“I see, so then he just gave the ticket to both of you,” Mey said, leaning against the stark tower wall, exhaling. She stared up at the clash of white that reverberated every time a clang of steel sounded. “This is quite a conundrum, one monster just killed my friend, and the other one I couldn’t fight because that loner will lose most of his power.”

  “I don’t think he would lose all his power, just most of it,” Rue added. He examined the ticket, and a drawing of a laughing clown was on it. It's a very simple one, and Rue was hesitant to put it into his spatial storage.

  This ticket had the same effect as the key he got for his class upgrade. Speaking of that key, he is still not sure when to use it. He wanted to observe the start of the phase first before deciding, but he should consult Mey about it soon.

  “Am I allowed to use this?” Soma asked, holding the ticket in one hand and scratching his red hair with the other. He kept eyeing Mey, as if she were some alien.

  “It's up to you,” Mey said, crossing her arms. “But, you cannot go,” She nods toward Rue. “We might need you here.”

  “So I can go because I’m not needed,” Soma laughed, but it came out as a chuckle.

  “Yes, exactly, there’s plenty of level ten. And if you manage to return, you might get a strong class. But, be warned. I heard if one is given a class, they need to go through shedding, a process where you lose your level and class-related skill.”

  Soma tilted his head.

  “In another world, you start over from level one, Soma.”

  “It might be better to do it now then, before I get any stronger,” Soma said, clenching the ticket. He seemed very eager. Rue wondered what had happened to him during his own tutorial. He should ask later, but for now. His attention is on the fight happening far above them.

  Scuttling of feet entered the tower. Through the Archway, four appeared. They regard Mey, who mentioned them near the stairs. Rue made out the well-armed group, with each of their class shown in their equipment. Now this is some proper party.

  He had thought Pax party was unbeatable. But, looking at these newcomers sent his blood boilling, he wanted to go with them to face the Doctor. An archer–Ephey, the girl who tried to capture him, wore a cowboy hat for some reason; she donned a specialized cloak different from his own Mage cloak. This cloak had a leather strap that went through her shoulder to her hip, various different color arrows perched on it, no doubt each had a different effect.

  “Mey!” Ephey runs toward her. She glared at him the moment she spotted him. Rue merely leaned on the stairway, nodding curtly at her. Maybe she had a horrible experience with mind control? He doesn't know. But he is not going to apologize for saving Soma's life. They went about a conversation, about the other tower, but Rue was too transfixed on their equipment to pay attention.

  Human. Lvl 25

  Human. Lvl 27

  Human. Lvl 25

  Human. Lvl 23

  The other three, unlike Ephey, consisted of two frontliners and one mage.

  The other two frontliners are both a man and a woman, both have graying hair and a stern expression. They each held a fine steel sword and a steel shield. A fairly normal equipment yet very high quality, no doubt they bought these from the shop. And they wore clean chain mail and an armored skirt.

  The last member is a mage. He wore silver glasses but with only one lens, and it somehow stuck to his eye with some kind of white string running down to his shoulder. The mage notices him. “Hm? What is it?”

  “Ah, those glasses looked strange.”

  “This is called a monocle,” He smiled kindly. This man reminded Rue of Rudolph. He just has this kind of benevolent doctor aura; he seemed to be someone who volunteers to heal patients for free of charge. And with that book, he held by his white cloak, too, completing the look.

  “Cool book also,” This time, Soma added.

  He grinned, “This is a grimoire. I got it because of my class. Ah, my name is Elend, it's nice to meet both of you” Elend shook Soma hand, who briefly introduced himself.

  “Oh, and this is Eur” Soma pointed at Rue. Rue shook Elend's hand, returning his smile. He did not bother correcting Soma since he thought it was quite funny.

  Mey, noticing this, smiled. A slight one with her lips curved thinly. She continued talking to Ephey about something.

  “Did she just smile? Do you catch that, Linda?” The old man said, motioning to the other old folk.

