While waiting in line, I recalled the Final Spark rewarded by the [Tower]. None of the memories I bore held information on this item, so I was not sure what to expect.
Taking out a small box from my pocket, the soft velvet of its make became apparent. A soothing cold embraced my fingertips, like grasping a soft pillow.
I felt around the box for half a second before finding a small, circular button.
—Click.
The box popped open, and there I found a small gem—about the size of a marble. It didn't glow, nor did it gleam.
It was actually pretty dull.
"..?"
Tilting my head in confusion, I picked up the crystal marble and held it between my fingers. Nothing happened.
Still, I continued to examine the marble. Either way, I was stuck waiting in line with no need to eat nor drink.
This place, where the Tower of Thrones grew straight into the sky and the Tower of Hells plunged into the abyss beneath the translucent floor, was even more beautiful than the gem in my hand. Together, they made up the one true Tower of Thorns.
I looked to my side, where the [Tower's] messages were waiting to be read.
[Welcome to Floor 0, Zöe! Floor 0, also known as the Floor of Beginnings, Gates of Heaven, Tartarus, Mirror Hilt, or the Endless Expanse, is the absolute centre of the Tower of Thorns.]
[Here, you will never hunger, thirst, nor age. It is the home of all those who have yet to step onto their own paths.]
[Soon, your First Trial will arrive.]
It seemed like Floor 0 had a rich history to have so many appellations. Reading until here, I then looked to the newest messages that popped up when I held the Final Spark.
[Discovered the Suiroi Civilization's Final Spark.]
[Would you like to absorb its last hope?]
[Y/N]
Absorb its last hope?
What?
"…"
For a moment, I was stunned. It felt like I would be burdened by a great responsibility if I accepted this power.
However, I needed power to achieve my goals and climb the [Tower].
So, I hesitated.
After a few more steps forward in the line, I made a decision.
[Yes.]
I thought in my head, having realized that there was no need to shout. The [Tower] was omniscient, after all.
[Affirmation acknowledged.]
With the arrival of that message, the crystalline marble in my hands melted into a clear, teal liquid. It was soft, softer than water, and it flowed around my right hand, before hardening into a black silk glove.
"Hm?"
[You have acquired the Glove of Hiei'Veine (Soul Bound).]
[For now, it doesn't seem to do anything.]
"…Riiight,"
A long drawl of disbelief escaped my lips.
Anyways, there was that. At least I had a new glove.
****
An unknown amount of time passed while Zöe waited in line. Eventually, those standing before him dwindled until even the stalk of grass before him vanished into the depths of the [Tower].
Finally, it was his turn.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward, vanishing where he stood and reappearing at the base of the [Tower]. He crossed an immeasurable distance in an instant, as the rest of the line was no longer visible. They were smaller than even the smallest speck of dust.
Zöe is unaware of the scale of galaxies, but the distance he crossed was about that much. From the edge of the Milky Way to the supermassive blackhole, Sagittarius A. Such was the distance he'd crossed in the blink of an eye.
Now, the [Tower] seemed to have become a supermassive wall. It spanned seemingly infinitely in all directions, impossible to walk around.
Zöe's brain nearly collapsed. His eyes quivered in gross realization. Goosebumps spread across his skin.
"Is this… how vast the world is?"
A fierce wanderlust was brewing in his heart.
Until…
[Welcome, Zöe, child of Life.]
Messages began to resound in his mind while appearing before his eyes.
[Your First Trial approaches.]
Zöe held his breath in excitement.
[The [Tower] wishes you the best of providence.]
The world around him burst into a blinding light.
****
[Name: Zöe (Eve)]
[Race: Vengeful Soul (Lesser Human)]
[Status: Ascender]
[Physique: Commoner III]
[Mana Level: 1.00043]
[Current State: Healthy]
The first thing that caught Zöe's eye was indeed this profile of his. The [Tower] displayed who he was, how he was, and what he was capable of.
It was very succinct, and not at all like the games that Eve had encountered in his life before regression. The only numbers present, existed in the Mana Level category.
Then, a series of messages followed after.
[Ascender Zöe has been given the Trial of the Planter]
[The goal is to cultivate a Suiroi Sentient Tree until it can fend for itself.]
[Time until completion: 83 Days, 21 Hours, 43 Minutes, 59 Seconds]
[Goodluck.]
"…What?"
****
I have a problem.
There is no one among the people I've possessed who had diligently taken up gardening. In fact, it was simply impossible to become a gardener without holy magic back in the world I once lived in.
Plants would wither up and die without the power of the Gods.
"Sigh,"
Now, I was dealing some forgotten civilization's sentient tree. Moreover, as my eyes adjusted to the lighting, my expression fell.
It continued to fall as I looked around.
In my hands was a sapling, still fresh from the nursery. This meant that I had to find a place to plant it.
"…But where?"
There was no soil on the ground.
In fact…
—Crunch.
Beneath my feet were trillions upon trillions of bones. Large bones, small bones, weird bones.
It was a skeletal ocean devoid of life.
"No way."
A bad feeling crept up my stomach, grasping at my heart.
"No damn way…"
The air was still, silent and tranquil. However, that tranquility was eerie. The silence was unsettling.
And the stillness was unnerving.
In the distance were its residents, living bones that looked nothing like the human skeleton warriors Eve usually killed in his games. Instead, they were grotesque and malformed.
None of the bones were supposed to be where they were, providing zero biological logic.
They were amalgamations of death, wandering through the piles, hills, and mountains of bones.
For now, they looked rather distracted.
However, Zöe had a feeling that he did not have long before his presence was discovered.
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I've released a few Grey Polls for the public to participate in. The first three polls have contributed to this chapter already! How fun.
Become a Supporter to influence the story at [ Ko-fi . com/ubemantou ] and [ discord . gg/SnNg5G9qrt ]
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