Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

The giant in front of them was a monstrous spectacle. It was a towering brute that defied nature itself with a body that was a blend of muscle and hardened flesh. Each of its six arms was filled with power and capable of striking with enough force to shatter the ground beneath their feet.

The monster had two heads, one that stared at the masked humans with contempt and a scowl, while the other was smiling in predatory glee at the tiny people assaulting it. Their hair was long and shaggy, covered in filth and dried blood, while their eyes glowed red with malice.

The Apostle to the God of Games had commanded them to take down the giant using the innate powers of the mask they each wore. The problem was that the risk of possession increased by drawing on those abilities.

It became a battle on two fronts. One against the giant and another against the very strength they used to fight.

The masked humans wielded weapons that glowed with enchantments or crackled with elemental fury. The air was filled with the loud hum of magic as they moved against the giant in a deadly strategy of blades, spells and mystical forces.

One warrior, who wore a red mask that resembled a fox, moved with such speed that she was merely a blur as she darted between the giant's six sweeping arms. She left streaks of fire in her wake as each of her steps ignited the ground beneath her feet.

Another had a mask that looked like an owl, and he summoned shimmering glyphs that twisted reality around him. He spoke strange words that were filled with power, and the sigils exploded into dazzling displays of magical light.

A third warrior, whose mask was bone white filled with cracks that gave it a weathered appearance, moved like a ghost as he faded in and out of existence until he was in range to strike with a black sword that would absorb blood into its surface.

But the giant wasn't helpless. With a roar that sent shockwaves through the battlefield and rattled the air around them, it charged at its attackers with a terrifying speed for a creature of its size. Its six massive arms lashed out in a whirlwind of destruction.

The foxed masked speedster barely had time to react before a colossal hand swiped through the space she occupied. She twisted and leapt into the air, flames trailing behind her, but she wasn't fast enough. A fist clipped her, and the impact sent her hurtling like a broken bird before she crashed into the ground.

A foot slammed into the earth with the force of an earthquake that shattered the ground and interrupted the summoning of Glyphs from the Owl mask. The spell collapsed, and the man screamed. The giant's palm swatted him like an insect, crushing him into the ground and leaving only a smear behind.

The giant wasn't satisfied just to kill the humans that were attacking it. It wanted to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. It gripped the bone mask warrior between its large fingers and squeezed slowly. The others had to witness the giant wrenching him apart and tossing the limbs and ripped torso onto the ground in front of them.

Standing beside the others, Mathew had fallen back after he had failed to deal any significant damage to the giant. His mask offered him additional strength and speed, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop the two-headed goliath that was assaulting them.

Suddenly, the edges of Mathew's vision darkened, and the world lost focus. The mask whispered to him, its voice slithering and coiling around his thoughts like a venomous snake. Along with the sound of the insidious words came a presence that pressed down on his mind, pushing against the limits of his willpower.

"You will die, Mathew." The voice crooned, its tone intimate and familiar to him. It was a whisper that echoed through his very soul.

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"Look at them. They fall like leaves from a tree before the might of the storm. Their strength is not enough. Your strength is not enough. But I can change that." Mathew could feel the mask pulse against his skin, its surface still cold even though he had been wearing it for days.

Mathew clenched his jaw, and his fingers curled into a fist. The battlefield was a nightmare of broken bodies and blood-soaked earth. He was outmatched. They were outnumbered.

He was doomed.

"You don't have to die here." The mask continued in a gentle whisper.

"Let me in! Let me show you what you could be like with my help! Strength beyond flesh, Power beyond fear. You could end this fight in a single breath! You could stand above them all. I could make you a god!"

Mathew's thoughts were filled with the offer. He could see himself wielding magical energy stronger than anything he had experienced before. The giant would be nothing before his might. He could subjugate the gods, eliminate his enemies and find Emily.

He could see her now; how surprised she would be at the sight of him. How happy she would be that he had found her. How would they climb to the top of the Tower together and make their wishes a reality?

"Shut up." Mathew growled through clenched teeth; his voice was raw with exhaustion and anger.

Did the mask truly not believe he didn't understand what it was doing? He knew that its offer of power was no different than any other he had received in the past from the gods or the Tower. It was all the same.

In the end, they all just wanted to use him for their own purposes. They would say they wanted to help, but all they truly wanted was control. They didn't care if he won; they just wanted to use him.

Mathew's heartbeat thundered in his ears, and he could feel the mask pressing against his skin. He knew that it was eager, almost impatient, for him to break.

While Mathew was fighting his own inner battle against the mask he wore, the earth exploded in front of him. A thunderous crack split the air as the giant's fist slammed into the ground, shattering the battlefield.

The shockwave hit Mathew like a battering ram, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him staggering backward. His ears rang, his vision blurred, and the world around him was nothing but dust and chaos.

He thought he could see Alivia and Greg in the distance, running toward him, but they were soon gone from his sight. A jagged slab of stone hurtled toward him, and Mathew barely had time to throw himself to the side as it crashed down just where he had been standing.

He hit the ground hard, rolling over the loose rubble. His body screamed in agony; the strength provided by the mask wasn't enough to protect him from the cuts and scratches. He slowly regained his feet as the Giant's attention was diverted by something else for a moment.

"Your end is approaching, Mathew. Accept my power and live!"

The whispering returned, but Mathew didn't just hear it now; he saw it in his mind's eye. The presence in the mask took shape in front of him, and he felt as if a shadowy hand was reaching toward him from the abyss, its fingers curling in a beckoning motion.

The fury inside of him ignited with a white-hot intensity. No one would own him or trick him into submission! If the mask wanted to offer him power, then Mathew would take it, but on his terms! He wouldn't bow to it or anybody! It would serve him!

With a furious snarl, Mathew seized the presence in his mind. He reached out with his hand and gripped the dark, spectral limb that hovered in front of him. A violent shock pulsed through his body as if he were grasping an electrical wire.

Raw energy surged up his arm, burning through his veins. The mask shuddered against his face, and it immediately changed from frigid cold to burning hot. The power in his grasp writhed like a living thing, and it tried to recoil away from him.

But Mathew refused to let go. He dragged the power out, tearing it free from where it hid like he was ripping the heart from the presence's chest.

The whisper turned into a shriek, a wail that echoed in his skull, but Mathew didn't care. New strength flooded into him. Fire wreathed him, and lightning crackled at his fingertips. His blood felt like it was ablaze.

Charging forward, Mathew threw himself into the battle with the Giant as others awakened the power of their masks. Some were more unfortunate than others as the presence within took control of their bodies.

By the time the battle ended, hundreds had lost the mental battle against their masks and thousands more were dead. Panting, Mathew caught his breath while standing next to Greg and Alivia as the Apostle to the God of Games appeared in the sky above them.

"Well done! Another battle and another Floor complete. But I hope you all haven't exhausted yourselves! There is still so much more fun to be had. Just remember, one tiny slip, and it's all over!" The apostle proclaimed, his face twisted into a smile.

In a flash of light, the remaining mask-wearing humans disappeared, carried off to the next Floor and the next Challenge.