Unconquered Tower

TEN

Three more times he cycled through the single hall. Each time he lasted slightly less as his body grew more weary. No matter how many Roan slew, they just filled the channel further. Their shuffling steps had started to kick bits and pieces of their fallen out of the hallway, including several of the daggers. Roan had put those to the side as he rested, finally admitting to himself that he was done. The final cycle had netted him only four of the poor-grade skeletons. He’d become more efficient, but his body was at its limits.

“Need food and water. Sleep would be nice.” Roan knew that he couldn't be sleeping, not until he absolutely had to. The ticking clock was too loud in his mind, refusing to stay silent as he thought of how much he needed and how expensive it all would be.

Roan checked his alerts and did the math. When he went back in it’d be with six-hundred-forty more points. He’d managed to kill thirty-two of the skeletons in the last hour or so. With his remaining balance his bank account would be at almost seven hundred credits. He still owed Moira a hundred-thirty credits.

His sigh was loud in the relative silence of the dungeon room. No matter what he wanted to work, it just wasn’t going to work with him moving by himself. Not unless he abandoned any thought of exploring the level further and trying to find rewards or unique treasures. Camping in the cul-de-sac and just farming skeletons would be possible, if he bought enough food and gear. If the four remaining coffins didn’t open. If others didn’t have the same idea and come out and cut down on how much he could farm.

“Too many if’s. Take the money and see if you can get someone to help you out,” Roan said out loud. His words echoed over the black stone and the quiet clatter of the moving bones. Decision made he gathered up what he could reach and stuffed it into his homemade slings.

Both of his axes were in poor condition, their rusted edges dulled until they were little better than a lump of metal shaped like an axe. Both of them would have to be replaced as quickly as possible if he wanted to keep his efficiency up. Or he’d find a whetstone or grinding wheel. They were both undoubtedly available for purchase on the market.

Roan had all his, rather pitiful, loot gathered up and was through the gates in a minute. The same sense of nausea and vertigo hit him, but it felt less extreme as he stepped back into the saferoom.

The same group of people were clustered around it, but they were looking more battle ready as they gathered their weapons and did double checks. Eyes followed him, but it was the woman who’d talked to him that stepped forward again.

“Anything to report?” she barked the question as if he was some soldier under her command. Roan bristled instantly at the assumption, but controlled himself as he looked around at the group preparing to go out.

“Coffins didn’t open up for me. The skeletons don’t pass from their hallway into the cul-de-sac. You can stay in the neck of the channel and harvest what you need,” Roan said, keeping it simple as he started to walk by them.

“Thanks. Also, be careful about that guy Nash. He’s gathering up people and came to pitch us. Tried to get us to join him, said we could charge a toll on the gate,” the woman said. Roan froze and looked over the gentle hills covered in luscious grass. Nash was nowhere to be seen, but other groups had relocated to cover the hills around the gate.

“I’m Billie,” she said, extending her hand. Roan took it on instinct as he thought through what Nash had proposed. If people entered the safe room exhausted, tired, covered in loot and wounds, then it would be easy to shake them down. He doubted he could fight anyone right now, let alone a group.

“Factions. Protection. I’ll need it.” It wasn’t a pleasant thought. No emotions clouded his face as he let go of Billie’s hand and thanked them for the information.

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“Others are already gathering together, not just Nash. Even if it's not big groups, then small teams that watch each other’s backs.” Billie pointed to her own group who all nodded together.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Be careful out there,” Roan warned as he left them and headed toward where he saw Taoya’s wide figure. The man looked like a second tree on the hill as he stood with his arms crossed across his broad chest, watching the gate with focused intensity. Roan had hardly gotten to the base of the hill before Moira called out to him.

“No wounds this time?”

“No wounds this time,” Roan confirmed as he marched to the top. Taoya had a wide smile on his face while Moira just nodded as she moved stuff around her newly bought pack. Darren was resting against the tree while seven other robed figures walked about or lounged.

“Tell us what you saw out there and we’ll tell you what we’ve discovered on the market,” Darren offered.

“We’ll tell you regardless,” Taoya corrected, kicking his friend’s feet with an exasperated shake of his head. Roan gave them a better explanation of what he’d observed as he sat down, glad to rest as he quickly took off the slings and pulled the long knives out and set them down in a pile. Eyes watched them but quickly dismissed them, nobody interested in them.

“You can transfer money to others directly, but you need physical contact. It’s cheaper to buy higher grade goods that can be broken up amongst us, but it requires pooling our funds,” Darren began.

“There’s also ways to create community funds, mark people as part of the community and people can access the funds,” Moira cut in.

“I was getting there, Moira. Give me a minute,” Darren said, rolling his eyes before starting again.

“Skills are expensive and have several qualities. I think they run based on either your mana, which none of us have to any reasonable degree, or these attributes. Learned the filter system more. The tower grades things as inferior, poor, common, uncommon, rare, superior, and unique. Then there is floor unique, level unique, and tower unique. All of those affect pricing.”

Roan nodded along and cursed himself for having chosen information and not something useful. Like the bag of holding. That would have been very useful rather than the information that Darren had been able to find in only hours.

“That’s about it, but we do have a plan. Would you be interested in hearing it?” Darren asked. Roan wanted to say, no. He wanted to go and continue his harvest and keep the wealth he earned to himself.

“Yeah, let’s hear it.” The words felt like treachery on his tongue, but everyone’s eyes were locked on the pathetic haul he’d managed to bring back. Darren smiled predatorily and nodded along.

“I thought you would. We’ve deduce there are other safe rooms and want to connect to them. But first, we need to clear out the hallway and increase the level clear rate. Eat, drink some water, and rest. In two hours we’re going to enter the crypts again and we’re not leaving until we clear at least two hallways and can reach the boulevard again.”

“Just us?” Roan asked. Darren shook his head and snorted in anger.

“That asswipe, Nash, is running around telling people all sorts of stupid shit. People are believing him though. Those that don’t though, we’re a nice alternative for them to come to. While you’re resting, I will be going around and recruiting as many as I can. Unfortunate this room has so few of us.” Darren was obviously referring to those who had grown up in the tower systems, either the sects or colleges.

“Don’t worry about that. Once we start connecting to the other rooms, we’ll be able to organize better. Won’t be the same as this level’s chaos,” Taoya counseled. Darren nodded and got to his feet and then paused before he left the shade of the tree.

“There is a buy-in though. I have a community fund set up, you can find it in the market place. Calling it the Tower Climbers Association, T.C.A. Two-hundred credits to sign up and ten percent of the run. We provide healing and information sharing. It’s not much, but as we get more organized we’ll have more benefits. Including guides on skill usage, bloodlines, or anything like that. Expensive choices that people will want to know about before they commit. Also can’t have any debt before signing up.” Darren walked away before Roan could respond.

“It’s alright. We’ll have it earned back in half the time!” Taoya said with a booming laugh, slapping Roan on the shoulder. The glare Roan gave Taoya just made him laugh harder as the big man followed after Darren.