Free Web NovelChapter 159: Before the Climb
The return of the Second Expedition had not yet happened.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Tower City continued expanding beneath the shadow of the Celestial Tower while humanity waited for news that refused to arrive. At first, people remained optimistic. Commander Reinhardt’s expedition had spent months inside the First Floor while only days passed outside. Most assumed the Second Expedition simply required more time.
Yet uncertainty had a way of growing.
Every additional day without communication fueled speculation.
Had they reached the Second Floor?
The Third?
Had they discovered new civilizations?
New rewards?
Or had they encountered something worse?
Nobody knew.
The Tower remained silent.
As always.
And because the Tower remained silent, humanity filled the silence with theories.
Thousands of theories.
Within taverns, people argued endlessly about what might exist beyond Floor One. Merchants bet fortunes on future discoveries. Scholars published increasingly ridiculous hypotheses. Several self-proclaimed prophets even claimed divine revelations regarding the Tower’s ultimate purpose.
Aurelion ignored all of them.
Speculation was entertaining.
Preparation was useful.
His priorities remained clear.
The day he entered the Tower was approaching.
Perhaps not tomorrow.
Perhaps not next week.
But soon.
Very soon.
And unlike most people dreaming about future glory, Aurelion intended to ensure he survived long enough to experience it.
The Imperial Training Complex had effectively become his second residence.
Every morning began before sunrise.
The city still slept when he arrived.
The guards had long stopped expressing surprise.
Some mornings, he practiced swordsmanship until his muscles trembled from exhaustion.
Other mornings, magic.
Today focused on endurance.
One of the Empire’s strongest Archmages stood opposite him within a specialized mana chamber. Ancient runes covered the walls while enchanted crystals continuously absorbed excess magical energy.
Necessary precautions.
The room would not survive otherwise.
"Again."
The Archmage raised his staff.
Dozens of magical projectiles erupted forward.
Aurelion responded instantly.
Barrier.
Counterspell.
Movement.
Attack.
Defense.
The exchange continued relentlessly.
Minutes became hours.
Hours became suffering.
Sweat soaked his clothing.
Mana circuits burned.
Yet he continued.
The Tower would not offer rest.
The Tower would not offer mercy.
Training shouldn’t either.
Eventually, the Archmage lowered his staff.
"You’ve improved."
Aurelion sat down heavily.
His breathing remained uneven.
"Only improved?"
The old mage laughed.
"If I praise you any further, your ego will become a national disaster."
For the first time that morning, Aurelion smiled.
The training had worked.
Not because he had become stronger.
Because he had discovered another weakness.
His mana efficiency still required improvement.
The Tower punished inefficiency.
Every lesson mattered.
Every flaw mattered.
The days continued passing.
Preparation intensified.
Yet Aurelion eventually realized something uncomfortable.
Physical preparation alone wasn’t enough.
The realization struck him while reviewing reports from Commander Reinhardt’s expedition.
For perhaps the hundredth time, he found himself rereading the same sections.
The civilization.
The villages.
The people.
The Calamity.
The more he thought about it, the more obvious a particular truth became.
The Tower wasn’t testing warriors.
Not exclusively.
It tested leaders.
Thinkers.
Negotiators.
Survivors.
People.
The First Floor had not been solved through combat.
It had been solved through understanding.
That realization changed everything.
The following day, Aurelion shifted focus.
Instead of combat training, he spent the entire afternoon with historians, diplomats, and scholars.
The experience felt strangely refreshing.
For years, he had balanced strength and intellect.
Recently, preparation had tilted too heavily toward combat.
The Tower demanded balance.
One scholar eventually asked a question that lingered within Aurelion’s mind long afterward.
"What would you do if a floor cannot be cleared through violence?"
The room became silent.
Aurelion considered the possibility.
Then another.
And another.
The answer disturbed him.
Such scenarios were entirely possible. freёwebnovel.com
Maybe even likely.
A civilization could not always be defeated.
Sometimes it needed to be guided.
Protected.
United.
The Tower might require entirely different forms of victory.
The realization further reinforced his belief.
Brute force alone would never reach Floor One Hundred.
Several days later, another meeting occurred regarding his future climbing team.
This time, the atmosphere differed.
Less theoretical.
More concrete.
Names were no longer possibilities.
They were becoming decisions.
The chamber overlooked Tower City through enormous glass windows. Construction continued constantly outside while workers expanded streets and buildings.
Inside, maps covered every available surface.
Potential routes.
Known information.
Resource requirements.
Grand Duke Caelion occupied his usual seat.
Beside him sat several trusted advisors.
Aurelion entered.
The discussion began immediately.
"We need a healer."
"No arguments there."
"A scout."
"Already shortlisted."
"A dedicated researcher."
The conversation continued.
Hours passed.
Each role mattered.
