Chapter 04 (Healer)

"There’s not much to say about my skill. I’m a heavy warrior, after all," Ruppert said bluntly. "I have Block, which makes it easier for me to deflect attacks with my shield, and that’s it."

"Does your armor or weapon provide any stats or abilities?" James asked, hoping to extract at least some useful information from the man.

"No, they don’t give me anything," Ruppert replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The armor has a minor bonus that makes it slightly more resistant to stabbing attacks, but that shouldn’t matter much."

James barely held back a scoff. Right. Because it’s not like most people will be wielding swords or that monsters’ teeth wouldn’t count as stabbing attacks. Clearly, no big deal. He eyed Ruppert’s gear with growing skepticism. How did this guy even choose his equipment? It certainly wasn’t for style—his bulky frame crushed any chance of that.

Before James could question further, Sara interjected, clearly unwilling to be left out of the conversation.
"I have a fireball skill that allows me to throw fireballs!" she announced, her tone carrying a self-important edge.

James blinked. A fireball skill that lets you throw fireballs? Incredible. What a revelation. I never would’ve figured that one out on my own. His disbelief was almost palpable.

"That’s not my only skill!" Sara added triumphantly, a victorious grin stretching across her face. "My wand gives me Fireball, too. Now I have two of them, which means my damage is much higher!"

James’ eyes widened. Wait. Wands give mages additional spells? That meant the options he had been presented with were only for healers. And this genius... managed to pick the exact same spell twice? Of all the wands available, she had somehow chosen the one that gave her nothing new at all.

Still, there was a chance that Fireball had a cooldown, in which case a second one might not be completely useless. Maybe.

"So," James said, eyeing her carefully, "does Fireball have a cooldown? And do you actually see two separate skills on your status screen?"

Sara scoffed, tossing her hair back. "No, Fireball doesn’t have a cooldown. That’s what makes it so effective. And obviously, I only have one skill listed."

James had to physically stop himself from laughing. So she completely wasted her first item. Brilliant. Truly, a masterclass in decision-making. He studied her arrogant smirk, wondering how she managed to maintain that expression with those ridiculous, overinflated lips. But at this point, he wasn’t even surprised.

Before they could argue further, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

Prepare

You will be sent to Floor Zero

A blinding white light engulfed James. The sensation was disorienting, weightless yet forceful, as if reality itself had unraveled for a brief moment. When the light faded, he found himself standing in a vast corridor.

It was ancient, stretching over eighty meters ahead of them. The ceiling loomed over ten meters high, while the walls—constructed from some kind of dark, metallic material—gave off an eerie, oppressive presence. But time had not left this place untouched.

Nature had begun to reclaim the ruins. Small trees sprouted from cracks in the floor, their roots forcing their way through the gaps. Vines, thick and lush, crept along the walls, winding their way toward the ceiling like fingers of green reclaiming what had been lost. A damp, earthy scent filled the air, mingling with the faint metallic tang of the structure itself.

James turned, but the corridor behind them had already sealed shut. There was no way back—only forward.
Before he could even process their next move, the mechanical voice returned.

You have arrived on Floor Zero

Kill monsters roaming the floor to earn experience

Kill monsters roaming the floor to earn credits

Find a way to the next floor

Shops and special rooms are placed on every floor

You have one year to reach Floor Fifty

Ah, here we go again, James thought, rolling his eyes. A year. An entire year trapped in this damn tower with these two. Reaching Floor Fifty under normal circumstances would likely already be a challenge—but with this "team"? It was going to be hell.

A more pressing concern crept into his mind. Does the tower have restaurants or something similar? Strangely, he didn’t feel any hunger. Not even a little. It had been hours since he last ate, yet his stomach remained silent. Did I... heal my hunger? That would certainly make survival easier—at least, on a personal level. He wouldn’t starve to death. Unfortunately, he still had to deal with his teammates.
His eyes flicked to the others. Ruppert and Sara stood frozen, staring at the corridor like awestruck tourists. Great. They’re already overwhelmed—and it’s just an empty hallway. James sighed and turned his attention elsewhere.

The corridor stretched high and wide, at least ten meters tall and twenty meters across. Dark, metallic walls loomed over them, ancient and foreboding, their surfaces marked by time. Nature had begun to reclaim this place—vines crawled up the walls, weaving through cracks, and small trees had rooted themselves in the stone. A faint, damp scent filled the air, the mingling of metal and earth creating an oddly unnatural atmosphere.

So, it’s just monsters on this floor? That didn’t seem right. The voice had said all humans would be placed here. So where are the others?

A far more disturbing thought hit him. Are humans worth more experience than monsters? If so, killing people might be the quickest way to level up. And humans—especially clueless, unsuspecting ones—were much easier to ambush than monsters. It wouldn’t take much for a heavy warrior to drive a blade into someone's back before they even knew what hit them.

