Name: Reigner

Race: Human

level: 9

Class: Summoner

Health: 1435/1435

HP Regen: 1.7/minute

Stamina: 2440/2440

SP Regen: 87.5/minute

Mana: 850/885

MP Regen: 39/minute

Strength: 97

Constitution: 77

Dexterity: 90

Intelligence: 23

Wisdom: 23 +

Unallocated stats: 6

I always found it enjoyable to see bigger numbers in my status. However, I never expected to see my level increase so quickly. The only words I could describe how I was feeling at the moment were, “Get fucked.”

Burin startled and glanced at our surroundings before turning to me. “What?”

“I gained two levels last night.”

He relaxed. “Oh… Well, that’s to be expected, you did solo the place after all.”

“While sleeping.” Added Mac.

Two new levels and six more stat points. A surprising sight but a welcome one. I split the points into intelligence and wisdom bringing them both to 26, while also bringing my maximum mana to 930. Bigger numbers are better numbers.

Time for the best part, new spells. If only Lilly, could see me now.

Summon Shelter

Rank: 0

Cost: 100mp / 2m3

Description: Form your mana into a shelter that can withstand the elements. The texture, shape, and size of the shelter is determined by you. The complexity and size of the shelter increases the mana cost. Shelter will last for ten hours by default and can be extended by depositing Mana into the construct. Only one shelter can be active at a time.

Summon Wall

Rank: 0

Cost: 20mp / 1m2

Description: Summon a wall from targeted horizonal surface. Thickness, durability, and duration increases with rank. At current rank, Summon Wall will last for 1 minute. There is no limit on the number of walls you can summon.

Construct spells? I was hoping for summon creatures. My shadow is cool I guess but I was really hoping the class could do more than summon a copy that has to stay within a certain range. There was only one more level with a guaranteed spell. After level ten I don’t know when I will get a new class spell or ability.

I couldn’t really complain since I did just gain two levels without lifting a finger. And with these new spells I didn’t have to worry about camping or staying at an Inn, which was nice. I could probably create something amazing if I rank it high enough.

Wanting to test the spells right away I focused on a clear area on the street in front of us and cast Summon Shelter.

Burin yelled out and fell back onto his backside. “What in the darkness!”

Mac’s eyes widened and looked over to me. “New spell?”

A huge grin was plastered on my face. “Yup”

My grin quickly faded as I looked over the so called ‘shelter’. A grey looking cube, that was slightly taller than I was stood in front of us. There were no windows or doors. Just a plain large concrete looking box. I walked up to my creation and knocked on the side of the wall. It felt like stone and sounded solid enough, but it looked terrible, boring even.

I may not be the most imaginative person, but even I was disappointed with my first casting of the spell. Taking a deep breath, I reasoned with myself. That it was because I was still hungover. I’m was certain that as I continued to rank up the spell, I would soon have an incredible and portable resort. It will cause envy delight to my friends and foes alike.

Placing my hand on the wall of the large stone box, I willed it to dissipate and watched as it broke apart into motes of mana.

Burin pushed himself back onto his feet. “Damnit Reigner, could ye stop startling me? You will give this recovering dwarf a heart attack. What was that anyway? A jail spell? Pretty good if ye want to keep someone trapped. I like how plain it looked, sure to be an uncomfortable stay for anyone you stick in there.”

Ignoring the Dwarf’s hurtful words, I tested out my other spell.

A small wall, one meter in height, rose from the ground in front of us. It looked to be made from a mix of wood or bamboo and seemed flimsy. I cast the spell again and this time focused on making it twice as long and twice as high. The mana cost was quite the toll, but the result was a wooden wall that covered the street and was tall enough to block my sight.

I walked up to the wall and kicked it. My foot went straight through the flimsy construct like it was paper. It felt and sounded a lot like it looked, brittle wood. I walked through the wall, letting the brittle material break as I stepped through it. It felt both disappointing and satisfying at the same time.

Burin walked through the hole I had made and gave what was left an apprising knock with the back of his hand. “You will need to rank this spell up before it can do more than block vision.”

Nodding at his words, we stared at the wall until it broke apart and dissipated into motes of mana.

Taking his advice to heart I continued to cast both summon shelter and summon wall as we made our way back to the Inn.

By the time we made it back, I had levelled both to level four. Unfortunately, my imagination did not improve, and it remained a grey box.

