Ultimate Level 1

The elven warrior that had been his problem since returning to Tanila and the others face-planted against an invisible barrier, getting knocked back a few steps.

A small dagger fell to the ground, and Max realized he and his friends had missed it, having not searched them like he would have, simply trusting that they had done a better job.

Behind the elf were the other two, all prepared to rush at him, frozen in their steps as he stood there, a smirk now on his face.

“It would appear you didn’t want an easy death,” Max stated as he stored his weapon. “You should have listened to my warning.”

As he moved to where the invisible barrier was that had stopped the elf’s escape, Max wondered what else he needed to learn about this place.

I wasn’t aware that would happen. Were you?

No… I believe since it is your dimensional storage, you control access. This means that it might be a very effective prison because unless you allow it, they will never be able to escape.

As Max stepped through, the elf came at him.

He wanted to laugh as the elf attacked without a weapon. His captive threw a jab toward his face. As the punch came, the elf warrior drove the same leg forward, preparing a short kick to his knee.

His mind recognized the style as the one he had picked up from killing Terrance, and while the attack seemed fluid and better prepared than what he knew how to do, the difference between their stats was too much.

His hand caught the punch, and his foot came up, blocking the kick and shattering the elf’s shin with ease.

Squeezing, his fist broke bones, causing them to come through the skin, and the scream that started to come was cut off as Max freed his grip from the paste of a limb and caught the elf’s neck. His other first pummeled the shoulder joints shattering each. Hanging by his hand, the loyal follower of the woman he needed to kill struggled as each blow came faster than most could ever hope to even catch a glimpse of. Finally, when done with his need to cause the elf to suffer, a simple move snapped his prisoner’s neck.

Notifications flew by, but he ignored them.

With a simple flick of his arm, Max tossed the corpse behind him and out the door.

His Sonar skill revealed to him that Rakonath had come close to the portal, now sniffing the corpse, drool forming as the dragon prepared to take a bite.

The other two elves were frozen, not moving. He wondered if they were trying to comprehend what had just happened or the sight that was obviously behind him.

Not giving either elf a chance, he repeated the action, tossing two more bodies out the storage, and moved closer to the woman they had referred to as a queen , seeing her still bound and pressed against the back wall, her dull gold eyes trembling slightly.

“I’m going to have a conversation with you. You won’t like it, but I promise you will die. The only question will be how much pain you are willing to endure.”

***

As the door shut behind him and the lightstone cast an eerie set of shadows, Max bent down, looking directly into the elf’s eyes.

“The death I’m going to give you is deserved because of all the humans I can only begin to imagine you have killed,” he growled. “Your only hope is that you tell me something to stop the endless healing I’m going to give you.”

He held up a green potion. Its deep emerald color glowed as the lightstone at his feet shined light into it from underneath.

“Terrance… Do you know that name? The older human who captured ones like me? You should know he tried to hold back, but it’s amazing how much someone will tell as you pull a bone from their leg and then heal them to replace it.”

“Te… Terrance? Impossible! He—”

Max backhanded her, splitting the lip he struck and causing it to run red.

“I didn’t permit you to speak yet. When I’m done talking, I’ll let you know. Until then I’d think twice about doing so again.”

She glared back at him, eyes radiating more than they had a moment ago.

“Now then. What should I call you?”

A few seconds of silence stretched on, and Max shook his head as he frowned. A glass dagger appeared in his other hand, and using his Sand Mastery skill it began to float in the air next to him.

“Now is when you should start talking.”

He could see the twitch in her right eye. The simple display of power was meant as a reminder that he was a god here in this space.

“You are not worthy—”

The sound of his hand striking her again seemed louder in that space, and more blood flowed from the injury he had inflicted with the first strike.

“Trust me. This isn’t the path you want to go.”

She shifted in her bonds, the rope still holding her fast, though there were a few marks he could detect where the elf must have tried to cut it.

A scowl formed on the woman, and his heart for the briefest moment sank as he knew this was going to not be easy.

This is the time you prove the words you spoke. Unlike all the other times, I will not do this for you. It is time for you to grow and become strong like you have said you always needed to be. Remember, Max, strength isn’t always might. Sometimes it is the will that forces a person to do what must be done. No matter what.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Taking a deep breath, Max began to pull different items from his storage and set them on the stone floor.

“I guess we’ll see how strong your commitment to Thuyja really is.”

***

Her breathing returned to normal as the potion took effect again and he nodded at her.

“So, Riniya, that didn’t seem too hard.”

The amount of sweat that covered her in a room that seemed to adjust to the temperature in his mind was pleasant, and while no breeze was present, her body had poured out buckets of liquid.

