And so it wasn’t long before the man reached level 10. His spell and skill ranks soared straight up to 10 and beyond as well. Like Justin, he gained another skill while fighting. A skill called Immovable.
The skill increased his defence while his feet were planted, and also better protected him against getting pushed back or knocked down.
The skill only served to make him an even better tank. The man could simply stand there and take a beating from all ten of the Dark Wyverns—they hit his Bulwark spell, his tower shield, or his armour. It didn’t seem to matter which, as he took the hits with apparent ease.
Once the man had reached his goal, Xavier had stepped out and dealt with the remaining wyvern clutches in less than a minute.
Then they refreshed the floor, and Xavier farmed it, clearing all but one of the clutches.
Again.
And again.
Soul Strike ranked up twice more, reaching Rank 7.
Soul Harvest, Soul Harden and Spirit Infusion each ranked up only once, reaching Rank 3.
While farming the floor, Xavier tested his Spirit Break spell infused with a soul, then tested Spiritual Trifecta infused with a soul as well.
He was a little disappointed with the result. Though he couldn’t tell for sure, it felt like infusing a soul into Spiritual Trifecta only strengthened the spell a small amount. If he had to guess, which he did, he’d assume maybe a 1% increase in the spell’s power.
Still, the more souls he infused into both Spirit Break and Spiritual Trifecta, the stronger they became.
Definitely a valuable asset, especially when I’ll be able to hold thousands of souls.
And he didn’t think that was too far away, considering he could already hold 110 after ranking up so many of his soul spells.
As he cleared the floors, he focused on his Soul Strike’s area-of-effect component, but the insight he’d gained told him he needed more points in Spirit to achieve what he wished.
Still, he was able to split the souls he infused into the spell. At first, he could only split the souls once. A two-infused Soul Strike could be sent in two different directions, at two different clutches, creating two separate apparitions.
And with how much stronger he’d become, levelling up Soul Strike, he could take each clutch out with a single soul.
Which meant he could take out two clutches with one spell.
As he progressed, he could split the spell in more and more parts. Until finally, when he reached level 13, he knew he was ready.
Congratulations, you have reached level 13!
Your health has been regenerated by 60%!
Your Spirit Energy limit has increased by 200!
You have received +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +2 speed, +3 Intelligence, +3 Willpower and +8 Spirit!
You have received +20 free stat points!
All your spells have refreshed and are no longer on cooldown!
Xavier smiled, knowing what was about to come next.
Title Unlocked!
1,000 Stats: This is a common title that everyone receives when they have reached a total 1,000 combined stat points.
You have received +6 to all stats!
Note: As you have a similar title, “500 Stats” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.
Title Unlocked!
First to 1,000 Stats: You are the first person from your world to reach 1,000 total combined stat points.
You have received +20 to all stats!
Note: As you have a similar title, “First to 500 Stats” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.
He laughed, looking at the two titles he’d just gained. Once again, he threw all his free points into his Spirit attribute, bringing it up to a startling 390.
I wonder if there is a threshold at 500 stat points, like there was at 100…
Xavier shook his head. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it. Right now, he had a floor to clear. He instructed the platform to head back to the Safe Zone.
He was ready now. He could feel it.
~
Xavier refreshed the fourth floor of the Tower of Champions.
Leaving the others in the Safe Zone, he leapt onto the floating platform the second it approached through the barrier—he didn’t want to lose a single moment—instructing it to float back out of the Safe Zone.
The instant that floating rock passed through the barrier and Xavier could see the one thousand auras, clustered in clutches of ten, he took a deep breath, and focused on splitting his attention to one hundred points.
Xavier had one hundred and ten souls harvested and stored when he entered the floor, the limit of how much he could hold. He’d used six of those souls, infusing them into Spiritual Trifecta, strengthening his mind, body and magic. Soultaker was infused with Spirit Infusion, the arm-length blade shining with a silver glow in the darkness, empowering every spell he cast.
