Chapter 7: Chapter 7 - Floor 0: Part 7

Chapter 7 – Floor 0: Part 7

The young woman put three separate sheets of paper on the top of her desk. With a small, closely written font, the words took up the entire page. Tapping the far left one with her finger, she began to explain.

“For your first test, you were asked to find a secret about ‘John.’ Like all of our tests, there are infinite ways to go about it. Depending on your method, the gods will judge your actions.”

“They were watching everything I did?” Mathew asked in concern.

“The gods see all that happens within in the Tower.” The young woman said with a small smile before drawing his attention back to the top of the page.

“You used your charm and charisma to find out the location of ‘John’ and then proceeded to stealthily break into his office and determine his password using clues around you. No one in the office around you became aware of your actions.” She explained.

“For your ease, only the top three comments from amongst the gods are reflected on this page.” Her finger, with a bright red lacquered nail, tapped on the middle portion of the sheet.

The god of Perfect Subterfuge is pleased.

The god of Unprovoked Murder is displeased.

The god of Broken Secrets is pleased.

As Mathew read through them, his head lifted quickly in alarm.

“Should I be worried that a god is displeased with me?” Mathew asked in concern. Especially one with such a worrying name as ‘the god of Unprovoked Murder.’

“The gods cannot interfere with those who have entered the tower. They will be pleased or displeased with your actions as you climb the floors. Their attitudes will be reflected in the Blessings they choose to offer. I would not concern yourself with them.” The young woman said, shaking her head at the question.

“The gods have chosen not to give you an additional Blessing for your performance in this test.” She finished, pulling the page back and placing it on her desk beside her keyboard.

“Then what was the point?” Mathew asked.

“Your actions in the test will be reflected in the Blessings offered at the end. Three Blessings gathered from amongst the gods. You will choose one. Additionally, you will be required to select a Discipline aligned with one of your Patron deity’s demesne.”

“What?” Mathew replied after a moment in confusion.

“I will explain further when it is time for the selection. Let us continue to the second test.” The young woman stated, directing his attention to the second sheet of paper.

“For the second test, you used guile and trickery to bypass the guards and reach safety. This was an uncommon approach.” She finished her explanation, and Mathew looked at the gods’ reaction to his sleight-of-hand trick.

The god of Petty Trickery is delighted.

The god of Unprovoked Murder is greatly displeased.

The god of Arcane Knowledge is intrigued.

“I assume they are upset I didn’t kill everyone in sight and walk across soaked in blood.” Mathew dryly stated as he saw the murderous god’s reaction.

“The god of Petty Trickery would like to offer you a boon.” The young woman said, holding up a small, black box with a bright blue bow on the top. Mathew was hesitant to touch it for a moment, considering its source, but finally decided to bite the bullet.

It was a small silver coin with a crowned man on one side and the same strange words he had seen on the test’s currency on the other. A small note was tucked into the box.

The Trickster’s Coin. It will always turn up whichever side its owner wills when thrown.

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Giving it a test flip with a whispered ‘heads,’ the coin fell on his palm with the crowned image showing. He placed it in his pocket.

“Thanks for the uh…magic coin?” Mathew said, looking around the room’s ceiling to convey who he meant to direct the gratitude. He didn’t get any response, so he merely shrugged his shoulders. He was resolved to take everything in stride after what he had experienced already.

“The third and final test. You ignored the weapons and the many of the books. Each would have given you a possible means of bypassing the guardian sculpture. You chose one of the harder options, brewing the ‘Stone-Eating Acid’ potion. Following the directions meticulously, you defeated the door’s sentinel.”

The young woman turned the page toward him so Mathew could read the god’s responses. Like the pages before, only the top three were shown.

The god of Chivalrous Combat is disappointed.

The god of Riddles and Enigmas is disappointed.

The god of Alchemical Concoctions is exceptionally pleased.

“Is there a god of everything?” Mathew asked with disbelief. It seemed every option in these tests had a god backing it.

