[Floor Zero]

  Vagabonder: a person who wanders floor to floor, earning a filthy amount of Gilds.

  ***

  Windows, windows, windows, filling the walls.

  The lobby breathed life: people lined up to sign a sheet of paper, others ordered drinks at the sorry-excused pub, while some rested on the padded chairs. Lodio was some.

  He stared out at the slow-moving clouds and smiled. Something stirred inside of him. A rush. His double-edged sword ached. He saw how the window reflected the moving people and other species.

  I can’t wait.

  His nails dug into his palm, drawing blood.

  Open.

  [

  Name: Lodio Azhario

  Type: None

  [Tower Floor]

  - Current: 0

  - Goal: None.

  - A reminder: This is the starting point to become a Vagabonder.

  [Currency]

  - Gilds (?): 0

  - Gilds are the currency of the tower. Reaching [Floor 20], you could withdraw Gilds to use in the Outer World.

  [Inventory]

  - None

  [Teleport]

  - Available Floors (0):

  - Limitation: Teleport is nulled within zones of active conflict.

  [Shop]

  - Available Items:

  - Reach [Floor Ten] to unlock.

  ]

  His gaze swept across the blue translucent options. But one thing caught his eye… Gilds. It’s like the word Gilds called for him.

  A big fat zero.

  His shoulders slackened, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

  Close.

  A sharp voice cut through the chatter: “Ladies and gentlemen! We’re going to proceed with the floor! You’ll soon be teleported.” A pause. “Good luck.”

  Lodio’s ears perked up as his heart thumped like a heavy bell.

  Finally.

  Then, gradually, blue mist covered his body, dissolving him.

  [Floor One]

  Opening his eyes, he was on a raised platform with a person in front of him.

  The man was huge: a scarred face and no shirt on.

  Ding!

  [Welcome to [Floor One]! To pass this floor, you must defeat the person in front of you. By any means.]

  Ding!

  A snicker. “Hehe, you see that, scrawny? How lucky am I?” The man stepped forward, lips curling into an ugly smirk. “By any means? That means…”

  Lodio didn’t bother to listen to the rest. All he could focus on was the ache of his sword.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “You talk too much.”

  With that, he unsheathed his sword and dashed forward.

  “Oh? You’re very doughty, aren’t ya—GAHHH!”

  The hulking man dropped on his knees, and with his other hand, he clutched his stumpy forearm. Blood spilled on the limestone platform, filling in the cracks.

  Lodio flashed a grin before kicking him off the platform.

  “Farewell.”

  The blood on his sword dissolved into red petals. They fluttered in the nonexistent wind.

  Ding!

  [You beat [Floor One]! Moving on to [Floor Two] shortly.]

  A blue mist.

  Ding!

  [Welcome to [Floor Two]! To pass this floor, you must defeat the person in front of you. By any means.]

  In front of him was a lanky figure, their skin muddy green. Yellow circular markings ran across their body: a big one on his chest and two on their cheeks. On their webbed hands, they held a spear.

  A Twog?

  Lodio blinked.

  The Twog stepped forward, stretched lips pressed thinly. “Tktktktk, prepare yourself, human. For I, Fr—“ Their eyes widened as Lodio dashed forward. “Inconceivable!” They dashed back, their ponytail braid swinging.

  “I hold a proposition, Twog…” He paused. “Fist-to-fist.”

  Clank!

  “Foolish! You’re now as vulnerable as a fish’s egg.” The Twog croaked. “But I prefer fist-fighting.”

  Clank!

  “First a trickle.”

  A low crouch.

  “Then a current.”

  “…You? How do you know?” Their crouching faltered.

  Lodio’s lips curled into a smirk. “My father’s a Twog.”

  “I-impossible! That’s impossible! A Twog cannot breed with a human! You’re lying, are you not?” Then a low croak bubbled from their throat. “Psuuuuu,” a whistle escaped from their lips. “That is it, you have fought one before. Very well.”

  “First a trickle.”

  They crouched until their bottom almost touched the platform.

  “Then a current.”

  A deep, holding breath.

  “By the end.”

  An exhale.

  “A waterfall.”

  With a leap, the Twog’s fist inched closer to Lodio’s face.

  He ducked.

  The Twog stumbled forward before turning around. They flashed a grin: all tongue, no teeth. “Tktktktk, you’re different.” External nares flared.

  Without saying anything more, the Twog crouched.

  Lodio mirrored them.

