All the assembled officers held off celebrating while they waited to see if their foe had a second form. All except one. “Ahahahaha! Thanks for the Nova gain, suckers! Take this, former allies! Raging Ultra Twin Flames of Dovesk 120% Hyper Festival HD NEO for Matching Service!” A ring of star-hot flame expanded out from a single victor, vaporizing the NPCs and sending the other officers to their death poses.

When that Nova's terrifying fires dissipated, they left behind a startling scene: heaps of defeated officers at the side of a deep pit that was a peculiar quarry containing not rough stone yet to be hewed but rather a castle, complete and uncovered for the first time since the world's creation. Every last pebble and mote of dust had been disintegrated, leaving stern walls around a tower whose spiked roof would have pierced the very clouds had it been built atop the hill instead of the reverse. Those walls and tower had for their substance not black adamant, but rather gray stones streaked with red as though the edifice itself shed tears of blood for the heroes doomed to die within.

“That story His Countship Poitnem told was the authentic truth? I had it figured for a campfire wheeze!”

“I am as surprised, I assure you, as any here, though the story was indeed no invention on my end.” Any who looked at Count Poitnem then while waiting to recover from defeat saw a small smile at the confirmation of his story's veracity.

The attention of most officers, however, was caught by a figure that ran and hopped into the castle.

“That silver with the scimitar gets to explore first?”

“Did he do that super Nova? How?”

“Weird day all around.” Serdon Miloz, followed by more and more, staggered to his feet and started stretching in time to watch the day get even weirder. Lights began shining through the tower's windows, orange lights and red ones, sickly yellow and unhealthy green. Searchlights shot up to patrol the night sky. Officers viewed that phenomenon and muttered the same few questions.

“Was the whole story true?”

“Are there enemies in there?”

“How did we all get killed?”

One among them, a Rare as it happened, walked into roughly the center of the army and spoke. “I believe I may be able to offer a plausible explanation,” Hyune Giling said.

“Isn't that Ulrik's Nova just a wide cone with unexceptional modifiers?”

“We can use that tower for storage.”

“When'll they put that mega-genius in the gacha? New rarity?”

“Ahem.” None heeded Hyune's throat-clearing. He snapped his book shut and pushed up his glasses.

“Shut your fodder-holes! That two-star looks like he's about to say something smart! Shaddup I said!”

“My thanks.” Hyune made sure he had the crowd's attention, opened his book, and laid out his interpretation of events. “That officer has carried out a Reaper plan to admirable perfection. He once looted a Mystic Amulet and has refused to relinquish it despite acquiring superior gear. In this case, however, nothing could have suited his aims better. The Novas performed by his avowed allies increased his own Nova count, and with so many allies, the amount was quite considerable. Before the client could update, resetting his Nova to the normal 255 max, he unleashed it downwards in order to excavate in a flash the edifice we see before us. As a side effect, his supercharged Nova killed all his potential competitors, allowing him the opportunity to enter the tower, climb to the top, and claim it as his own. As to what may occur now that he is firmly ensconced within, I have insufficient information to come to a conclusion.”

The officers stood still and silent. “I've finished,” Hyune appended, and then they went wild.

“That should be my spooky tower!” Quircy Rau yelled, and if no one else said it quite as baldly, their hearts screamed the same sentiment. Ultra Rares, Super Rares, and Rare Rares formed teams and rushed toward the tower to claim it, or vandalize it, or kill something or somebody. Why be picky?

Cadmos in particular showed distress. “I have to stop Ulrik. He's making a huge mistake!”

“The nature of that mistake is, then, what exactly?” Gintus Pelluina asked with a sinister smirk, which was his usual expression.

“If I'm right about what's going to happen, I think he's going to lose more than he gains.”

“A Pyrrhic victory of some sort? That's what the Romans called it. To the Greeks it was a Cadmean victory. I suppose you must be an expert if your parents knew what they were doing, so I will accompany you to find out how true that is.”

“Thanks, Gintus. That would be a huge help.” Cadmos managed to round up Boxer Andit, Gaelvry Bride, and Dr. Stezlinstein as well and charged into the mysterious tower.