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“It won’t be easy,” I said as I turned back to the final equation. 

I have one day to solve it, and it will be a challenge, but one I am very excited to accomplish.

I began to study the formation and realized how difficult it is. Especially to solve it within a day, but I felt like I could do it.

I studied that single line for nearly half an hour before picking up the pen and started solving it.

I continued writing on the stele for one and a half hours, before stopping again and thought. There are multiple ways I could go further, but I have to be careful in choosing it.

If I choose wrong, it will be a costly mistake; I might not be able to finish the challenge in time.

I will have to try again from the bottom, which I rather not do.

Ten minutes later, I had made my choice and began and continued for two hours before stopping. This time, not to make a choice, but because I am quite stuck.

I don’t know what to do next.

So, I scanned my answer to find a path forward, and thankfully; I did and once again resumed solving the formation.

A few more hours passed, and I got stuck many times, but was able to find a way and kept moving toward.

Hun!

I was solving it when something surprising happened. The beautiful woman, Keva, disappeared, in the middle of solving of formation.

It seemed like her twenty-four hours were over.

If this place didn’t have a time limit, it would have been solved by now, but it is. This is good news for me, as there is still a chance to solve this equation and win the double points.

Another hour passed and the yellow dwarf too had disappeared, but I didn’t care for that.

I am completely engrossed in the equation, and I am very close to solving it. I won’t be going anywhere till I solve it.

Time passed, and finally, I wrote the last ruin and waited.

Buzz! 

For a moment, nothing happened before the stele buzzed and turned green. With it, everything was red on the top floor, turned green.

“Congratulations First Conqueror of the Tower of Runic Equation.” 

A voice rang out through the tower, and the rose petals fell on me. These petals didn’t disappear and instead went to my badge, where every petal would increase the points further.

Finally, the last petal entered inside, and my points reached two thousand.

90% of challenges in this place offer a thousand points as a reward, and since I am the first who has cleared the challenge. I have gained two thousand points.

It took me nine hours and forty-three minutes to clear up the final challenge; around fifteen hours to conquer the tower.

It is a pretty good time.

Buzz!

I was basking in the glory of victory when the circle buzzed, and I disappeared. Appearing in the central circle of the first floor, which is only reserved for those who clear the final challenge.

Mine is lit up extra bright, due to being first.

It is why it attracted everyone present in the hall. Including the green-skinned woman and yellow dwarf, who was resting on the chair, likely planning on trying again.

“A Sovereign,” said someone, and a moment later; a small horned woman appeared in front of me.

She is a Sky Sovereign.

“Congratulations friend; not many Sovereigns have been able to conquer this tower across the ages,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you, my lady,” I thanked.

“I belong to a Prime organization called Gelmar. We would love to have you as our member. For a talented person like you, we are willing to provide all the resources and training you will require to reach the prime,” she said.

I couldn’t help but get surprised at hearing that. I shouldn’t have been.

This place is not only to provide the opportunities but also a fertile recruiting ground for the organizations.

Hell, even the Divine Realm, extends the opportunity to an extremely fortunate few at the end.

“We, Barnam, will provide you with far greater opportunity than Gelmar could ever,”

“Join us and your path to Sky Sovereign will be guaranteed and our leaders will personally guide you to the prime, after that,” said a middle-aged Snake Beastman, appearing beside the women. 

“You bastard, who lost to us in the last war, could provide the better opportunities?” asked the woman, with that smile on Beastman’s face stiffened for a moment.

“We only lost because you have secretly brought your allies. We would have won if we had brought our allies too,” replied the man.

“Oh, yeah…”

They started bickering in the middle. I have a feeling that if we had not been in this place, these two wouldn’t have simply bickered.

“Uh hoo,”

I coughed gently to get their attention.

“Thank you for your offer, but I am not interested in joining any organization,” I stated.

“Why are you a member of any Prime?” asked the woman, to which I shook my head. “No, I am independent,” I replied, and both of their eyes lit up, like a thousand suns.

“Then you should definitely join my organization,” I said, and I opened my mouth, to reject, when a black crystal card with an emblem of her organization appeared in her hand.

“Take this. Here are all the details of our organization and what we are willing to offer,” she said and put it in my hand.

“Here, take our offer as well and you will see the terms we are offering are much better than her organization,” said the man and handed me the card too.

“Thank you, I will think about it,” I said and moved to walk out of the hall.

By the time I stepped out of it. I had four more cards in my hand; they all belonged to the Sky-level organization.

Hun!

I just walked out, when I had sensed two presences appearing beside me. To my surprise, it was Keva and Abrill, whom I had met on the top floor.

“Do you want to recruit me too?” I asked, to which they laughed.

“We do not belong to any organization, kid,” said Abril. “We have come to advise you to be cautious of all these offers.” Added the woman.

“It is fine you want to accept them; an organization is a great support. Though personally, I like to be independent,” said Abril, and I know, his concern is genuine.

“Thank you for your advice,” I said to them, to which they smiled.

“By the way, where are you going next, if you don’t mind me asking?” asked Keva and I didn’t sense any bad intentions from it.

“To the runic puzzle challenge,” I replied after a moment of silence.

“We should go to code-breaking then; we can let the kid conquer all of them,” said Dwarf.

“See you around, Ramon,” said Keva and walked away with the dwarf.

I waved at them before looking at the crystal cards in my hand. A glint couldn’t help but appear on my face.

I could have told them I belonged to Prime, and they have stopped, but I didn’t, because I wanted these cards. 

They are precious; the crystal they are made is quite valuable, but I am not talking about that.

I am talking about what they held inside.

