Saintess Summons Skeletons

“There we are!” Sen exclaimed as he proudly welcomed the participants to a rickety iron platform leading to the true ‘Ranking spire’. In front of the group was a tower inside the tower. Everyone was awed at the sight, but Sofia was even more shocked at how much mana flowed through the inner tower’s walls. Both up and down, the spire seemed infinite. The mana flowed in waves from top to bottom. Forget the glamor and decorations of the outer tower; this inner tower was a bare stick of metal and magic covered in countless ritual circles.

This platform leads to the inner tower, but there’s no entrance…

It feels like we shouldn’t be allowed here somehow.

“This is the ranking spire! It has analyzed your performance until now. But let me explain how this will go. You will enter and be led to a waiting room. Each floor has one. There, you have five minutes to regenerate, heal yourself, and prepare for the next floor. You can also browse a list of people you know who quit or have failed on this floor, as well as your current rank. The first floor is floor one, and as you know, you want to go as high as possible to snatch better rewards. Every floor climbed is some more goodies for you. Good luck, everyone. Don’t forget to leave before you die; even I could not save you when you’re in there.”

Mornn asked, “Can we know each other’s starting rank?”

“If no one objects, I can share the starting floors.”

Everyone was silent, so Sen started to give the ranks. “Well, there we go, do remember that it’s based on overall potential, not kill-death ratio. The lowest is Sir Vank, with a still very decent Floor 63. Miss Glacier, Floor 75. Miss Alith, Floor 76. Miss Mornn, Floor 81. And Miss Sofia… Floor 96.”

It looked like everyone had something to say, but they couldn’t speak anymore.

Alith won against Mornn, but she’s classed below. Interesting…

“I know, I know, shocking. I’m surprised too. Not many people get to start so high; only a handful. What can I say? The spire is the one doing the ranking. You’re placed at the last level you’re expected to be able to complete with high certainty, in line with the data you provided yourselves. This is how we’ve always done things. Now on with it, I’m sure each of you can climb at least ten floors. Well, except for Miss Sofia.”

Sen clapped, and Sofia found herself in a spacious, empty circular room with a door indicating ‘4.56’ and counting down and a small scoreboard on the side. Over a black stone slate, she read a few glowing blue lines.

‘Floor 96

Known people who have failed on this floor :

(Unknown names displayed by known titles)

Kuli Hest

Oracle of Scripture

Zerei Evranarheimlein Kralan

Current rank : 1219

(You are currently ranked at the bottom of this floor’s list)

Should you complete this floor, you will climb to rank : 433’

Oracle of Scripture…

Also, both Zerei and Kuli failed on this floor? And we’re already almost in the top 1000 to ever take the trial?

So… I guess that there are 100 floors? I could leave now and probably still get hefty rewards. That’s very reassuring.

But also… scary. Anyway, no time to think too deeply about it. I need to get ready… Pretty much I’m just waiting for the construct shield to be repaired. I can’t prepare more. If I want to reach the top, I need to be mindful of my mana and Bookie’s fog, and that’s it. No runes. I’ve got health regeneration covered.

Sofia was going all out, Saint items, Orichalcum armor, Bone armor, staff, and construct shield in hand.

I’m starting so close to the top. In no small part due to Pareth inflating my score, I’m sure. Watch me get there, everyone.

The countdown kept ticking down.

3

2

1

The message appeared first.

[Ranking Spire Phase 2 : Floor 96 - How the mighty have fallen]

Not phase 3?

Then Sofia found herself in a burning city.

[Objective : Save the great city of Yurnia]

[Invaders remaining : 98253]

“Oh, I…”

Ninety-eight THOUSAND?!

More messages appeared after the first few, and Sofia felt a bit of despair when she read them.

[Key Targets : 5/5]

[Key targets have a special marker floating above their heads, they are the five most important persons for the future of Yurnia, whenever one of them dies, you will lose 20% of your maximum Health for the duration of this floor]

“Nice, I really needed that. So if they all die, I’m dead too? Great.”

Sofia took to the skies to get a better understanding of the situation. Chaos. The ‘great city of Yurnia’ was genuinely worthy of its title, being several times larger than Hooasow. It was shaped like a cross, with four outer sections and one central section. The inner section was where the most opulent buildings were, still intact. Sofia was currently over the poorest-looking area, which was already halfway destroyed and in flames under the vicious attack of… Humans?

This was when Sofia realized this was an Elven city.

The great army surrounding and invading the city, spreading through the easily broken gates of the slums and spreading carnage and destruction, was a human army. The desperate people running for their lives in the burning streets? Elves.

Not the kind of monsters I expected…

The army outside of the city was awe-inspiring, in a way. A dreadful one. They had heavy war machines in their ranks, relentlessly throwing flaming projectiles past the walls. So many… And these… GRIFFINS?

Yeah, of course, they have Griffin riders; why wouldn’t they? What’s next, a pet Dragon?

Well… I better secure the Key targets fast.

There are five of them and five districts, one for each? Sofia flew down and summoned the book. Time for the rats. I’ll get the birds too.

As a swarm of skeletal rats and birds appeared, Sofia was busy formulating their instructions. The rats would scout this part and the central part of the city, searching for the key targets. They would focus on searching the most likely locations, which were all things that weren't a shop or regular house. Basically, anything that stands out.

The birds would spread to the other three further parts of the city, there were fewer of them, but they could fly and were much faster.

“While they’re doing that…”

A squad of six human invaders entered the street Sofia was in. The elves had already long left the burning buildings, and the skeletons had scurried away. So there was only Sofia and them. They looked like proper soldiers with their red and black armor. Enchanted armor and spears… [Identify] doesn’t work?

Sofia found out she couldn’t [Identify] anything. The skill simply refused to produce any result.

That wasn’t in the prompts…

The soldiers charged at Sofia. Do they take me for an elf because I’m on the taller side? Or do they just attack anyone not wearing their armor?

They don’t feel that strong. Not much mana in them. Maybe around level 80?

Sofia’s staff appeared in her hand. Four of the soldiers stopped in their tracks as they saw that, but two of them were too engrossed in their attacks. Their spears harmlessly scraped against the neck joints of the bone armor.

Sofia gave the closest Soldier a lovetap of her staff on top of his helmet. Resulting in a disturbing symphony of broken bones, bent metal, and splashing blood. The Soldier dropped dead.

No kill notification.

Well.

The other Soldier who had attacked Sofia was paralyzed by fear, his spear still against her neck. Sofia brought her staff back up. The Soldier dropped his weapon and tur-

The second Soldier shared the fate of his fallen comrade.

“Vermin.”

Sofia’s voice was muffled and distorted by her two helmets.

The rest of the squad fled, leaving their weapons and dignity behind.

[Invaders remaining : 98142]

Looks like I’m not the only one getting rid of trash.

Sofia already felt a large disconnect when killing things in the trials. It all felt so fake. But when she had flown up, she had personally witnessed what these ‘soldiers’ were doing with the elves they captured, how they killed the men and dragged the women and children back to the frontlines.

Slavery was one of Sofia’s sore spots.

Let’s make this as simple as possible.

Pareth appeared next to Sofia.

“Charge. Kill all the soldiers in your path, rampage through the army. Be my distraction.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Pareth nodded in acknowledgment and charged forward. The group of soldiers fleeing from Sofia was squashed underfoot. It wouldn’t be long until Pareth reached the walls and collided with the main body of the invading army.

Sofia flew up again. Save the city…

There are quite a few ways that could potentially work, I think. But I’ll go for the simpler one, right?

There is no murder log in the trial.

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