NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: Taking A Break... Trending!
A tendril lashed out at him, as thick as a tree trunk. He twisted mid-air and passed beneath it, landing on the creature's back.
The spore sacs erupted one by one, spewing a mist of spores into the sky.
Aleron ignored the smoke, clawed his way up its spine, and focused his energy into a tight point. When he reached the central eye, he didn't hesitate.
He slammed his palm forward.
A burst of searing starfire erupted from his hand, punching straight through the eye and burning into the core behind it.
The creature convulsed.
It howled, not with sound but through vibration. The entire garden shook with its agony.
Fungal stalks began to collapse. The ground ruptured and boiled. The Blightspawn froze mid-charge, limbs shaking, then fell limp one by one, as if their minds had been severed from their bodies.
Aleron leapt backward from the collapsing creature just as the rot exploded outward in a cloud of green light.
He landed on scorched earth, breathing heavily.
The garden around him began to wither.
Fungi crumbled into ash. Vines turned black and brittle. The once towering parasitic growths toppled like rotten trees.
The light above remained harsh, but the atmosphere had changed.
The corruption was dead.
He stood among the destruction, his body covered in blood, soot, and the lingering sting of the spores he had burned through. His chest rose and fell with each breath. He could still feel the dull throb of injuries along his ribs and arm, but none were deep enough to stop him.
[You have slain 2,000 Level 2 Abominations.]
[You have gained 400,000 experience.]
[Progress: 7,721 / 10,000]
The system flashed with a line of words. Aleron glanced at it and read through the information once more.
He was slowly approaching the 10,000 mark.
Even Aleron could hardly believe the speed at which he was progressing.
He never expected the Tower of Heaven to be so helpful to him.
Not only had he gained the Arcane Star Bloodline, the count of his abomination kills was drastically increasing at breakneck speed.
Aleron fell into deep thought. However, at that moment, the panel of the Tower of Heaven flashed to life.
[Congratulations on completing the fourth level of the Tower of Heaven.]
[Do you wish to continue?]
[Yes / No]
He paused only for a second before selecting yes.
The system shimmered once again.
[Congratulations. You are the first to complete the fourth level within one minute.]
[Your rewards have been increased significantly.]
Aleron raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised. After all, the creatures were too many and he couldn't even keep track of time while killing them.
Thankfully, he had completed the level within the required span.
More words appeared.
[Achievement Unlocked: Lord of Massacre]
[Continue completing all levels within a minute to earn greater rewards.]
[Note: Group levels are excluded from this.]
As the message ended, Aleron prepared himself. Then, suddenly, a light descended upon him.
An intense wave of pain surged through his veins.
This time, however, it was more tolerable.
His previous experiences had hardened him.
Still, it hurt.
He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out.
The pain dragged on for what felt like hours.
Finally, it faded.
Aleron collapsed to the ground, panting. The cold floor met his cheek, and for a moment, he simply lay there in silence.
Then, slowly, he rose and looked at the system screen blinking before him.
[Congratulations. You have received one percent of the Arcane Star Bloodline.]
[Your skills and stats have increased significantly.]
[With this bloodline, you can absorb essence from stars to enhance your abilities and power.]
Aleron read it carefully.
Another one percent.
Now his Arcane Star Bloodline was at four percent.
Aleron couldn't lie. He felt a miraculous change within his body, as though he was constantly being nourished by his surroundings.
He felt a wave of comfort. There was also a mysterious feeling around him, as though a strange energy was constantly being poured into his being.
Aleron could guess that it was the essence of the stars mentioned.
With this essence, his physical capabilities had been enhanced drastically.
Despite being fused with the dragon, Aleron felt as though his body had become much stronger as well.
The strength was different from the changes in his half-human, half-dragon form.
Aleron was elated. The stronger he was, the easier it would be to take revenge on all those who had harmed him.
He turned to his system, ignoring the shimmering portal to the next level that had formed.
