Towers of Heaven Read online

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Prologue

  Humanity stands on the brink of annihilation. Earth has been overrun by monsters, spawned by the six towers that appeared eighty years ago. Each tower pierces through the heavens; they are taller than any structure created by humankind, and invulnerable to any attack.

  Demons run rampant through cities, their infernal flames dyeing the planet red. Mount Everest is now the territory of a dragon, and the very oceans burn with hellfire. Earth has been transformed into an inhospitable landscape. There are no survivors.

  Except, of course, for the strongest of the ascenders; people who entered the tower long ago, seeking riches and power. They are the strongest humanity has to offer, yet even they couldn’t prevent the catastrophe.

  The tower is made up of many floors, and after eighty years have passed, only a single floor remains to be conquered. If it is, the towers will disappear, and earth can be salvaged and humanity rebuilt. And yet, the last ascenders have already given up hope. They have attempted many times to beat the last floor, only to fail miserably, losing countless lives.

  Only one ascender hadn’t fallen into despair. A man with the appearance of a teenager, with blond hair and emerald green eyes. Roy, the champion of light. He wore a set of white armor shining with holy yellow light. In his hands was the most powerful weapon ever acquired in the tower, a divine-grade sword. Without it, he was one of the strongest ascenders, and with it, he towered above them all.

  On the final floor, Roy stood atop a small hill, overlooking the remaining ninety-nine ascenders. They were separated into three groups. The Chinese and Russians formed one, India and Africa another, and Europe and the United States the last. Some sat on the ground, their eyes unfocused, while others stared aimlessly into the distance. All of them shared one thing in common: their eyes were dead.

  A pure yellow light flickered in the depths of Roy’s eyes. He raised his divine-grade sword and activated one of its skills. A pulse of yellow energy burst out from Roy, covering the ascenders in its light, granting them considerable buffs to their damage and stats. The ascenders glanced up at Roy, wondering what he was doing.

  “Everyone!” Roy spoke, his voice calm and even, filled with an unbending will. “We are the last of humanity. There are only a hundred of us left, and yet, we are still alive, are we not?”

  A black man with white tattoos stood up, a machete in his hands. The man glanced around with a sneer. “Does it look like we are living to you? We have found a hiding spot from the demons for now, but how long will that last?”

  Roy disregarded the man and continued. “I propose we fight Baal one more time.”

  An Indian woman with the tattoo of a red phoenix on her forehead shot to her feet. “Fight Baal? Are you crazy? He is a hero-grade raid boss.”

  All of the ascenders were dismissive of Roy, except for one, an elderly Chinese man with a long ponytail. He slowly stood up and planted his spear into the ground. “Roy, what do you mean by ‘we’?”

  Roy turned to the elder and bowed slightly, a respectful smile on his face. This man had once been the strongest ascender alive, named Shenlong, Mandarin for rising dragon. That changed when Roy acquired the divine-grade sword. “Elder Shenlong, I mean exactly what I say.”

  Roy stood straight and glanced around. “It is unfortunate that the last world war divided us so. Europe and the United States, China and Russia, India and Africa. Three factions. It is true that Baal has defeated us time and time again, but were we, humanity, truly fighting him at our strongest?”

  Shenlong’s eyes narrowed, a grin tugging at his lips. The eyes of the other ascenders lit up with realization. Right. The times they fought Baal had been with their own factions. Now, due to unfortunate circumstances, they had banded together.

  Roy pointed at the Indian woman. “We have Amara, the strongest mage humanity has to offer.”

  Amara raised her finger; a terrifyingly white ball of fire appearing above it. “Baal might use hellfire, but when he gets a taste of my spells, he shrieks.”

  Roy turned to face a petite woman with curly brown hair. “And then there’s Carly, the greatest healer.”

  A Chinese man shot to his feet. “I am the greatest healer humanity has to offer!”

  Carly and the Chinese man glared at each other, trying to best the other. Roy chuckled. “Fei Hong, I haven’t forgotten about you. Indeed, I misspoke. Whether you or Carly is better is hard to say. She specializes in single-target healing, while you specialize in area of effect healing.”

  Roy pointed at a young man wearing a massive shield. “We have Jason, the cockroach who never dies!”

  Jason frowned, irritated at the title others had thrust upon him. Regardless, he stood up and slammed his shield into the ground. “I can tank Baal for five minutes by myself.”

  Just as Roy was about to point out another person, a thin black man stood up. His appearance was strange. Sometimes he looked young, other times old. “I am the champion of Alister, the god of tricks. My illusions can even fool a hero-grade raid boss!”

  “I am the best archer humanity has to offer!”

