Harvester of the Dead

By Michael Edwards

Carmen Lee has earned a great opportunity to have his ultimate desires achieved. All he has to do is clear 100 floors of the tower. With his unique necromancer skill, can he change his fate? Inspired by SOLO LEVELING. Harvester of the Dead

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Edwards
• Release date: Aug 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215316245

Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards was born in Brixton and left school at fifteen to become a cabinet maker’s apprentice. He has worked in the City, as a flour factor and cereals importer, a director of a food packing company, and as a legal archivist. He lives in Bournemouth with his wife Ann.

Book preview

HARVESTER OF THE DEAD

By Michael Edwards

Smashwords Edition

Story and characters copyrighted by Michael Edwards

The tower showed up out of nowhere. Like some godly sign of the end times. Everyone on Earth was scared of it. The tower brought with it signs as if from God that appeared wherever the beholder looked. It could not be ignored. It demanded to be read.

It said:

You have been chosen to participate in a series of trials. 100 floors of this tower must be cleared. If you succeed, Your fondest desires will be granted.

Religious zealots used that as propaganda to people of faith that this was the way to Godhood. Even old faiths began to return as people began to wonder if this Tower is where all the Gods lived or was it watched over by the Gods? They began to learn over the course of the years. Exploring the Tower, that Gods were bosses of certain floors. They were gods punished, passed down by he or she that was supreme. Certain glyphs were translated that depicted Adam as a betrayer who had a seditious and sexual relationship with Lilith.

He betrayed God and slew Eve. This was his punishment to steal power over humanity. There were other Gods over the centuries that committed treasonous acts and they were made floor bosses. Players, as they became known, made it only as far as the fifth floor. The first floor boss on the fifth floor was Ares and he was no slouch to combat. He was a Barbarian class with monstrous strength and vitality stats. No one had beaten him.

The tower used a video game-like system with classes such as Barbarian, Archer, Thief, Swordsman, and Priest. Priests were coveted for their healing abilities. Barbarians were a rare class and weren’t seen much. Barbarians were known for their vitality (health) and strength (attack and defense). Mostly those who traveled the floors were swordsmen, archers, thieves and priests.

I was chosen. Today, but I have no class. I expected to get at least a priest class. Because the system gave real to life benefits as story progression. Meaning one could be good looking and dangerous at the same time by leveling up. Or roguish and the eye of every woman. But I got none of that. I was left behind for being useless as the latest batch of players charged up the floors for glory and to have their fondest desires granted. They were fanned by the growing religion about the tower. The dead were revered as heroes that fought the good fight for God.

I…Carmen Lee, I am nothing. I tried keeping up with them. My fat body would not obey my commands. I panted for breath. I struggled with every step away from the starter area. I could hear the sounds of battle. Loud and in the distance. I was missing out. I was useless. I passed by a dead priest and thought he was lucky. Death could be better than this. Without warning, my body froze three feet from the corpse. A new message displayed. It said:

Player recognized as The Harvester of the Dead. Beginning assimilation of Priest stats and abilities.

W-what? I said.

A purple, sickly glow emerged from my body and it engulfed the priest. I could feel his power flow into me. His stats are being added to my own. Priests were known for their wisdom and magic power. I had both at my command. I knew how to cast the basic heal. I was able to run easier thanks to cumulative stats. When I got to the first floor, two swordsmen were dead. My ability activated again and I gained their stats and abilities to wield a sword. My body got leaner and I gained greater dexterity and wisdom which is what swordsmen were known for in the tower. I picked up the starter sword from the corpse and began slaying the enemies of the first floor