Aside from recovering his origin energy, Aleron wanted to rest and check his progress so far.
With this thought, he asked aloud,
"Will there be any problems if I decide to rest here?"
His words echoed in the silent chamber and resounded back to him.
Everything remained quiet and calm, until the blue luminescent panel in front of his eyes flashed with a line of words.
[That is a natural decision available to all Tower climbers. There will be no consequences.]
Aleron read the line of words and then deactivated the fusion state.
The exhausted Ashkar split from Aleron and hovered silently in the air, then turned his gaze to the nearby Blightspawn corpses.
"Dad, I'm going to feast. I'm so tired and hungry," Ashkar said, practically drooling. Aleron could sense the hunger in the dragon through their bond.
He felt slightly apologetic. After all, if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say and simply nodded at the dragon's words.
The dragon didn't notice Aleron fall into a silent daze and flapped his wings toward the Blightspawns.
With a powerful beat, Ashkar swooped down and began devouring the corpses.
Since all of them were dead, the meal went smoothly.
Aleron sighed after a few moments of silence and then called out in his heart,
"System, show me my stats."
The system remained quiet for a moment as though calculating, then flashed with a line of words.
[Origin Adept Level 1: 5,900 / 10,000 Origin Experience]
[Strength: 296]
[Agility: 267]
[Defense: 286]
[Origin Energy: 234 / 700]
[Bloodline: Arcane Moon 4%]
Aleron was stunned by the increase in his stats.
His Origin Energy had increased by two hundred, and his other stats had also risen by at least thirty points.
These were visible improvements.
And to think all of this came from just four percent of the Arcane Moon Bloodline.
Aleron was visibly overjoyed, and the urge to clear the remaining levels of the tower became almost impossible to suppress.
He glanced around and noticed that the dragon had finished eating as many Blightspawns as he wanted.
The creature lay sprawled on the ground, recovering.
Aleron didn't know if Ashkar was resting or asleep, but seeing his dragon so peaceful made him feel sleepy too.
He had been on edge for a while and needed rest.
Despite his Origin Level, he was still a sixteen-year-old youth.
Aleron sighed, turned around, and gathered a few Blightspawn bodies.
Thanks to his strength, he was able to skin them with his bare hands.
After that, he created a bed for himself.
Glancing at the rough bedding, Aleron smiled faintly and said in his heart,
"Just one final thing to make it perfect."
His eyes turned into fiery slits and with a thought, ten fire spirits rapidly formed in the blink of an eye.
The fire spirits solidified, forming humanoid figures that radiated comforting warmth.
Feeling the heat from both the bed and his surroundings, Aleron lay down and drifted into sleep.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, more than twelve hours had gone by.
Aleron finally stirred awake.
He heard a whooshing sound and was instantly alert. Turning toward the direction of the noise, he saw Ashkar flying through the sky, enjoying himself.
Aleron sighed and stood up.
The dragon's voice echoed in his mind.
"Dad, you're awake!"
Aleron nodded at the greeting.
He could tell the dragon had rested enough.
With that thought, he prepared himself.
Since both of them were at their peak mentally, it was time to move forward.
"Ashkar, it's time to fuse," Aleron said, issuing the silent command.
Ashkar had no complaints. He immediately dove from the skies and merged with Aleron.
A loud explosion resounded. When the dust cleared, Aleron stood transformed, over two meters tall in his half-dragon, half-human form.
His monstrous figure radiated oppressive might that weighed down on the atmosphere.
He turned toward the portal and began walking.
The silence felt different now. Not oppressive. Not threatening. Only the quiet that followed after violence.
Ahead, a faint shimmer waited.
The exit.
He passed the remains of the Blightspawn without glancing down. He crossed the cracked floor where the creature had risen, the corpse already dissolving into sludge. He felt no triumph. Only resolve.
Level Four was complete.
But the Tower was not finished.
And neither was he.
Aleron stepped into the portal without hesitation.
The next level awaited.