Chapter Twenty-Four - Resident

We entered the tower. We are finally inside the Tower of Stars. I’m excited and scared. A jumble of emotions. I don’t know why I was expecting a lobby instead of some spacious room with stairs leading up, but we didn’t get either one of those. Are we even inside the Tower of Stars? We are in a jungle. In the middle of the night. The damp ground and muddy floor and trees fill my head with rainy memories.

[Guardian of the Forest Tail Unequipped - One Week until Reuse of Tail]

Huh? What happened?

[Immense Magic Usage, Synchronization, and Exhaustion of Ley Lines]

“Hmm, so now I have some sort of mana resource bar? This did not happen with my eel or slug tail despite using their natural properties. I can’t use the tail for a long time. Is it because Olive also tapped her magic into it? Did the two magic systems combine and create an apparition? Does that make sense?” I ask myself unsolvable questions.

“Yes.” Seiko said.

Maybe they are solvable.

“Your transformation is blocking you from accessing the fox tail because of a flux of magic. Combinations of magic are extremely rare to pull off and require the ley lines to reconfigure to allow such an event to happen again.” Seiko added.

“So what happened Olive?”

I turned to Olive who had sheathed her sword. Her long sleeve sweater was inches from reaching the jungle water. I wasn’t sure if we were actually in a swamp now. Hopefully there were no ogres.

“The Guardian of the Forest talked to me, it told me that you two were not enemies and that I would find lost answers here.”

“Same here, to an extent.” Seiko said, raising her hand.

Interesting, that’s not what I heard.

“So basically, we are destined to be here?”

“Yes. It’s late, but I apologize for attacking you two out of the blue. I tend to be hot-headed.”

“Hey, no worries! We all learn something new everyday. And mistakes just mean that we are willing to improve ourselves. Plus, I had fun fighting against you, Olive.”

My sparring sessions with Seiko brought out more of my latent ability as I improved in what I lacked. I would have been an intermediate fighter back on Earth, but now I am definitely in the advanced stage. It helps that I have the lizard physiology in which it amplifies my strengths by numbers. I can’t do too much math, but it is more than double.

I look around and see nothing. Just darkness and jungle trees. This might as well be a walk of courage like they do in Japan. Now I’m just expecting a ghost or ghoul to pop out.

“Ok, now it gets super dangerous, right? So whatever we do, let’s not take our eyes off each other.” I said, hiding my fear. I felt like a leader. After all, I’m older than these girls.

“[Green Leaf Magic - Armor].” Olive is able to scrap some of the limited leaves from the area to make a chainmail around her and us. Cool, it’s like knight armor. And it’s super light!

So now that we are inside a climbing structure to the fifth floor, there were supposed to be trials or battles. But how many? Is it vague because it’s different for each? Either way, I want to rub mud on myself to hide from potential infrared vision hunters.

Suddenly, Seiko began glowing. A beautiful type of glow like neon. Sort of like Olive’s purple sword magic or a neon sign in Tokyo. I was hoping to stay hidden longer, but this type of light was hard to request for someone to turn off. At the same time, I don’t think she had control of when she decided to start glowing. Like it is part of her natural body effects.

Olive is the first to notice something or someone up ahead, then Seiko. Me, I have trouble still adjusting to the dark. I see nothing but the usual darkness and jungle. Both girls approach the figure with their weapons drawn.

“Longshot?”

“Ah, is that you Olive?”

Both of my party members then lower their weapons. I catch up and see someone resting on the base of the tree trunk, their body half-submerged into the muddy ground and water.

Olive’s acquaintance was a humanoid in which I could only describe as aquatic. I got a mix of seagull or pelican from him. Perhaps it was the dampness of the place, but its beak was longer and bigger than most birds that I knew back on Earth. He covered himself in a cape almost like Seiko, but this one was rugged and torn with multiple holes ripped into it.

“Oh friends, Gabriela and Seiko! This is Longshot, one of my teachers from Canata, my village!” She proudly presented the birdman.

Longshot nodded, “Eh, I was just passing through, I wouldn’t consider myself a citizen of Canata. Moving on. How do you do, ladies?”

Longshot appeared injured as I could see it was missing a wing-arm, there was a certain exhaustion in his voice as if he was tired from being constantly active. But despite the grogginess, he was happy to be talking to us.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Kinda had a long day. Looking for a place to rest or take shelter inside the tower if possible. Is this the tower?” I asked.

“Yes, this is the tower. There should be some leftover huts left behind by those that came before.” Longshot said.

“Well, I know you’re tired and all but let’s get you out of these muddy waters, your feathers are water-proof, but still.” Olive suggested.

“Sure, sure I agree. But I lost my compass somewhere in those puddles.” Longshot pointed to an area circling his feather in the air.

“Papaya! I’ll get it for you teacher.” Olive saluted and made big steps over the water towards the picked area.

The birdman reached back into its cape and raised an object. I could not recognize what it was, but I could tell what it could do. I jumped and pushed Olive out of the way and I heard the shot. I could no longer feel my left arm. Blood gushed out sporadically. I could not help but keep my eyes on Longshot despite Olive getting out of my peripheral vision.

The place began to glow not just from Seiko, but other bioluminescent aerial and aquatic creatures. I could see the enemy’s weapon a lot more clearly. It was a machine in the shape of a cannon with multiple cogs and gears. Its mechanisms shifted as it was constructing itself into a rifle, seemingly copying Seiko’s weapon as she retaliated against the enemy.

Multiple shots were fired lighting the jungle up again in a second form of artificial light. Both marksman combatants retreated to gain cover and a better long form fighting position. I attempted to push myself off the ground and saw Olive’s gleeful facial expression turn to shock.

Another shot fired and hit Olive’s chest piece as she was knocked into the muddy pond. She gasped for air as the green armor fell apart and the leaves rotted away.

“What’s wrong Olive, don’t you want to claim victory against me?” Longshot taunted.