Langa felt the return to his body acutely. He was suddenly back inside the Divine Lucent Lift, and only now did he realise how odd it felt in his false body. The buttons for Floors 3 to 40 were greyed out, and he could only press either Floor 1 or 2. There was also a new option: Khwezikazi Rays Guild Domain.
He hastily selected the 2nd Floor as he had wasted enough time already in the corrupted world. It was time to find and kill Fi Kindaro III. Seven options appeared once he selected it, with different tribe names from Coalfall, to Masonfall among others. This, too, was an easy choice, as Glaridinus had stated that his followers would meet Langa at Coalfall.
When the door opened, Langa came face-to-face with lots of white rocks. The moment he took a step off the lift, it was like the first time he entered the 1st Floor again because he was suddenly bombarded by messages from deities watching him.
[The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, is watching you.]
[The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, states that he was watching you first]
[All the constellations of The Deiwos Clan are watching you with great interest.]
“Um…okay?” Langa said, blinking away the notifications.
He knew that the deities of the Deiwos Clan were always watching him because he was Adtonifulmin’s Avatar, but it was strange that they felt the need to let him know right now.
Of course, he knew the two of them were Adtonifulmin’s highest-ranked constellations. Tarquinius was his main Incarnation, and Glaridinus was his main Divine War Apostle. He’d read in the Relgte of Adtonifulmin that while the two were Adtonifulmin’s most trusted constellations they were always at odds.
He glanced around. Unlike the 1st Floor, the teleportation wheel was not in an open space, instead, there was a row of white rocks in front of Langa, each occupied by a gruff-looking dwarf. There weren't many Players, but they all lined up in front of the dwarves and they stamped their lucent tiles.
One fae Player was arguing with a dwarf. "Come on, I asked for 5 days," she said. "My business will only conclude on the fifth day."
"No," the dwarf said roughly. "I see on the System here that you overstayed on your last visit by 2 minutes. I ain't giving you more than 3 days, now beat it!"
"Two minutes?" the fae asked, appalled. "But The Unrivalled gives a five-minute grace period on the completion of System Contracts."
"Aye," the dwarf said. "The Lady is merciful indeed. Bless 'er. War Chief Coalfall ain't. Three days or nothing!"
The fae dug into her Feathervault bag and slipped something to the dwarf who gave her a pointed glare.
"I have silver in abundance, Player. I'll give you two days and make a mark on your pass that you tried to bribe an honest working dwarf," the dwarf said, stamping loudly on the pass.
The fae was appalled then she said. "Wait, where are my coins?"
"What coins?" the dwarf asked. "Now get lost or I'll be giving ye one day, alright?"
"Are you fucking-" she started, retrieving her wand, then two burly dwarves in heavy metal armour approached and she snatched her pass and left.
Langa blinked. Wow, Immigration control was strict on this Floor apparently.
"Pass?" the dwarf asked when Langa reached him. He pulled out his pass and handed it over.
"Hmm... human, huh? Oh, a new Player from Batch 4?" the dwarf smiled. "Good, these Batch 3s were starting to get too comfortable. Yer name is Shrouded, lad, let me see yer details so I can register ye."
"Oh, I'm Langa Zulu," Langa said, letting Adtonifulmin's Shroud lower.
"Alright, listen up, Zulu. Our world is very small, so we have only a certain number of Players that we can allow in per day. All new Players are given a maximum of thirteen days to clear the Floor and leave," he said. "If yer not done, the System will kick ye back to the 1st Floor and ye have to re-enter. Of course, it's different for higher level Players and Players who are permanent residents of our world, but sign the 13-day contract and ye can do whatever you want."
He slid a scroll to Langa and the moment he looked at it, a System prompt appeared.
[System Immigration Contract for the Second Floor of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower
Welcome, Player Langa Zulu
Alignment: Neutral - Standard Contract Issued
By entering the sacred lands of Korvewell you agree to abide by the terms and conditions set forth by the War Chief Council and enforced by the System. Please read carefully before signing.
Terms of Stay
You are granted entry to Kovewell for a maximum of thirteen (13) days. Each day is 26 hours long, counted from the moment you step through the teleportation wheel.