He raised the staff-scythe, then cast Soul Strike, infusing one hundred and four souls into the spell—the most he’d ever infused at once.
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He split the spell into a hundred parts. Bolts of pure white lightning shot out from his staff, each heading for one of the hundred clutches. For the first time since Xavier had stepped foot on this floor, the pitch darkness that persisted in this place was dispersed.
His lightning lit up everything.
The fourth floor of the Tower of Champions was a miles-long domed rock cavern.
But Xavier didn’t spend more than a split-second taking in the scenery.
For the ninety-nine normal clutches that didn’t contain the floor boss, Xavier sent a single soul toward them.
The final clutch, Xavier sent five souls toward. Though he hadn’t faced, or even seen, the boss for this floor, he was sure this would be enough to take it down.
And if it isn’t, I can simply turn back, refresh the floor, and try again.
But he didn’t think it would come to that. He felt it. He knew this would work. At almost the same time, the pure lightning that Xavier had sent off in a hundred directions blossomed into soul apparitions. A hundred bright, white, translucent wyverns burst into life, all opening their giant maws, all larger than the wyverns they faced.
And for the first time, Xavier was able to see the floor boss. And from what he could see, it wasn’t a wyvern at all.
It was drastically larger than the Dark Wyverns. It looked to be the size of a building. A large, six-storey building. Like wyverns, it had wings, but its wings dwarfed everything around it. Vicious spikes ran from atop its head all the way across its spine. Its head was massive, its eyes huge and as black as its pitch skin.
When it saw the apparition approach, it opened its giant maw and released a plume of flame larger than a fire truck.
It’s a dragon. A massive black dragon.
The flames, of course, did nothing to harm the apparition. It couldn’t be blocked or stopped. At least, not by something as mundane as an elemental spell. Perhaps it could be evaded, but the beast wasn’t fast enough—or simply didn’t think to avoid it.
All at once, a thousand auras were snuffed out as a hundred apparitions—the final apparition the largest of all—flew through every clutch, destroying every single one of them.
Not a single beast stood a chance.
In place of their auras, Xavier could now see the souls of the beasts. At the sight of so many souls, the pit in his stomach seemed to call out, the hunger he’d been getting better at keeping under control spiking.
Huh. That was even easier than I thought.
A thousand kill notifications appeared in his vision, but he only wished to look at one.
You have defeated a Level 40 Black Dragon!
You have gained 8,000 Mastery Points.
Only level 40? That’s no higher than the last floor boss!
Though, he supposed the last floor boss could have had an entire army helping him kill it. This floor was rather different to that one. His party, without him, would likely struggle against something like that.
Still, Xavier felt a burst of pride. Not to mention power, as this all went down. Not wanting to waste the souls of the beasts he’d just slain, and hungering for them more than he ever had, he harvested each and every one of them, consuming them to harden his soul as he did, and read the other notifications as they appeared.
Magical Potency has reached rank 13!
Magical Potency has reached rank 14!
Spiritual Trifecta has taken a step forward on the path!
Spiritual Trifecta is now a Rank 7 spell.
One cannot walk backward on the path.
Soul Strike (Ranged) has taken a step forward on the path!
Soul Strike (Ranged) is now a Rank 8 spell.
… is now a Rank 9 spell. …
… is now a Rank 10 spell. …
One cannot walk backward on the path.
Xavier could do nothing more than stare at the notifications and try to take them all in.
Soul Strike had ranked up three times? How was that even possible?
It must have been because I used the spell so differently to before, and maybe because of how many enemies I killed at once—the System saw it as a feat of power?
Was that why Magical Potency had ranked up twice, when it had mostly slowed down? And another rank in Spiritual Trifecta…
He shook his head, a little stunned.
Then he read the title that popped up. He had hoped something like this would come.
Title Unlocked!
