Level Up Legacy

"You knew but didn\'t care to warn?" asked Arthur with a raised brow as he held to his sword. "I am beginning to suspect you too, Whisker."

"That would be wiser," said Whisker as he looked at the man beside Arthur. "How come you did not kill him? Are you that soft even after killing two of his comrades?"

"I kept him for info, but he might prove useful," said Arthur as he glanced at the frightened man, who could not utter a word ever since Whisker appeared. He raised his finger at the cat-man and kept shaking.

"You… you… you are the shadow thief!" said the man, pointing at Whisker. "Vesper is furious for what you did! This is bad, Mister. We shouldn\'t be seen next to him. Vesper might think of you as an abnormal rookie, but this criminal is wanted!"

"Good for you for having such a cool name," said Arthur with a smile. "That is not the name you gave me."

"It just proves that I did not want to trap you, just a little test to see if you are the one," said Whisker with a grin, his scar folding in his face. "I am looking for someone who can clear the tower."

"For what reason?"

"I want to aid him in doing so," said the feline man with a gruff voice as he looked at Arthur. "I believe that you are the man I have been waiting for. That colorless lightning you used transcends the authority of this tower."

"And how would I trust that you wouldn\'t betray me at the first opportunity to steal something valuable?" asked Arthur with a raised brow. Whisker seemed to ponder the situation before he took out his scroll and handed it over.

"I will entrust you with this daily and only take it when I need to rest. This way, I can never betray you and run away because I would lose any chance to raise my level or rest."

"This puts you at a great disadvantage and risk of being betrayed," said Arthur with surprise as he eyed the scroll in his hand. "You would go to such lengths on a bet?"

"I entered the tower thinking I would gain power and wealth, but it has been ten years since then. I left my son outside, and he is waiting for me."

Arthur looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth. He could sense what kind of man he was from his existence and could not feel any malice for him. Furthermore, Whisker was placing his blind trust in him.

"You want to leave this tower for your son?" asked Arthur as he looked at the giant cat, who nodded. Then, he received the scroll and placed it inside his bag. "I will take you out then."

"And I will guide you until then," said Whisker with a smirk before he turned toward the man. "We must weaken Vesper in any way we can, or we won\'t be able to leave Sith Town."

"I suspect that killing others would strengthen the Tower Master, which should be our enemy. If so, it might be wiser to refrain from it."

"You would think otherwise once you return to your room," said Whisker with a smile as he gazed at the man. "He must have hidden this from you. Killing others rewards points, just like finishing quests. Even more, anyone who dies can respawn after a few hours in his room, so no one truly dies in the tower unless…."

Arthur saw the cat let his sentence trail and asked him about it later. Then, he turned toward the mobster and allowed his hand to rest on the handle. His eyes talked, making the man hurry and fall to his knees.

"Please, show mercy! I don\'t want to die! I would do anything!" said the man as the two stared at him. "I was just following orders!"

"You must have killed challengers before you met me," said Arthur with a raised brow. "Have they also pleaded for their lives before you killed them with your gang?"

"This is the first time I\'ve done this; I swear. I never killed anyone! I was just a farmer before curiosity led me here," said the man, raising his hands in fear. Arthur stared at him for a while before sighing and gesturing for him to scram with his hand, which the man hurried to do.

"He will tell Vesper about you, exactly like he told you about him," said Whisker as he looked at the man cut a sorry figure in his fleeing. "Killing him would at least grant us some time to move."

"Killing makes things easier a lot of times, but there is something saddening about living after losing a part of yourself," said Arthur. "I know that feeling best, and I don\'t want to inflict it on another."

"You seem like a man who has been through a lot," said Whisker as he raised his hood. "I shall not pry as long as it doesn\'t concern me."

"Appreciated," said Arthur as he gazed at the men patrolling the fields in groups. "Are the fields that important to Vesper? I assume these are his men since he controls the food."

"These fields are the goldmine that gives him control over the weaker challengers. Everyone needs to eat, and monsters are hard to kill. The Red Tower is about fighting monsters and survival in a dystopia ruled by strength."

"Hell is other people," muttered Arthur as he gazed at the guards. "I want to advance through the tower rather than fight small fry. However, Peter deceived me, and I like to repay my debts."

"Although that black lightning is threatening, it is far from enough to antagonize Vesper and his men. I heard he is a Level 20 with enough strength to enter the third floor. However, he keeps amassing his troops here and prepares to advance in the tower."

"Then, he must have a lot of resources that we can use," said Arthur with a smile. "What are good ways to raise our level inside the tower?"

"Quests, killing monsters, and killing humans. Other ways to raise your strength inside the tower include items and arts. These are, however, exclusive to the second floor and above. If one does bring an item to the first, he would be far stronger than the others."

"Does Vesper have an item?" asked Arthur with a raised brow as he gave a sly smile. Whisker looked at him from underneath the hood and returned a similar smirk.

"We can start with his men and disturb his chain. Food will lose its value if we hand it over to everyone inside Sith Town," said Whisker with a smile. "However, you need to raise your strength first. Let\'s go outside the walls for a bit."

Arthur nodded at the walls, not just because he wanted to get stronger. He also wanted to see what kinds of monsters this place offered. Thus, he followed after Whisker as they headed toward the walls.

Although the guards looked at them with hostility, none left their post or patrol route. Arthur guessed that Vesper had given them strict instructions not to leave their site, fearing distractions being used against them to steal food.

The two found guards at the gates, but none cared about who had left Sith Town. However, if anyone wanted to enter, they would be stopped and asked for a fee. Whisker explained that Vesper and his men also did this.

"Sith Town seems free of monsters," said Arthur as he gazed at the guards. "I expected this place to be infested with creatures wanting to rip us apart."

"A monster horde attempts to enter the town every weak. If not for Vesper and his men fighting them off, it would have been turned into a ruined city. I guess that even evil has its benefits."

"How would Vesper grow stronger if he keeps killing whoever enters the tower?" asked Arthur as he mulled the subject. "It seems counterintuitive to increase his numbers."

"He understands that whoever enters the tower dreams of glory, not submission to another man," said Whisker as they walked toward the gates. Thus, he breaks them first to make them realize that joining him is the only way to survive. He failed to do that with you, and you will become a target."

Arthur understood that Vesper was a warlord who ruled through fear. He hated such methods but could not argue their effectiveness in stabilizing his regimen.

Then, the two walked out of Sith Town and into the wilderness.