Penalty
An additional tax on your Karma will be deducted from you per minute you overstay and shared among the War Chiefs. After overstaying for 5 minutes you will be kicked out of the Floor to the Floor you were in previously.
Exceptions
Exceptions to this rule may only be granted by a direct decree from a War Chief or the Floor Overlord of the 2nd Floor. Such exceptions must be petitioned for in advance, and approval is not guaranteed.
Inscribed by: Sidduik Leadspine
By signing below, you consent to the terms and accept the Karma penalties should you exceed the permitted stay.
Accept: Yes/No
Mana Signature: ]
"What if I don't want to sign?" Langa asked, not because he didn't want to but because he wanted to know if every Player was obligated to sign this contract.
"Then ye are free to return to the 1st Floor, I hear they don't care to protect their citizens from rampant Player immigration. Now, are you signing or not?" the dwarf asked.
"I agree to the terms of the contract," Langa said, infusing mana into the scroll. He felt a drain in his mana as the contract came into effect.
"Excellent," the dwarf said. "This is the sector of War Chief Coalfall. To make things easier for ye Players, we, in partnership with the Dungeon Seekers Guild, sell the locations of Unclaimed Level 12 dungeons and..." he frowned. "Ye're level 15? It ain't gonna be easy to find a suitable level 12 dungeon that allows up to level 15 Players. You'll have to go to a Dungeon Seekers outpost, I think they can assist ye there."
Langa was impressed by how unwelcome the dwarves made the Players feel. They made it clear that you had to get in and out as soon as possible. He didn't hate their policy at all since he wanted to be done with this Floor quickly so he could meet his friends on the 3rd Floor.
"Okay, can you indicate for me on the map where the Dungeon Seekers' outpost is?" he asked and a pin in a black area appeared on his map. "Thanks. Are there any inns nearby as well?"
"Yer gonna hold up the line. There are always Players outside this office advertising things. Ye'll find everything yer looking for from them," the dwarf said.
Langa thanked him and walked out of the immigration office. Immediately, he received the 2nd Floor Main Quest.
Langa blinked the quest away.
The first thing he did was to retrieve his Umgexo Wegazi necklace and infuse mana into it. It was time for it to inform him of Kindaro's location. The arrow on the compass twirled and circled, before coming to a stop on 2 and then words slowly formed on the arrow that read: Stonefall.
Langa was currently in Coalfall, so he needed to go to Stonefall to find and kill Kindaro. Unfortunately, The Unrivalled wasn't giving new Players training wheels anymore, and they had to fill their own 2nd Floor map. He figured he could buy a map from someone and use it as his guide. He couldn’t go after Kindaro yet, of course, he still needed to buy the item to improve his Mental Resistance from Liberty first.
Satisfied, he focused on his surroundings. Strangely he couldn’t see the sun or the sky above. He'd emerged in what looked like a railway station with a train that was something between a truck and a mine cart. The whole area was covered in multiple lucent lights on stone lamplights, so he could not tell if it was day or night.
The walls were made of solid stone, and he could not see an end in sight for this open space.
Next to the strange railway, was what looked like a mini market. There were a few groups of people, each sitting in different stands. The groups were of three or four people, and there were about 10 or so stands.
He walked over to the first stand to ask which one of them was selling a 2nd Floor Map because he didn’t want to waste time there. He needed to buy a map, buy the location of a dungeon, and then find someone to complete it with as soon as possible, then get to Kindaro.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
However, before he could do that, two groups of people ran straight towards him. Their faces were overjoyed and they were shouting in excitement. Langa frowned.
“It's him! He's really here!” one of them said in disbelief as she looked up at him, and her entourage trailed behind her.
“No! Dammit!” someone from a different group said, furiously sending a message on his comcer.
“Let's go, Langa Zulu. Sorry to rush you like this, but we have been waiting to complete this quest for so long,” the woman in front of him said.
She was a halfkin who wore soot-smeared goggles over atop her curly red hair tied back in a messy braid.
She had a long black rifle strapped to her back. Langa glanced at it. He wasn't good at sensing lucents, but that gun seemed to be a regular rifle, not a mana shooter like what most ranged gunmen used in the Tower.
“Do I know you?” Langa asked, stepping back as she tried to grab his hand. That was entirely too forward.