“It won’t be easy,” I said as I turned back to the final equation. 

I have one day to solve it, and it will be a challenge, but one I am very excited to accomplish.

I began to study the formation and realized how difficult it is. Especially to solve it within a day, but I felt like I could do it.

I studied that single line for nearly half an hour before picking up the pen and started solving it.

I continued writing on the stele for one and a half hours, before stopping again and thought. There are multiple ways I could go further, but I have to be careful in choosing it.

If I choose wrong, it will be a costly mistake; I might not be able to finish the challenge in time.

I will have to try again from the bottom, which I rather not do.

Ten minutes later, I had made my choice and began and continued for two hours before stopping. This time, not to make a choice, but because I am quite stuck.

I don’t know what to do next.

So, I scanned my answer to find a path forward, and thankfully; I did and once again resumed solving the formation.

A few more hours passed, and I got stuck many times, but was able to find a way and kept moving toward.

Hun!

I was solving it when something surprising happened. The beautiful woman, Keva, disappeared, in the middle of solving of formation.

It seemed like her twenty-four hours were over.

If this place didn’t have a time limit, it would have been solved by now, but it is. This is good news for me, as there is still a chance to solve this equation and win the double points.

Another hour passed and the yellow dwarf too had disappeared, but I didn’t care for that.

I am completely engrossed in the equation, and I am very close to solving it. I won’t be going anywhere till I solve it.

Time passed, and finally, I wrote the last ruin and waited.

Buzz! 

For a moment, nothing happened before the stele buzzed and turned green. With it, everything was red on the top floor, turned green.

“Congratulations First Conqueror of the Tower of Runic Equation.” 

A voice rang out through the tower, and the rose petals fell on me. These petals didn’t disappear and instead went to my badge, where every petal would increase the points further.

Finally, the last petal entered inside, and my points reached two thousand.

90% of challenges in this place offer a thousand points as a reward, and since I am the first who has cleared the challenge. I have gained two thousand points.

It took me nine hours and forty-three minutes to clear up the final challenge; around fifteen hours to conquer the tower.

It is a pretty good time.

Buzz!

I was basking in the glory of victory when the circle buzzed, and I disappeared. Appearing in the central circle of the first floor, which is only reserved for those who clear the final challenge.

Mine is lit up extra bright, due to being first.

It is why it attracted everyone present in the hall. Including the green-skinned woman and yellow dwarf, who was resting on the chair, likely planning on trying again.

“A Sovereign,” said someone, and a moment later; a small horned woman appeared in front of me.

She is a Sky Sovereign.

“Congratulations friend; not many Sovereigns have been able to conquer this tower across the ages,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you, my lady,” I thanked.

“I belong to a Prime organization called Gelmar. We would love to have you as our member. For a talented person like you, we are willing to provide all the resources and training you will require to reach the prime,” she said.

I couldn’t help but get surprised at hearing that. I shouldn’t have been.

This place is not only to provide the opportunities but also a fertile recruiting ground for the organizations.

Hell, even the Divine Realm, extends the opportunity to an extremely fortunate few at the end.

“We, Barnam, will provide you with far greater opportunity than Gelmar could ever,”

“Join us and your path to Sky Sovereign will be guaranteed and our leaders will personally guide you to the prime, after that,” said a middle-aged Snake Beastman, appearing beside the women. 

“You bastard, who lost to us in the last war, could provide the better opportunities?” asked the woman, with that smile on Beastman’s face stiffened for a moment.

“We only lost because you have secretly brought your allies. We would have won if we had brought our allies too,” replied the man.

“Oh, yeah…”

They started bickering in the middle. I have a feeling that if we had not been in this place, these two wouldn’t have simply bickered.

“Uh hoo,”

I coughed gently to get their attention.

“Thank you for your offer, but I am not interested in joining any organization,” I stated.

“Why are you a member of any Prime?” asked the woman, to which I shook my head. “No, I am independent,” I replied, and both of their eyes lit up, like a thousand suns.

“Then you should definitely join my organization,” I said, and I opened my mouth, to reject, when a black crystal card with an emblem of her organization appeared in her hand.

“Take this. Here are all the details of our organization and what we are willing to offer,” she said and put it in my hand.

“Here, take our offer as well and you will see the terms we are offering are much better than her organization,” said the man and handed me the card too.

“Thank you, I will think about it,” I said and moved to walk out of the hall.

By the time I stepped out of it. I had four more cards in my hand; they all belonged to the Sky-level organization.

Hun!

I just walked out, when I had sensed two presences appearing beside me. To my surprise, it was Keva and Abrill, whom I had met on the top floor.

“Do you want to recruit me too?” I asked, to which they laughed.

“We do not belong to any organization, kid,” said Abril. “We have come to advise you to be cautious of all these offers.” Added the woman.

“It is fine you want to accept them; an organization is a great support. Though personally, I like to be independent,” said Abril, and I know, his concern is genuine.

“Thank you for your advice,” I said to them, to which they smiled.

“By the way, where are you going next, if you don’t mind me asking?” asked Keva and I didn’t sense any bad intentions from it.

“To the runic puzzle challenge,” I replied after a moment of silence.

“We should go to code-breaking then; we can let the kid conquer all of them,” said Dwarf.

“See you around, Ramon,” said Keva and walked away with the dwarf.

I waved at them before looking at the crystal cards in my hand. A glint couldn’t help but appear on my face.

I could have told them I belonged to Prime, and they have stopped, but I didn’t, because I wanted these cards. 

They are precious; the crystal they are made is quite valuable, but I am not talking about that.

I am talking about what they held inside.