Chương 28: Tower

Ch 28 - Tower Evan's confused expression prompted Reid to elaborate further.

"Your astral body is what allows you to use your abilities. The mana circuit system connects it to your physical body, while your mana core resides within it. Since Hiroto's astral body has been tampered with by demonic energy, his ability to control and release mana is severely restricted. That's probably why he was evaluated as an F-rank."

"So you're saying he could secretly be an S-rank?!" Evan shouted.

"I wouldn't say that..." But Evan barely heard the rest. His thoughts had already gone hurtling somewhere else. Wait, did I accidentally meet one of those protagonists who looked like trash but was secretly a once-in-a-generation genius? Usually, in those xianxia stories, the protagonist had some mysterious ring or artifact draining their cultivation. Their fiancée would break off the engagement, only for them to stumble across an ancient grandpa who helped them cultivate at an absurd speed.

Then they'd return and slap the faces of everyone who had looked down on them. Did I actually meet my first potential lackey? Could I really be this lucky?

"Evan?" Reid called.

"Are you okay?" Realizing he had been clutching his head, Evan quickly replied, "It's nothing! I was just thinking really hard." Reid frowned.

"Do you... not want me to help Hiroto?"

"Of course I do! You have to help him!" Evan said.

"He's my la— friend! He's my friend, yeah!" Reid smiled at Evan's eagerness to help Hiroto.

"I'll do my best."

"Then how soon can we start? Should I call him now? I'm sure he hasn't gone to sleep yet," Evan asked. Reid raised a hand.

"Hold your horses. I need to gather a few materials before I can remove the demonic energy from him. Give me several days, and I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Oh... right." Evan scratched his cheek, embarrassed. His excitement had made him forget that removing a curse wasn't something that could be done on a whim.

"I'll head back to my room then. Good night."

"Good night."

As the door clicked shut, Reid's smile faded. Another trace of demonic energy. First, there was the demonic arts practitioner who had kidnapped Evan. Then came Shinomiya Ryusei, whom Evan suspected of practicing those forbidden arts. Now there was Hiroto, whose astral body still bore the remnants of demonic energy. Judging from both his examination and what Evan had told him, the incident had happened years ago. Reid opened his laptop and searched for information about the Konoe siblings' kidnapping.

Old news articles quickly confirmed that Hiroto and Reika had indeed been abducted as children, but the publicly available details were scarce. Their father had personally dealt with the kidnappers, and the circumstances surrounding the case had never been disclosed to the public. Even if Reid visited the scene of the crime now, he doubted there would be anything left to find. Nor could he simply contact the leader of the White Wolf Guild and start asking questions.

Folding his arms, Reid quietly assessed the situation. This wasn't his old world. There, demons and practitioners of demonic arts were common knowledge, and as a Demon Hunter, he had both the authority and the resources to investigate them freely. On Nova Terra, however, he was merely a Rift Support Technician and a newly awakened A-rank Healer. He lacked the authority, the resources, and most importantly, a legitimate reason to conduct the kind of investigation he had in mind. More importantly, there was Evan.

Drawing attention to himself would inevitably put his younger brother in the spotlight as well. If practitioners of the Demonic Arts had truly infiltrated this world, Evan would be the easiest way to get to him. Patience was the wiser choice. Demonic arts practitioners rarely stayed hidden forever. Sooner or later, they would make another move, and when they did, Nova Terra's governments and guilds would have no choice but to confront them. In the meantime, Reid turned his attention to Hiroto.

Removing the demonic energy clinging to the boy's astral body would require several materials. Picking up his phone, Reid dialed Director Shin's number. It rang several times before a familiar voice answered.

"Reid? Please tell me you haven't caused another incident." Reid chuckled.

"Do you really have that little faith in me?"

"I'm just judging based on past experience," Director Shin replied.

"So what do you want this time? Another favor?" Scratching his cheek, Reid smiled wryly.

"Please don't say it like that. You make it sound like I only call when I need something."

"Don't you?" Director Shin shot back.

"I suppose I can't blame you. Between your work and looking after your little brother, you've had your hands full. So, what is it?"

"I was wondering if you could help me get access to a Rift," Reid said.

"I need to gather a few materials. Since I've already completed my basic Healer training, I should be eligible to serve as a temporary Healer." Director Shin was silent for a moment.

"If it's just materials, why don't I buy them for you?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"Please don't. You've helped me enough already." Director Shin scoffed.

"I'd rather solve your problems by throwing money at them than deal with the headaches you usually give me." She let out a weary sigh before relenting.

"Fine. It'll probably be a good experience for you anyway. Give me some time to find a team willing to take you, and I'll call you back once someone agrees."

"Thank you." Ending the call, Reid removed his uniform so he could take a shower and change into something more comfortable. He was just about to step into the bathroom when his phone rang again. Seeing that it was Director Shin, he answered, "Someone already accepted?"

"You're quite the hot commodity," Director Shin said.

"Several teams have already been pestering me to pick them. I'll send you the list. Oh, and one request is from the Skybreak Guild." Raising an eyebrow, Reid opened his laptop and pulled up the list of interested parties. Most of the requests came from the government's Awakener Response Units, each hoping to recruit an A-rank Healer for an upcoming operation. One request, however, immediately caught his attention.