  An invisible pink aura coated his fists.

  Both leaping, their fists connected with each other in mid-air, but Lodio’s fist slipped off their slimy skin.

  Thwack!

  He skidded across the platform like a flat stone. Threatened to fall over. Lodio pushed himself up.

  Quickly, the Twog dashed forward.

  “A human can’t defeat a Twog.”

  If I guess correctly…

  Lodio sidestepped to the left as the punch whizzed by.

  “My father really is a Twog.”

  Thwack!

  His fist sunk into the Twog’s cheek, dragging them off the edge.

  Crrrack!

  Their back crashed against the dull wall, eyes bulging.

  Lodio turned around and stretched.

  Too easy.

  He waited.

  Waited.

  Waited?

  Turned his head—

  THWACK!

  Lodio skidded across the floor before falling off the ledge. Not like this. His pink-coated fingers dug into the ledge, cracking it.

  A small chunk slipped into the abyss.

  Pulling himself up, he got over the ledge, panting.

  “Sticky fingers.” The Twog croaked as they wiggled their fingers.

  Lodio grinned: all teeth.

  A sweat bead rolled down his temple.

  “That’s pretty clever.”

  They both dashed.

  Again, Lodio sidestepped to the left, but the fist smashed his right cheek.

  “You thought I was going to punch right again? Tktktk!”

  Left, right, left, right, left!

  His head rattled.

  Each punch faster and harder.

  “Even a mountain breaks.”

  The Twog crouched and angled its body back, its hand mimicking a spear blade.

  Lodio barely dodged out of the way. His heart pounded. Blood trickled from his nostrils, and his cheeks were scuffed. But his fist? His fist curled tight.

  Thwack!

  He smashed his fist against their slippery cheek, sending them toward the wall.

  Thud!

  The Twog’s fingers clung to the wall like a lifeline. A small trickle of blood escaped their external nares. Positioning themselves on the wall, they started to repeat the same mantra.

  A rushing feeling washed over him.

  His nails dug into his palm, drawing more blood. It squeezed between his fingers before dripping on the platform. He smirked.

  “Stay down.”

  Leaping off the wall, they aimed their fist toward Lodio’s face.

  “Only one of us will walk away.”

  With a deep breath, Lodio closed his eyes. A small golden thread snaked through the spatial space, wrapping around the Twog’s faint neck outline. Pivoting his hips, he followed the path.

  THWACK!

  His fist connected with the Twog’s throat. A meaty sound echoed in the room. Opening his eyes, he stared at the ribbiting Twog, their eyes bulging.

  “Farewell, I enjoyed our fight.”

  With that, he kicked them off the ledge.

  Ding!

  He ignored the blue message. Instead, he walked toward his sword and picked it up. The blade reflected his face: scuffed cheeks and a bloodied nose. His wavy, shaggy hair stuck to his skin.

  Engulfed.

  Floors blurred by.

  Dull.

  Everyone stated their names, but Lodio didn’t bother to care or listen.

  A clean slice here and kick there.

  Ding!

  ****[Welcome to [Floor Nine]! To pass this floor, you must defeat the person in front of you. By any means.]****

  Lodio unsheathed his sword.

  “Let’s do this—“

  Dropped to his knees.

  What?

  He tried to look up but couldn’t. It’s as if hundreds of boulders weighed his head down.

  What loomed ahead, he could not know. All he knew was that his hairs were standing and his heart was pounding.

  Thump… thump…thump!

  This time dread washed over him.

  The shadow swallowed him whole.

  “How did you get this far? You’re far too weak,” their voice low and heavy.

  Gritting his teeth, an invisible pink aura steamed off his body. And gradually, he stood, knees wobbling, but he stood.

  “Oh? So you can use it.”

  Lodio tilted his head up, staring at the figure: cloaked with a beaked mask.

  “How amusing.”

  They walked past them until they were threatened to fall over the edge. “See you on the eleventh floor.” With that, they jumped down.

  He let out a shaky gasp.

  It was gone.

  The pressure.

  “H-huh…” Those words escaped his lips.

  Slowly, he stood and looked over the edge. Pitch black.

  Did they just… kill themself?

  He sheathed his sword.

  Ding!

  [Congratulations! You passed [Floor Nine]! Now moving to [Floor Ten]!]

  Ding!

  [Awarded [?200]!]

  Ding!

  [Unlocked [Shop]!]

  Dissolved into mists.