“Of course, you don’t,” she said, shaking her head as if just now realising that accosting a stranger was suspicious. “Where are my manners? I am Roah, deputy leader of the Cult of Tarquinius. I’m here to welcome you-“
Before she could finish her sentence, someone else came running from behind, from the teleportation area. Roah cursed.
The new arrival this time was a grey-haired old wolfkin. “I’m here. I made it.”
Roah folded her arms, glaring at him, and said. “You’re disgracefully late, old man. Finders keepers, he's ours. That means you have no reason to be here. Go back to defrauding sun elves or whatever it is you do in your free time,” she said.
The two groups of people in front of Langa were all different races, standing on two opposite sides, either behind the young lady or the old man. They all started arguing as if he wasn't even there.
"He's ours! Show some respect for your elders, wench," the old man snapped back.
Roah ignored him, turning to face Langa. “As I was saying. Welcome to the 2nd Floor Avatar of Grandmaster Adtonifulmin,” she said. "Lord Tarquinius gave us a quest to escort you to a suitable lodging. Now please follow me."
"Hold on," the old man said, slapping Roah's outstretched hand away. "I am Janiska, the leader of the Cult of Glaridinus. Master said you would need our services on this Floor, so I'm here to complete that quest. Please come with me.”
Roah aggressively pushed past the old man, so she was only a few centimetres from Langa, their faces almost touching. He could count the specs of dust on her goggles and smell smoke from her clothes. What the hell was up with these people?
"They're homeless vagrants who crawl the underground catacombs. I am a trusted Artificer to War Chief Coalfall, so I can assure you that our accommodations will suit you much better,” Roah shouted. Spittle flew out of her mouth as she spoke and Langa once more stepped back to create distance. “How dare you, Janiska? You want to take him back to that filthy rock you call a base?”
“Watch your tone, young lady. I am your senior both in Faith and age! And excuse me because our main base is on the 5th Floor, not the lower 2nd," the old man argued back.
Roah cracked her knuckles. “It seems today I will finally get to punch through your skull, old fool, I-“
This was not what Langa expected when he asked Glaridinus if there was a way to connect with his followers on the 2nd Floor. He supposed it was no surprise that the two rival constellations' followers were like this.
“Okay. Let me stop you both right there,” Langa said. "Right now, I'm not really feeling either of you. You're here because you have quests to complete, but you act like it's for my own good. Let's dispense with the play-acting, okay?"
Roah blanched and looked away sheepishly. “Forgive us for our rudeness,” Janiska said. “It's not common for The Lackadaisical One to bind Players, especially at Avatar rank! We want to help.”
Well, at least that was honest. "Alright, I asked your constellation to send you to meet me for a reason." Langa sensed a few breaths of life in the near distance and lowered his voice. "But before that, I think someone is watching me."
"Yes," Janiska said, nodding. "Ever since you left the 1st Floor, we've had our agents waiting at all seven entrances to the 2nd Floor since we didn't know when you would finish The Infinite Challenge. We quickly realised it wasn't just us... especially when your guild master and administrator had some issues that we saw them handle pretty well from what they published on the Dent."
Was it The Accari Crows, or The Vonelle Heilliege Guild members? Langa wondered why a guild less than a month old already had so many enemies. "I need to find out who it is," Langa said, preparing to use his attribute to confront his stalker.
"Hold on," the old man said, typing something on his comcer. A minute later, there was another breath, and someone materialised right next to Janiska and said.
"You were right, he's being watched. There are only two of them, sir, and Huraiyfu is watching them for now," she said. "He thinks they were waiting for him."
Janiska stroked his beard. "Don't engage, either of you. Just watch and see if they follow him."
"Yes sir," the girl said and turned around. When she did, Langa saw that she was a dark-haired spiderkin with dark beady eyes, and he blinked, recognising her.
"Aramaga?" Langa asked in surprise. She was an acquaintance he hadn't seen since the 1st Floor. She was part of Aquila's party and he had helped them fight against high-level monsters to level up. He honestly hadn't expected her to have made it up here yet.
"Hey," she said, flashing him a smile and rushing over to give him a hug, her four arms wrapping around him. He didn't push her away because, unfortunately, she had always been like this.
"How are you on the 2nd Floor? And here, specifically?" he asked once he freed himself from her.