  One ascender after another stood up and called out their specialty. After everyone stood up, their eyes blazing, Shenlong moved. He strode up to Roy, his spear at his side. Everyone grew tense, but Roy just gazed at Shenlong, his eyes calm.

  Shenlong stopped in front of Roy and held out his free hand. “China stand with you!”

  Roy smiled. He grabbed Shenlong’s hand and raised it into the air. “Baal will fall this day!”

  “Death to Baal!”

  The greatest force humanity had to offer was created. For many years, they had fought against each other, whether for loot or because of the affiliations with their countries. Now, with the fate of humanity on the line, they banded together.

  That wasn’t all.

  An old Chinese man, so old that he seemed to be on the verge of death, stood up, his eyes glittering. His voice was raspy as he spoke. “Everyone, I may not have much combat potential, but I am a decent blacksmith. Let me repair your equipment.”

  Everyone ran towards the Chinese man, their eyes burning. This man was the champion of Brundo, the god of professions. Long had China had a monopoly on him. For years, China had boasted the greatest equipment forged by humankind, and it was all due to this elder. His name was Su Long. Normally when a blacksmith repaired equipment, it would just restore its durability. However, when Su Long repaired equipment, it buffed the stats of the equipment temporarily.

  Roy stood on the hill as he watched everyone gather around Su Long. Next to him, Shenlong
sighed heavily. “It is unfortunate that Abel and Jafari have passed. We could have used them.”

  “Alas.” Roy shook his head.

  Abel was the best cook. His food provided an overwhelming boost to stats, albeit temporarily. Jafari was an alchemist who could make the strongest potions. With them, they would have had a greater chance at killing Baal. Unfortunately, they had died not long ago.

  When everyone was prepared, they set out. The last floor was what everyone imagined hell to be. The sky was filled with flames, and the ground was hundreds of degrees. If not for their superhuman bodies, they would have melted on the spot.

  As they made their way to Baal, they encountered numerous demons. They were no match for humanity’s last stand. Only Baal could stop their advance. They pierced through the armies of hell with unstoppable momentum.

  Soon, they arrived before Baal’s fortress. It was made out of some black material that only Roy’s divine-grade sword could damage. This fortress couldn’t be destroyed, so they could only enter through the front entrance. Surprisingly, the fortress was completely empty. They met no resistance as they headed deeper inside. When they arrived before the room where Baal was located, the doors were already open, as if welcoming them in. A deep, rumbling voice echoed from inside. “Humanity’s last stand, huh? Come. Come inside and be slaughtered like the cattle you are.”

  In response, everyone stepped forward, already in formation. Everyone who had buffs cast them. The tanks moved forward, the healers were protected, and the casters got into position. They were all elites, veterans among veterans. Even though they had just banded together, they had fought each other over the past decades and knew what each other’s strengths and weaknesses were.

  As soon as they entered the massive room, the doors behind them swung shut.

  Chapter 1

  After several hours of intense fighting, only five humans were left. They were above superhuman, possessing abilities beyond their peers. It was no wonder they were the last ones standing. All of them possessed courageous spirits and didn’t fear death. No, they laughed at it.

  Even so, Baal was just too strong. Jason, the greatest cockroach, fell first, protecting his allies from a devastating attack. Shenlong fell after him, his body consumed by black hellfire. Fei Hong and Carly, the last healers, died, vaporized by Baal’s most devastating spell. A single man stood before his foe, his breath ragged. He looked around and found his companions dead. The comrades and foes he had spent the past six decades with were dead. Mutilated beyond recognition. He fought back his tears and focused on the demon before him, the leader of hell.

  “Baal!” He screamed hoarsely. The powerful flames of hell invaded his body. His internal organs were a mess. He wouldn’t live for long.

  “Human!” Baal roared with anger, his voice booming. The puny humans were weak, but each one he killed left him more wounded than before. He was on his last stand. Even so, he was a king of hell. He would kill the human before him and recover his wounds.

  Roy coughed up a mouthful of black blood. Tiny black flames could be seen within the blood. The light began to fade from Roy’s eyes. He was dying.

  Even as he was on the verge of death, he summoned the last of his willpower to force himself forward. His walk turned into a jog, then a sprint. He charged towards Baal and activated his most powerful skill. Somehow, his sword managed to plant itself in Baal’s heart. The skill activated and Baal’s torso burst apart.

  Baal collapsed to the ground and clutched his chest. “Human… you… you…”

  Roy leaned against his sword to keep himself upright. He watched as the foe who had killed all of his comrades died. Relieved, he slowly closed his eyes. Just then, a voice filled the world. “The trial has been passed!”

