Free Web NovelChapter 10: Genesis (2)
The evening wind swept across the hilltop and it carried the distant sounds of the faint ringing of a bell from the capital of Genesis.
"T-thirty five years..." Her voice cracked.
She had spent the last week worrying whether her brothers were safe, wondering if they were worried about her, if they were waiting for her. The thought of them living decades without her hurt more than anything she has ever experienced.
Images flashed through her mind.
Mateo taught her how to ride a bike, he was also the one who always helped her with homework. And whenever she fought with Caleb, he was always there to scold them for hours. His black eyes seemed capable of seeing through any excuse they tried to make.
Thirty-five years...
He could have children, grandchildren... an entirely different life. Or perhps... he would still wear that same weary, helpless expression whenever another problem landed in his lap... maybe another problem from their youngest.
In her mind, Mateo would always be 34 years old. Always standing there with wind-tousled brown hair and that tired, helpless smile.
Caleb too, the younger brother who always acted tough. He was the one who laughed the loudest in the room, and somehow he could turn the simplest conversation into an argument. If there was a way to annoy her, Caleb would find it. If there wasn’t, he’d invent one.
She could still picture him clearly. Messy black curls that never seemed to stay in place no matter how often he fixed them. Sharp eyes filled with mischief and a cocky grin that usually appeared seconds before he did something incredibly stupid.
Caleb was the definition of smart, but stupid at the same time.
He’d be middle-aged now and that thought felt ridiculous like imagining a mountain floating upside down.
They may have aged inside the Tower but she was not going to give up on them like this.
"C-Can I still find them?" The question escaped before she could stop them.
King’s ears twitched. [Your brothers?]
She nodded expectantly.
[Possible nya nya.]
Hope immediately filled her eyes.
[It may be difficult though. Since they were part of the first generation of Tower Raiders, they must be on a higher floor. Mostly likely above the 50th floor or higher... that’s if they are still alive nya.]
Misha tightened her fists. Difficult was better than impossible. She was going to grab any string she could get. For the first time since hearing the truth, she found herself taking a steady breath.
Somewhere inside this Tower... her family might still be alive. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"I’m going to find them no matter what..."
King studied her for a moment. Then, surprisingly, he smiled. [Good.]
"Good?"
[The Tower rewards those who keep moving forward nya.] His golden cat eyes gleamed underneath the moonlight.
≈≈≈
By the time Misha arrived closer to the capital’s entrance, she couldn’t help but be amazed by the stone walls that stretched in either direction, their battlements lit by rows of lanterns. Armed men stood watch at the entrance.
Her eyes wandered over the scene before her. Wagons, travelers, adventurers carrying weapons. It looked like a thriving city. She walked for almost an hour, starting from the hilltop, just to finally reach the gate’s entrance.
Next to her, King yawned. [Well, we’re here. My work here is done nya.]
"That’s it?"
[What do you mean?]
"Aren’t you supposed to be my guide?"
King blinked. [I guided you here nya nya.]
"..." She was rather speechless.
[Anyway, you’ll need this nya.] He threw a small leather pouch into her hands.
"Wait, where did you get this?"
[Legally.]
"..."
The problem was that the cat had conveniently vanished, leaving her to find her way through an unfamiliar city alone.
Misha frowned deeply. "For someone called a guide, he does remarkably little guiding."
Unfortunately, there was no longer a cat around to hear her complaint.
Fortunately, the guards weren’t too strict on inspection. Misha watched several people enter the city without presenting any identification or undergoing any serious inspection.
That was good. Very good. Because Misha looked awful.
She couldn’t help but wince after she looked at herself. Dirt and green blood stained her clothes from head to toe. It was wrinkled and torn. The missing section of the lower part of her shirt was from when she had ripped it off to make strips.
She was thankful enough that she wasn’t going to appear naked but she looked less like a Tower Raider and more like a homeless wanderer.
Would they even allow someone looking like this through the gate? Her chances of making a good impression were already dead to anyone who would see her.
"Well..." She straightened her back. "There’s only one way to find out."
"Let’s fake it until you make it." She mumbled to herself before she joined the line.
Good thing she was the last person in line. The evening darkness worked in her favor. Between the dull lantern light and the steady stream of people who were entering the city, they were less likely to pay attention to her ragged appearance.
At least, that was what she hoped.
Her palms were sweating, her heart pounding against her ribs yet her face remained calm and expressionless.
「 Trait in Effect: Calm Under Pressure 」
She stared at the window that appeared before her eyes. The nervousness remained but the panic threatening to overwhelm her quickly faded. She took a slow breath then stepped forward.
Almost there... Just a few more steps.
Just as Misha was about to pass by the two guards, one eyed her.
"You there."
Her stomach dropped. Slowly, Misha turned toward the guard who called her out. "Me?"
The armored man walked in front of her as if to block her path. He gave her a once-over.
"Why are you dressed like that?" His eyes travelled to her makeshift bandage. "Did you come back from a raid?"
「 Trait in Effect: Analytical Thinking 」
Information immediately sorted itself inside her mind just from the guard’s words.
Raid... Injuries...
"Yeah..." She heaved out an exhausted sigh. "Things got messy."
"What floor?"
Misha smiled calmly, confidently. Internally, her heart almost stopped.
OH FUCK. SHIT! He’s asking questions! Why are they asking questions?! What kind of question is that? How am I supposed to know? What floor should I say?
Her trait worked tirelessly to find a solution. Unfortunately, after racking her brain, all it could conclude was: insufficient data.
Her trait could analyze information, organize clues, and help her reach logical conclusions but it couldn’t magically invent knowledge she didn’t possess, which meant she had to bluff her way through a conversation with a city guard using nothing but confidence and prayer.
Fantastic. Even my cheat skill doesn’t know!
Think, Misha, think! Two is too low. Twenty is too high. What would an injured person look like after clearing several floors?
She should have asked King for more information.
No, she should have forced that damned cat to explain everything before disappearing. Instead, she had been dumped there with the survival skills of a confused tourist.
"Seven."
Please be a lucky seven!
The guard whistled. "That explains it."
Misha blinked a few times. Somehow, against all odds, she picked the correct answer. She was practically dancing in her mind.
"How about companions?"
Companions? What companions? Should I have companions? Why would I have companions? A useless cat like King should be one, right?
"We..." She paused. Her eyes reflexively traveled towards the huge cathedral in the middle of the city. "We split up during the escape."
"We planned to regroup in the city." She gestured vaguely toward the cathedral. "Assuming everyone made it back."
The guard nodded knowingly. "Teleportation runes can scatter people across the outskirts."
They do?
As if answering her question, he continued. "It happens all the time."
He stepped aside. "Hope your friends made it."
Misha forced a smile. "Me too."
Then she quickly walked through the gates before anyone could ask another question. Only once she was several streets inside Genesis did she finally release the breath she had been holding. "That was way too close!"