The Inn’s façade looked very different from yesterday. The small entrance that sat previously was replaced with a large ornate walkway that led to a set of double doors. Two stone mannequin humanoids dressed in red suits, positioned on either side of the doors, opened them as we approached.

The inside appeared nothing like the Inn we stayed in last night. Ornately carved wood with golden embellishments made up for most of the walls and flooring. The previously broken sparing platform was now a jade inlayed circular platform, illuminated by floating motes of light. Some of which pulsed while others changed colour and circled around the platform. The only things that remained the same were the tables, chairs, bartenders, and patrons.

A big cheer sounded from what seemed like everyone inside as we walked through the doors. Everyone had large smiles on their faces and a mug of drink raised towards us. The bar in the centre of the room was filled with mugs of different drinks. Behind, was the owner that yelled at us last night, but instead of scowling and yelling, a large grin sat on his face as he waved towards us.

“Here they are. My benefactors! Welcome, come grab a drink!” He continued waving his arms, beckoning us over.

At his words adventurers that were already drinking let out a murderous cheer and opened a path for us to reach the bar.

The jubilant cheer hit me like a battle axe to the skull. Placing my hands over my ears, I stumbled backwards out of the doorway. Escape filled all my thoughts. I needed to put distance between myself and the very loud and annoyingly happy patrons.

Finding myself on the street I cast summon shelter out of reflex and was soon surrounded by blissfully quiet calming darkness.

Burin let out a sigh and murmured a quiet thank you. I had not realised he followed me, so desperate I was to get away from the noise. Mac was also with us although I could not see him in the darkness of my shelter.

The blissful silence was soon interrupted by someone knocking on the wall closest to the Inn.

Idiot, what kind of shelter does not have a door? Blaming it on my still present hangover I leaned over to touch a wall and dismiss the stone box.

The light of day hit my eyes like a blacksmiths hammer striking an anvil.

Burin let out a pained yell from next to me. “Why?” A thick sound of betrayal was laced in that one word.

Someone laughed in a deep subdued voice, doing their best to stay quiet. “My apologies, I should have realised after the state I saw you in last night, that you would be suffering from alco crash. Here drink this.”

I felt someone grasp my hand and place a small cup into it. Slowly opening my eyes, I squinted at the drink as the burly owner of the bar handed a similar cup to Burin.

Peering down at the drink I had the forethought to appraise it before drinking.

[???]

Quality: ???

Weight: 120g

Value: ???

Effect: A secret concoction designed to enrich the body specifically for alcohol consumption.

Brining the cup up to my nose, I gave it a sniff. It had a bitter aroma. “What is this?”

“I call it the Champion’s Recovery, however regulars just call it the Champy. A bit of mana and health potion, a few spices, some sugar, and a few other things.” The owner said happily. “A specialty of the Arena… and my own recipe.”

The drink seemed to evaporate almost as soon as it touched my tongue. A moment later and the world seemed to have calmed down. The light no longer wanted to stab my eyes, the noise stopped hammering my ears, and I no longer had to fight the ground to keep my balance. It also left my mouth feeling refreshed and minty.

A sigh escaped Burins lips as he handed the cup back to the owner. With my head clear, I got a better look at the orc come Inn owner. He was taller than I was by a handspan but not as muscled. He was wearing an apron over a suit similar in design as the mannequins by the door, only his suit was a rich blue colour instead of their striking red.

He gave us a smile and wrapped his arms around the back of me and Burin. “Come, I have some new drinks I want you to try.”

Looking over my shoulder, I noticed that Mac did not receive a Champy and did not seem affected by the past night of drinking. I could have sworn he drank more than any of us.

He gave me a knowing smirk. “Live as long as I have, and you pick up some useful skills. I no longer suffer from alco crash.”

Burin let out a huff. “Aye, I’m not surprised. Ye probably picked that up before you reached level ten.”

Mac did not reply and instead pulled out a meat skewer and started biting into it.

The owner let out a deep laugh as he guided us into the Arena Inn and towards the bar. “I was so angry when I came down to see the stage broken. But I had no idea that your friend would go to such extent to make amends. Where is he? I want to thank him in person and name a drink after him.”

I probably should not tell him that his establishment was upgraded by the owner and God of the Tower. However, if I did, it would be amusing to see Mac’s reaction.

