Chapter 224: Are You Prepared?

The creature that Jacob saw with an outstretched arm before him was no less, or more than human, but with very distinct features. He had seen aliens; this wasn’t one.

The creature stood tall, almost dwarfing him. It had pitch-black skin with tiny constellation-like blemishes etched onto its body. Its eyes glowed like sharp beams and glared directly at the white-haired boy with no apparent emotion.

It had human-shaped ears, but no hair on its head, and its neck was covered in large, bright golden rings that completely covered the elongated part of its body. So were its arms, legs, nostrils, and temples.

All were covered in these bright golden rings that elevated its appearance a hundredfold. When it spoke, it sounded like a thousand people speaking at once. "Welcome to the Tower of Sun. We are the Meereens, here to guide you on your journey of conquest."

The creature’s almost imperceptible lips appeared to curve into a wide smile that showed a slight glow emanating from deep within its mouth.

"Meereens?"

"Yes. Jacob Ironfell. We have been informed of your coming for some time now. I, Uga, have been appointed as your personal guide." The creature spoke in an otherworldly tone again.

Jacob was standing now, as the creature had helped him to his feet. He turned his head around but could find nothing except the unbelievably tall tower that stood in the middle of the vast expanse. Its peak was so high up that Jacob could barely see it from where he was standing.

He quickly discovered that he was wearing nothing but a pair of plain pants and sandals, a different outfit from what he wore before.

"So this is the Tower of Sun..." Jacob was marveled at the sight, but he wouldn’t let himself get carried away. He was still yet to take in the intricacies of this place. The building seemed a reasonable distance from them, so he assumed that they were going to walk all the way there.

As if Uga had heard his thoughts, the creature waved a hand, and a flat, pitch-black pan materialized like liquid from the ground and floated before them. Uga stepped onto it and pulled Jacob on. In less than a second, they began to float towards the absurdly large tower.

It was a colossal monument that rose beyond the clouds, its radiant golden walls glowing as though they held a fragment of the sun itself. It was divided into one hundred floors.

Windows that reflected the light perfectly stretched along the glowing walls.

"How long has this been in existence, and why am I not wearing any clothes?" Jacob spoke in a confused tone. It seemed to him as though the knowledge of the Tower of Sun was forcefully evading him, as though it didn’t want him to learn every secret it possessed. It was the first time that it had happened.

"The Tower of Sun is an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent existence. No one soul truly knows how it came about, but we all know its purpose. For millennia upon millennia, it has been an endless breeding ground for an infinite number of warriors. Truly magnificent." Uga paused to look at the building, which increased magnificently in size as they inched closer, with a gleam in its eyes, as though it were seeing it for the first time. "You are topless because the rules of the tower say that warriors must fight in their rawest form. The tower must view you as a pure warrior, which means there are no weapons or artifacts allowed. Just pure skills and physical prowess."

In that moment, Jacob crumpled his face. No weapons meant he wouldn’t be able to use Excalibur, but more than that, if he were to get very injured or cursed, then his healing artifacts or potions wouldn’t be allowed either.

It was certainly annoying. But he would work his way around it.

"The tower houses more than a million different races from a million different timelines, governed by the Meereens. Every battle is overseen by our Grand Regent, Malachi. Fights are not necessarily to the death, but as the stakes are high, you will encounter people who are willing to die or kill to reach the top, and if you want to succeed, you must act accordingly." Uga continued, seemingly not minding whether Jacob was listening to it.

Uga had been appointed as Jacob’s guide, meaning that the creature would provide him with all the necessary information to survive in the Tower of Sun for as long as possible.

Meereens were capable of ascertaining someone’s power level based only on smell, as they could only view living creatures as shapes of light. From Jacob’s scent, it could tell that the boy was extremely powerful.

"So how do I address you? Are you a boy, or a girl...or..." Jacob started, unaware of how to land or finish his question. He paused.

"You address me as Uga. Meereens have no gender." Uga looked at Jacob again, with those bright eyes beaming down heavily at him. The creature appeared to smile again, which caused Jacob to feel complex emotions.

...

They finally reached the building. At that point, it had grown so massively in size that Jacob merely resembled a speck of dust in all its magnificence.

The tower doors were large, extremely large, and were clearly made out of pure obsidian.

"As a last and final act, we Meereens are made to ask our young mentees if they are really willing to undergo this trial. Please note that if you are to perish within this tower, then you will perish also in your world and cease to exist. But if you succeed and clear the tower, then the rewards will be far greater. Any injury or curse inflicted on you within this tower will also follow you to your world." Uga paused, allowing its words to seep deep into Jacob’s bones and send a secret chill down his spine. Now the stakes were perfectly clear. "With that all said, I am now compelled to ask you, by the will of the Grand Regent. Jacob Ironfell, are you prepared to embark on this trial?"