All-in-One System: All I Need is Erotic Coins

Chapter 243  Returning to the Skyfall Tower

The prospect of exploring the Skyfall Tower once again filled Damian with anxiety. He couldn't forget what had happened last time: Radagak's betrayal and his ominous words about being only the first to come for Damian's blood.

What did it all mean? Damian still wasn't certain, but he knew his blood was that of a giant. Could there be a connection? Moreover, there was something else. During his previous visit to the Skyfall Tower, he had encountered a spirit in the underwater city, the boss of that particular level. Damian had felt a deep connection with the spirit, which had gifted him an egg that he kept inside his Spatial Ring.

Back then, Damian hadn't understood the significance of the connection, but now it was clear. The creature resembled a gigantic snake, indicating that it belonged to a sub-race of giants, much like the petrified snake within the temple's secret chamber, to which Damian also felt a connection.

Checking the egg in his Spatial Ring, Damian observed that it had yet to show any signs of nearing hatching, although it appeared vibrant. Similarly, Hymot, the dragon that had fused with him, had yet to recover and provide any indications. Nevertheless, Damian knew both Hymot and the egg were alive, so all he could do was wait.

Meanwhile, Frederic, Raikono, and Aurora went about their own tasks. Frederic and Raikono returned to their shop, while Aurora prepared for the Skyfall Tower exploration. It was always wise to gather necessary items before venturing there.

Damian remained in his shop for a while, exploring his system and using his hard-earned Erotic Coins to purchase the rings. He bought five of them, ensuring communication between the teams and himself as the leader of the organization. With only a few coins remaining, Damian decided against using them to enhance his attributes, as they were too costly. Instead, he sought alternative methods to improve himself without relying solely on Erotic Coins.

The blood absorption technique he had been using was one such method, although he couldn't deny that it was affecting his mindset.

"But what if I embrace a bit of devilishness? The power might be worth playing the villain," Damian pondered.

Once he had collected all the rings, Damian closed his shop and returned to the temple. There, he handed one ring each to Aurora, Magnus, Vanessa, and Natasha—those in higher positions within Dawn. One ring remained, intended for Hazel, so Damian entrusted it to Vanessa for future delivery.

Since Frederic already had a ring, he didn't require an additional one. They all reconvened in the hall, this time with Damian present.

"Shall we begin recruiting more members then? I'll leave this task to Vanessa and the others. Look for talented individuals who could be valuable assets. Ideally, focus on recruiting individuals native to the dungeon," Damian instructed.

His decision puzzled the others, but the reasoning behind it was straightforward. Damian had realized by that point that the government had concealed the truth about the dungeon and the serum for nearly a century. There had been superhumans in the past, thousands of years ago when the giants still roamed the Earth. Yet, for some reason, humanity had lost that knowledge.

Damian sought answers. He wanted to hire individuals native to the dungeon, not the controlled pawns from Earth. Times had changed, and he needed to adapt to his new reality within the dungeon. Returning to Earth was now impossible, so why not engage with the human population residing in the dungeon? Damian was certain they held more answers and could potentially unlock further insights into the dungeon itself.

After aligning everyone with their ideas and forming the teams, Damian retired to his room for some much-needed rest. He had been deprived of decent sleep, especially after spending the entire night cleaning his shop. Eager to recharge, he jumped onto his soft bed and slept for several hours.

The next day, Lemoria was abuzz with excitement, and conversations revolved around the Skyfall Tower. There was a portal not far from the city, under the control of Lemoria's authorities. Damian possessed the ring he had acquired during his previous venture into the tower, and when the portals opened, his ring glowed, granting him the ability to teleport to the tower if he desired.

All the members of Dawn gathered at the portal near the city. Since it would be their first time entering the tower, none of them possessed a ring like Damian's. They would have to progress through the first floor to obtain one.

"Alright, everyone," Damian called out, beckoning the others to gather around him.

Uncertain if the tower's levels had changed since his last visit, but assuming they hadn't, Damian proceeded to explain the levels he had explored and how the tower itself functioned. While it may have seemed like cheating, he knew that others sold information about the higher floors as well. Damian intended to explore the rest on his own, but the first few floors held little significance.

Attentively, the members listened to Damian's explanation, and when he finished, they stepped through the portal. Damian, however, utilized his ring to teleport directly to the tower, instantly appearing in the resting room on the second floor.

Having already cleaned the first two floors during his previous visit, Damian's first action upon arrival was to inspect the leaderboard carved on the wall of each level.

<Rank 1: <CleanShot> <Twenty-Eighth Floor> <Clearing Speed: 02:56:00>

The top-ranked person had already reached the 28th floor. While there were others who had cleared the first floor, the discrepancy in their clear speeds accounted for the ranking differences.

Looking around, Damian noticed a significant increase in the number of people on the second floor compared to his previous visit. The Skyfall Tower was no longer a ty; more and more people had become aware of it and even made regular visits.

Curious to learn more about the tower and its mechanics, Damian approached different individuals and asked questions. One burly man shared an intriguing piece of information: while death was possible within the tower, once a level was cleared for the first time, subsequent attempts could be made without the risk of dying. It was as if a spiritual copy of the person, rather than their physical body, was sent into the tower.

This revelation amazed Damian, realizing that the tower offered a unique opportunity for training and practice in challenging battles without the fear of permanent consequences. It was a perfect environment for honing one's skills and creating stronger soldiers. The sheer brilliance of this feature made Damian marvel at the tower's creator, who seemingly possessed divine-like abilities.

With this newfound understanding, Damian made a promise to himself. He resolved to enter the tower every time it opened, regardless of whether he had gained enough strength to progress to the next floor. The opportunity for continuous practice on the lower floors without much risk was too valuable to pass up. Even if external circumstances occasionally prevented his entry, Damian was determined to make the most of each available opportunity.

Chuckling to himself, Damian coined a nickname for the tower. "This place should be called Speedrunner Tower! People are grinding for better clear speeds to earn greater rewards from the tower," he remarked, amused by the analogy to the popular gaming practice of speedrunning.

With a sense of determination, Damian decided not to linger in the hall and proceeded towards the staircase that led to the next floor of the tower. As he ascended, he felt a faint pressure exerted on his body. This pressure served a purpose: to prevent those who lacked the power from venturing into floors they were ill-prepared for, ultimately safeguarding them from unnecessary harm. While some individuals struggled under the weight of this pressure, Damian found it to be almost negligible, as if taking a leisurely walk in the park.

Curiosity and speculation swirled among the onlookers who observed Damian effortlessly ascending the staircase. Whispers and gossip filled the air as they tried to uncover his identity, assuming he must be a notable figure finally testing the tower. Unperturbed by the chatter, Damian paid no attention to their inquiries and continued his ascent, soon arriving at the next level.

Upon entering the new level through a portal, Damian found himself surrounded by a swamp. Taking a moment to assess his surroundings, he scanned for any signs of other individuals. The levels of the Skyfall Tower were known to operate in mysterious ways. Sometimes, one would be alone in a level, while in other instances, they would be accompanied by a group. However, it was most common for individuals to find themselves in a vast shared space, where chance encounters and battles with other challengers were not uncommon. Damian prepared himself for the possibilities that lay ahead, ready to face whatever awaited him in the swampy expanse.

Gladly, there was no one else around, but he was certain a place like that held many dangerous! But to get the answers he wanted, Damian would have to surpass any challenge!