The top of the tower is, as it turns out, not really the tower''s original top. The broken remains of a rather intricate roof trussing and slate shingles suggest that the tower must have had a pretty nice roof at some time. Now it is in shambles though.


    The view from up here, at the very least, is pretty good. I can easily spot the creek winding its way through the forest in between hills, as I navigate the rubble to the other side of the roof. In fact the view from up here is better then the one I had from the top of that tree. It isn''t why I''m here though.


    A drop of sweat runs down the side of my face, as I look around and realize that the place would make for a very good nesting spot for big aerial predators in its current state. Belatedly I check the sky for any flying threats. Thankfully there are none.


    Before I reach the stairwell leading down, I stop once more. There is at least one nasty skeleton somewhere down there. I really shouldn''t go bumbling down there. Not just like that anyway.


    I swallow hard and reach for my sword only to get it stuck in the scabbard halfway through the motion of drawing it. I resist the urge to just tug on it at the last moment. Instead I reach for the scabbard with my other hand to steady it as I finally pull the sword free.


    How embarrassing. I look around once to make sure there is no one around to witness my less than stellar performance. A small songbird sitting high up in one of the nearby trees tilts its head, as I focus on it.


    “You didn''t see nothing! Am I clear?”


    “Tweet?”


    It takes off before I can press the issue. I have better things to do anyway than to fool around with the local wildlife.


    I take one more deep breath, slip past the last of the rubble with my sword drawn and start to descend the stairs. I make sure to move as quietly as I can too.


    It''s easier said than done. The lighting gets pretty bad quickly as I descend, partially because I block out most of the light from above myself in the narrow spiral staircase. And of course I have to worry about more than just bumping into things with my toes. I have to make sure that my sword doesn''t hit anything either.


    In the end it pays off though. I do not receive a level up notice, but I still feel like I somehow improved my [Stealth] skill a little.


    Never mind though. I let out the breath I''m holding, as I reach the topmost floor under the roof. This room too looks like a total mess, but at least there are no mortal remains strewn about, amidst what I assume to be broken furniture this time. I silently thank my divine patron for small mercies.


    Everything considered, this place might once have been a study of some sort. Some of the wooden detritus looks like it once belonged to a pretty nice chair, while other pieces appear to once have been part of a writing table of sorts. There are still remains of bookshelves along some of the walls too.


    After a little search, which does not earn me a notice about another increase of my [Spot] skill while it feels like it improved at least a little anyway, I even manage to find the sorry remains of some books.


    They aren''t the cheap paperback books I''m used to. No, not at all. They are heavy, oversized, leather bound monstrosities. At some point they probably looked pretty impressive. Now though, they appear to have been chewed up. By something big.


    I swallow hard. Maybe the same creature that smashed in the front door below? The decrepit skeleton might just not be the worst thing lurking here. Or maybe not? Whatever transpired in this place must have happened a long time ago. Well, I better be careful and keep my eyes open anyway.


    Was this a wizard''s tower? I''m not quite sure, but it seems within the realm of the possible. Yes, I really wouldn''t be surprised. No matter if I''m right or not though, one thing is certain. It''ll take some serious cleaning to make this place livable once more. A look around reassures me of another truth. I won''t be lacking firewood anytime soon either.


    Well, one room without anything ready to go for my throat in it is already a decent development, as far as I''m concerned. Lets see about the rest.


    I tighten the grip on my sword and steady my breathing. Then I return to the stairwell, to continue my silent descent.


    The next floor looks like it once was a curious mix of living room and possibly a bedroom. The furniture here is smashed as well, but some of it looks like it once was comfortably padded.


    I''m already about to descend further, towards the floor with the entrance, when bones mixed in among the wreckage catch my attention. Careful not to make a single sound by disturbing any of the broken furniture, and with my sword at the ready, I make my way over.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Stealth has leveled up to level 4!]


    Good. One step closer to the next level up. And my combat power might just improve a little too. Those are my first thoughts. I don''t let the divine whisper distract me any further though. I have to stay focused right now. I have to keep my guard up!


    I don''t use my [Identify] skill on the smashed up skeleton this time around. It lies face down in the broken remains of a padded chair and a rather sturdy desk. Well most of it anyway. I spot one of its arms, and parts of its robe, a little ways off under one of the arrow slits in the wall facing the open valley.


    This definitely is a wizard''s tower. And my best guess would be, that this was the wizard who lived here. His remains certainly look the part. For one there is the torn robe. And then there is the long but scraggy beard, or rather what is left of it.


    Whatever transpired here, the man never had a chance. No, he probably never even got up from his place at the table.


    I won''t give him a chance to get up now either. Instead I bring my sword down in a clumsy but powerful strike onto the back of the skeleton''s head.


