Chapter 269: Offer Lasts 30 Hours

Jacob spent most of the night in his head, killing people had never ever been a major issue for him, because they almost always deserved it. But in truth, most of the people in this Tower, he wasn’t sure if they deserved death or not.

One thing was certain, he was going to have to get used to killing from now on, because everybody else would try to kill him.

The night was silent and rather conducive for Jacob to process all the thoughts that flooded his mind. Eventually, he fell asleep.

…

The next day came along. Jacob woke up with a vibrant yawn and jumped out of his bed. He felt rather recharged and ready to handle the day better. Today was going to be different from the previous day. He was currently on Level 81, so close to victory in the Tower, and very soon he’d be able to leave this godforsaken place, or so he thought.

“I have 19 floors left. I still can’t use weapons?” Jacob inquired with a serious expression as soon as he stepped into the lobby and was met with Uga, who waited in his usual fashion, like a lifeless robot.

“You can only use weapons if under sponsorship from a constellation, Jacob. No more. No less,” Uga said flatly, staring at Jacob through hollowed eyes.

“Bummer, so my hands will just have to carry me through in the end.”

Just as Jacob responded, he felt a presence moving towards him. This presence was dark, judging, almost sinister. Jacob turned around and was face-to-face with a man.

No. A god.

This large man had two large crows firmly resting atop both shoulders. One was as dark as night, with bloodshot eyes and a sinister look. The other was white as snow, with golden pebble eyes and a warm demeanor.

The contrast between these two crows was glaring, even beyond appearance. It boiled down to behavior.

The man himself was large, with broad shoulders. An eye patch rested against his eye, and his pitch-black hair flowed all the way down to his back. He had a full beard of the same color.

“How can I help you?” Jacob inquired as soon as the man came close enough.

“You must be Jacob Ironfell,” Moralus said matter-of-factly. “I studied your fight against Zha Feng. I must say, you are something for the ages, but I am curious…”

“I know who… what you are. I am not interested in sponsorships or assistance of any kind.”

“How is it that you were able to break down Zha Feng’s entire tactic in merely a few minutes? In fact, I think it took longer than that.” Moralus inquired, as though he hadn’t even heard Jacob’s previous comment. “How did you do it?”

“I just severed the connection between him and the Mirror World. That’s it. It wasn’t that hard. Why are you asking? Were you his sponsor?” Jacob asked.

Moralus did not respond at first. He simply turned away, looking off into the distance as if lost in thought.

“Krawww! This one is rather arrogant. You should kill him, master. Rip his throat from his neck.” The black crow cawed, flashing a pair of blood-red eyes at Jacob, a faint glint within them.

“No, don’t do that. He’s only being honest. To be honest, I think he’s not scared of you, master.” The white one spoke calmly.

“Krawww! He should be scared. Our master can end his pathetic existence with a single blink.”

“Silence, both of you!” Moralus commanded, then turned to Jacob with a listless expression on his face. Jacob had remained silent the entire time. “Yes, I used to be his sponsor. But he is dead by your hands now. I’m here to offer you a chance to add an advantage to your already preexisting high-level qualities.”

“…” Jacob said nothing. He simply raised his eyebrow to let Moralus know that he had given an answer already.

“I do not understand human sentiments. This is a simple transaction. It’s fine, my offer lasts only 30 hours. In that time, I believe you will be able to contemplate and arrive at a reasonable decision.”

The god started to walk away, both crows chatting away on his shoulders as he did not even flinch, no matter how loud they got.

He had only moved a few paces when Jacob’s voice rang out from behind him. “My stance will never change. I do not need a sponsor, not now, not ever.” He then sat on the ground and began to meditate.

Moralus merely paused in his steps for a moment, glanced backward, and then continued walking.

…

“What do you know about him?” Jacob asked Uga, who had been silent the entire time.

“That is Moralus, the God of Conflict. You can tell by the two opposing crows that rest atop his shoulders. There is not much documented about him, but he is known to pass harsh judgments and kill brutally. I don’t think he’s one to cross,” Uga responded in its usual ethereal-like voice.

“Thank you, Uga. That’s all I needed to know.”

Jacob had not even stood to his feet completely when he was met by another presence. This one was more familiar, and it was accompanied by five other familiar presences.

‘What the fuck does she want now?’ Jacob mused, letting out an exasperated sigh as he wondered inwardly when they would ever just let him be.

“Oh, Jacob.” Her feminine voice tore through the air in the most fashionable manner, her arms crossed within the hook of two Jacobs as the others followed diligently.

“Hello, Elyssara. How may I help you today?” Jacob said sarcastically.

“Oh, I don’t need anything. I am just here to thank you… You provided me with those five beautiful men, who satisfy me better than I could ever have imagined.” She smiled as she stroked their chins. “But neither of them is the original. I still crave you.”

Jacob furrowed his brows. He had heard that this woman was insatiable, but he never knew that it was to this extent. He sighed and opened his mouth to respond…