With the door open, I warily ehe tower. My head swerves with heightened senses as I look for threats. Just because I fought a giant scorpio mean that the fighting is over. For all I know, there could be another boss.

  Thankfully, no such threat is revealed. Instead, I am met with the same internals of the initial tower- minus the sand. With the entrance having been closed, no sand was able to enter.

  Walking in deeper, I’m immediately met with stairs leading downwards. Still wary, I desd doweps. After a good minute of dest, I see light. Slowing down now, I tinue down until I’m met with a lit circur room. In the ter of the room is a pedestal. On top of the pedestal is a vibrant glowing crystal ball.

  Alright. This is either a trap or the end of the dungeon. Hopefully the tter.

  I walk up to the crystal ball and exami for something. What that something is, I’ve no idea.

  What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I scared? It’s not the first time I’ve almost died…

  Then agaih just meant I’d be returo earth. I doly have that crutymore.

  …

  …

  …

  Holy shit I’m afraid of death! How long has it been since I’ve felt this way? Fifteen? Sixteen summons ago?

  Shaking my head, I growl at my hesitancy.

  It doesn’t matter. Fear is just aion- useful ohat it is. Aions are things that I’ve already overe.

  Without hesitation, I pce my gaued arm on the orb. The orb shatters upon touch to reveal a metallic card. On the card, I see a detailed image of a decorated chariot being pulled by scorpions across a vast desert.

  Odd.

  I reach down to grab the card. The moment my hand makes tact, the card disies.

  Through Perception, you have found this tower.

  Through Endurance, you have traversed the sands.

  Through trol, you have overe the heat.

  Test of the Chariot pleted. Notifying the World System…

  Chariot pletioified…

  Activating blessing interface…

  Restrig Blood Flow to brain…

  Goddammit, not again!

  A sed after my thought, everything goes dark.

  _______________________________________________________

  When my eyes open, I’m met with the room of endless white. Everything is the same, except for a singur difference. In the sky, the card I’d touched is floating haphazardly o my ship.

  “Well, that’s new.” I say aloud.

  “It is indeed.” A voice replies.

  I turn around quickly. When I do, I’m met with a being of stantly shifting forms. Horns, tentacles, eyes, tails, skeletons. The more I stare, the more the form is in stant ge. Accessing my soul, I attempt to divulge what this being is, but I’m met with absolutely nothing.

  “You’re a greater god of Chaos.” I say.

  The being cps vines. “A perfect dedu!” The being excims happily. “Mind expining how you figured that out?”

  I frown. “sidering you’re asking means you haven’t read my mind. Which I appreciate. As for how I figured it out, well, I’ve learo sehe souls of the divihe only exceptions are the souls of greater gods. Greater gods are capable of hiding their souls pletely, like you are doing now. As for the chaos part- your form kinda gives it away. stantly shifting how you are perceived is chaotic.”

  The being twists its three necks. “Impressive and new. I am most pleased with su experience.”

  I nod. “I imagine so. You’re old, so novel experiences are pleasant.”

  The entity chuckles bubbles. “Oh, how I wish to learn of you, but that would go against my own rules. Better to watd enjoy.”

  “Riiight. So who are you and why are you here?” I point at the Chariot card. “I’m guessing it has something to do with that?”

  The entity shimmers crystally. “I am Pandora, the master of this world and proprietor of the god games. As for your dedu, yes. I am here because you have passed the Chariot test. I have taken it upon myself to gratute every champion that has passed their first tower.”

  “Just to gratute?” I ask.

  “Correct.” He giggles out. “gratutions on being the sed person to plete a tower.”

  Before I even reply, Pandora disappears.

  “What?” I excim, fused.

  I look around, searg where he might have gone, only to find nothing.

  Just then, a portal opens. An eye floats through. This one looks exactly like green and red, except its eye is blue.

  Blue blinks at me. “Entity Quasi Eludo, you have obtaihe Chariot card. Please choose one of the following blessings:”

  Blessing of the Chariot.