"I told you before that I got a Sponsorship Contract. Master Glaridinus sent me to intern with The Cult of Glaridinius, so I can learn his ways," she said. "When they said we would be meeting an important Avatar, I had a strong suspicion it was you."
Langa raised his eyebrows. Was this just a coincidence or had Glaridinus chosen Aramaga because Langa knew her? Was he putting too much self-importance on himself? From his time with the party, he'd found Aramaga to be a decent but average Player. Maybe his assessment was wrong?
"If you're on the 2nd Floor, did you pass the first part of The Infinite Challenge?" he asked.
She grimaced and shook her head. "I tried, but I died before I got anywhere," she said. "I'll have to try the Trial again if I ever reach seraphim rank or if someone tags me along. Oh, Ormeth is here as well, but he's in the Cult of Tarquinius."
While Langa and Aramaga were talking, Roah and Janiska had switched from shouting to passive aggressiveness. "Look how well-adjusted my ward is. How is your intern doing?" the old man asked.
"Wonderful," Roah said proudly. "He just made his first lesser Stamina pill yesterday."
"Aramaga is sharp and driven," he said smugly. "Why, I even have her shadowing Huraiyfu."
Roah snorted. "Poor girl. She must be lonely as all hells," she said. "Trying to have a conversation with that guy is like talking to a stone statue."
Aramaga sighed. "I'm right here, you know."
"We can't stand around here all day. Blitzhunter has enemies and once they find out where he is, I'd rather we be within the protection of the Dwarven guard," Roah said and turned back to Langa. Tell us, who do you choose to go with? The Cult of Tarquinius or The Cult of Glaridinus?”
[The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, is watching you.]
[The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, is watching you.]
Langa groaned. He'd asked for help not to be put in a tight spot. Why did he have to choose at all? He had half a mind to send all of them away and do his own thing, but he had to clear this Floor as soon as possible. Maybe he could defer the decision? “Uh…Master?” he asked.
[The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm, shrugs and tells you whoever you do not choose is going to be upset at you for eternity. You must think carefully because both of them are the people who are going to be directly below you once you Ascend, so the decision you make now could make or break your divine career.]
Langa didn’t know why, but he felt an evil laugh coming through the Divine Nexus, so he didn't know if Adtonifulmin was serious or just messing with him. He almost saw his life flash before his eyes. He couldn’t believe Adtonifulmin would do this to him. This was his first public showing and already he had to make a permanent choice? He wasn’t sure if Adtonifulmin’s constellations were leading their followers like this to gain favour with him. He couldn’t afford to alienate Tarquinius because of Tonare, but he couldn’t alienate Glaridinus, considering how much faith he’d had in Langa since the Celestial Clash. He just needed a compromise.
“Just as Master needs both Lord Tarquinius and Lord Glaridinus, I need both of your assistance. I’m not staying long on the 2nd Floor. I have a few things to do here and then I’m going up to the 3rd Floor. I’m a bit over-levelled for this Floor, so I don’t even know if I can find a level 12 Unclaimed dungeon that allows Players up to level 15,” he said. “Do you have anyone in your group who hasn’t cleared this Floor? Preferably a healer, as I don’t want a damage dealer or a tank.”
"Let's go to the Dungeon Seekers' outpost first," Roah said. "We'll buy a dungeon location and I just sent messages to everyone who hasn't cleared the floor and is available today. You can take a look at them and choose anyone to assist you."
"Okay," he said. He could see agitation on the old man's face, so to be fair. To complete the Sponsorship Contract, he needed to go to Adtonifulmin’s domain. The last time had been easier because it was free and facilitated by The Unrivalled. Now, however, he needed to do it through a temple. He could reach Adtonifulmin’s domain through the temple of The Three Fallen Siblings, but he would get better rewards and more time from his temple.
"Okay. I won't let up that I know I'm being followed. Let me know what you find out," Langa said. He also pulled out a scroll from his Feathervault bag and gave it to Janiska. "Those are a few rituals I was thinking of doing. Can you find out for me which ones I can get the materials ton complete on the 2nd Floor? That should be enough for your quest, right?"
"Thank you," Janiska said. "This will mean a lot to us. Most of our cult members no longer receive experience in these Floors. If your guild really will reopen the 6th Floor for us, we will be eternally grateful."
