Tower Climber (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 1) Jakob Tanner (reading comprehension books TXT) 📖

looking for a special type of elemental stone, one infused with light magic?”

“Exquisite taste,” said the man. “I can sell you such a stone for 800 gold coins.”

Max’s shoulders slumped. This market was sending him on an emotional roller coaster. One minute he was richer than he ever had been before, the next, he still couldn’t afford anything he wanted.

“Ah,” said the man. “Out of your price range, I see. Well, we sell more than magically infused stones.”

The man bent down and grabbed a new item to show Max.

It was the last thing he was expecting to see in a place that looked like a jewelry shop.

It was a cardboard box with six loose grenades inside.

“These grenades have light-infused magic in them,” said the man. “I can sell you all six for, hmm, how does two gold sound?”

“That’s a lot cheaper than the stone,” said Max.

“Quite,” said the man. “But the stone is a priceless artifact that can be used an infinite amount of times whereas this is a mere six chances.”

“You’re right,” said Max. “I’ll buy them for one gold.”

“Then you can go somewhere else,” said the man. “And if you leave here and come back, the price will be double.”

Max sighed. Two gold actually wasn’t that much in the scheme of things considering how much he now had.

“Deal,” he said.

They exchanged the goods and Max thanked the man and then left the shop.

He then purchased a few more items of less value from the market: a basic knife and compass.

After those purchases, he started to head home.

He had everything he needed now to enact his plan.

The next day Max woke up bright and early and headed straight for the climber’s guild.

He was one of the first to arrive, passing through the gates and clearance, making his way to the tower.

“Happy training,” said the final clerk.

Max smiled and continued on his way, striding forward. He was determined more than ever. Today he was going to hit E-rank. He just knew it in his heart.

He walked through the shadowy entrance of the tower, passed the fountain where people unlocked their profile, and headed for the teleporter.

He stood in the bright illumination of the teleporter and thought to himself.

Ascend to the next floor.

Ten minutes after Max had passed through the final checkpoint, a group of five men materialized at the endless forest’s departure teleporter.

They had arrived from many floors higher up in the tower.

The five of them all wore red bomber jackets and aviator sunglasses.

One of the defense climbers stationed in front of the teleporter pretended he didn’t recognize the five men, but they could all tell he knew who they were.

The Reckless Brothers.

They were five mercenary rogue climbers originally from Zestiris who’d been wanted by the authorities for years.

The men ignored the two defense climbers upon their arrival.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a floor so close to the bottom,” said one of them. “Ain’t that right, big bro?”

“Correct,” said the oldest of the five men and the clear leader of the group.

The man’s name was Eli.

“This should be a piece of cake then,” said Eli’s younger brother.

“Just remember what we’re here to do,” said Eli. “The boss said to remove the kid by any means necessary.”

A few of them chuckled.

“In the confines of this floor,” said one of them. “That should be easy.”

Then one of the brothers turned to the defense climbers. “What about these two? They might alert others.”

“Agreed,” said Eli. “Do as you wish.”

The two defense climbers were dead within seconds. One died in flames while another was ripped in half by a large pointed stone jutting out of the ground.

“First stop is the arrival teleporter,” said Eli. “Let’s roll.”

They found another pair of defense climbers at the arrival teleporter.

“All done for the day?” greeted one of the defense climbers. He had a big nose this kid. His partner had freckles.

Eli took in their metal pin badges. Copper with a big fat E etched into it. They were E-rankers, probably newly graduated defense climbers. Weaklings as far as Eli was concerned.

“Did a red-headed kid come through here just now?” asked Eli. “You see which way he went?”

Big Nose gulped. “It’s against protocol to answer that. Do you have any reason for needing to know which way he went?”

“Yeah,” said Eli. “He’s in trouble. We’ve been sent to help him.”

“Do you have an authorized letter of some kind,” said Freckles.

Eli smiled and looked to his brothers.

“Do you know who we are?”

Both Freckles and Big Nose shook their heads.

“Maybe you don’t know us by our faces,” said Eli. “But you probably know us by name. Does the name The Reckless Brothers mean anything to you?”

Both Big Nose and Freckles instantly went pale.

The Reckless Brothers were infamous.

They were wanted across multiple floors by different powerful groups.

Four of them were D-rank while the oldest brother, Eli, was C-rank.

“Sorry,” said Big Nose. “You’ll need to get authorization still...”

Eli’s brother Kendrick snapped his fingers and Big Nose’s colleague Frederick was suddenly covered in flames.

Freckles screamed as he was burning alive.

Soon enough, Freckles was a dead crisp on the ground.

“Is that enough authorization to tell us now?” asked Eli.

Big Nose shivered and trembled. Snot leaked out of his large nostrils. He lifted up his hand and pointed north.

Huh? thought Eli. There was nothing but dead space up that way. No one went that way in the endless forest.

“You promise me you’re telling the truth?” said Eli.

The shivering defense climber nodded his head.

“Because you know we’ll kill you like your friend, Freckles, here if it turns out you’ve been lying.”

The defense climber nodded.

“I’m not lying,” he said.

“Good, I believe you,” smiled Eli.

He then turned to his brother, Kendrick, and gave him the go ahead.

Just like he had done before, Kendrick wielded his firebringer trait and set Big Nose aflame.

“Well, I’m sure this will galvanize a whole new realm of bounty hunters coming after us,” said Patrick, the middle Reckless brother.

The boy screamed as the flames blackened and roasted