Soul Nexus: A Fantasy Tower Ascension LitRPG

I fell out of bed instead of getting out of it like I intended. Why is someone knocking? Do they know someone is here? While my body moved just fine, my brain floated a step behind everything. The pounding continued, only stopping every five hits for a few seconds to resume again.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming.” Somehow, the words came out without me stumbling on them.

The pounding stopped. I stumbled towards the door, shaking my head, trying to find a way to snap out of my stupor. It worked, and I saw that my energy levels were just shy of a tenth full. It looks like I’m going to need to grab food.

When I opened the door, whatever lingering sleepiness that still clung to me snapped out immediately. Layith was standing in front of the door, tapping his foot, and glaring at me. “Did we get our beauty sleep?”

“Layith? What are you doing here?” I looked around and saw crowds of people swarming the streets behind him. “What’s going on?”

He pushed me inside as he walked in, then closed the door. “Quiet.” He looked around at each of the windows. “Where’s Killa? Bark?”

“They’re dead.” I still don’t like saying that. It still doesn’t sit well with me. “We were in a dungeon, and a demon-looking lady attacked us.”

He nodded as he turned to stare at the ground. “Yeah, we all saw her yesterday. You couldn’t miss her, but she ignored everyone.” After a brief moment of silence, he straightened up. “So, that means you came back last night.”

I nodded. “So? I was tired, and I’m borrowing Killa’s place. She… she wouldn’t have minded.”

Layith rubbed the back of his head. “Were you the reason Bronze and Tipper were found dead at the gate? There were some witnesses saying that they saw a human walking with blood dripping from their sword.” He pointed at my arm blade. “I’m guessing it was that… that’s new.”

I started rubbing my arm. “It is.”

He leaned forward and studied my arms. “Are these things similar to what happened to your eyes? The things, nanites you called them, did they do this to you?”

The sound of metal rubbing against metal, the seams adding a little extra click to the melody, filled the silence as I tried to think of how to say it. “Actually, I asked them to do it.”

Layith raised an eyebrow. “Okay…” He then started pacing. “Things just keep getting weirder with you. First, you farted up a storm that nobody has heard, ever, then you survived being shot repeatedly, you replaced your eyes by popping them out, and now you just told me you asked to have your arms turned to metal and grow a sword on the one.” The shaylip grabbed his head with all four arms. “I don’t want to know anymore. In fact, I never want to see you again. This is too much.”

I stepped back and clenched my jaw to fight back the tears. Do you think this is easy for me too? Did you have to eat spiders in a dungeon? Did you have one of your friends turn on you only to watch him die because of something you have? I just watched my first and only real friend die trying to help me. Now I have to deal with something that really, really wants me dead. My life isn’t easy either and you only know a fraction of what I’ve been through!

The words ran through my head. I wanted to say them. I really did. But I couldn't bring myself to. At that moment, all I wanted to do was disappear, like I always did on Earth. Life was easier when nobody noticed me. It’d be better if it wasn’t so crushingly lonely.

Layith sighed and slapped his hands to his sides. “Did you kill them? The two guarding the gate last night. You didn’t answer that question.”

I kept backing up. My gun is with my other clothes. My back hit the wall. “Yes. They said that I needed to pay a toll to enter the city. They tried to rob me. But when I refused, they were about to attack me.”

Layith relaxed. “So, it was self-defense again, just like it was with Cushin?” I nodded. “That’s four deaths in this city, and you’re responsible for all of them. I’m sorry, but people… people are scared of you. They want you gone.” There was a small tear in the corner of his eye.

“It’s okay. I was planning on leaving today anyway.” I wrung my hands together. The metal sounds reminded me of my more inhuman appearance. Something that will drive others to pay attention to me. “It’s just that I need food before I go.”

Layith walked towards me. “Then I have bad news.” I froze. “There’s a reward for your head. Be glad that I was the one to find you first. But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone noticed I haven’t come out yet. They’re probably watching this house now.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve no interest in harming you. It was all in self-defense, but nobody else will listen to you. You need to get out of town, now. Everyone is looking for a human, and you’re the only human in the city right now. The bounty is only good if you're on this floor. So, you're plan to leave is your best shot.”

I stared at my energy bar. “That’s going to be very difficult. I wasn’t kidding; I need to eat. Do you know if Killa has any food here? How long do I have?”

