Kael stood at the edge of the Architects Shelter, staring at the smooth stone wall in front of him.
There were no doors, no stairs, no glowing exit portal kindly labeled [Return to Floor 3]. Just a stone and round chamber with no exit.
"Of course" he muttered "Why would there be an exit?".
The shelter was silent again as if it had already finished using him. The platforms which were used for training were motionless and the training constructs were gone. The faint pressure that once weighed on his body had disappeared leaving behind only soreness and lingering awareness of his own limits.
But this time, it didn't feel oppressive, it felt....familiar. Kael raised his hand and drew the line in the air.
The white boundary formed smoothly steady and clean with no backlash, no sudden dizziness, about the recoil need to test with the real monsters.
He exhaled in relief "Good, after testing with the real monsters who are higher level than me and still knocked me on my ass, I'd sue the Architect".
He stepped onto the line like it was a solid floor and then drew another line beneath it stacking them diagonally upward. One step then another, his movements were slower than during training which was careful but controlled.
This wasn't brute force, this was technique. After 15 whole minutes the stone ceiling above him rippled faintly reacting to the boundary.
Kael pushed through and emerged back to Floor 3. The smell hit him first which was the damp stone, rusted metal, old blood.
A text appeared.
[Can enter Architect shelter in every floor anytime]
"Thank you I guess....."
He stumbled forward and nearly tripped over a cracked tile, catching himself with an awkward step. His boots scrapped loudly across the floor.
"...Great" he whispered "Back to the murder maze".
Floor 3 was nothing like the quiet shelter. The ceiling was higher supported by broken pillars and hanging chains. Dim crimson crystals embedded in the walls pulsed slowly casting long shadows that moved even when nothing else did.
This was a hunting floor. Kael didn't need a system message to tell him that.
A low growl echoed from the left corridor. Kael froze, then another answered it and another.
"Okay" Kael said softly rolling his shoulders "Lets see if that training actually did something and lets test my line drawing skills".
A hunched disgusted creature stepped into view, which was very familiar and because of it I have discovered the architects shelter.
The shadow hounds are back, Shadow hound level 5.
Before training he would've run, but now? He tapped the ground beneath his feet.
Data surfaced faintly in his vision.
[Floor material: Reinforced stone]
[Structural Weakness: Fracture line 2.3m ahead]
[Residual mana: Moderate]
"..... there you are" he murmured. The shadow hound jumped. Kael drew a line horizontally in front of him.
The monster slammed into mid air screeching as the invisible boundary stopped it cold. The force rippled outward but this time Kael bent his his knees shifted his weight and let the impact pass through him.
There was no recoil, just little bit of pressure.
He stepped sideways and drew another line angles, the monster rebounded crashing into the fractured tile Kael had spotted earlier.
Stone exploded upward, the shadow hound howled.
Kael didn't hesitate, he rushed forward and drove his dagger down into the exposed neck. The creature convulsed once.... then went still.
Silence returned, Kael stood there breathing hard staring at the corpse.
"....Holy shitt" Kael was shocked.
A chime rang out.
[EXP GAINED]
[LEVEL UP]
He blinked "...oh. That's new".
The faint blue window appeared minimal this time no flashy animations.
[Level: 1 -> 2]
[Stat Points Gained: +3]
Kael grinned despite himself "Okay, I can work with that".
He didn't distribute the points yet. Training had taught him patience.
A scraping sound echoed nearby, more movement.
"Right", he sighed "Its not time to celebrate yet"
Kael moved deeper into the floor, keeping to the shadows. He didn't draw lines constantly, he only drew when needed, each line cost focus and mana, each one demanded intent.
He was learning restraint. Two shadow hounds approached from opposite sides, Kael tapped the wall.
[Hidden ledge detected]
He jumped and drew a line mid motion and kicked off it like a step. The series of movement felt clumsy but it worked. He landed above the creatures as they collided beneath him snarling in confusion.
Kael dropped down behind one slit its throat.
The second spun and ran straight into a vertical line Kael placed at the last second.
The shadow hound bounced back and was stunned "Sorry" Kael said stabbing it through the eye "You walked into that"
[EXP GAINED]
[EXP GAINED]
More experience!!!
His body felt different now. Not stronger exactly but more responsive. Like the tower was finally acknowledging him as a participant instead of background noise.
As he wiped his blade clean something strange happened.
The corpse beneath him..flickered.
Just for a second like a bad rendering.
Kael frowned "Did you guys see that?" for a second there was no answer.
"...Right I'm talking to the dead monsters, Perfectly normal" sighhh.
He crouched down and tapped the corpse, it just showed that the shadow hound is dead.
The flicker was gone like it never happened. Kael straightened slowly.
For the first time since the shelter a cold prickle crawled up his spine. He didn't understand it yet but something had changed.
And it wasn't just him, further into floor 3 Kael found signs of other climbers, broken traps, fresh blood, scratches on the walls from heavy weapons.
He stayed away, he wasn't ready for people yet.
Humans were worse than the monsters they adapted faster. I need to get stronger as fast as possible.
As he cleared another small pack he heard the familiar sound once again.
[EXP GAINED]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL: 2->3]
[STAT POINTS GAINED: +3]
Just like that Kael killed many shadow hounds and some slime's and reached Level 5 and gained 6 stat points.
[Level: 3->5]
[Stat points gained: +6]
Kael leaned against a pillar sweat dripping down his face. ".....Five already, not bad for the guy with trash talents".
He flexed his fingers, line drawer felt smoother now, less resistance and less effort.
Tap still required focus but it was clearer and deeper, almost like it was peeling something back.
Kael drooled and shook his head "Nope not thinking about that".
He moved toward the staircase where it had the portal leading upward. Floor 4 awaited.
Before stepping in, he paused "....Hero sword" he muttered, The memory still bothered him, the sword vanished, the system error and the replacement yess that Eraser F-, now I feel bothered more when there is minus too damm it.
Kael didn't tested it yet, didn't want to, something about it felt...final, like it didn't just destroy things and like it removed them.
Kael swallowed "Later" he said firmly "I'm not deleting reality today, author is trying to carry on this story has hard as possible, lets move onto the next floor.
The staircase lit up beneath his feet.
As he climbed a faint message appeared so subtle he almost missed it.
[Talent: Eraser]
[Status: Locked- Passive Observation active]
Kael stopped "Observation?"
No explanation followed, the tower as usual refused to elaborate, Kael laughed quietly as he continued upward "Yeah figure"
Kael entered the floor 4, there were monsters stronger than him, people smarter than him.
A tower that clearly didn't play fair.
But for the first time since awakening, Kael Ardent wasn't scared.
He was exited.