I stood my ground, my left shoulder shattered and hanging uselessly, but a sharp, triumphant grin cut through the blood on my face. Melchior's stunned expression slowly smoothed into a mask of intrigue.
"What a surprise," he mused, his voice echoing in the vast, silent hall. "Even with the Tower's Restrictions sealing the majority of my power, that blow should have annihilated every human here. Yet you managed to block it? Fine, human. I shall hear what you have to say."
The suffocating mana pressure didn't vanish, but it shifted from a crushing weight to a predatory watchfulness.
"I know of the Bloodlines," I began, my voice steady despite the pain. "I know they betrayed you. I know they sealed your essence and exiled you to this rotting Hall."
Melchior's eyes widened, his pupils constricting into needle-thin slits.
"How...!!? You could not possibly—"
"O Patriarch of the Crimson Bloodline, Melchior Von Crimson," I interrupted, extending my right hand with total sincerity. "I am here to offer you your freedom. And more importantly, your revenge on the thirteen Bloodlines who cast you down."
The silence returned, heavier than before. Melchior stepped down from his throne, his silk cape whispering against the stone as he approached me. He stopped a few paces away, his gaze searching my mana flow.
"I will not ask how a mere human possesses such knowledge," he said softly. "But if you know of my exile, you know the barrier on this Hall is absolute. Not to mention the seals on my very soul. How do you plan to bypass the laws of the Tower?"
I opened my palm, materializing the Bharam's Ring I had purchased. "A 'Soul Transfer' Array," I explained. "I will use this ring as a medium to extract your soul. While your physical body remains a prisoner of the Tower, your consciousness will ascend with me. I will find you a vessel that you can inhibit."
Melchior's lips curled into a dry, mirthless laugh. "A vessel... to roam freely again. It has been eons since I saw the sky outside this Hall. But you wouldn't bear the burden of my soul for nothing. What is your price?"
"I need your power," I stated simply. "I intend to conquer this Tower, and I cannot do it alone."
He watched my heartbeat, his vampiric senses confirming the absolute truth of my words. A dark, appreciative grin spread across his pale face. "Very well. But I am too old to trust a human's word. We shall sign a contract."
"An Astral Covenant," I agreed.
Melchior manifested a shimmering, ethereal scroll. We both pressed our intent into it, binding our souls. It was a perfect stalemate: we could not betray, kill, or hinder one another until the contract was mutually dissolved. It was the same way I had recruited him in my legendary VR runs. I needed him not just for his power, but because the 13 Bloodlines ruled the upper strata, and I needed the Patriarch to dismantle them.
I quickly drew the complex 'Soul Transfer' Array on the floor. It was a high-rank ritual that required no mana but had a peculiar restriction: it could only be performed by a Level 1 player with the target's consent. This was the true reason I had refused to level up.
Melchior closed his eyes and whispered a skill name that even the System couldn't translate. His body slumped forward as a brilliant, crimson orb of light surged into the Bharam's Ring.
"[Notice: The soul of 'Melchior Von Crimson' has inhabited the Item: 'Bharam's Ring'.]"
"[Notice: The Boss Monster 'Dracula' has admitted defeat!]"
The Hall began to shake as the "System" processed the impossible.
"[Congratulations! You have cleared the Hidden Region: 'The Hall of Deprived'!]"
"[Congratulations! You have cleared the 1st Floor of the 'Tower of Trials'!]"
"[Rewards Allotted: +5,000 Coins, +3 Skill Points, and an A-Rank Skill.]"
The notifications rained down. I felt the surge of power as the rewards integrated.
"[Notice: +3 Stat Points allotted to 'Mana'.]"
"[Reward: You have obtained the A-Rank Skill: 'Fire Element' Lvl 1!]"
"Sweet," I muttered. Between the old man's fire and Melchior's blood, my elemental arsenal was becoming terrifying. But the best was yet to come.
"[Congratulations! You have successfully fulfilled the Copy Condition, 'help all Rankers survive'!]"
"[Alert: Due to Tower's 'Probability', you may copy up to 10 Skills.]"
I looked toward the gallery where the White Tiger members were standing in shock. I had to filtered through their abilities, cherry-picking the best of the bunch.
"[Notice: Successfully Copied D-Rank Skills: 'ThunderShock', 'Mental Fortitude', 'Track', 'Pact', 'Accelerate'!]"
"[Notice: Successfully Copied C-Rank Skills: 'Sacred Ground', 'Restraint', 'Taunt', 'Levitate', 'Nymph's Songs'!]"
"[Notice: All skills set to initial Level.]"
"[Congratulations! You have achieved a feat never before recorded in the history of the Tower!]"
"[Notice: +10,000 Coins have been awarded!]"
I stood in the center of the crumbling Hall, a Level 1 anomaly with the soul of a Vampire Patriarch on my finger, a mountain of coins, and a library of skills that shouldn't exist.
The 1st Floor was over. Now, the real game begins.