Chapter 12: Abyss Tower {1}

Chapter 12: Abyss Tower {1} She looked at me with a sigh, her expression cold and resigned. At least now, she seemed to be trying to hold back from mocking me—though only barely. Deep down, she probably knew it was pointless to resist. Not in her current state. Checking her own power, Althea noticed with some satisfaction that it had grown. She now have E Ranked Power. Moving over to the window, her crimson eyes scanned the world outside. A small flock of birds fluttered in the distance. Her gaze locked onto them. Within moments, the birds froze mid-air, their bodies stiffening as ice crept across their feathers. They shattered into glittering snow-like dust, falling silently to the ground. She remained expressionless as she turned away, walking back to the bed, her blue hair cascading over her shoulder. Crossing her legs elegantly, she sat down and glanced at me. "Hey. When are we going to move out of this place? This room is far below my standards." Her voice was flat, demanding, and carried an authority that echoed her former glory. I ignored her, focusing on the system interface in front of me. The new system shop had opened, revealing a multitude of skills, potions, and medicines. It was overwhelming. I scrolled through the options, wide-eyed, as line after line of mysterious items passed before my eyes. Some were familiar, others utterly foreign—things even my past life had never seen. I had only earned 130 points from our last session—barely enough to afford anything worthwhile. But then something caught my attention: --- [Extreme Sonar] Rank: F- Cost: 100 Points Description: Grants the user advanced spatial awareness by emitting subtle pulses, allowing for detection of movement, threats, and ambushes. Increases reaction time significantly. --- It was perfect. I purchased it immediately. My senses expanded almost instantly. I could feel everything—the way the air shifted, the placement of objects in the room, even the faint heartbeat coming from Althea. The world itself became sharper, crisper, as if reality had been hiding behind a thin veil all this time. She scoffed coldly. "I’m talking to you, aren’t I?" Her voice was sharp, authoritative. I sighed and waved her off. "We’ll talk about that later. Come inside me—we’re going somewhere." She narrowed her eyes but didn’t argue. With a quiet humph, she vanished, slipping into my soul once more. I locked the door behind me and stepped out. The sun was already high in the sky, and the heat was unbearable. With a grimace, I grumbled under my breath. "Too hot." Althea, still connected to me, released a faint wave of divine energy, cooling the air around us. She didn’t say anything, but I could feel her annoyance through the bond. Still, the brief moment of cool relief was enough to keep me moving. --- Elsewhere... Clara had been waiting for over an hour, her patience fraying with each passing minute. She sat in a luxurious room, one leg crossed over the other as she glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. This was absurd. She had never been this frustrated by anyone. A white mask rested in her hand—simple, elegant, designed to hide only the upper half of her face. It was a rare item used in shapeshifting rituals. She didn’t plan to use it lightly. But she needed him, so she waited. She stood and began pacing slowly, her golden eyes narrowing as she considered the events from the day before. She had seen something. Something that shouldn’t have been possible. His clone vanishing in an instant, replaced by a version of him that moved impossibly fast From the information she have he was supposed To be atleast G- Ranked His strange power fluctuations. The way he had disappeared into the shadows like a phantom. When the door finally creaked open, Clara’s eyes snapped up. A boy stepped in. Young. His face was average, maybe slightly above, but there was something different about him. Last time she’d seen him, he looked smaller—almost sickly. Now his frame was leaner, stronger. Even his eyes seemed different... greener? She stared. He blinked, clearly confused by the intensity of her gaze. He, too, noticed the mask she was holding. In this world, masks like that weren’t for fashion. They were tools for transformation. The tension in the room was thick, though Clara herself remained composed. She tilted her head, curiosity in her golden eyes. "What do you want?" I asked finally, sitting down across from her. Clara exhaled, not bothering to hide her frustration, but she kept her voice level. "I want your clone to pretend to be me. And I want you to accompany me to Abyss Tower." My eyes twitched. I nearly slapped my own forehead in disbelief. But I held back. There would be consequences if I reacted too harshly. Abyss Tower? In my past life, I’d only dared to climb to the fourth floor. The very first floor was already a nightmare. Even E+ rankers could die carelessly there. The highest known expedition had reached the tenth floor—where an entire team of S+ rankers had tried their luck. Only one had returned. And the story they told... was a horror beyond anything I’d heard. "You’re insane," I said finally, my voice flat. "Why Me I’m a Helpless Trash in The School?" Clara looked at me evenly, setting the mask down on the table between us. "Because I think you’re hiding something. And if my guess is right, you’re the only one who can survive going with me." There was no arrogance in her voice. Just a calm, chilling certainty. I sighed, leaning back into the couch. This...