Greater Butcher: This is a rare title. You have slain 1,000 enemies in a single strike. Whether you have slain small field mice or fearsome dragons, this feat’s reward is the same.
You have received +24 to all stats!
Note: As you have a similar title, “Minor Butcher” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.
24 to all stats?
He felt like he had skipped a title or two, going straight from “Minor” to “Greater.” It made him wonder how many enemies he’d have to kill at once to reach Major and Grand…
As he harvested souls and hardened his own, he gained another rank in both Soul Harvest and Soul Harden, bringing each of them to Rank 4.
My soulkeeping threshold is one hundred and sixty now!
It was already hard to imagine he’d only been able to hold ten souls when he first got the spell.
But it wasn’t these notifications that he was most eager to read.
It was the ones that just started appearing.
Congratulations! You have cleared the Fourth Floor of the Tower of Champions.
Party Member Contribution:
Xavier: 1,000/1,000 Kills.
Howard: 0/1,000 Kills.
Justin: 0/1,000 Kills.
Siobhan: 0/1,000 Kills.
No shared attributions apply on this floor.
Title Unlocked!
Fourth Floor Climber: This title has been upgraded. You have cleared the Fourth Floor of the Tower of Champions, and shall be rewarded.
You have received +8 to all stats!
Note: the title “Third Floor Climber” has been stricken from your soul.
Title Unlocked!
Solo Tower Climber 4: This title has been upgraded. You have cleared a floor of the Tower of Champions by yourself. You are either very brave or very stupid for attempting such a feat. Know that whether this feat was achieved through sheer skill or unbridled luck, you shall be rewarded.
You have received +32 to all stats!
Note: the title “Solo Tower Climber 3” has been stricken from your soul.
Title Unlocked!
1st Fourth Floor Climber: Out of Champions from five competing worlds, your party is the first to clear the Fourth Floor of the Tower of Champions within your instance.
You have received +20 to all stats!
Note: As you have a similar title, “1st Third Floor Climber” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.
Title Unlocked!
Fourth Floor Ranked 1 – RECORD HOLDER (Completion Time – 4 sec): Out of all the Champions from all the worlds in the Greater Universe who have completed the Fourth Floor of the Tower of Champions in every possible instance, you have completed it in the fastest time.
This title is a Temporary Title. If your record is edged out of first place, your title will be turned into a normal top 100 title.
If your record is edged out of the top 100, your title will be lost.
You have received +40 to all stats!
Note: As you have a similar title, “First Floor Ranked 42” has been combined with this title and shares its stats. You may still view the previous title and your standing on the ladder, if you will it.
Xavier was floored.
Four seconds? That floor… it only took me four seconds?
He knew he’d completed it quickly. That had been his plan. What all his training on this floor had been about achieving… but he hadn’t thought it was possible to do it that quickly.
I ranked first. Out of trillions of Champions over billions of years, I ranked first.
The +40 stats he knew combined the last two top 100 titles he’d gotten, meaning this one gained him +20, where the others gained +10 each.
This title is worth double. If I can do this on the next floor, and the next, all the way up to the tenth floor before we return to Earth, including this floor that will be an extra 70 stats for each of my attributes.
Xavier simply marvelled at that fact. At all he’d just achieved. Thinking it all through.
Power begets more power, and so on and so on…
Xavier had gained a lead like never before. If this floor hadn’t just been a fluke… he might end up being the most powerful Denizen to ever move through the floors of the Tower of Champions.
He read the last notification.
In 30 seconds, you and your party will be returned to the Staging Room.
As Xavier waited to return to the Staging Room, the countdown timer already ticking, he felt something he couldn’t identify. A shiver ran up his spine, and it was almost as though someone—or something—was watching him.
The feeling only lasted for an instant, but it left a sour taste in his mouth and a pool of fear in his gut.
Whatever that presence had been, all he knew about it was this: it made him look like less than an ant in comparison.
It made him look like a speck of dust.