“There are as many gods as there are stars in the sky, Mr. Larson.” The young woman said without expression.

“The gods have chosen not to grant you a boon, but one of your offered Disciplines will be changed to better reflect your performance. A more common Discipline has been replaced with its rarer counterpart.” The young woman finished, placing the page with the other two on her desk.

“So, that’s it? On to the Blessings and whatever else you were talking about?” Mathew asked, stepping back from the desk.

“Not quite. Prior to your entry into the 1st floor of the Tower, the god of Games grants you this Boon.” The young woman took out a plain silver wristband. Gesturing him forward, she placed it around his right wrist, where it closed in a seamless loop.

The metal, cold at first, quickly warmed.

“What is it?” Mathew asked. After the first Boon of the coin, he doubted this gift was decorative.

“This bangle will display various information regarding the game and your place within it. Simply say ‘Display’ and it will respond.” She explained, nodding at him in encouragement.

“Display.” Mathew stated, and the wristband grew warmer. A holographic image appeared above it, showing three words.

Status | Inventory | Blessings

“This really is like a game.” Mathew whispered, licking his lips nervously. He hadn’t played many games but was familiar with the more popular ones. He compared it to an RPG, with various classes and spells.

Had the god of Games based Earth’s version of the Tower of Avarice on a tabletop role-playing game?

“You may browse each at your leisure later, but they are rather self-explanatory. Status will give you a summary of your current state and progress within the Tower. Inventory is a ‘space’ that will hold all of your belongings. You will notice that the coin you received is no longer in your pocket. It has been stored within your bangle. You may retrieve it at any time from your inventory.” The young woman explained.

Mathew used his hand to dig into his pocket, finding it empty as she said.

“The final ‘Blessings’ will explain all blessings you have received or purchased from within the Tower.” She finished. Pushing back her chair, she moved past a stunned Mathew, who was still staring at the holographic screen.

“You have been given a choice of three Disciplines. After you select one, you will choose between three blessings corresponding to your chosen Discipline. Decide carefully. You may not select a new Discipline until you have gained sufficient ‘levels’ in your current one.” Arriving at the far end of the lobby, Mathew could see three pieces of art hanging on the wall.

“These depict the offered Disciplines the gods have made available to you. Your bangle will reveal more information. I may not assist or influence you in any way in your selection.” The young woman finished, stepping near the wall and not speaking further.

Lowering his right arm that had the silver wristband, Mathew looked at the three paintings that showed these ‘Disciplines.’ From what he understood, games were like ‘jobs’ or ‘classes,’ influencing his development.

“Levels?” Mathew asked, turning back to the woman as he thought about what she had said.

“The process of growing stronger and more experienced in your chosen Discipline. Aether obtained from the floors may be used to increase your ‘level.’ Each Discipline affects the growth of your three main attributes: Body, Mind and Spirit. Your Discipline will also be affected by your attributes in turn.” She explained.

“Alright. And how do I know what my ‘attributes’ are?” Mathew asked, and the young woman smiled at the question.

“That information is contained in your ‘status’ screen, along with a brief explanation.”

“Status.” Mathew said, and the bangle on his wrist lit up to show another screen.

It was a simple picture of him with a short summary of information.

Name: Mathew Larson

Discipline: N/A

Level: 0

Aether: 0

Attributes

Body: 1.2

Mind: 1.5

Spirit: 0.3

“If you would like more information on something specific, ‘focus’ on that part of the screen.” The young woman interrupted. Mathew looked at the ‘body’ part of his attributes.

Body: Physical strength and dexterity. Affects appearance and overall health, stamina and endurance.

Mind: Ability to use Mana and its effective potency. Affects clarity of thought and memory retention.

Spirit: Connection to the gods. Your faith and trust in the metaphysical. Affects Blessings tied to the the divine.

“And the numbers? What do they mean?” Mathew asked.

“A ‘1’ is the numerical representation of the average human.” The young woman replied.

Closing the screen, Mathew turned to look at the offered disciplines.