Layith shook his head. “I’m afraid you don’t have long.” He raised a finger. “But I do know that an alchemist has set up a cart near the western gate. It’ll be a longer run, but I know he has some of the better ‘Meal In A Bottle’ potions around. You could swipe a couple of them.”

I swallowed hard. Stealing again. I don’t want to do that. “How about this? You go and pick up the potions; I’ll give you the money; and you meet me near the entrance to the next floor. I’ll wait for you.”

Layith put all his hands up and backed away from me. “You want me to leave the town? Uh. Please, don’t ask me to get involved with you. I just want a quiet life without any danger.”

“I get it.” I really do. “But I need your help. Are you at least not going to tell them where I am?”

Layith’s eyes darted around. He then started pacing and grabbing at his head. “Ugh. Fine! I’ll get you the potions. I’ve got to do my one good deed for the day. Just… just don’t get me killed.”

He held out a hand. I imagined the shard that Killa pushed into my chest in the dungeon with the number five thousand. A pale yellow crystal manifested in my hand.

I placed it in his hand. “Just get whatever you can with this.” Then I picked up and handed him Killa’s bag of holding. “You can use this to carry the potions. And I really appreciate this.”

“Hopefully, your appreciation won’t get me killed,” Layith grumbled under his breath. He pushed the crystal into his chest and nodded. “Let me know when you’re ready to run. I won’t leave until you do. It’s likely they’ll come after you the moment I leave. If anyone asks me, I’ll just say that you weren’t here.”

“You know, Layith, you’re not a bad person,” I said as I walked back to the room where I had my clothes drying. “Maybe if more people were like you, things wouldn’t be so bad.”

He laughed. “If more people were like me, nothing would get done. And worse yet, we’d all be trapped in the Nexus forever.”

I turned and smiled. “You know, you could try to save your people, too.”

He waved his hand and shook his head. “Greater have tried and failed. I’m not about to do something so unequivocally stupid as climbing the Soul Nexus. I’m not Bark.”

I flinched at his name. “Maybe it’s a good thing you aren’t Bark then,” I whispered as I left him to wait for me to get ready for the run of my life.

I stripped out of the borrowed clothes. It’s a different feeling knowing that the world is out to get you. I don’t like it. Back on Earth, everyone would ignore or forget me if I didn’t constantly remind them who I was. And back on Earth, I hated it. Sure, I took advantage of it, but it was a lonely existence that required me to be a petty thief just to have a chance to have a roof over my head every night.

I slowly put on the clothes that Killa gave me. They were cleaned and repaired after soaking in the bathtub last night. Here I am, now wishing that I could have that life back. Ever since my death, my life has been so full of everything that it’s been hard to keep up. But now, through my own actions, I’ve made myself a target. But it was my actions, not my existence, that led to this. Am I condemned to a lonely existence? It's not my fault I keep killing everyone. They attacked me first.

I cradled the gun as I stared at it. Then I used my arm to break off a piece of the bed since it was wood. I sliced through it easier than I was expecting. After marveling at my blade, I stuffed the piece of wood into the gun. Did I make the right choice to kill those two? Probably not. But I did it. And I won’t take it back. They were criminals trying to take from me, harm me, and maybe not stop there. My actions are mine to take. My life is mine to live, and nobody will take that away from me.

I looked at my status and thought for a moment. Orange, is there a way you can do that muscle thing for my legs? Will it make me faster?

Synthetic muscle level 1 (legs) upgrade available:

Cost: 33,100 shards.

Purchase?

Yes No

Warning: the host does not possess sufficient energy required.

Alright, we’ll hold off.

I flipped the hood up and pulled it as far forward as I could. Then, to cover up my metal arms, I wrapped some bandages around them and pulled my sleeves down as far as I could. The long blade sticking out of my hand was a massive problem. If I don’t have the energy to get that upgrade, I better not get hurt, or I’m in really big trouble. I made sure my boots were tight, then walked out to Layith.

“Alright, where’s the nearest gate?” I asked.

The shaylip pointed. “Head that direction as straight as you can. The gates aren’t going to be closed, but don’t expect anyone to just let you through, either.”

My heart started racing. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

As I gave Layith a smile and a thumbs up, he only shook his head. You can do this, Rina. Just don’t stop. Head for crowds and disappear in them. It’ll be like old times.

I stuck my head out the window and looked to see if there was anyone watching. There wasn’t. So I hopped out and headed down the alley, away from the main street where Bark was exiting. I turned to head in the direction Layith pointed as much as I could, but I also wanted to stay in the alleys for a little while longer. Things were cooler in the shade, and the sun wasn’t any less hot than before. It just didn’t bother me as much now that my resistance is much higher.

