Tower of Endless: Death Granted Entry

The conversation didn’t end briefly or soon. The two of them, Moon and Ed, spoke until the sky brightened and the day shone upon them.

By the time Ed was done, Moon headed back to Hall 1. He needed time to think about everything. There was still too much to digest... too much to process.

Previously, he had still been reeling from the fit of madness that had suddenly erupted within him.

”Are you trying to gather talents to build an army and defy them?” Moon asked calmly. It was the only logical answer he could come up with for what they were trying to do.

”Hah, army?” Ed exclaimed unexpectedly, starting to laugh hysterically until his eyes teared up.

Moon wasn’t sure how to react. He watched Ed wipe his tears with his finger. ”That was a good one,” Ed said, still laughing. ”What can a little brat like you help us with?”

Finally calming down, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, still smiling. ”Do you even know how much it would take for you to become useful and achieve that defiance you speak of?”

Confusion took over Moon’s face. He wasn’t able to understand. ”But why?”

Ed pursed his lips. ”Let’s just say we are poor bastards who refused to believe that, in this damn Tower, we were the only ones who desired to be free. To climb, to see the top, to dream.” Ed paused. ”It can’t be just us, right?”

Moon, for the first time, felt it. He might not truly be much different from Ed. Maybe it was all the same.

Trapped somewhere, unable to leave, unable to move.

Am I the only one here? He had asked himself that countless times, and he... he hated to be alone.

”What do you need me to do? I want only that thing sealed,” Moon spoke straightforwardly, taking another spoonful.

”Do you have an Ascension Gift?” Ed asked, his intentions unclear.

Moon nodded. ”I do, but the window says unidentified.”

Ed nodded. ”You just didn’t activate it yet, you’ll find it soon enough...” He paused before adding, ”Do you know how I would split your Echo?”

Shaking his head, Moon waited.

”I also have an Ascension Gift. It’s called [Perfect Line],” Ed continued. He hesitated for a moment. ”It’s fine, let’s say we trust one another... my gift allows me to see a line where things could be split perfectly.”

Moon’s eyes opened wide. ”Anything?” he exclaimed.

Ed nodded. ”Anything.”

”How can you even be defeated?” Moon asked in genuine awe. He could split people, Echo, weapons... Moon perfectly understood that it was something overwhelmingly powerful for a person to be able to do.

”Some items can reach perfection, some people are stronger than—no, they just climbed higher... so,” Ed said, seemingly embarrassed as he scratched his cheek.

Moon listened, now eager to find his own. ”Erm, does everyone have these... gifts?”

”Of course not, only very few.” Ed shook his head dismissively. ”This is rare, very rare. Even within awakened gifts, few are useful... many of the gifts are useless or not practical to use. Some are also only useful after training for centuries.”

Moon’s throat went dry. He filled a cup and took a sip. This was not free food. Just having the gift didn’t mean instantly becoming undefeatable.

Cutting through his thoughts, Ed pointed with a finger, aiming at the blade by Moon’s side. ”Of the perfect items I’ve seen, only very few times is it that.”

”This, if truly your first floor gift, you may as well be this era’s darling child.” There were complicated feelings in his voice.

It was rare for someone to get a decent item on the first floor, and those who were considered the best performers only got something near perfection, regardless of grade. The items of the first trial were not very useful after passing a few floors, maybe until the 10th floor if they were exceptional. As for the rich kids, they all moved around with expensive items they didn’t receive or fight for.

But Moon didn’t have the slightest clue about the nature of Tower rewards. He was cut off from the system, but he couldn’t say it.

The words Samuel had spoken a while ago, just yesterday, still rang in his head.

Outer.

He didn’t know what Outers were yet, and he didn’t want to ask now either. But he didn’t want to take the risk. Exposing the crimson window—which might very well belong to one of these Outers he spoke of—was suicide. He couldn’t afford their reaction, nor could he allow himself to lose the support he was being given now.

Moon didn’t want to trick them, but... they already knew too much about him. He was already dancing on the edge of a blade for a few days, and he had ended up being a fool and exposing more than he should.

He still needed them. Only when the time came when he didn’t need them, he might tell them the truth, for at that time he wouldn’t be afraid.

As for the ’darling of an era,’ he didn’t know what that meant, nor did his mind have the capacity to think about it.

Ed wasn’t bothered by his darting eyes. ”Back to the topic,” he said dismissively. ”I’ll give you everything you need—either to fight, to learn, or to live as an independent person.”

Moon’s eyes brightened at these words. He felt his heart dancing.

”I still cannot give you backing, but I can give you a foothold.” Ed’s index and middle fingers started moving like legs, walking slowly across the counter. ”A foothold strong enough that you can hold your own weight.”

Moon didn’t answer, nor did he move. He was listening attentively, more than attentively. This was maybe everything he desired.

”But first, what’s the name of that blade?” Ed asked. ”It’s a named weapon, it must be,” he said with certainty.

Moon smiled. ”Liquid Mountain,” he said, with an evident hint of pride in his voice.

Ed smiled as well. ”A very beautiful and befitting name,” he nodded, seemingly satisfied. The older man seemed to have a thing for weapons, but he didn’t linger.

Ed spoke firmly, ”For now, what I want from you is—”

Now, in his room, Moon was waiting.

Ed didn’t demand anything from him, nor did he ask for his loyalty. He only asked him to climb the Tower. And he told him that he could only be useful after the 50th floor; before that, he was just a little kid playing around.

As for what he needed to do in exchange for splitting his Echo, Ed didn’t say. He just told him to wait. He would know soon enough, very soon. Once every new Ascender in the Southern Branch arrived, that would be the time he found out everything he needed to do.

So, Moon closed the curtains, blocking the bright golden light of the second floor from getting into his room. He took off his shoes, laid Liquid Mountain on his bed, and lay down himself.

He closed his eyes. It was a wild day, and a very long one for such a short span of hours... starting with Mishu, the newcomers, and his uncontrollable behavior.

And that old man.

”You’re not a poor bastard. You’re a very cool bastard,” Moon muttered, before finally, his mind drifted into the realm of dreams, allowing him to sleep.