“He had some business to attend to and you can call him Manteli.” I don’t remember when I started calling him that, but it was much easier to pronounce than his full name.

“Manteli.” He chewed over the name for a moment before smiling again. “Then let me introduce you to my latest concoction, The Manteli.”

Reaching the Bar, he placed a mug of something purple and fizzy into my hands. Burin and Mac were also given a mug of the stuff. I wondered if I should abstain since I just spent all of last night drinking. A quick look to the joyful expressions on my companion’s face’s quickly shut down that thought. I mean I still had to wait for the others. What else was there to do?

Pulling the mug up to my nose I detected the aroma of various fruits. The drink was very fizzy, and I could feel little splashes from the hundreds of popping bubbles tickle my nose. I brought the cup to my lips and took a swig.

Something amazing happened. My mouth was filled with ever changing flavors. Every few seconds a different flavour hit my taste buds. Blueberry, strawberry, apple, and grape were the flavors I could instantly recognize. The changes did not end after swallowing, instead my mouth continued to experience a delightful aftertaste of more mellow fruits like melon, mango, and banana. The drink tingled everywhere it flowed. I could feel its effects from my mouth, down my throat, to my stomach. It was an incredible experience. There had to be magic involved with this drink. This world was truly everything the last one wasn’t.

The wondrous expressions on Burin and Mac’s face mirrored my own and I turned to look at the owner who watched us with an excited grin.

“Good right?”

I could only nod in return.”

“This is going to be my legacy. Originally, I was going to call it ‘the drink of ten thousand tastes’, but I like the sound of Manteli more.” He learned forwards. “Between you and me, It’s actually closer to alchemy than brewing. It pulls from the memories of the drinker and changes to suit their taste. Unlike spirits that improve with the age of the drink, this drink improves with the age of the drinker.” He let out a chuckle before adding, “It should only be served in a shotglass as it’s incredibly alcoholic, but why not? Today is a celebration!” His booming laughter drowned out the other celebrating patrons as he squeezed mine and Mac’s shoulders.

Looking at my mug I estimated it held at least ten shots worth of drink. I was about to question Burin if this was a good idea only to see the dwarf place down his empty mug on the bar. He lifted his hands up into the air and let out a yell of triumphant joy.

Shrugging to myself, I lifted my own mug to my lips. Here’s to another night of drinking.

“Wake up!” I felt my body being jostled about. I was way too tired and waved off whatever was bothering me. A moment later they were back, shaking my shoulders.

“Leave me alone.” I mumbled out as I turned away from them.

“Reigner, we need to go!” The voice sounded familiar to me. It was not the voice of a dwarf or man but that of a woman. Peering out from one eye I looked up to see Miko peering down at me. It was great to see her, she looked so soft and cuddly that I pulled her into a tight hug.

“Reigner…”

She felt so soft and comfortable in my arms that I quickly fell back asleep. A moment later I snapped awake as freezing cold water splashed all over me and a screaming Miko who was trapped in my arms.

I jolted up, finding myself in the middle of the newly created fighting platform inside the Inn. Looking around I saw a soaking wet Miko, followed by a smiling Richard standing close by, an exasperated looking Yui, and an angry looking Burin, an empty bucket in his hands.

Getting to my feet I glared down at the dwarf. “Why?”

“Why what? Why wake you from range? Maybe I should be the one asking you why you felt the need to knock me across the arena?”

Looking closer I noticed there was some blood leaking from his left nostril.

Feeling guilty I slumped my shoulders. “That was you?”

“There is no time for this. We need to go.” Yui said from the side. Surprisingly enough her voice, or anyone else’s for that matter, was not cutting into my head. I had no headache and felt completely fine after another night of drinking.

The Inn was filled with patrons slumped over tables or over floors asleep with empty or half-empty mugs everywhere. A few were awake but there were no calls of forming groups this morning.

Yui was dressed for adventure, with leather armour donned around her chest that flowed into a cloth skirt that ended just above her boots. She had two thin blades, one short and one long sheathed on the left of her waist. Her hair was tied up behind her head with beautifully decorated sticks. She really was a stunningly gorgeous young lady.

Richard was dressed in muted blue and yellow robes that wrapped around him. He also had a black chain that hung loosely across his chest from his left shoulder to the right of his waist.

Miko was wearing wet cotton shirt and pants that dripped water onto the polished jade inlayed floor.

