The registration area sat in the middle of the town. Honestly, I did not know whether to call it a town or a city since it was so massive, but I went with what everyone else called it, Novice Town.
The building itself was large, made from a combination of stone and glass and as expected, there were many people already inside, but moving around was easy with Temur leading the way.
"The registration is for the Tower Guards," Litha explained as we walked. "They are the only independent force created to maintain order throughout the Tower although their authority weakens the higher you climb because of the guilds. They will ask for your name and enter you into the database. That is all.
"But they might try to measure your Grimoire. Do not agree. They sell that information to guilds or anyone with enough power and money. You do not want that. Also, if you are a legacy Climber, it is better to use a nickname."
"What is a legacy Climber?" I asked, doing my best not to stare at the different races walking around me.
"Those with Ascendant parents."
She had explained Ascendants to me the night before.
They were Climbers who had reached the highest cleared floor, currently Floor 52. That was the highest any guild or organizations had ever climbed.
Each Ascendant was ranked, from one to the thousands, based on their power and influence. Becoming an Ascendant was the dream of almost every Climber. It was proof that you had climbed the Tower and a testament to your strength.
"Are you a legacy Climber?" I asked her.
She waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway. This test, including the one on Floor 101, is where guilds start looking for people to sponsor. They use their resources and influence to help you climb. Even now, they are scouting."
I stored the fact that she had not answered my question in the back of my mind.
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Thayer Argent was scouting, and he was not that subtle about it. Every morning, he came to the registration area and waited there almost the entire day, watching for promising new Climbers.
Thayer himself was a Climber, starting alongside this new batch. He was not a legacy Climber, since neither of his parents had climbed the Tower, but someone close to them was ranked in the Ascendants' database.
But his family owned one of the richest organizations in the Dungeon Tower. His father owned Argent Chains, an organization that mainly deals in accommodations of hotels and such with branches spread across many floors of the Tower.
Thayer was their only son and unexpectedly, he had awakened a Mythic Grimoire, and his father decided it was time to build a guild alongside their business. Thayer's role was to find powerful new Climbers to rise with him and then make them future members of that guild.
"Young Master, are those not the two who refused your offer the other day?" one of his guards asked. The man wore a black suit and dark sunglasses. His guards were Climbers who had stopped ascending for various reasons and had been recruited by his family.
Thayer turned in his seat, following the direction the guard pointed. Litha and Temur stood there, accompanied by someone new.
"Oh?" His golden eyes gleamed.
Everything about Thayer glittered, from his earrings to his golden hair.
Trailing a short distance behind them was another odd figure. Thayer summoned his Grimoire, which appeared in the shape of a modern smartphone with one camera. He took a picture.
One of his Grimoire's abilities allowed him to see potential, not in strength, but rarher in wealth.
When Thayer examined the image he just too, he straightened abruptly and his eyes widened.
The man following Litha and Temur had the potential to surpass even his father's wealth. Stranger still, standing near him increased the potential of Litha and Temur as well.
Thayer inhaled sharply. "Wealth and money are power." He turned to one of his guards. "Find out everything you can about him."
He rose from his seat, ignoring the Climbers smiling and trying to draw his attention. Everyone wanted favor from the rich heir. Instead, he focused on the Awakeners he had already gathered. He liked to pick for himself.
He turned to one of the new Awakeners he picked a while ago.
"Hey, Tim. You are new, right?" Thayer smiled, the kind of smile that closed deals. "You have not shown me what you can do yet. Let us see it now. Let's see what you can do."
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The registration room was small, built from glistening metal and designed for one on one evaluation.
Litha had been right. They asked my name, age, which world I came from, and my world's address. The one handling my registration, a male elf, though I was not sure whether to think of him as a man, looked bored until he asked what type of mage I was.
That question caught me off guard and I answered with the first thing that came to mind.
"Necromancer."
The elf looked up sharply, then smiled. His ears tilted forward as he studied me with interest. "Is that so? That is a very rare type of mage. Now, it is time to measure your Grimoire." He gestured toward a small crystal resting on the table.
I shook my head. "No, thank you."
His smile froze, but he quickly recovered. "Are you certain? It is not compulsory, but you would receive far better offers from guilds if your rank is made known."
"I will think about it later. Is that all?"
He nodded and stood when I did. "Mr Torvan, is that your real name? Very well. If you wish, I can refer you to a team that's newly forming to climb the Dungeon Tower. It's an Iron rank."
"I will also think about it... if that is all."
"Of course." He continued smiling until the door closed behind me. Then his grin widened. "Time to forward his information. Finally, some coins to spend. What luck. A necromancer!"