  Chariots Perception.+5% Perception[Binocur Vision]Gain the ability to magnify vision up to eight times.Chariots Endurance.+5% Endurance[Minor Stamina Regeion]Increase stamina regeion by 100%Chariots trol.+5% trol[Minor Heat Resistance]Reduce effects of heat by 50%

  “I get to choose?” I ask

  “Correct.”

  “Only one?”

  “Correct.”

  Huh. That's niow the's see what I have.

  Going through the three options, I 't help but find the choices to be a bit difficult. Chariot's perception would give me built in binocurs. Though, it may not be as useful sidering Fenrimorph vision is already good. Also, don’t I have a bird transformation already now?

  Chariot's stamina oher hand is somewhat useful. It would allow me to recover from exhaustion, or at the very least, slow down the speed at which I get exhausted. Then again, it was only when I was starving and fighting a giant scorpion that stamina became a problem. In most instances, I doubt it would be useful.

  Chariot trol is a bit of a fusing one. What does it mean to reduce the effects of heat? Is it all heat? External? Internal? Am I less proo getti on fire?

  “Are you able to expin [Minor Heat Resistance]?”

  “ive.” Blue answers.

  Figures. Stupid eyes are never helpful.

  “ I choose the blessing ter?”

  “ive.”

  Damn. Alright. So, three options, and none are that useful as of the moment. Well, maybe [Minor Heat Resistance], but I’ve no idea how that works. Well, that's not true. It most definitely would protect me from the desert. Still, my problem with the desert was food, not actually the heat. Or was it? I don’t remember ever feeling thirsty, which is usually the first problem in a desert. Instead, I had a gnawing hunger.

  The only other option is the pertile bonuses. 5% isn’t very muless we take endurao at. It’s the only ohat would give me signifit trait improvements. Perception would give me a sirait improvement, while trol would give me nothing.

  If traits are the deg factor, then endurance. If not, then trol could be the most beneficial if it provides me prote from heat.

  “Blue, these choices are difficult.”

  Blue blinks silently.

  I sigh.

  “If my life actually wasn’t on the line, I’d go for trol, but it unfortunately is. So, Blue, I choose the blessing of Chariots Endur-.” I pause at my answer. It’s the smart and logical choice. It will help me not get tired as fast, and it will give me the highest attribute be. trol only has the [Minor Heat Resistance]- a skill that I’m not sure how it works. And perception isn’t useful unless I’m fighting from a siderable distance.

  “You know what, fuck it. Give me Chariots trol. Logic be damned. I’m listening to my gut.”

  “Choice: Chariots trol, accepted.”

  Adding Title: Chariots trol…

  Title Added successfully.

  Title Name

  Chariots trol

  Title Rank

  Tower

  Title Effect

  +5% trol trait

  [Minor Heat Resistance]

  “Blessing application pleted.” Blue blinks rapidly. “Activati Protocol.”

  Reset Protocol Activated…

  Telep Entity Quasi Eludo to entrance…

  Teleport Successful…

  Test of Chariot will reset oy Quasi Eludo leaves the premises.

  __________________________________________________

  I wake up to the smell of sand, blood, and the sight of a metal ceiling.

  Jumping up quickly, I raise my fists defensively. Gng around, my eyes fall on my first kill. The first scorpion that I killed in the first tower is exactly where I left it. I have been teleported back to the entrance. Which means the exit is just below. Once I leave, it sounds like the test will be pletely reset.

  I wonder if I take the test again? Could I get more of the cards and blessings?

  I shrug at the thought.

  I test that out ter. It’s been three days since I entered. Hopefully Valentine is a man of his word.

  I take a step towards the stairs, and then pause as an idea enters my mind.

  ______________________________________________________

  Towers-keeper is a cored ship made to transpe amounts of people over long distahe ship is modified with expanded living quarters and expae. This allows the vessel to fortably carry over a hundred pilgrims. And by forts, that includes dedicated showers, areas of worship, and most importantly: A library. It is in this library where James is leaning over stacks and stacks of books. His eyes dart rapidly from page to page, desperately searg- only to find nothing. He closes the book and then leans back.

