The portal's pull was stronger than ever, a violent force that dragged me through a swirling void of crimson and shadow. My mind was a fog, the System's latest price—Willpower reduced—sapping my resolve. I could barely hold onto my purpose, my thoughts slipping like sand through my fingers. Mira's name was all I had left, a faint whisper in the haze, but even that felt distant. My senses were dulled, my memories fractured, my body weak. I was a shell, and the tower was far from done with me.
I landed on a cold, slick surface, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood—or at least, I think it was; my reduced sensory perception made everything a muted blur. The chamber was vast, its walls pulsing with red veins that glowed like a heartbeat, the same veins I'd seen on the tower's exterior. At the center of the room stood a massive crystal, its surface swirling with crimson energy, radiating an eerie hum. Vyrn landed beside me, his armor clinking, his expression a mix of fury and unease. Syl appeared last, her crimson dress blending into the chamber's glow, her smile replaced with a rare seriousness.
The System flashed:
Ninth Floor: Revelation of the Tını
Task: Witness the truth. Survive the Blood Memory.
Reward: Tını Points +250, System Insight
Penalty: Madness
Witness the truth? My foggy mind struggled to process the task. The crystal pulsed, and a wave of red energy washed over us, pulling us into a vision—a Blood Memory, as the System called it. The chamber faded, replaced by a scene from the past.
I stood in a desolate wasteland, the sky above a swirling mass of crimson and black. Bodies littered the ground, their blood pooling into rivers that fed the veins of a newly risen Blood Tower. A figure stood at the tower's base, cloaked in shadow, their voice echoing with power.
"The Tını System will cleanse humanity," they said, their tone cold and absolute. "It will strip them of their sins, their weaknesses, until only the worthy remain. The towers will be their crucible."
The vision shifted, showing the first avcılar—hunters—being pulled into the towers. They screamed as the System branded them, assigning classes, forcing them into trials. I saw a hunter labeled "Sacrifice," just like me, their body breaking under the System's tolls. The cloaked figure watched, unfeeling.
"The Sacrifices are the key," they said. "Their blood resonates with the Tını. They will either destroy the System… or become its perfect vessel."
The vision shattered, and I was back in the chamber, gasping for air. My mind reeled, the fog clearing just enough to grasp the truth. The Tını System wasn't a gift—it was a curse, a tool to purge humanity, to break us until we either died or became something else. And Sacrifices like me… we were the System's greatest threat, or its greatest weapon.
Vyrn's face was pale, his fists clenched. "This… this can't be true," he muttered, his voice trembling with rage. "The System chose me as a Reaper. I'm not some pawn!" Syl, however, seemed unsurprised, her eyes fixed on the crystal. "You've seen the truth now," she said, her voice low. "The towers were never about survival. They're about control."
The crystal pulsed again, and the System spoke, its voice colder than ever:
Revelation Complete
New Task: Survive the Blood Echoes.
Warning: The truth awakens the tower's defenses.
The veins on the walls burst, spilling blood that formed into humanoid shapes—Blood Echoes, the System called them. They were distorted versions of past hunters, their bodies dripping with crimson, their eyes hollow. The System identified them:
Enemies: Blood Echoes
Tını Points: 300 each (3 Echoes)
Warning: These enemies embody the tower's wrath. They will target the Sacrifice.
The Echoes turned to me, their hollow eyes locking onto mine. "Sacrifice," they hissed in unison, their voices a chorus of anguish. "You will break… or you will serve." They lunged, their blood-soaked claws slashing through the air. I tried to dodge, but my weakened body and sluggish mind made it nearly impossible. One of the Echoes struck my side, blood spilling from the wound, and I collapsed, gasping.
Tını Resonance Activated
Enemy Ability Copied: Blood Slash
My hand glowed with crimson energy, mimicking the Echoes' attack, but I could barely lift my arm. Vyrn charged at one of the Echoes, his sword flashing, but the creature dissolved into blood, reforming behind him. Syl stepped forward, her movements fluid, her hands glowing with a strange, violet energy.
"You're useless like this, Kael," she said, unleashing a wave of power that forced the Echoes back. "Fight, or you'll drag us all down."
Her words barely registered, my willpower too drained to care. But I couldn't give up—not yet. I focused on the faint ember of Mira's name, using it to anchor myself. I unleashed Sorrow's Echo, the mournful energy rippling outward, slowing the Echoes' movements. Then, with Blood Slash, I struck, cutting through one of the creatures. It dissolved into a puddle of blood, but the other two pressed their attack, their claws tearing into my already battered body.
Tını Points: +100
Vyrn and Syl fought beside me, their attacks more coordinated than mine. Vyrn's sword cleaved through the second Echo, while Syl's violet energy disintegrated the third. The chamber fell silent, the veins on the walls dimming.
Task Completed
Reward: Tını Points +250, System Insight Unlocked
Total Tını Points: 1385
The System Insight flashed in my mind:
Sacrifices are anomalies. The Tını System fears their resonance. They can destroy it—or become its core.
I understood now—I was a threat to the System, but it was breaking me to ensure I'd serve instead.
The System spoke again:
Warning: A new price paid. Physical endurance reduced.
My body felt like lead, my breaths shallow. I could barely stand, my vision darkening. Syl knelt beside me, her expression unreadable.
"You're the key, Kael," she said. "But you're running out of pieces to give."
Vyrn spat on the ground, his hatred palpable.
"You're a liability, Sacrifice," he said. "Next time, I won't save you."
A new portal opened, its pull dragging us in. The System's voice echoed:
"Tenth Floor: The First Betrayal awaits."