  “Check your eye, you old bastard, that girl probably could no longer smile,” The old woman said. She turned to Rue and Soma, eyeing them both. “Hm, I get why you coming,” She said to Rue. “But, your red hair, it's too dangerous for you.”

  “I’m just filling Mey on what happened,” Soma said, his eyes downcast. Rue caught the way his hand clenched against the hem of his shirt.

  “Excuse me, sir? Ma'am?” They turned to see a kid just spawned. No older than five. Very small, he is not taller than the broken wooden beam right beside him.

  “I will take care of him. Good luck, all of you,” Soma forced a smile. He walked toward the boy and knelt, motioning the kid to take his hand, and he led him out of the tower.

  “I see,” Mey said, humming. “Then let's trust them to take care of the other three. We will kill the Doctor and take them one by one after.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “The other three?” Rue asked, earning a deep growl from Ephey, but he did not care.

  “A scribe, A Cook, and a knight. Each appeared at a different tower. This one is the only one that has both the Clown and Doctor,” Elend explained.

  “And, three other parties have been formed to hunt them. We’re closing in on the last ten thousand humans spawned before the phase truly started. Let's take care of this fast,” Mey declared. She began climbing, her long red cloak swaying against the stone stairway. All of them began to climb as well. Leaving Rue behind.

  Elend turned, tilting his head. “What are you doing? Come on Eur”

  “I’m coming?”

  “Yes,” A commanding feminine voice said. Mey paused briefly, regarding him with those blue eyes that shone under this dark tower. “There’s still a case of what we will spend your point on also. I still haven't forgotten about that,” She said as she began walking up again.

  Rue cursed softly under his breath before he began to follow, walking beside Elend, who gave him a chuckle and a slap on his back.

  The clang of steel got closer, yet still far away. Mey seemed intent on not running, she kept observing the fight above like she can see far away.

  “We will begin to run only when Mey decides to fly up,” Elend explained.

  “Ah, I see,” Rue said, then his eye went to his grimoire. Curiosity got to him. “Can I read those?”

  Elend surprisingly just handed the book; it's a thick tome with probably thousands of pages. He opened the first page, and a drawing of three circles within a circle was there. Inside each circle is another drawing of symbols.

  In the first tier is scribble of what resembles fire. The second tier has lettering with an alien alphabet. And finally, the third tier is a scratch line that formed around the outer tier of the circle.

  “It's called scripture magic. First tier is for the element, the second scripture to shape it, and the third is to manifest it. I've oversimplified it. And also…” he reached into his hip pocket. “It required me to write in this bonded pen,” he took out a pen that looked like a small knife at the end. “And this ink too,” he tapped an ink bottle strap beside his pocket.

  It's fascinating magic, but no doubt annoying to learn. Rue was grateful for his simple magic. But he soon will also be a full-fledged mage. Having Elend around to teach him the basics of this scripture magic might be useful. He should befriend him.

  As they scale the stairs, below them are a bunch of spear users, perhaps two dozen or so. They locked their shields together with spears pointed up. Mages crouch beneath the shield wall, and a fireball came to life in front of the spellcasters. Five of them spun, ready to deliver death.

  “Good, we're ready. Prepare to charge,” Mey said after she examined the dancing firelight below. “Elend”

  “Ah, yes,” Elend picked up his tome and plucked off seven pages. “Blessing of fire,” he muttered. The paper he holds turns red, and gylph drawn on it glow with bright crimson fire, burning their host. A bubble of red mana shimmered out and attached to every member, including Rue.

  Elend crouched, opening his tome wide, and he flipped furiously before stopping on the page he intended. He took another seven. This time green light went to each of them.

  “That is the poison resistance. We're good to go.”

  “You,” Mey regarded Rue. “Fire a fireball up”

  “Sure,” Rue aimed his palm and let a fireball go, shooting at the clashing flash above them.