Each decision mattered.
Because every selected individual represented more than combat power.
Trust.
The Tower would place lives into each other’s hands.
Trust became priceless.
Eventually, attention shifted toward Aurelion himself.
A rare occurrence.
Grand Duke Caelion leaned forward.
"You keep evaluating everyone else."
Aurelion frowned slightly.
"And?"
"When was the last time you evaluated yourself?"
Silence.
The question lingered.
Several advisors exchanged glances.
Nobody interrupted.
Caelion continued.
"What are your weaknesses?"
The answer should have been simple.
It wasn’t.
Aurelion possessed countless strengths.
Magic.
Swordsmanship.
Leadership.
Knowledge.
Yet weaknesses?
The question required honesty.
Real honesty. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Eventually, he answered.
"Experience."
The room became quiet.
The response surprised several people.
Caelion didn’t look surprised.
Aurelion continued.
"I’ve fought battles."
"I’ve led people."
"I’ve solved problems."
His gaze shifted toward the distant Tower visible through the window.
"But I’ve never explored unknown worlds."
That was the truth.
The Tower represented something completely new.
Everyone entering it would become beginners.
No exceptions.
The realization felt strangely comforting.
For once, everyone stood on equal ground.
Even geniuses.
Even kings.
Even prodigies.
The Tower humbled everyone.
After the meeting concluded, Aurelion spent the evening walking alone through Tower City.
The city had changed dramatically.
Again.
Every week brought transformation.
New districts.
New businesses.
New arrivals.
The population had exploded beyond all expectations.
What fascinated him most wasn’t the growth itself.
It was the atmosphere.
Hope.
The city radiated hope.
People genuinely believed the future waited here.
Not in capitals.
Not in kingdoms.
Here.
Beneath the Tower.
A group of children ran through the streets carrying wooden swords.
"Floor Twenty!"
"No, Floor Thirty!"
"You died!"
"I did not!"
The argument continued as they disappeared into the crowd.
Aurelion laughed softly.
Even childhood games had changed.
The Tower’s influence reached everywhere.
Further ahead, merchants negotiated trade agreements worth fortunes.
Adventurers exchanged information.
Scholars debated theories.
Life continued.
Humanity adapted.
As always.
Eventually, he reached one of the city’s highest observation platforms.
His favorite location.
The place where thinking became easier.
Night had already fallen.
Tower City glowed beneath him.
Thousands upon thousands of lights stretched across the landscape.
What had begun as a military camp had become a metropolis.
And it continued growing.
Far beyond the city stood the Tower.
Silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
Weeks ago, Aurelion had viewed it as a mystery.
Now he viewed it differently.
A destination.
The difference mattered.
Mysteries could be ignored.
Destinations could not.
A cold breeze passed across the platform.
The familiar sound of footsteps followed.
Aurelion smiled before turning.
Grand Duke Caelion.
Again.
At this point, it would have felt stranger if he didn’t appear.
"You know," the older man said while joining him at the railing, "one day I’m going to arrive first."
Aurelion laughed.
"I’ll believe it when I see it."
Both men looked toward the horizon.
The conversation faded.
Silence settled comfortably between them.
After several minutes, Caelion spoke again.
"You’re ready."
Not a question.
A statement.
Aurelion remained quiet.
Then slowly nodded.
"Almost."
The older man smiled.
"Almost is the best anyone gets."
The answer carried surprising wisdom.
Because it was true.
No one would ever be fully prepared for the Tower.
Not Commander Reinhardt.
Not the Second Expedition.
Not Aurelion.
At some point, preparation ended.
Action began.
The distinction felt increasingly close.
Far above, silver lightning flashed within the storm clouds surrounding the upper reaches of the Tower. The immense structure briefly illuminated the entire landscape.
Ancient.
Impossible.
Eternal.
Aurelion stared at it for a long time.
One hundred floors.
One hundred worlds.
One hundred unknown futures.
The First Expedition had opened the path.
The Second Expedition was currently expanding it.
Soon enough...
It would be his turn.
The realization no longer felt distant.
No longer theoretical.
It felt real.
A quiet certainty settled within his heart.
The waiting period was ending.
The preparation period was ending.
The observation period was ending.
Soon, the story would change.
No more reports.
No more theories.
No more secondhand accounts.
Soon, Aurelion would see the Tower with his own eyes.
Walk its worlds with his own feet.
Face its challenges personally.
And as he gazed toward the colossal structure dominating the night sky, a faint smile appeared on his face.
For the first time since the Tower descended from the heavens, he genuinely felt the future approaching.
Not as a possibility.
Not as a prediction.
As an inevitability.
The climb was coming.
And Aurelion was ready to answer it.
The Genre had shifted completely and it was time for our protagonist to finally shine in it.
[To Be Continued]
