Ash Ascendant: Chapter 29

Hi all,

Here’s the final chapter for last week. 

Chapter 29

The seven cultivators stepped through the doorway. A circular platform stretched before them, surrounded by a seemingly bottomless void. Seven stone pillars rose from the platform's edge, each bearing deep grooves etched into the rough surface.

Ash studied the chamber, noting how the pillars formed a perfect heptagon—in the centre stood a raised dais—empty, with no obvious function. In front of them was a stone plinth with the instructions for the trial.

The group crowded around the plinth to read the inscription carved into its surface.

Seven must unite to reveal what's hidden. Each pillar requires the touch of one cultivator. When all seven connect, your path will open—but only the first to reach the door may proceed, with one companion of their choosing.

Zinnia shared a glance with Ash. They didn’t need to say anything. If one of them managed to win, they would choose the other to follow them. 

Ash frowned. How could they win when Maxie had the highest cultivation among them and was utterly ruthless? Ash was the most disadvantaged, having the lowest cultivation among the group. The trial couldn’t be that unfair, could it? Was there some trick that evened the odds?

Maxie turned to face the group. "We have no choice but to cooperate for now. Each person, take a pillar."

Ash approached the nearest pillar and placed a hand on it. Its surface felt cool beneath his fingertips.

"Everyone ready?" Maxie called.

They positioned themselves around the circle, each standing before a pillar. Ash glanced at Zinnia across the platform. Her face betrayed nothing, but he caught the slight tensing of her shoulders as she prepared herself.

As soon as all the cultivators touched the pillars, they activated. The effect was immediate and shocking—the stone seized his cultivation energy like a hungry parasite. He tried to pull away, but his hand remained fixed to the surface as if glued. Around the chamber, the others struggled similarly, their expressions shifting from surprise to alarm.

Ash felt his reserves draining rapidly. In less than a minute, his meridians emptied, the familiar weight of his energy receding until he felt a hollow sensation.

When the pillars finally released them, Ash staggered back, gasping. He reached for his mind palace, attempting to summon Blitz, but nothing happened. The connection remained intact, but his energy levels were too depleted to manifest his Pokemon. 

"The pillars have taken all our cultivation energy," Paul said. "An interesting way of evening the odds.”

Maxie attempted a technique, but nothing happened. "No cultivation energy at all. We're reduced to our physical capabilities alone."

As if responding to their realisation, the chamber transformed. The floor rumbled violently, sections rising and falling to create a complex, multilevel terrain between the pillars and the central area. Bridges of stone materialised, spanning gaps over the void below, while barriers erupted to block direct paths.

In the centre, a door appeared where the empty dais had been.

"It's clear what we must do," Zinnia said, eyeing the door.

"May the best cultivator win," Maxie said with a predatory smile.

As if his words had broken a spell, chaos erupted. Paul launched himself toward a stone bridge while the two Tower Association members darted in different directions, seeking advantageous positions in the newly formed arena.

The arena had become a three-dimensional maze. Platforms of varying heights offered multiple paths toward the centre, some obvious, others hidden. Sections of the floor rose and fell unpredictably, forcing them to adapt. What had been a simple circular platform moments before was now a shifting battlefield designed to challenge even the most agile competitor.

Ash tried to summon his steel board from his mind palace, but failed. He should have known it wouldn’t work, but it was worth a try.

Ahead, one of the Tower Association members—the bald man with a jagged scar across his scalp—had gained significant ground. He leapt from platform to platform, each movement bringing him closer to the centre.

Paul intercepted him, their collision sending both tumbling onto a lower platform. They grappled briefly before the scarred man gained the upper hand, hurling Paul aside.

Ash spotted an opportunity. While the others focused on the obvious paths, a narrow ledge ran beneath the main platforms, partially hidden in shadow. If he timed it right...

He dropped down, landing silently on the concealed path. The ledge was barely wide enough for his feet, requiring perfect balance as he edged forward. Above, the sounds of combat intensified—shouts, the thud of impacts, grunts of exertion.

The door came into view below him. Zinnia approached it from another angle, using a series of descending platforms that hadn't been visible from his starting position. Her movements were fluid and economical, betraying years of physical training.

"She's going to beat me to it," Ash muttered.

He had to move faster. Dropping to a crouch, he pushed off with all his strength, launching himself toward a platform directly above the door. His fingers caught the edge, muscles straining as he pulled himself up.

From this vantage point, he could see the entire battlefield. The scarred man and Maxie were locked in combat, their martial skills on full display despite the lack of cultivation techniques. He was guarding the other Tower Association member, a woman who lay unconscious on the platform.

The second Team Magma member was nowhere to be seen.

Movement flashed in his peripheral vision. Too late, Ash realised his mistake. The missing Team Magma member had been waiting in ambush. The man slammed into Ash from behind, driving him face-first into the stone.

"Nothing personal," the man grunted, pressing Ash's arm behind his back at a painful angle. "But Maxie needs that door."

Ash tried to summon his Steelium armour—nothing happened. Without cultivation energy, he couldn't access his liquid metal. He gritted his teeth and relied on Mustard's training instead. With a sudden twist, he broke the hold and slammed his elbow backwards, catching his attacker in the solar plexus.

