"Well, that wasn't too bad," Alonso said, grinning as the wave training session ended, Overdrive lowering from 36% to his current resting state at 7%.

"There is improvement," Houston replied, "but just a reminder: after some training myself, I can already stack 73 waves together, reaching 43% of the pulse Siddharth used as our reference. You, however, even after over five days of training here, are still at only 32% of that limit. So, you haven't even matched where you'd be if you'd stuck with the scientific approach… not that I'm complaining. Just don't get your hopes too high. That's all."

Houston's tone was getting nerdier by the day.

Alonso shook his head and splashed some water over himself to cool off. Maintaining Overdrive at 36% was taxing, and now that he'd held it for nearly half an hour straight, his body felt it. But as for progress with the waves, he was content. Every session brought a clearer understanding, slow but steady progress. He hadn't hit a wall yet, and that was what mattered.

He'd learned the importance of not forcing it—an error he'd made in the early sessions. Now, he was learning to guide it, subtly weaving a bigger thread from smaller strands. He was getting a feel for the flow… or at least getting there.

The gap between him and Siddharth was stark, a reminder of how far he had to go.

He sat down on the chair, leaning back to rest before heading to the table for his sixth meal in the past 20 hours.

It was almost alarming how much food he consumed. If he were on Earth, training like this, the grocery bill would be sky-high! And how would he pay for it on his miserly PhD stipend? Well, surely if he returned after climbing The Tower, such mundane problems wouldn't matter… right? But other issues would emerge, like—

"Like you becoming a god in real life? Yeah, I could see that happening if you reach Stage 2 or whatever the Tower's limit is. But hey, stay grounded. We're nowhere near that, so let's focus on what's in front of us," Houston chimed in.

"So how's the wave-matching going, Dr. Houston?" Alonso asked with a wicked smile.

"Heh, easy for you to joke about it when I'm the one doing all the work," Houston scoffed. "But… there's been improvement. I can match your waves at a 40% constructive interference rate, which puts our current maximum output at 32% plus 40% of 36%—so 46.4%. So yeah, not even 50% after combining two minds and five days of intense training. Makes me think either we're idiots or Siddharth was a freak of nature at this."

"Or both," Alonso laughed, but his expression quickly shifted as he looked at the wall.

The numbers had changed.

2/7

His face tensed, and he grabbed his sword, but not before quickly biting into a thick cut of grilled mutton, savoring its warmth as he kept his eyes on the counter… which continued ticking upward.

3/7, 4/7… 7/7, and then the divider disappeared and it changed to 8, then 9… climbing steadily.

But that wasn't all. He noticed the main counter above beginning to count down.

6:23:59:59

He froze, stunned for a moment, before swallowing his last bite.

"Oh, so we have plenty of time, then," he said with a slight grin, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Took you guys long enough."

The counter at the bottom stopped.

46

Chiara stood at the base of the white stairs at the end of the tunnel. She was the last one. Everyone else had already gone through and disappeared, likely with no way back… not that they'd want one.

She gripped her sword tightly and stepped forward.

As she reached the top and took the final step, the surroundings shifted smoothly. She was no longer in the tunnel but a pristine white room.

Out of habit, she glanced back—and as expected, the stairs were gone.

Her gaze focused on the wall before her.

6:23:58:23

46

The first seemed to be a countdown. For the next stage to start? The second likely indicated the number of people who had reached this point. That would make the 44 who came with her on the expedition, and… Alonso.

This setup was unexpected. She'd been prepared for a direct transition to the next stage or trial or island, unsure if it would be an individual challenge like the first or an open challenge like the last one.

The wall in front of her answered part of that question. They'd all begin at the same time, seven days from now. But would they start from the same place? Would there be a specific objective this time? What trials lay ahead?

She didn't fear a scenario where they'd be pitted against some external challenge, working cooperatively. But if this was one where they'd be forced to turn on each other…

Could she do what had to be done?

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

September 19, 2024 - Melbourne, Australia

"One month remains until the Second Ascent," Elena Morales' voice rang through the VR system. "October 18th, 3:32 UTC. This isn't just another challenge. This is our future. To all of you preparing, understand this: you are the hope, the strength, and the will of humanity."

