Tower of Endless: Death Granted Entry

The eyes stared at Moon, and he stared back...

’This day, this unending day, had been too weird...’ Moon lamented, for whatever he was seeing right now was probably not a good thing.

He was unsure if it would end, but he was sure he needed to reach the building by any means necessary, get there, and get this day over with.

Driven by the fear that new nonsense could extend his day further, he didn’t move a single step. Instead...

He tugged Uon’s arm. ”What is this?” he raised his chin, pointing at the pillar.

”What?” Uon, for a second, didn’t know what he was speaking of. ”Oh... that’s Mishu,” but he did identify it somehow still.

”Mishu?” Moon questioned. ”Is that a teacher?”

Uon burst into laughter. ”No, Mishu is not a teacher.”

’What’s a Mishu then?’

Helplessly, he started walking toward the pillar that was around 60 steps away.

At 30 steps away, they could see what Mishu was. ’What the hell am I looking at even?’

But now that he got a closer look, he couldn’t help it.

”That Mishu, I have no idea what it is, but it’s...” Moon wanted to speak, but Uon cut him off.

”Too damn cute, the cutest ever...” he raised both hands enthusiastically, getting his face closer to Moon. ”Right... right?”

Moon ignored him, still unable to take his eyes off what he was seeing.

A creature so orange, long hair fluttering with the air, green eyes, ears pointy over its head, so small it could fit in his arms.

”What is that?” His voice laced with excessive interest.

”This is,” Uon pointed forward, ”a cat.”

”A car?”

”No no, a cat. An orange cat.”

”What does it do?”

”Nothing, cats don’t do anything.” He paused before adding, ”They eat and chill.”

”Just that?”

”Yes, that’s about everything.”

”What are cats anyway?”

”Oh, you never saw a cat before?”

”Pretty much.”

”They don’t exist on the first floor?”

Moon shook his head.

”Oh, cats are... not sure where they came from, but there aren’t that many of them in the tower. No one knows where Mishu came from, but Teacher Samuel said he’s been here even before this facility was built.”

Moon’s mind raced. ’Been here since when?’

He remembered what Uon said.

’In the last couple centuries.’

This little hairball is centuries old?

’Would I live that long?’ he asked himself.

He, for some reason, had a strong urge to touch the orange soft fur. And since it only eats and chills, this should be fine. ’I can even kidnap him and keep him with me.’ A plan started taking shape in his head

And thus—

He started walking toward the cat chilling alone at night. Uon’s eyes held the same enthusiasm for some reason, but Moon was oblivious to that.

25 steps

20 steps

15 steps

10 steps

Ding

Fate Alert

30% → 35%

Moon’s eyes darted left and right.

’What was that?’ he looked down, then looked up. He checked behind him.

There was nothing.

So—

He took another step forward.

Ding

Fate Alert

35% → 40%

”Erm...” he stopped entirely in his tracks.

’Was it...’

He took another step.

Ding

40% → 50%

He started sweating heavily.

Pa dum

Pa dum

Pa dum

He gritted his teeth and took another step.

Ding

50% → 70%

’Ah, my miserable life,’ he lamented inwardly before his eyes fell on Mishu again.

The cat was still relaxing, but one paw was flexing.

A lone claw, glaring threateningly, retracting back and forth, rhythmically tapping the pillar.

He looked at the eyes, and they looked back.

It was the same look, but for some reason, they felt more threatening than ever.

’It can’t be.’

Moon tested, taking a step backwards.

Instantly, Fate Alert responded.

70% → 50%

His face fell.

’This little fur ball is more threatening than the female banshee?’ His mind couldn’t comprehend this... the fact that the highest Rowa could get was 66%.

66% was when he wanted to risk his life and attack her, which might have resulted in his death instantly by a single reflex, but this small, cute cat...

’No, no, no!’ Moon lamented, ’This is wrong!’

’I won’t accept this, I can’t!’

He turned around to Uon. ”Hey, big brother, has there ever been cases where Mishu attacked students here?”

”Oh, Mishu can pack a punch. Just be nice and you’ll be fine... He doesn’t like it when others touch him. Last to do it was slapped badly,” Uon explained in a serious tone, more than ever.

’You oaf, what were you waiting for?’ Moon thought.

Moon now felt that this guy was either unreliable or lacked some common sense.

”If you want to get close, it is fine, but don’t ever think of touching him. Cats cannot be touched,” Uon warned.

’About fucking time, you slow bastard, I almost died,’ he scolded inwardly.

”Let’s go sleep,” he spoke, defeated, returning to the center of the path...

It was now time to get back moving toward the building.

Uon nodded and joined him, guiding again.

As they approached, Uon started explaining.

”The building has 4 great halls, each belonging to a teacher, though we don’t always have four teachers present,” he took a breath before detailing further.

”Each hall has 2 rooms for the assistants of each teacher, so you and I will be in the assistants’ rooms of Teacher Samuel.”

’So we really are going to be neighbours?’ he thought, feeling that the joke was coming into reality somehow.

They walked toward the entrance labelled with [Hall 1].

”This is the place where you—

”Oh... Here it is!”