]
[Perception: 10] [+]
[Mana: 10/10] [+]
Seeing that the giant slime had rewarded him with another ten reward points was a pleasant surprise. It might be the reward for the event or just because it was a level ten monster. Arthur would have suffered a crushing defeat if it were not an elemental creature.
The next thing that he noticed was the plus signs next to each stat. Arthur fiddled with them and found that each time he pressed them, he consumed one reward point to raise his stat.
[Strength: 10.1]
[Strength: 10.2]
[Strength: 10.3]
For each reward he consumed, his stat rose by one-tenth. Whisker has already told him, but he still felt it was a marginal increment. However, it was better than nothing. He could also raise his level now, which appeared after he gained enough points.
Arthur raised his level once, reaching level two. Then, he used the rest of his points to strengthen himself. Although receiving a bonus ability at level five would be nice, he still had the colorless lightning. His new stats looked like this:
[Challenger Name]
[Level: 2]
[Floor: 1]
[Reward Points: 0]
[Strength: 11.7]
[Agility: 11]
[Stamina: 11]
[Perception: 10]
[Mana: 10/10]
Arthur looked at his new stats with satisfaction after having consumed them. However, he realized that the moment he raises a stat, he can no longer cancel it. No allocation was allowed. After he was done, Arthur could feel stronger, faster, and leaner. However, his level seemed to have changed nothing about him.
"I have yet to choose a challenger name," muttered Arthur with a pondering expression. "There is only one that I like."
It was the one she called him.
[Challenger name has been set. Welcome to the Immortal Tower, Seika.]
Although it meant beloved in the Alvan Language, Arthur still preferred this name over any other. Arthur has been given to him by his father as a replacement for his forsaken name, and every title he received was based on his strength.
Seika was the only one that Arthur had a deep attachment to, and how people of different timelines knew him. If this name meant anything, Arthur wanted it to be something he loved.
Judging by the countdown that Arthur saw on his door, it was still a few hours before sunrise. It counted the minutes until the sun rose in the tower, telling the challengers when they could enter it.
However, Arthur decided to waste less time and leave his room. Even if he found more monsters than usual, he was still beside the walls and could enter the town. Furthermore, it would not be an adventure if he did not risk his life.
Arthur examined his desk some more before he left the room. The only thing he could assign to his three empty squares was the weapon he obtained from the mobster. However, the tower warned him.
[You are attempting to choose a permanent weapon. If set, the weapon cannot be changed. It will grow for each reward point you use, but the limits vary according to its type. Chosen weapon type: ordinary short-sword.]
Arthur decided against choosing this weapon the moment he read these warnings. It seems there were different weapons ranks, and he could only choose one. However, what would happen to the mobster who died and dropped his sword?
These questions would need Whisker to answer them, and there were still two hours before their meeting. Arthur left the room and reappeared in the wilderness, where he could not see his hand.
"Grrrrrrr!"
Something growled beside him, and Arthur turned around in a rush to see a giant pair of eyes glaring at him. Arthur stared at it dumbfounded before he saw the shadow move in the dim moonlight.
"It is some dogshit luck for us to meet," muttered Arthur before he raised his sword to block the attack. He held it with both hands, but he was still sent flying. His sword snapped at the impact, rendering it useless. As for Arthur, he rolled on the ground several tens of meters away before he managed to stop his momentum.
As he raised his eyes to look at his enemy, Arthur could not see anything but its giant eyes and outline. However, he still managed to see what it was. This monster was a giant black panther with claws that could rip him apart.
"This is the first time I feel threatened in a long time," muttered Arthur as he forced a smile. "Even when I was about to die multiple times, something inside me refused to fear death. However, this tower is making me human again."
Even in the face of a powerful enemy, Arthur could not help but feel overjoyed. It was the first time he felt fear against an opponent, and similar to hunger, he welcomed this human feeling. His blood boiled with excitement as he rose against the giant panther.
"Let\'s fight with everything we have on the line, panther," said Arthur with a grin as he clenched his fist. The monster seemed to understand him as it let out another growl before bolting forward.