Langa wanted to curse Liv for setting so many high expectations for them. “Make sure to get everything ready for me on the 3rd Floor. I will contact you on the day before I come to the 3rd Floor and I want everything ready for me when I get to Master's temple.”
With everyone satisfied, Langa followed Roah towards the trains. It went down, giving him a bad feeling. “The place you’re taking me, it’s not underground, is it?” he asked, stopping dead. "I don't like cramped spaces."
“Oh, we are already underground. Humans generally don’t do well underground, but this place is well-ventilated, I assure you,” she said pleasantly, then looked mortified. “Not to say that is a weakness, of course, humans have a lot of positive qualities-“
“Please stop,” Langa said.
Now that he was here, he needed to contact Liberty so that she would let him know where the black market was. He also just wanted to meet, so he sent her a message. There was no response, and he frowned. Was she still busy on the 21st Floor? He hoped it would take too long.
The air grew cooler, and the smell of earth and metal was everywhere. It was both familiar and foreign to him. They entered a long hall with massive black metallic pillars supporting the ceiling high above them. The walls glowed faintly, with veins of precious luminescent metals lighting up the path ahead.
“Welcome to Coalfall,” Roah said. “We’re about 20 metres below the surface now, but the city extends much deeper. The Cult of Tarquinius has permanent residence here because we have a contract with the War Chief, so we don't have to leave."
Langa’s eyes darted to the various doorways that branched off the hall, each marked with different emblems representing different clans and commoners of the dwarven society. Some doorways had grand arches, while others were more modest, yet equally inviting.
“Visitors like you use that entrance,” Roah said as she pointed toward a smaller pathway to the side. There was a narrow tunnel and a set of stairs.
Even though he was underground, Langa wasn’t feeling claustrophobic yet, since the city had the illusion of space, but if he went into one of those tunnels, he would feel suffocated.
“Can we take the stairs?” he asked. “I want to see more of the city.”
As they passed through the visitors' doorway, Langa felt as though he had stepped into another world. The hall opened up into a vast central plaza, heavy with activity. Merchants shouted their wares while dwarves of all sizes mingled around vibrant stalls filled with metal, rocks, food, and alcohol. Langa marvelled at the variety of items on display, from shiny metals, sturdy weapons, well-crafted armour, to colourful gems.
“Lord Tarquinius is a constellation of minerals, so we get a lot of mining bonuses. We have decided to settle here even though most of us no longer gain EXP or Karma anymore on this Floor. We gain money and live simple lives disappointing Master, disappointing The Lackadaisical One,” she said. “But even when we were down and out, he heard our prayers. He was so disappointed yet despite that he made sure we had a way to live. I couldn’t believe it when I heard he had chosen someone, an Avatar too. He didn’t choose anyone from our batch. We know how picky he is so you must be special."
"He just likes me," Langa said, wondering how she would feel when she found out he was actually a Visage.
On the other side, the rich aromas of baked bread and savoury meat fill the air. The busiest section though, was the alcohol. There were a few bottles and casks but many buyers.
“He is a caring god, even to us not directly bound to him."
"Most of our life happens here,” Roah explained, gesturing to the marketplace that surrounded them. “It’s where the dwarves gather, trade, and worship.” She pointed toward a grand structure at the far end of the plaza, the temple of The Fallen Demon Cutter of Skies, the dwarven god of creation and craftsmanship. Its entrance was adorned with a bronze statue depicting the goddess herself, hammering away at a piece of raw ore.
“If I need to go into Lord Adtonifulmin’s domain, I can do it through her temple, right?” Langa said, despite knowing that Adtonifulmin had specifically said, he should complete the Sponsorship Contract inside his temple on the 3rd Floor. If he could complete the contract now and become a Visage, he could receive whatever Adtonifulmin had promised to give him to help his Mental Resistance. “She’s from The Deiwos Clan, right?”
“You…can,” Roah said after she hesitated for a second.
“But?” Langa prompted.
“For Players who are bound to non-Deiwos Clan deities, if they need to get to their deities’ domains, they have to do so through the temples of the Deiwos clan. The clan owns 100% of this Tower, so they are the only deities allowed to have temples in this Tower,” she said. Langa already knew this, but chose not to interrupt. “But that is not like just anyone can go to any temple. You have to choose the one that is most compatible with your deity to reduce the amount of Karma to be paid.