It came from the Skybreak Guild, and unlike the others, whose missions involved clearing Rifts, Skybreak was preparing an expedition into the Tower to cull the monster population on the 61st floor. Reid drummed his fingers lightly against the table. It was not a bad offer. He had always been curious about what the inside of the Tower looked like, but until now he had never had the chance to step inside the legendary structure.

The material he needed could be found in any B-rank Rift or higher, and the 61st floor of the Tower met that requirement. With his decision made, Reid accepted the Skybreak Guild's request and sent his reply. The mission was scheduled to begin two days later, leaving him with some free time before then.

The next day, Reid met up with Evan during the afternoon break and told him his plan. The news nearly made Evan drop the juice box in his hand.

"You're entering the Tower?!" he blurted. Reid nodded.

"I'll be joining the Skybreak Guild team to thin out some monsters."

"That sounds nice," Evan said, though his eyes soon drifted toward the Tower in the distance. It was impossible to miss from here. Its sheer presence filled the horizon.

"Do you want me to take some photos while I'm there?" Reid asked.

"Don't be silly. You're there for a job, not a tourist visit," Evan said, rolling his eyes.

"What if that gets you into trouble, huh?"

"I'm sure they won't mind me taking just one photo." Evan shot him a disbelieving look. A complex series of emotions flashed across his face in quick succession, too fast for Reid to fully read before he sighed.

"Whatever. If that's the case, how about you also ask for the autograph of Junhao and Selena?"

"I didn't know you were fans of them," Reid said. Evan bristled.

"I'm not, okay! It's for Yuyan and Marcus. Those two like them." Reid only hummed, only half convinced. His gaze drifted to the Chen Junhao keychain still dangling from Evan's phone. Would someone who claimed not to care about those Awakeners really keep something like that attached to it?

"So how many do you want?" Reid asked. Evan, seemingly reading his thoughts, said, "Just one each is enough!"

When the day came for him to enter the Tower, Reid changed into his field gear, consisting of a compression shirt beneath a dark field coat, tactical pants, and sturdy boots. After slipping on a pair of gloves, he holstered his handgun, strapped a combat knife to his belt, and headed for his destination. After a short bus ride, he stepped off at the Tower entrance. A wide circular plaza spread before him, paved with pale stone worn smooth by years of foot traffic.

Low planter beds filled with hardy shrubs and neatly trimmed greenery lined the edges, while evenly spaced trees softened the open space. Simple benches with metal frames and stone seats dotted the walkways. Some sat empty, while others were occupied by people. Directly ahead stood a separate administrative building that served as the Tower's entry checkpoint. Inside, Reid approached one of the attendants and handed over his temporary Tower entry permit along with his Awakener ID.

After verifying both documents, the attendant waved him through. Beyond the checkpoint lay the Transfer Hall, a vast circular chamber alive with constant movement. Nine towering portals were evenly spaced around the room, each framed by a broad stone arch. Suspended above every arch floated an illuminated number identifying its destination: Floor 10, Floor 20, and so on, up to Floor 90. Within each arch shimmered a curtain of bluish light, rippling like water as people passed through.

Attendants stood at every portal, checking permits and directing traffic while groups queued behind marked lines. The flow never paused. One party vanished into a gate as the next stepped forward, the portals pulsing softly with each activation. Footsteps and occasional announcements echoed beneath the domed ceiling, turning the hall into something closer to a busy transit terminal than the entrance to what had once been humanity's most dangerous landmark.

Reid joined the group that had already assembled, and before long they were transferred to the 60th floor. When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a Transfer Hall much like the one in Nova Terra, albeit on a smaller scale. Stepping off the teleportation platform, he made his way outside and was greeted by a familiar sight. A modern city stretched out before him. Reid had expected the Tower's interior to look completely different.

Instead, it resembled any other bustling metropolis, which shouldn't have been surprising given that the people living here were still human. Ornate façades and intricate carvings decorated the buildings, while sections of their exteriors appeared to be constructed from monster materials. Was this how the wealthy of the Tower flaunted their status? Unlike the cramped high-rises of District 1, where every square meter was carefully utilized, the buildings here were shorter and more spread out.

Many occupied spacious plots of land, surrounded by gardens or open courtyards. Looking up, Reid found a bright blue sky overhead. It looked no different from the one outside the Tower, despite this being the 60th floor. He wondered what kind of power could create a space like this. Even after humanity had conquered the Tower, no one knew who had created it or the mysterious System that had appeared alongside it. Checking his wristwatch, Reid saw that he still had time before meeting the Skybreak team.

He took out his phone and snapped a few photos of the city, sending them to Evan. As he wandered the streets like a tourist, he could feel curious glances from passersby, but he paid them little mind. Instead, he continued taking pictures and recording short videos. A blur of movement suddenly caught Reid's eye. A lone figure darted across the rooftops with effortless speed, leaping from one building to the next as though gravity barely applied to him.

Thanks to his keen eyesight, Reid could make out the man's short, wavy dark hair and the thin rat tail trailing behind him in the wind. He wore a dark red changshan embroidered with white patterns over dark trousers and black martial arts shoes. As if sensing Reid's gaze, the man came to an effortless stop atop a nearby rooftop and glanced down. Their eyes met. Thick brows framed a handsome face carrying an easy smile, and Reid immediately identified him. It was Chen Junhao, the famous S-rank Awakener.

The man seemed to know exactly who Reid was. His smile broadened as he lifted a hand in greeting.

"You're here!"