Project Seraphina [LitRPG, Magitech, GL]
3.35 The Third Ascent I

Three days pass in the blink of an eye. I still haven’t fully unlocked the mysteries of [Luminous Barrier]. Even with Dr. Reynolds’ software and linguistic expertise bolstered by my Skills, I doubt I could ever hope to unravel all the mysteries contained within just this one glyph.

My original assessment that the glyph is a combination of [Light] and [Repulsion] seems accurate. Upon closer inspection, I can see both of them contained within the array on opposite quadrants of the roughly-circular glyph. What is novel, compared with the glyphs I’ve used to this point, is the sheer quantity of what I’ve dubbed ‘linking runes’. To this point, I’ve been adding in a small number, sometimes just one or two, maybe five or six in a more elaborate array. But this single glyph contains hundreds, perhaps upwards of a thousand, all intricately woven together to create a complex tapestry of magic meticulously represented in physical form.

I feel, as I stare at the sheer genius of this design, that I am but a toddler, capable of but stringing together simple sentences to convey basic ideas in rudimentary form. And here, in front of me, is the work of Shakespeare the Bard himself. I might understand the individual words— the basic glyphs and runes— but the sheer beauty and joy in which they are constructed is a modern miracle. Indeed, a woman could spend her entire life dedicating herself to this craft, seeking to piece together how to create such sonnets and odes in pictorial form, and yet never match the beauty and mastery that I’ve been blessed by the goddesses themselves to bear witness to.

And yet, I must do exactly that. If I am to save this world— all worlds— I must not only learn to reach this level, but to exceed it. To stand on the shoulders of giants of human, System, and alien alike, to inherit their power and their knowledge, and to become something more. That is the reason why I was created. It is the reason I confirmed when I chose to take up the mantle of the [Mechanical Angel] once more, to take up the fight against the System once more.

Despite the pain I went through the last time I was here, I feel no hesitation as I approach the threshold leading back up and into hell. Chloe is right here beside me, and we are joined by Lindsey and Stefan. The former has a new bow, inscribed with glyphs that conjure temporary arrows out of [Ether] and infuse them with explosive properties not unlike my [Ether Bullets]. Meanwhile, the latter carries with him a titanic claymore with a serrated edge and whose blade contains glyphs which will inflame all who are unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.

With all three of them by my side, I am as optimistic as I can be that we will succeed today. We may not reach the fiftieth floor and clear the gauntlet on this attempt, but I know with absolute certainty that we will survive. Lindsey is too fast and stealthy, Stefan too strong and resilient, and Chloe far too prodigious of a healer and caster of light magic.

And then there is me, who possesses valuable insight into the nature of the System and these Towers from my past life. Even though most of those memories are still inaccessible, my soul, or whatever part of me could bridge the divide between universes, still remembers. And within those memories, I know lies the key to complete success.

“By the way, Sera,” Stefan says. “You and Chloe have been real quiet all morning. Did something happen between you two?”

“Do you want to tell him?” Chloe asks. “I know you’re not big on sharing your Skills with others. And I’m not sure I want people to know exactly what it does, either. Feels a little too personal to be shared wildly.”

“Lindsey can probably see some of it, even if she doesn’t see exactly what it does. We can probably tell him that we have a telepathic bond between us and leave it at that.”

“I’m okay with that as long as you are.”

“We each have a Skill that allows us to communicate telepathically with each other,” I answer. “We’ve become accustomed to it, and often it’s more inconvenient to actually form the words rather than just sharing thoughts.”

“I can see how it would be convenient,” Stefan says. “And also potentially embarrassing. I wouldn’t want all my innermost thoughts just slipping out without a chance to filter them first.”

At this, Lindsey gives him a bit of a side-eye. I decide against correcting Stefan’s misconception about how our [Angelic Bond] works. It’s not enough simply to think a thought and have it transferred to Chloe. I hear exactly the thoughts Chloe wants to send me, and it’s always a conscious effort for me to send my thoughts her way.

We slip inside the gargantuan gate and back into the main room. Ahead of us is the stairwell that leads to the portal to the second floor, just as large and imposing as it was the first time we entered this chamber. But this time around, there’s no need for such elaborate ceremony. We head into the teleporter, Stefan and Lindsey first, then Chloe and I following hand-in-hand behind them. Once all four of us are in the chamber, I receive the familiar System notification, asking me if I’d like to transport directly to a higher floor.

I mentally select ‘yes’. As expected, the sixth floor transporter is the only one available to us; I suspect there are more, every five to ten floors, each of which will only be accessible once we’ve made it up the long way.

Chloe turns to Stefan and Lindsey. I turn to Chloe. We all share a nod. The transport sequence is initiated, and I experience a brief moment of incorporeality as our spirits and everything else vanish and then quickly reappear. As it was last time, there’s a momentary disorientation and dizzy sensation muddling my eyes and my mind, one which briefly goes away as both adjust to the new sensations.

With no reason to dawdle on the sixth floor, we head up to the seventh. Before us is another giant tower surrounded by an idyllic landscape on all sides. This tower isn’t nearly so large as the one before, but it’s still competing with the engineering marvels humanity has developed over the past hundred-odd years.