Burin was wearing a light blue robe under a metal cuirass. An empty bucket next to him, and scowl rested on his face.

Looking at myself I saw that I was still wearing the dark grey cloak given to me by Elder Knight Torak. The robes felt damp but were quickly drying.

Summoning a bandage, I reached out and offered it to Burin. “Sorry mate.”

He snatched the rolled bundle from my hand and held it to his nose. I wasn’t sure if the bandage would actually heal while its still wrapped like that but at least he could use it to clear the blood away.

Turning back to everyone I gave them a smile. “I did not expect to see you for a few more days still.”

“We really should make a move on.” Richard commented as he looked around the room.

Yui stepped towards me and grabbed my wrist. She then turned around and started tugging me towards the platform exit. Allowing her to pull me along, we left the platform. Mac was standing at the bottom with a grim expression on his face.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Yui ignored my question and continued to pull me towards the Inn’s main door. Looking around I noticed that one of the patrons were staring at me very intently. Looking at them more closely I realized that they were an elf.

“The glade arrived.” Richard said from behind me.

“The glade? Is that an elf thing?” The elf at the table continued to watch us as we made our way to the door.

“About forty minutes ago, the giant sky island and glade of the elves, appeared above GorikTar.”

“By my beard! Have they declared war on the city?” Asked Burin.

“Appearing like that is an act of war in itself.” Yui said. “Hiro believes they are here for Reigner. We need to get to floor ten as quickly as possible.”

As we stepped out of the Inn and onto the street a black furry beastkin moved in front of us. “You!” He screamed at us. “You are the reason I lost my job! My home! You Bastardo!” The beastkin ran towards us with claws extended. Miko moved in front of us and punched out, meeting the beastkin’s face.

He fell backwards onto the street.

“I know you.” Miko spat. “The bully of floor five. I don’t know what business you have with Reigner but if you move to get up again, I’ll take your tail and use it to dust my shelves.”

The black cat kin held a hand to the side of his head and scurried to the side of the street and out of our way.

Miko flicked her hair and glanced back towards us. “Do we know what arena we want to challenge?”

“Rabbit Arena.” Yui said.

“Elven Arena.” I said at the same time.

Yui glanced at me over her shoulder. “You hold a grudge against the elves that much? It’s a bad idea. Its far from here and a pain to clear from what I have been told. Plus, Rabbit will give us speed items that are useful for everyone.”

“It’s not a grudge thing, it’s a magic thing. The Elven area has loot perfect for casters. We all use mana here.”

“Look!” Yui pointed out the wall’s gate. “The Rabbit arena is just there. The faster we clear the arena the faster we can move up the tower.”

“That will be the first place they check!” I reasoned. “The elven arena is some distance away sure, but that means anyone looking for us… me… would need to check a larger area. At that distance we might clear the arena before they even find us.”

“He has a good point.” Commented Richard.

“Shut up. Your opinion doesn’t count.” Miko said. “You have been crying about the items from that arena all week.”

“I would hardly call advocating for mana increasing items, crying. We can’t all be mega wealthy and afford the best mana batteries available.”

Yui let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, let’s just go. We don’t have time to argue.”

I gave Richard a thumbs up with my free hand as Yui continued to pull me forwards.

“Aye, it’ll be good practice for when we need to smash some leaf licking faces later.” Added Burin.

Yui glanced towards the dwarf. “Who are you and why are you here?”

“I’m with Reigner. Where he goes, I go.”

Yui turned her head to me with a questioning look.

“See!” Miko said. “This is why you should pay more attention during meeting instead of just dictating all the time. This is Burin, he survived the wilds of the second floor with us.”

Her face screwed up into a scowl. “I do not dictate all the time. I am guiding the team as the leader.”

“Uhuh. Tell me, what big creature did we have to run from again?”

“There is no time to chat.” Yui stated. “Let’s start running. Sera said they might come flooding into the tower soon.”

“Hah!” Burin cried out as we picked up our pace. “That was a fun time.”

“Oh, so those were tears of joy and not terror that fell on me as I ran behind you?”

“Fool Reigner! What do ye know of a dwarf’s emotions?”

Richard let out a chuckle.

“What?” Burin asked.

“It’s just funny. You were running from a troll before. Now we are all running from an entire nation.”

“A nation?” I asked. “Just how big is this floating island?”

When Richard answered, there was no humor in his voice. “At least three times the size of GorikTar city.”