Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Emily leaned tiredly against the cool metal wall of the elevator and let the hum of its motion vibrate softly through her bones. The silver doors had closed behind her with a familiar hiss, sealing her into the bright, sterile interior and blocking the sight of the world she had just left.

She had ridden this elevator 82 times before, but the strange combination of familiarity and detachment from reality never faded away. The space was far larger than any elevator had a right to be, or of how it appeared from the outside.

As it lurched upward, it rattled and shook slightly. Emily could feel how swiftly it was traveling, racing through dimensions or universes, something that she tried to ignore. She didn't want to think about what could happen if something went wrong and she was trapped inside or lost in the space between locations.

Emily didn't bother trying to estimate how long she had ridden in the elevator. She had long since stopped trying to measure time in the Tower. She had entered it as one person and lived for what felt like lifetimes inside its various worlds. It could have been decades, centuries or even longer. Time was meaningless here, especially since she never aged.

She winced as that thought inevitably made her think about her mother. It had been her goal to heal her, to find a cure for her cancer inside the Tower.

Instead….

Emily drove that thought away before she could sink into despair, banishing it with the hope that she could achieve her wish. She was so close now, only a few Floors were left and she could stand at the top of the Tower and declare her desire to the gods.

And they would have to listen to her.

Still, despite her best efforts, something tightened in her chest as the memory she tried to ignore rose to the surface. The memory came in jagged pieces, so sharp that they cut her mind. She saw a field of dead grass, the air dry and brittle.

The sun in the sky was a deep red, swollen and angry. Her hands were on her mother's wheelchair as they stared out at a desolate landscape that seemed already dead. She could hear a monstrous roar, followed by screaming. Birds scattered from the grass like a black cloud, and then…

Emily squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed the memory away once again. Her breathing was irregular and panicked, her heart raced. It took minutes before she could calm herself enough to open her eyes, and the doors in front of her slid open with a hiss as she did so.

The sight of what lay beyond made her breath catch in her throat.

Wide, tall windows stretched from floor to ceiling and she could see the unmistakable skyline of New York City, her city. Rain traced lazy lines down the glass, blurring the outlines of buildings that she knew by heart. It had been years since she had lived here, even before she entered the Tower.

It was cloudy outside, just like it had been when she left. It seemed as if no time had passed here at all. Time didn't pass in the Tower in the same manner as it did outside, and even though she had changed, the city hadn't.

She walked to the window in a daze and rested her hand against the cold glass as she stared below. Central Park spread out far below her, and she was high enough in the Tower to see the entire city.

While Emily was admiring the view, lost in thought about all the things she missed about living here, someone behind her politely cleared their throat in order to catch her attention.

Turning around, Emily finally realized she wasn't alone.

The office floor was raw and unfinished, stripped bare to steel studs and rough concrete. Wires hung from the ceiling, and tools lay scattered around the room as if a work crew had just stepped out for lunch and would be returning shortly.

At the very center of the room was a single metal desk that looked sleek, simple and completely out of place. Behind it sat a young woman in a grey suit who was looking at Emily with a friendly smile on her face. She had her hands folded on the desk's surface over what appeared to be a folder or ledger.

Despite the oddity of meeting her here, Emily knew her instantly. She had been in the lobby when Emily had first entered the Tower with her mother. Emily had been wide-eyed and unaware of what was to come. It was hard to believe she had even been that naïve to think that simply entering the Tower would grant her a wish.

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The young woman was wearing the same grey suit and had that same look on her face that saw far more than it should.

Emily's hand clenched into a fist when their eyes met. She wasn't that same naïve person who had first entered the Tower. She had met gods and demons and faced monsters that could destroy worlds. She knew that anyone who could traverse the Tower at will wasn't a normal person, and it wasn't likely that she was a friend

Emily didn't have any friends in the Tower. Not since her mother….

She crushed the thought and focused on the here and now. Memories of the past wouldn't do her any good here.

"It's been a long time, Ms. Halden." The grey-suited young woman said, her voice even and unhurried as if she were reading from a script that she had memorized a long time ago. Her smile remained in place as she watched Emily carefully.

