Song crossed the library's threshold, and darkness dissolved into light.
The first floor was a vast hall, its ceiling studded with glowing orbs.
They burned like captured stars, their radiance stinging his eyes.
Colored spots danced in his vision as he adjusted to the brilliance.
Shelves stretched endlessly, laden with scrolls that hummed with power.
The air carried the scent of aged parchment and polished wood.
A faint metallic tang lingered, like the breath of ancient energy.
Song's heart pounded—this was no ordinary place, no mere building.
A vault of secrets, holding the key to his future, his freedom.
He stepped forward, boots echoing on the polished wooden floor.
Each sound rippled through the hall, a challenge to its silence.
He lifted a bronze scroll case, its surface cool and smooth to the touch.
Focusing his perception, he read its inscription with bated breath:
Skill: Blazing Palm
Description: Strike with a fiery palm attack.
Level one: Inflicts severe internal burns.
Level two: Reduces foes to ash.
Level three: Annihilates a dozen enemies.
Restrictions: Easy to learn. No restrictions.
Rank: Bronze
The power stunned him, a spark igniting his imagination.
A bronze skill could destroy a squad in a single strike.
What could higher ranks—gold or diamond—unleash upon the world?
Song's mind raced, visions of power flooding his thoughts.
He replaced the scroll, reaching for Rill's gifted guide.
The beginner's scroll, studied under flickering lamplight for weeks.
Its pages held knowledge that fueled his burning ambition.
The guide listed the five skill ranks, each a step toward greatness:
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Diamond
Heavenly
Heavenly skills were rare, it warned, their power unmatched.
Their emergence could ignite wars across the White Cloud Continent.
Song's ambition burned, a fire no doubt could extinguish.
But realism tempered it—he was far from such lofty power.
A gold-rank scroll could still change his path, his destiny.
The first floor's bronze scrolls felt inadequate, beneath his goals.
He moved to the central staircase, a spiraling marvel of craftsmanship.
Carved railings depicted dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, vivid and alive.
The handrail, textured like snake skin, sent a chill through his palm.
The staircase pulsed with ancient energy, testing his resolve.
Song climbed, each step a declaration of his determination.
A presence swept over him, cold and scrutinizing, like a blade.
"Disciple, your cultivation is insufficient for higher scrolls."
"Do you wish to proceed?"
Song's jaw tightened, his voice steady despite his racing heart.
"Yes, I wish to."
He was betting everything on luck, refusing a bronze method's limits.
The third master's peak was not his destiny, not his end.
Higher floors promised more, and he would seize that chance.
He passed the second floor, its scrolls too common, too ordinary.
The third was dimmer, the air thinner, the light softer.
Each step upward felt heavier, the carvings watching him.
Their eyes glinted, silent judges of his ambition and will.
On the fourth floor, shelves held fewer scrolls—perhaps two thousand.
The hall was quieter, bathed in a softer, gentler glow.
Shadows pooled in corners, adding to the air of mystery.
Song scanned one scroll, his perception sharp and focused:
Skill: Wood Adaptation Technique
Description: Blend with the environment, becoming invisible.
Level one: Hides aura from peers.
Level two: Evades warriors one minor level above.
Level three: Hides from those one major level above.
Restrictions: Basic Earth Laws.
Rank: Peak Silver
Another caught his eye, its words promising power:
Method: Flowing Water Cultivation Method
Description: Open energy channels with water element.
Focus: Ki formation nodes, for glyph warriors.
Restrictions: Basic to intermediate Water Laws.
Note: Includes Water Law comprehension.
Rank: Early Gold
Song paced from shelf to shelf, probing each scroll with care.
None resonated, none matched the vision burning in his heart.
Two hours passed, frustration gnawing at his resolve.
These were early gold ranks—powerful, but not enough.
The first master's curse still loomed, a shadow on his spirit.
He glanced at the staircase, its spiral beckoning upward.
The fifth floor called, a faint promise of greater power.
The fifth floor was desolate, dim light casting long shadows.
Only a hundred scrolls rested on polished, pristine shelves.
The silence was heavy, broken only by his boots' faint creak.
Song's hope wavered—fewer scrolls meant slimmer chances.
He reached for a scroll, his fingers trembling with anticipation:
Skill: Flexible Sound Spear
Description: Create sound waves with a spear, destroying all.
Level one: Shatters stones.
Level two: Demolishes hills.
Level three: Levels cities.
Restrictions: Basic spear knowledge.
Rank: Gold
Song's heart sank, disappointment heavy in his chest.
Still not it.
Diamond ranks seemed beyond reach, hoarded by great clans.
Heavenly ranks were a dream he scarcely dared to entertain.
Yet defiance burned within, a fire refusing to fade.
He wouldn't leave this tower empty-handed, not after coming so far.
The air hummed, the tower itself seeming to watch, to wait.
In the Seven Martial Arts Pavilion, voices clashed in the second palace.
"What?! You gave your emblem to a servant, a former slave?"
Ruby's voice echoed, sharp with disbelief, drawing curious glances.
Nearby trainees paused, their eyes lingering on the scene.
Blu shrank back, her cheeks flushed under their stares.
"Shh! Ruby, keep it down!"
"Everyone's staring at us!"
Ruby crossed her arms, her tone quieter but no less incredulous.
"Not every day your friend gives an influence badge to a slave."
Blu sighed, her eyes distant, lost in a memory that stirred her.
"I don't know, Ruby. Something in me… tightened."
"Like when we brought those half-dead slaves back to the city."
"I had to help him. He's not a slave anymore."
Her voice was soft, yet firm, a quiet resolve shining through.
Ruby raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear.
"You'll have to explain that to the Head yourself."
"I'm not getting involved in this mess."
Blu straightened, her voice steady despite her racing thoughts.
"I'll say he helped me greatly. That should satisfy him."
Ruby smirked, turning toward the palace's exit.
"Sure, until he asks why you didn't just toss him merit points."
Her footsteps faded, leaving Blu alone in the bustling pavilion.
Swords clashed in the distance, their metallic ring echoing.
Voices murmured, a low hum of training and conversation.
Blu's choice weighed heavy, a spark of doubt igniting within.
Had she made a mistake, or was this the start of something greater?
The question hung in the air, unanswered, heavy with possibility.
She stood still, the weight of her decision pressing down.
Back in the library, Song stood on the fifth floor, the air thick.
The hum grew louder, almost alive, vibrating through the hall.
His fingers hovered over a scroll, its surface warm to the touch.
The tower's secrets seemed to pulse, just beyond his grasp.
Was this his destiny, the key to breaking the curse?
Or was it a cruel illusion, a trap set by the tower?
Song's heart raced, the hum intensifying, calling to him.