Yeah... better keep an eye out for other groups.

James glanced back at Ruppert and Sara, who were still standing around like idiots. He turned and ran his hands along the walls, checking for hidden mechanisms or items buried under the plants. Nothing. The place was bare. With a shrug, he moved ahead, walking down the corridor. He had the only movement skill in the party—he should be the one scouting ahead.

Before he could round the first corner, a loud, grating voice echoed behind him.

"Hey! Get back here! We didn’t say you could go first. I’m the tank—I lead!" Ruppert bellowed.
James clenched his jaw. Fantastic. If anything was lurking nearby, they definitely knew we were coming now. No way in hell was he taking the lead anymore.

Ruppert and Sara strutted past him like they owned the place, their demeanor shifting from dumbfounded awe to self-important confidence. James fell in behind them, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
Five minutes later, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. Three towering pillars lined the room, stretching toward the ceiling like ancient sentinels. At the chamber’s center stood a warrior—heavily armored and easily over two meters tall. In his right hand, he gripped a massive battle axe, its edge gleaming under the dim light.

The man let out a low chuckle. "Thought I heard something from that direction." His deep voice carried a twisted amusement. "I only need to kill twenty of you new war slaves to wipe my record clean. Let’s get this over with, shall we?"

James' stomach turned. War slaves? Wipe his record? So, he wasn’t just some random enemy—he was a prisoner. Which meant humans weren’t the only ones on this floor.

The realization barely had time to settle before the warrior surged forward—faster than James had expected for someone in such heavy armor. The battle axe came down in a brutal arc, aimed directly at Ruppert’s head.

Ruppert froze. Too slow to dodge.

The axe crashed against his shield with a deafening clang. The sheer force sent his own shield slamming into his face. His body crumpled instantly, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut.

James wasn’t sure if Ruppert was dead—but judging by how limp he was, he wouldn’t be getting back up anytime soon.

A piercing screech filled the chamber. Sara panicked, hurling her wand to the ground before bolting toward a nearby corridor.

Wow. That’s it? James had expected her to at least try something. But hey—she left the wand behind. That was a win.

Moving quickly, he rushed over and scooped it up. He deliberately avoided using his movement skill—no need to reveal his ace until it was absolutely necessary.

Running blindly like Sara was stupid. He had an actual shot at killing this guy now. The Fireball spell could give him an advantage, and the pillars would provide cover against the warrior’s massive axe.
James gripped the wand tightly, checking how to activate the spell.

Firewand

- Mana Consumption reduced by 10%

- Mana Recovery increased by 10%

The passive abilities were a welcome bonus. In a prolonged fight, that extra mana efficiency could be the difference between survival and death. If things went south, it would also help with his escape—assuming the armored brute didn’t turn him into a smear on the floor first.

Fireball (Common)

A sphere of condensed flame erupts from the caster’s palm, roaring through the air like a miniature comet before exploding on impact. The searing heat chars flesh, ignites flammable surfaces, and leaves behind a lingering wave of smoke and embers.

James smirked. Yeah, that’ll do. He could probably use the wand to channel the spell, which would make casting easier. If that wasn’t the case, well… that would be hilarious. It would mean Sara had managed to pick a spell she couldn’t even use properly.

The warrior, however, had completely dismissed James as a threat. His focus remained on Sara, who was still fleeing blindly through the chamber. Typical. This was the moment James could have let her die—maybe even saved Ruppert in the process. But that wasn’t the smartest move.

Neither Ruppert nor Sara had landed a single attack. If James took this guy down alone, he would get all the experience and credits. That kind of boost early on could be game-changing. And now, with both the Firewand and the Rusty Dagger, there was no doubt—he needed to ditch this party and make his own way.
He lifted the Firewand, pointing it at the armored warrior. The moment he activated Fireball, a sphere of molten energy ignited at the tip of the wand, pulsing like a miniature sun. The orb swelled to the size of a football before launching forward with a crackling whoosh.

The impact was immediate. The fireball slammed into the warrior’s back, knocking him off his feet. His heavy armor absorbed most of the flames, preventing him from igniting, but it had definitely done some damage. So, no fire resistance. Good to know.

With a guttural growl, the warrior pushed himself up, his massive axe scraping against the ground as he rose. His helmeted head snapped toward James, and for the first time, his full attention was locked onto him.

"Oh, you’re gonna pay for that one." His voice dripped with venom, his words carrying as much contempt as humanly possible.

James only grinned. His mana had nearly recovered from that last attack, and he was already channeling another fireball.

His first real boss fight was about to begin.

<author note>

Okay thats it likely with the healer chapters for this week.

Have enough other stuff to do.

Hope you enjoyed the ride. Probably gonna continue with it in the coming days.

Ah also please share ideas for tower levels and general cool ideas

See ya

<author note>