Lindsey gasps as she looks up. “This shouldn’t be possible.”

“But it exists, impossible or not,” Stefan says, taking Lindsey’s hand. “I feel like this is the sort of thing where it’s best not to dwell on the how too long. That path leads only to madness.”

“Sera probably already has half a dozen conjectures on the topic,” Lindsey retorts. “Thinking about this sort of thing is pretty much her hobby and pastime now.”

“Yes, and she’s a little bit mad, Lindsey. You are making my point for me.”

I’m not sure how I feel about being called ‘mad’ in this way. On the one hand, madness is commonly reviled among the general populace. On the other, madness and genius are rarely far removed, and many thought the former in life are rehabilitated posthumously as the latter. Then again, the reverse is just as true. After a moment of thought, I settle on a brief, narrowed gaze toward both of them, and decline to push the issue further.

“So, do we just head inside?” Chloe asks.

I think on the matter for a bit. Our goal is probably to get to the top of the tower, just as it is with the broader tower we’re inside, or connected to, or however it works. But there’s absolutely no reason why we need to go inside and deal with all the traps and monsters. Sure, we’ll lose some Experience, but we’re going to find better gear, more potent treasures, more useful glyphs, and tougher challenges on the later floors. Besides, we’ve got forty-three more floors to go; I’d rather not waste a whole afternoon on floor seven.

“Agreed,” Lindsey says. “Time waits for no one, not even in these twisted spaces.”

Stefan has a momentary look of discomfort as he stares at the two of us. Then, it melts into one of resignation. Lindsey extends her arms, and Stefan begrudgingly allows himself to be pulled into a princess carry. And it is every bit as adorable and humorous as I had expected it to be. Lindsey is no dwarf of a woman, being an inch taller than I am— five feet, nine inches. But with her boyfriend having a good nine inches and a hundred pounds of muscle on her, the visual is… something.

Lindsey doesn’t look the least bit strained by carrying him, though— her [Strength] among us is second only to the man she’s carrying. With a brief huff, Lindsey jumps into the air, and keeps jumping. Her [Wind Walk] isn’t quite the same as Chloe’s or my flight ability. Rather, it seems to be something akin to having an infinite jump code cheat enabled. She leaps several feet up with each bound, and then, with practiced ease, she jumps up, leaping on what looks and feels like a platform of solid air briefly made physical, one which dissolves as soon as she’s done with it.

Damn, with a Skill like that, her maneuverability must be incredible. I certainly don’t like my odds if we were to spar again, my extra levels be damned.

Chloe and I turn to one another and fly up just behind the two of them. As we do, I see a couple of monsters through one of the side panel windows. It gives me a look, but I can’t tell if it’s anger that we’re ignoring it or bemusement or maybe gratitude that it doesn’t have to fight and die. I do briefly wonder how much intelligence or even sentience each of these creatures are. Are they even alive, or are they merely constructs of [Ether], ones created simply to test and train prospective challengers?

Am I, by growing stronger, by attempting to overthrow and crash the System, merely doing its bidding and hastening the universe’s annihilation?

As we step onto the roof, we see two things. First, the stairway to the eighth floor, though it is blocked off by some magical force, shining rays of golden Ether mimicking a portcullis, depriving us of the right to move onward. And secondly, a giant eagle, easily thirty feet tall, with a wingspan that easily outstrips that.

“Another flying enemy,” Stefan says. “I guess I’m not going to be of much use on the offense. Guess it’s up to you three.”

We drop down onto the rooftop, but not before Stefan uses his [Rally Cry] upon us. Chloe taps me with [Saintess’s Blessing], and I follow suit with my [Angel’s Grace] upon her. As both effects take, each bolstering the effects of the other, I realize that together, I’ve become an absolute monster in combat.

[Level: 40; Experience: 847,605; To Next: 43,605]

[Current Stats: [Health]: 5,607 / 5,097; [Ether]: 4,018 / 3,653]

[Current Stats: [Strength]: 87 (Base: 46); [Speed]: 87 (Base: 46); [Vitality]: 165 (Base: 87); [Mind]: 233 (Base: 123)]

It makes me wonder as I engage in combat, a battle which feels so effortless compared with so many of the trials we’ve faced to this point. Just what sort of power did Madison possess? What sort of power did I have at my peak? And just what kind of monsters— for anyone, man, machine, or otherwise, who has such power is certainly a monster— were able to overcome us in that past life?

The battle barely lasts a minute. With all four of us together, it barely even counts as a battle. Simply a choreographed dance of blades and arrows. Lindsey managed to pierce one of the major nerves controlling the muscles in the creature’s right wing, preventing it from getting off the ground. After that, it was simply an end in and of itself.

The gate blocking the entrance to the eighth floor vanishes just as the System notification for the monster’s defeat flickers in the corner of my vision.

[You have slain an Eagle of the Tower (Level 42). You have gained a boosted 18,400 Experience.]

[Level: 40; Experience: 866,005; To Next: 25,205]

It’s repulsive, knowing how effortless all of this is. And yet, knowing what lies ahead, knowing how many lives are at stake, I know just as well that we have to move onward. For everyone’s sake.