[Floor Eleven]

  Life Butterfly: A butterfly who follows Anima and blood.

  ***

  Lodio made his way through the thick forest, his leather boots crushing the sticks.

  Metallic.

  His nostrils flared.

  Slumped against a bark was a woman with two arrows lodged in her eyes. A sword lying beside her. But her collar was still wrapped around her neck.

  Butterflies hovered over her body.

  What?

  Lodio stepped forward.

  Who would leave a collar?

  Crouching, his hand inched toward the woman’s collar.

  He stopped.

  Is it a trap?

  He did anyway.

  [Would you like to store [Viora’s Collar] in the [Inventory]?]

  “Yes.”

  The collar dissolved into a blue mist.

  Standing up, he stared at the canopy of leaves.

  Arrows… then they must be hiding somewhere.

  His heart thumped.

  I’ll find you and take your collar!

  [Hours (5/12)]

  Instead of finding the person, he has been collecting collars. This time, a man was pinned against a tree, his legs dangling uselessly. An arrow lodged in his forehead.

  Third one.

  Lodio chewed his cheek’s inside. Grabbing the man’s legs, he yanked him down.

  Thud!

  Birds flew away.

  He ripped off the collar and stored it in his inventory.

  Where are they?

  Looking over his shoulder, he stared at the trailing butterflies.

  Is it because of this?

  The pink aura flared.

  I can’t stop it… I’m too excited.

  Ragged breaths.

  He turned toward the butterflies.

  If that man found me by the butterflies, then…

  I need to mask my Intent.

  With a deep, holding inhale, he closed his eyes.

  “When the flowers bloom, the branches are filled with butterflies.”

  “A silent fluttering beneath the skies.”

  “One by one, their sunlit wings unfurled.”

  “To carry the beauty to the waiting world.”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Opening his eyes, their gaze landed on the green butterflies.

  One flutter, two flutters, three flutters, and they fluttered away.

  Slowly, his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

  An unspoken memory.

  Finally, Lodio followed the butterflies, his boots snapping the twigs. After a couple of moments, the butterflies circled around another corpse, but this time, it had no arrows. Instead, numerous slashes marked the corpse.

  Despite that, the wind played a tune.

  How many people are in this forest?

  A question that no one could answer.

  Lodio looked around: the proud trees, bushes, and the occasional birds that expanded their wings.

  These butterflies love blood… but follow me when I have my Intent out.

  A pause.

  Can I track someone’s Intent?

  He pondered.

  Father only taught me to flare my Intent.

  Sighing, he continued to walk through the forest.

  His skin's hair tingled.

  Whzzz!

  An arrow pierced through the bark, lodging into the bark behind it.

  Whzzz!

  Lodio continued to dodge, his teeth gritting. Pumping, pumping, pumping, his heart. One grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

  Shtick!

  Pinned against the bark, an arrow plunged deep into his gut, blood spilling on the ground. It drank it greedily. His vision swam.

  Silence.

  Birds chirped. Winds played a tune. Leaves rustled.

  A butterfly landed on his nose, its wings pressed together. Then it took off, fluttered to his wound, and its wings turned crimson. More came and huddled.

  Lodio’s head slumped forward, his eyes turning glassy.

  How?

  How?

  How?

  That word repeated in his head like a mantra.

  I masked my Intent!

  No butterflies tracked me…

  A wet cough.

  Open…

  [

  Name: Lodio Azhario

  Type: None

  [Tower Floor]

  - Current: 11

  - Goal: Steal collars for 0.25x multiplier or survive (5/12) hours.

  - A reminder: When the time ends, you will be teleported to the next floor.

  [Currency]

  - Gilds (?): 200

  - Gilds are the currency of the tower. Reaching

  [Inventory]

  - None

  [Teleport]

  - Available Floors (0):

  - Limitation: Teleport is nulled within zones of active conflict.

  [Shop]

  - Available Items:

  - Power Boosters:

  - Anima Booster (Low): Boosts your Anima by 25%. Lasts for five minutes. (Cost: ?100)

  - Woonberries (Low): Mass-produced Moonberries that may or may not increase your Anima. (Cost: ?200)

  - Food & Drinks:

  - Apple: A delicious apple. (Cost: ?5)

  - Bread: Fluffy. (?1)

  - Waterskin: Holds cold water. Not reusable nor keepable. (Cost: ?25)

  ]

  Blurringly, his eyes raked over the options before landing on the booster. His hand lifted and touched the option. The screen rippled.

  [

  Anima Booster (Low): Boosts your Anima by 25%. Lasts for five minutes. (Cost: ?100)

  ]

  Buy…

  In his hand, a glass vial materialized. It almost slipped off. He brought it toward his mouth and took a sip, his throat bobbing.

  Rapidly, the pink aura engulfed his body like an oil-drowned flame. It made his heart race. And the pain? The pain wasn’t there. Instead, he felt his blood rushing through his veins.

  Arrows whizzed through the air.

  Unpinning himself, he rolled out of the way; the arrow in his gut snapped, leaving the head. Lodio’s lips curled into a shaking grin. Blood squeezed between his teeth. Veins coiled around his body like wriggling worms.

  In front, huh?

  With a burst of speed, he dashed to the trees and bushes. More arrows whizzed by, but he dodged. Seconds passed; the arrows had stopped. Lodio whipped his around, trying to find them, but couldn’t. Too much green. Too many shadows. Too much of everything.

  No way? They’re waiting it out?

  Biting the inside of his cheek, he clenched his fists, knuckles turning white.

  Fine…

  Swallowing his pride, he ran away.

  It was a bitter pill.

  He ran.

  Ran.

  Ran.

  Ran.

  He collapsed.

  On the dirt ground, he panted, his eyes hooded. An ant scuttled across his vision. After this moment, he pushed himself up and sat. His muscles screamed.

  Placing his hand on the arrowhead, he pulled it out, and slowly, a green vine emerged. It stitched his bleeding wound together. In and out.

  I have to use my full powers…

  Blood welled on his chin before seeping into the greedy dirt.

  Intent is Anima… I need to learn more about Anima. Or else, I can’t face that archer or that beaked figure…

  A deep sigh.

  Eleventh floor… truly has powerful warriors.

  The bushes rustled.

  Lodio’s head snapped toward the rustling. His eyes widened.

  There it was: the beaked figure clad in black. Their cloak fluttered in the wind. The leather mask glinted under the masked sun.

  “I see you bought a booster…” Their voice was muffled behind the mask. “But you know nothing about Anima? I can see it… yes… so raw…” They stalked closer. “Yet, you’re here, gutted like an animal—“

  “How did you survive?” Lodio cut them off, his voice slow and heavy.

  A chuckle bubbled up behind their mask. “It’s a secret, Lodio.” They walked past before stopping.

  “H-how—“

  Thud!

  Under overwhelming pressure, his face smashed into the ground.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Lo-dee-oh, once you’re ripe… I will kill you…farewell.”

  The pressure lifted as soon as they left.