Jack smirked. Hope, strength, and will, he thought. Coming from a woman who's never climbed more than a flight of stairs.

Elena's voice softened, though it held a fierce undertone. "This ascent isn't for individual gain alone. It's a testament to our resilience. Each of you represents the courage to face the unknown. You will not only be climbers—you will be heroes."

Heroes? Jack scoffed internally. Tell that to someone who actually faced The Tower, not some politician at a podium.

Elena's voice rose with intensity. "Yes, there will be challenges, but with them come fame, honor, and a lasting legacy. You are the guardians of humanity, its chosen champions."

Right. Go suffer for us. We'll shower you with praise while we stay comfortable on the sidelines.

Elena's gaze swept the room, her tone softening again. "This isn't just a climb. It's the future—the promise that humanity will endure."

Humanity? You speak that word so casually… who gave you the right to represent us?

"And on October 18th," she concluded, "the world will be—"

Jack turned off the VR system. What a bunch of crap.

If you really want to motivate people, show a climber who actually reached the Oasis. Show one of the less than a hundred who ever made it that far—a hundred out of a million, persevering trial after trial. Facing abominations that'd make you shit your pants from a mile away.

He shook his head.

Politicians being politicians.

Alonso observed the counter on the wall as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

0:00:01:32

Less than two minutes until the challenge began. He had no idea what it would be. A cooperative event? Every climber for themselves? An individual trial? A tournament?

He had no clue.

Over twelve days spent in this waiting room—four times the duration he'd endured in the Oasis—and yet time had flown by.

But now… he was prepared. Not at the peak of his potential, but he was far from the man who'd entered. Both he and Houston were.

"Hey, got a surprise for you," Houston's voice came through, proud and even a little excited.

"Oh, sounds like something good. What, did you manage to increase the merging rate?" Alonso asked.

"Nah, that'll take more practice. Do you remember the status screen? The one I told you was garbage after we split?"

"Ehhh… yes?" Alonso replied, eyebrows raised.

"Well, I remade it. Better, simpler, and I dare say, virtually impossible for anyone to detect," Houston said, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Alonso didn't know what to say. Was this really a good surprise? Well, Houston had his quirks. Not that he didn't like the idea of a status screen, but, in retrospect, it seemed… childish. And potentially problematic if anyone else discovered it.

"What problem? Speak for yourself," Houston chuckled. "There are so many layers of fake data and traps in there, anyone trying to access it will be in for quite the surprise."

Houston's voice held a note of excitement. "Well, no more buildup. Behold—the Status Screen!"

Status Screen (Designed by Houston)

Stage 1 - 3.095%

Wave control

Alonso's

'Flow?'

:

0.49 SU

Houston's Scientific Path:

0.50 SU

Merging Rate (Average):

56%

Max Output (Average):

0.78 SU

Magnetization Efficiency:

42%

Magnetization Max Output (Average):

0.33 SU

Overdrive

Phase 1 - Resting Stage:

10%

Phase 1 - Decoupling Threshold:

40%

Phase 1 - Max (Emergency Only!):

60%

Phase 2 -

Pattern recognition improved

Phase 3 -

Fixed bugs in muscle memory transmission efficiency

Physical Combat

Swordsmanship:

0.68 SU

Footwork:

0.52 SU

Sling:

(404)

"What, speechless?" Houston quipped smugly. "Now, my dear Alonso, this is a status screen, not that qualitative garbage with long-winded descriptions you had before."

Alonso couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Touché," he said. "So, I guess SU is… Siddharth Units? Where's the respect, Houston? And, wait, how do you even quantify swordsmanship? Where did these numbers come from?"

"Who do you think carries Phase 2?" Houston replied, smug as ever.

"That's not even… okay, I'm not diving into that. And did you actually work on improving Phase 2 and 3? 'Fixed bugs' and 'fixed bugs,'" Alonso laughed, shaking his head. "And the '404'—nice touch. Maybe someone picked it up."

"Well, glad you appreciated it," Houston's tone shifted. "Anyway, get ready."

0:00:00:03

Alonso's smile faded as he stood up, eyes fixed on the countdown. He got into position, ready for whatever was coming. Even if it threw him straight into the thick of combat… he would be prepared.

0:00:00:01

0:00:00:00

And everything changed.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.