Fantasy System

Chapter 286: The Tower of Origin, Once Again

Oliver roamed the streets of Avalon alone. Everywhere he looked, busy people scurried around with some sort of job. Following the monster invasion, hundreds of houses crumbled down, leaving families with no shelter, many streets had gaping holes in them, large enough to swallow all the citizens. Men and women alike, they took up tools and started to work on rebuilding their capital.

The cultivators helped as well, but their job was outside of the walls surrounding Avalon. Although Ed made sure to stock up on food, more couldn't hurt them, so they decided to hunt outside. Some of the wells were contaminated with blood; as such a new source of water was needed. The cultivators used spatial rings to stock u on freshwater until the problem could be solved.

Oliver soon found himself near the slums where he used to live only a couple of years ago. He could visualize the broken-down house where he used to hide during rain. The house was now nothing more than a piece of memory, as it turned into dust during the battle.

He felt relieved how no one had to live in the slums ever since grew more powerful. Similar to how he had helped him, Ed took it upon himself to empty the slums and give decent living areas for the homeless.

Oliver walked around more and found himself standing in front of Bard's shop, where he had the first decent meal in his life with Ed and Becky. Every night, he would dream of the day he met Ed for the first time. He could taste the meal he'd eaten at the time. He would also remember the promise he made with Ed, how he would become strong enough to protect him and his loved ones.

"Yet, at the most important time, I wasn't even around to protect Edmund..." Oliver muttered to himself and started to walk again.

He arrived at his actual destination not long after. He arrived at the biggest hole in the capital, where Edmund gave up his life to protect his fellow Elders and the citizens of Avalon.

The people, once they found out about their savior's sacrifice, started to walk to the hole, and each one of them would through a flower in order to express their sorrow, their happiness, and show Edmund proof that his sacrifice wasn't for nothing, that the people he protected didn't, and will never forget him.

Oliver was no different from these people. He brought out a bouquet of blue and red flowers and walked to the hole. These two colors were Edmund's favorite. It was a famous story of his, how the blue reminded him of the sky he first saw when Ed freed him, and the red was the special color Ed's eyes would take when he turned serious in a fight.

Cloudy eyes, and trembling lips, Oliver threw the bouquet into the hole while remembering the bright face that greeted him every day in the sect. However, he was surprised as he heard a thud almost instantly. He looked down and his eyes widened in shock. The hole that was supposed to be deepest, largest, in Avalon, was filled to the brim with beautiful blue and red flowers.

Oliver smiled as he realized that the citizens of Avalon couldn't have filled it alone. It was the work of someone who respected, and was deeply hurt by the sudden leave of Edmund.

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"Well then, old man William," Ed said as he stared at the Tower of Origin. "The tower is empty as promised, right?"

"I gave you my word young man," William answered back as stared at Edward. He couldn't believe that this was the same person he's met a couple of years ago. Every time he reappeared stronger than ever, more daunting than ever, and his demands more outrageous than ever.

"I see. If something happens it's on you. Oh, by the way, I don't suggest you send people inside ever again," Ed warned. "If my guess is correct, this tower is more dangerous than ever."

"You'll have to give me better reasons. Your gut feeling is not enough."

"It is enough," Ed said with a powerful tone. "Just tell whoever it might concern that it's my gut feeling. I'd like to see who's brave enough to say anything to you then."

William couldn't say anything back to Ed as he sighed. However, he had one last question, "Does it have to do with the recent monster invasion?"

"That's what I'm going to find out."

Ed finished his conversation and stepped into the tower. A nostalgic feeling overcame him, as he was teleported to the first floor. He looked around the forest and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused for a second as he digested everything that happened to him ever since Ryuunosuke passed away.

In two days, the whole world suffered through an unprecedented monster invasion. The number of monsters was insane, while the monsters themselves were more diverse than the ones inhabiting the tower. Although he made preparations in case such a thing were to happen, he still lost a good old friend. Even though he got stronger, he was still losing people.

"I just need to get stronger. However, I don't have a year this time; don't you think so, Raikou?" Ed said as a wolf jumped out of his shadow. He extended his hand and patted his old friend. "The old dragon must be enraged because I took him forcefully, but he'll come around. Although he's mad, he's reasonable...Which is pretty contradictory, isn't it?"

Ed and his friends chuckled for a couple of seconds before they focused back on their tasks.

"Go back to my shadow; I need to put in some work today. My goal is the twelfth floor in an hour!"

As Raikou sunk back into the shadow, Ed's En started to spread all over the floor. At the same time, he charged a Ki blast in his right hand, while his left hand created small holes in space. Once his En reached the extremities of the floor, he released thousands of small Ki blasts that crept their way to the space holes. A couple of thousand explosions shook the entire floor, while Ed's notifications blew up at the same time. He had killed all the monsters on the first floor, yet he was unsatisfied by the result.

"It takes too much time to spread my En and then attack," he said to himself, as the snowy floor's cold barely tickled him. "I guess I'll do both at the same time."

Ed charged Ki all around his body, and in an explosion of aura, released all of it with a shout. The resulting energy sphere melted snow, rocks, and the monsters it came into contact with. After thirty minutes of energy explosions, Ed reached the twelfth floor, a new record that no one would break after him.