“In our case, it’s a bit complicated, as The Sullied Demon Cloud is a demon god while The Lackadaisical One is a neutral god. It’s not advisable. You should ?choose the temple of a deity of the same type of deity.”
“I see,” Langa said, putting away the idea. It wouldn’t do to be greedy and go against his god’s commands, especially since Adtonifulmin didn’t normally give commands. “Where to next?”
As they moved deeper into the city, Langa noticed the thriving community around him. Dwarves laughed and chatted, the sound of their voices a comforting hum that filled the space.
“Over here,” Roah said, leading him toward the farming area.
"You're from Batch 3, right?" he guessed.
She gave him a rueful smile. "How did you know? Does the cowardice show on our faces now? They don't call us batch flee for nothing after all."
He shook his head. "Your level," he said. She was level 15, the same as him, and when he used his Team Player title on her, he discovered she'd gone up to the 5th Floor. "And the fact that you live here. I know lots of Batch 3s on the 1st Floor do adventuring on the side and opt to work for NPCs as crafters. Is that what you and your guild do here?"
"Guild?" she scoffed. "Do we really strike you as people with enough money to buy a guild token? We are an unregistered organisation that works to create tools for the dwarves while the Cult of Glaridinus intercepts the War Chief's rivals' shipments in exchange for permanent residence here."
"They're thieves?" he asked.
She stiffened. "They call them enforcers, but it's the same thing I guess," she said, shaking her head. "We are a faction that worships The main Incarnation of The Deiwos Clan's deputy leader. Sorry, but this is a messed up family you inherited star-brother," she said. "I don't blame you if you abandon us as The Galebringer did."
The Galebringer, Kian Dir Besta was Adtonifulmin's first and highest level Avatar in this Tower. He was an amazing Player and one of the leaders of The Dungeon Seekers Guild as well as The Pioneer's rival. Langa had watched his Celestial Clash matches intently, looking for ways to improve how he used his divine skill.
He didn't have time to wonder why Roah felt abandoned by Kian as they reached the farming area. The walls of the farming area were lit by the glow of bioluminescent fungi. Langa’s eyes widened as he took in the sight: vast chambers filled with rows of mushrooms and fungi sprouting from the ground, their vibrant colours glowing in the dark.
“This is our primary food source,” Roah explained. “Surface vegetables are a rarity for us, and we rely heavily on these fungi and subterranean meat.” She gestured to a nearby alcove where dried meats hung from wooden racks.
As they continued on their way, Langa caught glimpses of the foodstuff storage area, where dwarves meticulously salted and cured their meats, stacked barrels filled with provisions, and tended to cheese ageing on wooden shelves.
Langa asked Roah to show him how to get from place to place so that when Liberty called, he would be able to get to her quickly. Roah showed him around the area as they went to the dungeon seeker outpost.
Unfortunately, the only level 12 dungeons available went up to level 14, but they said they would let him know if they came upon one in one of the other seven colonies.
“Oh, wait,” Rezaah, the Dungeon Seeker helping them, said. “I think I just found an old one for you. Pay up.”
“Shouldn’t you tell us where it is first?” Roah said suspiciously.
Langa handed over the 10 silver coins required to buy the location. It was a lot of money, but he had been feeling disheartened and realising that the 2nd floor might end up taking longer than he’d wanted to be here.
“Level 15…” Rezaah said, checking her records. “It looks like there is one on Stonehaven logs.”
Roah frowned. “Impossible. That route was closed off. I remember they closed down the route and expanded more mines there.”
“Nope, my records show there were 6 unclaimed mine dungeons, and only five were sold,” he said. “The last one belongs to the Coalfall family, but it's close to the mines. A dungeon eruption would be disastrous,” he said. “We need to get permission to check it so I can update my records.”
That was good enough for Langa. The quicker he found and cleared a level 12 dungeon, the quicker he could clear this Floor. He still needed to find someone to clear it with, of course, but even if Synn and Liv were already done with this Floor, he was sure he'd have no trouble dissuading people from partying with him. Once he cleared the dungeon, he would begin his hunt for Fi Kindaro III in earnest.
Get it here.