Tower Ascension

"They're here." Alice's voice abruptly jolted him out of his reverie. He got chills down his spine not because of the dead body, but because of his own error.

'I must not become engrossed in my own thoughts, especially while walking.' While walking near the dead bodies, Peter made a declaration to himself. The blood on the ground was visible to him.

"Did you drag them in when they were being thrashed this way?" When Peter noticed a large blood smear on the ground, he turned to the small girl and inquired.

"Yes!" Alice nods, but her demeanor has turned icy.

"They might have lived." Peter was still perplexed as to why this small child was so harsh to her own parents.

"As a serious obstacle! Remember, I'm an eight-year-old kid who wants to climb the tower!" Alice's face was emotionless, but he could see a tinge of melancholy in her eyes. She wasn't fully immune to this type of situation because she wanted to be a youngster who could laugh and play with her friends.

Peter grumbled and moved closer to them. He felt no emotion as he touched their cold body. He, too, was vulnerable to emotions. When he raised Alice's father's body, he looked at her, surprised, and remarked, "You are still physically an eight-year-old kid. How did you manage to drag his body?"

He could sense the body's weight. If it had been before when he was level zero, he might not have been able to lift him. Moving may appear to be a simple task, but it is not for a child. But when he heard her remark, all he could do was shake his head helplessly.

"When you see an eight-year-old child solve a trick taught by a twenty-year-old guy, you applaud him. But when you see an eight-year-old boy lugging rocks on a construction site for his sick father, some people look at him with cold eyes, some with sympathy, but no one thinks about how an eight-year-old boy is doing twenty-year-old man's work."

'This child has seriously suffered a lot. I guess I don't need to bear any psychological burden after leaving the tower.' Peter thought while walking out of the house. Alice showed him the way at the northern outskirt of the town where dead people are buried.

Peter dug two holes on the ground. He buried Alice's father then went back to the house to bring her mother. Alice stayed there in order to make a gravestone. After burying her mother, Peter left Alice alone.

When she returns back, he was slightly shocked. He could see her eyes turned red. Alice sees his emotions and asked, "Are you shocked that I cried?"

Peter nods his head and got a punch on his stomach.

"I am only eight years old kid."

After burying them, he went to the information desk and discovered that he could stay in the Global hotel. After that, he went to the Global Hotel and stayed there.

"So, you sleep there, while I sleep here." Peter was standing between two mattresses when he spoke. Because that hotel refused to let him in, he was forced to stay at the Global Hotel. Fortunately, it was just as excellent as the last hotel.

"Alright!" Alice nods and walks to the left side of her head. Peter was also exhausted from a series of events that occurred in a single day. As a result, he fell asleep immediately.

...…

"Peter, wake up! Breakfast has been delivered." When the first rays of sunlight penetrated through the window and fell into Peter's eyes, he heard a sweet voice in his ear.

"Five minutes longer, Anne!" Peter selects a cushion and covers his head with it, his eyes closed.

"Anne? Wake up, Peter; it's me, Alice!" When Alice, who was attempting to rouse up Peter, heard that voice, she was shocked. It was nothing like it had been the day before. It was full of love and compassion. She knew Peter adored his family, but she didn't expect him to address someone by a family member's name.

"Yawn!" He only awoke when these words resonated through the cushion and reached his ears. Peter massaged his eyes while yawning on the bed with a drowsy smile. He gets out of bed and proceeds to the bathroom, completely disregarding Alice.

Alice puffed her cheeks and proceeded to the breakfast table after noticing his immature behavior. But just as she had the doughnut in her hand, she came to a halt and placed it back. Despite her stomach growling, she did not begin to eat.

The food on the table was extremely opulent for her. She couldn't bring herself to eat when Peter is so nice to her. After five minutes, Peter emerged from the restroom, looking much better than before.

He approached the table and asked, "Why aren't you eating yet?"

"You couldn't expect me to begin without you. I am not ungrateful while being cold and merciless." Alice spoke as she placed her hands on the table, ready to take food at any time.

"All right, you can begin now," Peter spoke with a smile on his face, but it was genuine this time.

During their meal, Alice said, "Who is Anne?"

"She's my sister," Peter responded to her without even a second's hesitation. He was indifferent about the fact that she had discovered his sister's identity. Why? Because she was unable to exit the tower.

"Will you accept me if I became your sister?" He was taken aback by Alice's unexpected question. However, he swiftly shook his head and exclaimed, "No!"

"Oh!" Alice was simply seizing the moment. She didn't cry or rejoice at his rejection. She kept feeding herself.

...…

"So, where are we headed?" Peter led her out of the hotel after the meal, and she asked.

"Before we begin our training, we need to prepare something," Peter spoke to her as he drove her to the Information Office.

"Good day, Mr. Peter. I hope you got a decent night's sleep." The woman behind the counter smiled and spoke cheerfully.

"It was excellent. By the way, I'm curious about something else." Peter spoke while staring her down. She soon followed it up by creating the sound obstructive barricade.

"I'm interested in learning more about Demon's Blood. I'd also like to know where I may discover the black market." Peter inquired, tapping his finger on the counter.

"I hope you will pardon me for being so direct, Mr. Peter. However, you are revealing far too much about yourself. You will put yourself in jeopardy very soon." As she spoke, the lady gave a sharp look. Peter's skill was immediately apparent to her based on his comments.

Steal! He appears to be capable of stealing other skills.

This may be a highly strong skill, especially if he is not limited in any way.

"I apologize for being overly forthcoming! I'm hoping you can keep my information private." It's not that Peter wasn't aware of what was going on. He didn't have to, in fact. He intended to exit the tower. He didn't mind if others found out about him.

But when he heard her comments, he was stunned for a time. He sighed at his own stupidity and couldn't figure out why he did it. He clearly desired to leave the tower. He doesn't want to return since he will die in hundred years. So, why is he sighing at himself?

While he was looking for a solution, the lady said, "It would cost two hundred gold coins for that item. The final one just costs ten gold coins."

"Ahh! Please tell me!" Peter was jolted back to reality when he realized he was missing something very important. It was as though his heart was changing, or had already changed. It was just that he was waiting for the right moment to reveal the change. But before he could find the answer, he was brought back to reality.

"Demons are the predators. You might not want to face them if you don't have the necessary strength. They are not only physically strong, but they also have a lot of mana. They aren't usually spotted on Floor Zero. And, like with prior things, it can only be found in the Heavenly Demon Guild or on the black market."

"Finally, you can enter the illicit market through that door." She said this while pointing her finger at the black curtain.

Peter had no doubts about her. He paused for a bit before asking, "Can I use mana coins as currency?"

"Yes, do you want to get into the black market now?" With a big smile on her face, the lady behind the desk inquired.

"Yes," Peter says as he leads Alice to the curtain.. Lady pushed a button near her desk at the same time, signaling her hand to move.