  The moment he let go of his spell, another five fireballs flew up from below. Catapulting the darkness away, into bright light.

  But, beyond their fireball is a fiery figure that properly herself upward faster than even the fireball.

  Mey has gone before Rue knew it, with six fireballs streaking around her.

  If not for her class or the earlier spell by Elend, he would've thought she had a death wish.

  “Climb up, Come on! Jack, Linda, and Loran will take the front, you fire those fireballs and protect us if it gets close,” Ephey ordered. Linda and Loran had already begun running before she even finished. Rue followed behind, making sure he slowed down for both Elend and Ephey.

  Fire sizzles above as the familiar connection of spell sound bristles above. The moment they can see the fight taking place, Mey smashes her leg into the Doctor midair. The Doctor managed to block it with its cane, holding it in two hands as half of its body was a black feather that was burning.

  The monster went flying, crushing against the wall, it felled and steady itself as it's leg emerge. A zip of white streaked down, and Lars was there swinging his sword. They dance around, with Lars attacking from high ground in an incredibly fast swing. The doctor took a balancing step as it maneuvered expertly in a stair downturn, moving its cane and blocking all Lars strike as it held it's weapon with two hand.

  “More experiment subjects, how delightful! How kind of you both!” The beaked Doctor screeches. It drove its cane end into Lars' stomach, who lost out in their exchange of clash.

  Lars went crashing back; the power of light within him dimmed. He coughed, green blob splattered over the dark stair, shone by the dim moonlight through the arrowslit.

  “What’s this? You have no problem parrying when I am mid-air.” The beaked one tilted its head. “Are you weaker when facing a grounded opponent? No, that nonsense. You just got weaker suddenly… How curious, perhaps we can just start the experiment now, if you would—”

  Mey slammed her flaming leg straight at the Beaked doctor masked. The doctor’s upper body crushed against the stone wall, recoiling in a cruel sound. Then Mey spun midair, whipping her legs again in a down slam—cracking the stone stair with the Doctor's head.

  For once, Rue wished he could see a splatter of blood or an exploding brain part. But, instead, black feather—still burning with Mey’s flame, formed into a tiny needle and flew toward her. Mey kicked the air in front of her, propelling her body back, dodging the feathers. She brusted into flame and a flaming creature jumped forward, bursting with orange bright light. It took the brunt of the feather—the creature screamed and was gone in an explosion of sizzling crescendo.

  But, even before the smoke settled, Mey burst forward and kicked the Doctor down from atop the stairs. She looped her hand and threw a lash made out of pure fire—the lash looped around the doctor's hand.

  The doctor, on the other hand, had managed to get half of its body turned into those feathers of black, making it hang midair. “You whelp!, I was having a conversation with my patient!” It roared, staring up at Mey with hatred.

  Mey jumped off the stairs and dived toward the doctor. Golden flame flickered, then her whole body glowed in gold light, and Rue could make out a wing like a mystical phoenix.

  “No, wai—” The Doctor stuttered, but Mey slammed at it, not giving it any respite, hugging the doctor in a tight embrace. With a flair of hand, Mey loop the flaming lash around their body, tying them tight againts each other.

  “Now!” Mey shouted.

  “That's our cue,” Elend brandished a paper beside him, red bled out and turned into blue. Blue flame streaked up at Mey and Doctor like a flamethrower from the monocled wizard.

  Ephey, who Rue thought would protest, drew an arrow from her chest strap and shot out a flaming arrow.

  Five more fireballs whisked from below, banishing the darkness toward Mey and the doctor.

  Rue shoves down his hesitation, and he blasts a fireball at those two. A sizzling sound blasted through inside the dark tower. Banishing any darkness and dancing in euphoria as flame smiled at the Conjurer of Flame.

  But, the doctor, despite many hellish deaths it faced, split itself into feathers of black—before manifesting with a deadly talon that reminded Rue of the Golden King. And it went for his group, abandoning the Flame goddess behind it.