    [*Ding!* Critical hit! Decrepit Skeleton''s Health reduced by 62!]


    [*Ding!* You have defeated a Decrepit Skeleton!]


    I blink, first once, then twice. Before I can even properly recover from this surprise, another message follows the first two.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Melee Weapons has leveled up to level 2!]


    Unlike the other divine whispers this one is expected. I won''t complain though. Apparently my caution has paid off.


    I let out a low chuckle and nudge the now really inert pile of bones with my right foot. Nothing else happens though. On one hand I''m glad. On the other I''m a little disappointed too. This is a little anticlimactic after all.


    I''m almost a little sorry for destroying this pile of bones with a critical hit. This way I can hardly guess at its actual health. A hit like that most certainly would have been enough to kill me too. Ah, well, maybe I can get some better information once I manage to level up the [Identify] skill some more? Maybe I can upgrade it eventually?


    Speaking of which. I pick up one of the bones and focus my attention on it to activate the mentioned skill. Once again I feel the mental drain that accompanies the expenditure of Mana.


    [Decrepit Bone (Bone, Common) – An old bone from a human skeleton. It can be used as an alchemical ingredient to brew potions when ground into a fine powder. Category: Alchemical Ingredient, Properties: ???, ???, ???, ???]


    No notice about a level up this time. Too bad. Never mind though. The information revealed is a little disturbing. I''m not quite sure how I should feel about this. Do I want to know which potions use human bones as an ingredient? Do I even want to hazard a guess?


    I drop the bone and disentangle the torn old robe the skeleton still wore from the pile of detritus at my feet to repeat the procedure. Once again a little of my Mana drains away as I use the [Identify] skill.


    [Torn, decrepit Robe (Linen, Common) – The sad, torn and tattered remains of a simple wizard''s robe. Maybe it can still be used as a dish cloth once you wash it? Category: Armor/Clothes, Defense: 1]


    Pretty much as expected. I drop the robe, or rather the rags again. I don''t want to burden myself with that thing. Not right now anyway. After all I have no need for something that amounts to a dirty dish cloth. I shudder. No, I don''t think that I''ll ever even use it as a dishcloth. Someone died wearing this thing. I shudder again. No thanks. If there still are any dishes worth washing to be found here I certainly won''t be drying them with this thing.


    After taking one last look around, and not finding anything else worth of note I return to the stairwell and descend another floor, again taking great care not to make my presence known. I''m not done exploring and clearing this place yet after all.


    The next floor is the one with the smashed in door. This one is comparatively devoid of debris and detritus. It isn''t really in a better state though. The single large room has apparently been used as a campsite. A large charred circle at the center hints at a fire place. This isn''t all either. A large graffiti of sorts is painted all over the wall opposite the smashed door.


    It looks weird. It isn''t exactly a picture. It doesn''t look like any letters I know either though. And the color is weird too. Oh. Oh no! Never mind. That rusty brown can only mean that this tag has been painted using blood. Lots of blood. That isn''t exactly a comforting discovery.


    I''m still left wondering. Does it have some deeper meaning? I decide to find out. Well, I''ll try anyway. I focus my attention on the gruesome picture and trigger my [Identify] skill. Once again some of my Mana drains away. It is not for naught though.


    [Orkish Tag (Blood, Common) – Crudely painted in the equally crude pictographs of the orcish language, using the blood of slain foes, this probably translates to something eloquent along the lines of “Kronk has been here! Piss off!”]


    This isn''t all either. I''m rewarded with several more divine whispers in quick order. The welcome clatter of dice is mixed in there too.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Identify has leveled up to level 5!]


    [*Ding!* Your class Scoundrel leveled up to level 7!]


    [*Clatter!* Your Health increased by 2!]


    [*Ding!* You have unlocked the Orukh (Language & Script) general skill at Level 1!]


    My Mana reserves refill too, which is a very welcome feeling. If only the dice were a little more in my favor!


    The new skill is a nice bonus as well. I scrunch up my face as I look at the pictographs, which essentially just were graffiti before, again. This time I don''t trigger the [Identify] skill though. Instead I try to make sense of it the old fashioned way. And indeed I''m able to puzzle together the implied meaning after a little while.


    My brows furrow a little further. I''m pretty sure that it doesn''t match the result from [Identify] exactly. Almost like the writer isn''t too familiar with their letters, or rather pictographs. It reads ''Kronk have be here!'' Instead of ''Kronk has been here''. Of that I''m pretty certain.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Orukh (Language & Script) has leveled up to level 2!]


    I grin, as I hear the divine whisper at the back of my mind, taking it as confirmation. Nice. Very nice!