  Surprised, Roy glanced up and saw a white figure standing before him. The figure was shrouded in white light. He couldn’t make out the person’s features, but he was sure it was a man. The man’s voice was soft. “Congratulations on passing the trial.”

  Roy was filled with a rage beyond any other. He struggled to raise his hand and pointed at the man. “You! You are the one behind this!”

  The man ignored Roy’s accusation and continued. “You have one wish.”

  Roy paused and quelled his rage. He was on the verge of death and too tired to be angry. If there was one wish, it would be...

  As he was about to open his mouth, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. In the end, Baal’s flames were too strong.

  The man watched callously as Roy died. Just as the man was about to dissipate, there was an audible groan.

  Among the hundred corpses, Jason suddenly twitched. It was possible to see his wounds recover with the naked eye. After minutes turned into hours, Jason’s eyes snapped open. He stood up with a start and looked around. “Huh? Where’s Baal?”

  Jason looked down at his feet and found a bunch of corpses. “They’re dead… all dead...”

  He clenched his hands. “Am I really the last human remaining?”

  Tears fell from his eyes as he fell to his knees and mourned. “If you’re dead, what will I do? I’m useless. Just a guy who knows how to survive.”

  He struggled to his feet and roamed around the room. He found Baal’s corpse and gave it a few kicks. “Damn demon! If it wasn’t because I had an insane recovery ability, I would have died by your flames.”

  After satisfying himself, he found Roy’s corpse not too far from Baal. He walked up to Roy and crouched down. With a heavy sigh, he closed Roy’s eyes. “Rest in peace, hero among heroes. Without you, humanity would never have lasted this long.”

  Jason glanced at Roy’s sword and hesitated. A moment later, he brought the sword against his neck and closed his eyes. A minute passed as he stood there motionless. His eyes suddenly snapped open. “AHHHHH!”

  Even as he screamed, the sword never moved. With a defeated laugh, the sword fell to the ground with a clang. “I don’t even have the courage to kill myself.”

  He looked up and saw a white figure staring at him. Alarmed, he took up a defensive posture. He was ready to flee at any moment. “Who’re you?!”

  The white figure asked calmly. “What do you wish for?”

  “Huh? Wish?” Jason’s thoughts spun rapidly. He looked down at Baal’s corpse and realized that with his death, the last floor of the tower had been cleared. Unexpectedly, this figure was offering him a wish as a reward.

  The white figure watched patiently. Jason looked down at Roy’s corpse and came to a conclusion. “I wish for the complete resurrection of humanity! And not the undead type of resurrection!”

  “It shall be done.” The white figure waved his hand.

  Jason watched with tears of happiness. A minute passed, and yet nothing happened. “Did you… did you do it?”

  “Not enough energy.” The white figure replied.

  “Huh?!” Jason was stunned. “You asked me for a wish and yet you couldn’t complete it?”

  “Access to master has been cut off. Energy reserves are not enough to satisfy your request.” The white figure explained.

  “Bullshit! The reward for clearing the tower should be whatever wish I wanted, right? And yet you’re saying you can’t fulfill it!?” Jason was incensed. He blurted out all sorts of swear words and insults.

  The white figure’s face was placid as Jason vented his rage. After a minute, the white figure asked again. “What do you wish for?”

  “The complete revival of humanity, damn it!” Jason repeated.

  The white figure shook his head. “Not enough energy.”

  “AHHHH!” Jason grabbed his head in frustration. “Damn it all!”

  He collapsed to the ground and looked over at Roy. “What would you do, Roy?”

  Even though they never got along, deep inside, he felt profound respect for Roy. No matter what Roy encountered, he never gave up. That alone was admirable, and yet that was just a single trait. Roy was the perfect hero. He extended a helping hand to all, placed others be
fore himself, and never stopped working hard.

  With renewed determination, Jason stood up and glared at the white figure. “I want to go back in time to before the towers arrived!”

  “It shall be done.” The white figure waved his hand.

  This time, Jason felt his vision fade to black. His soul was whisked away and sent through time.

  Chapter 2

  Jason felt weightless as an explosion of light blinded him. Squinting, he could just barely make out the scenes of his life, except that they were playing in reverse. The battle with Baal, the other demons, undead, dragons, devils… countless battles flashed by in mere seconds. Realizing what was going on, Jason was delighted. It’s working. I’m really going back to before the towers arrived.

  Suddenly, the scenes grew slower and began to fade in and out. Before Jason could understand what was going on, everything went black.

  “Hey, what’s going on? Why’d you stop?”

  Opening his eyes, Jason found himself in a familiar dimly lit tunnel. The pungent smell of goblins was in the air. Strong body odor and piss. Turning towards the voice, Jason recognized a long-forgotten face. His eyes widened in shock. “Freddy?!”