Emily didn't answer right away. She stepped further into the room, her magic-enhanced boots echoing softly on the concrete. She took a quick glance out one of the tall windows as if to ensure that the city was still there, before looking away again.

"I didn't think I'd ever make it back." She said finally, her voice quieter than she intended as she came to a stop in front of the metal desk.

"Unfortunately, this is only a short visit. Those who enter the Tower of Avarice cannot leave until they reach the 100th Floor. However, depending on how our conversation goes, that may change. Regardless, after we are finished here, you will need to either leave this world for a short period of time or a much longer one." The young woman said cryptically.

With a smile still on her face, she gestured for Emily to take a seat in a chair that appeared, although Emily had no idea if it had been there already and she hadn't noticed or if the young woman had conjured it.

Still exhausted from the fight against the dragon, Emily chose not to question it as she took a seat.

"What do you mean that I could come back without reaching the top of the Tower? Why am I here?" Emily asked curiously. She had made steady progress through 82 Floors of the Tower, gaining levels, new Disciplines, Blessings and magical items along the way.

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

"A god has requested my services as a mediator. They would have come to you directly with this offer, but there were…complications. They felt that it would be best for a neutral party to facilitate the negotiation." The young woman said. She unfolded her hand, grabbed the folder, and spun it toward Emily, but she didn't open it.

"A god wants to offer me something? No thanks. I'm not interested in serving any god. I've met enough Apostles to know that nothing good comes from accepting help from the gods. Nothing comes for free with them." Emily replied softly, shaking her head.

Apostles, while powerful, were still people. They had all the motivations and flaws that came with being human. At the end of the day, they had entered the Tower for a multitude of reasons, just like her. Experience had taught her that the Apostles and the gods they served were never altruistic.

If one of them wanted to offer her something, there was a reason and a price to pay.

"The god desires a human to serve as their Apostle. Unfortunately, this person, while remarkable, has made it clear they are not interested in serving in that capacity. An opinion you share, I see." The young woman explained dryly.

"I'm not surprised. They sound like they have a good head on their shoulders." Emily replied.

"Indeed they do. I've had multiple interactions with this individual and I must say, they are quite impressive. I can see why this particular god is so keen to have them as their Apostle. With such a servant, their Demesne would surely flourish."

"That's nice, but I don't know what that has to do with me. Why would a god's interest in someone require them to make an offer to me?" Emily asked with curiosity. She had been in the presence of a god once, along with thousands of other humans, and the experience was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

She had never realized how truly powerful and inhuman a god was. Conceptually, she had, but seeing it in reality was an entirely different matter.

"The offer this god has asked me to deliver to you is simple. Speak with this individual and convince them to become their Apostle. In exchange, the deity guarantees the revival of your mother and your immediate release from the Tower." The young woman stated as she opened the folder and showed Emily the contents.

It was a legal contract, something she was very familiar with from her previous life outside the Tower. She had gone to Harvard Law and had worked for a large firm in the city, although her memories of that time were a bit fuzzy.

Every memory from before the tower had lost its edge.

Emily was stunned into silence. She sat there with her mouth half opened in shock as she scanned the document.

"There…has to be a catch." She muttered in disbelief. She had struggled and fought for the gods knew how long and now, finally, a miracle was being dangled in front of her. She could have her mother back, her entire reason for entering the Tower. And they could leave here together!

"No catch. Sign the contract, and this floor will be completed. You will be brought to this individual's location. Your only objective will be to have them become an Apostle. After that, your mother and you may leave the Tower."

Emily's thoughts took a long time to cycle through those words and the stunning turn of events. Everything she had wanted was within reach. But there was only one question left.

"Why me?" She asked.

"You have a connection with the individual the deity has chosen. They are convinced you will be able to succeed where others have failed." The grey-suited young woman said, gently pushing the contract toward Emily.

"I do? But I don't know anyone in the Tower." Emily tried to think who she would have been close enough to that a god would want her help, but she couldn't think of anyone. She had entered the Tower with her mother.

"Who is it?" She asked, and the grey-suited young woman finally stopped smiling. With a serious voice, she replied.

"Mathew Larson."