  “Nothing.” He excims. “This is infuriating!”

  “[Bishop], maybe a break is in order? You’ve been at this since first light,” Samantha says.

  James sighs. “No. There must be something. Valentine said it's all for a game, and that he’s not a pyer. He chose those words specifically. There must be scripture expining the meaning of those words.”

  The [Padin] tilts her head to the side. Her gaze passes a rge stack of books that James finished reading. “Maybe Valentine's words are his interpretation.”

  James quickly shakes his head, eyes still glued to his current reading. “I thought of that possibility, but the crew of the Timbergrove refused to expand on it when I asked. They could have easily said they don’t know, but instead are beiive.”

  “We could pressure the-.”

  “No.” James interrupts immediately. “I will not subject myself to such disrespectful as. They are allies, and I will treat them with the respect they deserve- ahah!” James grins. His hand falls upon a line. “It is believed that in time, before a great peril mas, a Messiah will arrive and uh the divine ears so as to guide those most loyal to salvation! This Apostle of the great one, in love and respect for the great divine, will refuse worship for they worship through their as and not their words. They will instead ence the worship of the divine.” James reads aloud.

  Samantha frowns. “You think Quasi could be this Messiah? Seems unlikely sihat Buxon was able to ehe tower too.”

  James slowly nods. But a grin is still somestered on his face. “Maybe. Clearly, the Buxon died iempt to une. If Quasi succeeds and vinces Valeo leave peacefully, then the possibility is there.”

  Before Samantha ent, the door to the library opens rapidly to reveal a sweating [Priest]. “Apologies [Bishop], but something has ged. The tower is different.”

  James immediately stands up. “Show me.”

  Running from the ship to the towers entraakes several minutes, but James eventually arrives. Already, a rge swarm of people are huddlihe entrance.

  At his arrival, they quickly make a path for him.

  He rushes right outside the entraheices the difference. Previously, you could see sand on the floor oower's entrance. But now, the sand is gone.

  “Has anyoed the tower?” He asks those gregated. All shake their heads.

  He grimaces. “tihe watch. I must cheething. Samantha, follow me.”

  James rushes away from the tower. His stride leads him te tent. Without announg himself, he rushes io find all of Timbergroves crew at the table. His eyes quickly train ard. Then he rexes at the sight of her job.

  “Is something the matter?” Irmgard asks

  He releases a breath he’d not realized he was holding. “Yes, the tower’s entrano longer has sand. Has your [Captaiurned?”

  “No.” Irmgard shakes her head. “But such a ge is good if my job has not ged.”

  “It has not,” James says.

  “Then it seems something important has happehat hasn’t ended with his death.” Irmgard expins.

  “I… yes.” James pauses, unsure what else to say.

  “Have you seen anyo the tower?” Myers asks. “Maybe a cat?”

  James frowns. “There are people praying all the time. I’m sure they would have noticed a cat leaving.”

  “rade fluffy is very sneaky. Maybe he sneak out when you close eyes to pray, yes?”

  Cillian snorts. “Sounds like something he would do.”

  James shakes his head. “Mass prayer covers the erance. Sneaking past all of us, even as a cat, is impossible.”

  “Um,” Cy raises his hand. “What if Fluffy turned into a bird?”

  All eyes turn to Cy.

  “Why do you think he would turn into a bird?” James asks the child.

  Cy points a fio the top of the tent.

  Eyes follow his finger.

  Up top, on one of the supp poles is a small, raven-like bird with a rge singur eyeball. The bird stares down at all those present.

  Then, immediately, the bird flutters down, nding in the middle of the table.

  A puff of smoke ter, and the bird turns into a cat. The cat looks at them all.

  “I’ve been perched up there food half hour, and the only one who noticed me is a child… you all suck.”