It turns out that the cult's base was in a closed and secluded place, far from any town. When we first came out of the cave tunnel, I looked up into the blue sky.
The Dungeon Tower's floors are like that. Each is the size of a continent, and some are even the size of an entire planet. It doesn't feel like being in a Dungeon at all as you could still see the sky...well, in some places.
We walked away as fast as we could from the area, passing the small forest that surrounded it until we saw a well-passed road, and started to walk away. We saw none of the ritualist cult or any Government or Tower Guard, and that put Litha in a good mood.
She explained some things about geography as we walked. On almost every floor, there's always a town where Climbers are concentrated, almost like a capital, and then other smaller towns spread around.
I listened because I was the only one lacking information like this. Everyone else had passed through floor 103 where lessons like this are given.
The central town for floor 102 is called Novice Town, and that's where we had been when they got kidnapped. Litha told me how they got kidnapped after glaring at Temur. "He wanted to help a little girl, one of the rich folks who are here on the beginner's floor as a tourist. We followed her to a house she pointed us to, and that's the last thing we remembered."
Temur grumbled to himself and quickly pointed at Mopi. "What about you? How did you get kidnapped?"
"Me? Well... hahaha... I hum... I was just walking in the registration area after getting registered. Yes! And then I was suddenly hit from behind." Mopi smiled.
Litha looked at him expressionless. "They must be getting bold or desperate to do that."
"Look! It's a cab." Temur pointed out.
A cab indeed, a carriage pulled by three beast with three legs. And with Litha's quick negotiations, it agreed to carry us to Novice Town, which was a five-hour journey.
It was silent in the carriage as everyone keeping to themselves.
Holding my monster cupped in my left hand, all I could think about was how fast life can change, either in a good or bad way. I never believed I could ever gain a Grimoire, it's one of those kinds of dreams you keep to yourself, something to think about when about to sleep, to keep busy and to give the illusion of hope.
But now? Now I had tasted power, and I very much liked the taste of it.
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
I was sitting in a hotel sitting room. I wore new clothes and was well-fed. Things had moved fast once we got to Novice Town. Litha had sent Temur and me away to the hotel they rented previously with the promise of meeting later.
Then she went to make an anonymous tip to the Government and Tower Guards. After that, she changed some of my monster cores to coins so I could pay for my rent and new clothes.
"What did you do with Mopi?" I asked, putting Hermit on the table, trying to feed it a piece of pizza, but the small monster wasn't interested.
Litha had changed too, she now wore an oversized shirt, and she had just started eating her food. "I sent him home, wherever it was, after he promised to keep his mouth shut."
Temur snorted from his place; he was lying atop a big chair that seemed made only for him. "Or after you scared him not to talk?"
She shrugged. "Is there a difference? We saved his life. We should be the ones getting things from him. I'm only responsible for you, Torvan. For now."
"And that reminds me. Let's tell you the basics that were also told to us on the previous floor.
"To start with, the Grimoire, it means different things to different people. To me, it's a guide where I learn how to manipulate mana. To Temur, it's a master that teaches him the art of fighting with aura. And to you? A spellbook. Ultimately, it's a thing to learn from, and every Grimoire is personal to that particular person.
"The Grimoire is tied to our souls, hence, our ranks. When we advance in rank, so does our Grimoire, and we'll have new skills upgraded for us. As you know, every Grimoire is ranked as common, uncommon, rare, epic, mythic, and legendary. The rank of your Grimoire will affect your power with other Awakened of the same power rank. Well? Tell me about the power ranks."
I knew this one. "It starts from bronze, Iron, silver, gold, platinum, master, and Grandmaster."
Temur grunted. "There's a rumor that there are even hidden higher rankings, but that's the highest we know."
Litha rolled her eyes. "That's just a rumor. As I was saying, for example, the rank of the Grimoire will affect how much power two Iron ranks will have. A common Grimoire Iron rank will be weaker than an uncommon one, generally. And the more Advanced in rank an Awakener is, the more the difference show. But the way you use your skills also matters."
"So what's the rank of your Grimoire?" I asked her.
She hesitated but had promised to exchange information. "Mythic," she admitted.
I stared. Mythic? Wow, no wonder she's so powerful. I'd heard only a very few Awakened have the Epic Grimoire not to talk of Mythic. "I'm jealous. Mythic."
Litha looked at me in confusion. "Why? Your own Grimoire is also far above common. Maybe even Mythic, or like Temur, Epic."
I laughed. "Well, maybe rare, but I'm sure..."
Litha raised her hand and pointed at Hermit on the table. "You gave this life. Though it's still undead in some way, that's not something a weak Grimoire can do. You're in the Tower now, you have to know your power so you can use it to its maximum value. No humbling shit. If you have power then you have it. Got that?"
We stared at each other across the table. I nodded once. "Tell me everything you know."