Blood seemed to vanish from the floor as it ran free, and he was glad there wouldn’t be a mess to clean up. The wounds on her body looked like they had never existed, and Max knew that the moment his hand gripped the bone and her eyes had changed, she was finally broken.

Next to him was a bag filled with dozens of toes and fingers, all having been regrown, as well as a few ears.

“I can imagine you’ve done far worse to my people during the time you carried out Thuyja’s orders. Those elixirs… How long has the elven royalty been getting them from you?”

Her body trembled and shook, and Max’s Sonar had learned to tell when she was trying to lie and whatever bond gripped her heart was in control.

Each breath was labored, and Riniya’s chest fought against the bounds that hold her, constricting the movement that seemed unable to expand as much as she desired.

“I… can’t… give a… number!” she got out, the words barely making it between gasps.

Nodding, Max knew how this worked.

“Fine. Nod as I give you some choices.”

“Three hundred?”

Short, quick bobs came as she struggled to breathe.

“Five hundred?”

“Seven hundred?”

“Eight hundred?”

He paused as her head moved up and down each time for the briefest moment.

“A thousand?” Max asked.

Gasping, she nodded, and he frowned.

“Eleven hundred?”

For the first time her head shook no, and it sent her body into spasms.

You were right… a thousand years. What kind of power can they have gained in that time?

For the elven line to be involved so long makes me wonder a few things. The potential for power and growth is exponential, and for a moment I thought that perhaps one could have an unlimited amount of skills. Yet if what she says is true… we are looking at a change that needs to take place.

Still… that explains why my stats hitting one thousand in each hasn’t triggered the bonuses we should expect. So the system requires one’s body to go through an actual amount of change in the tower.

Riniya’s breathing returned to normal as he stood there, arms crossed, watching her.

He could see the way she studied him. The knowledge that he had a black skill had caused the woman to pee herself.

When he told her that both Ockrim and Phaius knew of the skill, it had helped her overcome some of the spell that held her back, but like always, the need to inflict pain that was worse than whatever the spell caused was required.

So she’s cleared a tower on a different world, and that allowed her to have the skills she did. Still there is a limit, she says. But we don’t have a limit? What about the other two black skills?

They are like me in some ways. Different and yet similar. We should anticipate their… host to have a strength similar to ours and multiple skills when we meet. Even if a blind hunger consumes them, they will be smart enough to find ways to gain more skills, and their abilities will allow them the opportunity to do so.

We can discuss this later… for now, you need to end this. We both know her body is on the verge of giving out. You can sense the way her heart is skipping now… beats are missing, and in this place not even the potion can heal whatever damage is being done to her.

Which means one or two more questions… the problem is which ones? Surely she won’t know Thuyja’s true plans. Her answers earlier show that she simply obeys and transports those elixirs to the world she has been ordered to. We can’t access it without freeing her and letting her attempt such a thing, and we both know that would be a foolish gamble.

You mean you don’t want to suddenly be in Thuyja’s presence?

His audible chuckle caused Riniya to flinch. The number of times she endured pain after he laughed had apparently conditioned her to that reaction.

Even if I doubt she would kill us, we both know that wouldn’t be a situation we want to stumble into. I can’t flee with my Planetary Travel for another month. We’d be trapped, and I’m certain that elf has ways to make us suffer.

So then what are you thinking?

Only the sound of Riniya’s breathing filled the room, and Max could only frown as he considered that question. And then it hit him.

“Riniya, I’m going to end this if you can answer my next two questions truthfully. Remember,” Max said as he motioned to the bag on the floor, “I’m able to detect those lies, and I’d rather be done with all this. None of this brings me joy.”

She bobbed her head, eyes trembling slightly, and he wasn’t sure if the hope of all this being over was why.

“What is something I need to know about the tower? What is the final floor like?”

She groaned, her back arching, fighting against the ropes that bound her. Thrashing like an animal with a paw caught in a trap, Max was surprised at how much she resisted that question.

Something is wrong. Her heart. It’s racing beyond belief!

Max knew Bob was right, sensing the change that was far worse than before.

Her mouth opened, and no words came out, a breath that was stuck in the lump in her throat.

“It’s… a fight… against…!”

The scream reply bounced off the wall, and Max’s hands moved with a speed that he hoped wasn’t too late.

Her neck snapped, and yet her heart was beating the last beat as it happened.

For a moment in that room, the ringing of her outburst was all he could hear, and that second between his action and her body giving out lasted forever.

Then the chill that he longed for came, and Max stumbled forward, unable to catch himself as he smacked his head against the wall of his dimensional storage.

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