As I walked, I heard something land behind me. I turned and saw a shaylip in dark, form-fitting leather. “So where are you off to? Fleeing?”

Shoot. I pulled the gun out of my pocket and pointed it at him. The gun instantly heated up and became so hot that I had to drop it. The gun had turned red like it was super-heated, but then returned to its normal color. I clutched my hand as the burning sensation quickly subsided.

“Tsk, tsk.” There was another voice from above me. I looked up and saw a woman whose skin was bright green, and she had leaves for hair. “Such unnatural weapons shouldn’t be played with. You could take your eye out with that.”

“Just shut up and restrain her already.” The shaylip started heading towards me.

I turned and started running. A section of the wall on my left reached out for me. I slid under it and rolled back to my feet. The world around me blurred as I ran even faster. Another giant stone hand reached for me, but I dodged it by jumping over it. I surprised myself as I jumped over it. I had expected that I needed to pull myself over as I tried to hurdle it.

I guess my stats are showing their improvements.

“She’s a speed specialist,” the woman from the roof called out. “She’s headed for the southern gate. We need Jarex to cut her off.”

Hearing that they were going to try to cut me off, I sped up. The muscles in my legs started burning, but they complied. I ducked into the street and into a crowd of people. Stupid me didn’t slow down first, and I crashed into three people carrying a large clay pot.

I tangled with one of the shaylips carrying the pot as we hit the ground. Everyone was looking at the mess I made. Luckily, my arm blade didn’t hurt anyone, and I scrambled to my feet. The condition of the clay pot was more important to the other two than figuring out what just happened. It made my escape a bit easier, and people parting and getting out of my way made things even easier.

Although I can’t get the feeling that this is only putting a larger target on my back.

But at least I was heading down the main street directly towards the gate, as I could see it. But it was still a long way away and there were a lot of obstacles between me and it. People around me started shouting, calling out that the human was running to the gate. I barely ran faster than the wave of people shouting, but at least they were moving out of the way fast enough.

At least they were until a cart blocked my path. Someone was moving their cart full of pots and pans, but couldn’t get it out of my way. It was harder to make adjustments when I was sprinting as fast as I could, but I slowed down enough to try to go around the cart, but there wasn’t enough room.

Behind me, I heard what sounded like dogs barking, but they sounded off. That can’t be good. I didn’t bother to look back and worried about the problem in front of me. The only option left to me was to try to jump over the cart and the small canopy where several metal pans hung from. My jumping is better than I thought before, maybe I can do it.

So I tried, and I had the height. But I jumped too early. My foot caught on the cart, and I flipped forward and slammed into the ground. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but I was still a little dizzy from the impact. The strange barking grew louder.

Before I could get up, a dog the size of a Great Dane slid around the corner. It wasn’t covered in fur. Instead, it was scaled. It didn’t have any ears, and its mouth was significantly larger. It opened its maw and lunged to bite me. I threw my left arm to defend my face.

It bit down on the metal, but I didn’t feel anything. Its teeth were cracking as it tried to chew through my arm. I couldn’t help but stare at the strange moment. Is this seriously happening? Despite its dental damage, it kept trying to bite me. But it then started to use its legs to claw me. I stood up and tried to pull my arm out, but it locked its jaw and pulled me towards it.

I have to get this thing off me. It kept pulling me further from the gate, sliding my feet against the ground. It’s stronger than me. I smacked its nose, hoping that the shock would cause it to let me go. The dog only pulled harder.

With no other choice, I put my arm blade below its neck and sliced it. Blood poured from the wound as it let me go. With one slice, I nearly decapitated the creature. But I had done what I needed to do. I was free from its grip and stumbling backwards away from it as it died. Five hundred and five shards and two stats added themselves to my total.

“Jarex, no!” I heard someone calling.

I didn’t see who it was, but I wasn’t going to stick around and find out.

“You monster! You killed him.”

It was self-defense. It was the same reasoning I kept using. But each time I used it, it felt like a weaker and weaker excuse. Just leave me alone.

I ran even harder. The gate was getting closer, and the people were clearing the streets. But when I got to the gate, my heart dropped. It was a familiar sight. One from when I first arrived in this town. It was the giant ugly slug-lizard with the lobster hand, Rollow.

How can this get any worse?