The man doubled over, gasping for breath. Ash pressed his advantage, driving his knee into the Team Magma member's midsection. The man staggered backwards, his heels slipping over the platform's edge. His arms windmilled desperately for balance, but gravity won the battle. His scream faded as he plummeted into the darkness below.

Ash didn't waste a second. He sprang towards the central platform where the door stood. Zinnia had nearly reached it from another direction, leaping across a series of ascending stone blocks with remarkable agility. Paul had recovered and was closing in fast from the opposite side.

It would be close. Too close.

Ash pulled off his jacket mid-sprint and hurled it towards Paul. The fabric caught the purple-haired cultivator full in the face, momentarily blinding him. Paul stumbled, losing precious seconds as he tore the garment away.

That small delay was all Ash needed. He pushed his body to its limit, muscles burning from the effort. One final leap carried him to the stone dais, where he landed in a crouch, mere steps from the doorway.

Zinnia arrived half a second later, her chest heaving from exertion. Their eyes met briefly as Ash launched forward, his fingers closing around the door handle. 

A translucent barrier shot upward from the floor, expanding outward in a perfect dome that encompassed both Ash and the door. The barrier solidified with a noise like breaking glass.

Maxie reached the edge of the barrier moments later, his fist connecting with the invisible wall. The impact reversed onto him, sending him stumbling backwards. The Team Magma leader caught himself, his face contorting with fury.

"Impossible!" he spat, slamming his palm against the barrier again. "This should have been mine!"

The scarred man approached, looking unbothered by his defeat. Ash suspected that the Tower Association wasn't focused on winning the prize. Instead, their main concern was keeping it out of Maxie's reach. If it weren’t for their interference, Maxie would have likely won the race.

Paul stood with his arms crossed, accepting the outcome with better grace than Maxie, though his jaw tightened in obvious displeasure. "The rules were clear. Only the first to reach the door proceeds, with one companion of their choosing."

The chamber fell silent. Everyone stared at Ash, waiting for his decision. He glanced at Zinnia, her face taut with concentration as she eyed Maxie warily.

Maxie lunged forward without warning, his hand clamping around Zinnia's throat. She twisted in his grip but couldn't break free.

"Choose me," Maxie snarled, "or your friend suffers. Your mother, too, when I return to the surface."

Ash tensed, calculating his options. But there weren’t any good ones. If he chose Maxie, the man would turn on him as soon as he passed through the barrier. If he didn’t choose Zinnia, she would die. 

The scarred Tower Association representative sprang into action. His elbow slammed into Maxie's kidney, forcing the Team Magma leader to release Zinnia. She stumbled away, gasping.

"I choose Zinnia," Ash announced quickly.

Maxie's head snapped toward him. "You've made an enemy today."

"I’ve got plenty of those. What’s one more added to the list?" 

The barrier parted as Zinnia rushed forward, allowing her through while remaining solid to the others. She joined Ash before the open door, rubbing her throat.

"Thanks," she murmured. “The prize better be worth it, otherwise I pissed off Maxie for nothing.”

“You already pissed him off. Can’t get any worse,” Ash replied. "Ready?" 

"Born ready," Zinnia replied, straightening her shoulders. 

Ash opened the door, and they stepped through. A small chamber awaited them, the ceiling arching high overhead. At its centre stood a gold chest resting atop a raised dais, with a stone plinth nearby. Another door waited on the far side, firmly closed.

Zinnia strode toward the plinth. "Let's see what we're dealing with."

Ash joined her and read the inscription. 

The treasure goes to the winner of the trial. The door leading to the summit will open only after they have retrieved the item from the chest. The trial is over, so the time restriction has been removed.

"Well, that's straightforward," Zinnia said.

Ash nodded. "We should take some time to recover our cultivation before proceeding. We don't know what we're going to encounter next."

"How?" Zinnia gestured around the empty chamber. "There's nothing but some sparse, chaotic energy here."

"It's enough." Ash lowered himself to the floor. "I can restore enough cultivation to retrieve some potions from my mind palace."

Zinnia's eyes widened. "You can absorb this energy? How?"

"One of the trials." Ash crossed his legs, settling into a comfortable position. "It was either learn how to filter it quickly or turn into a raving lunatic"

Ash closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, feeling the chaotic energy swirling around them. It resisted his initial attempts to draw it in, burning like acid as it entered his meridians. He remembered the technique he'd developed during the fifth-floor trial. His Steelium Core responded, spinning rapidly to filter the harmful elements.

The energy transformed as it passed through the core, becoming usable cultivation energy. It flowed through his meridians, restoring a fraction of his reserves—just enough to access his mind palace. He retrieved several spirit potions and opened his eyes.

He handed some to Zinnia. "These should help."

She took them and settled into a meditative position. "Thanks."

They focused on cultivation, the chamber silent except for their steady breathing. Ash finished first because of his lower cultivation level.

Ash stood up and opened the chest. He looked inside, half expecting to see the Keystone that Zinnia said would be here. Instead, an orb rested on faded velvet lining. Swirling energy pulsed within its crystalline surface, shifting and reforming in hypnotic spirals. 

He picked it up, and power surged through his arm, raw and untamed. The orb contained an immense reservoir of chaotic energy.

“Not disappointed at all,” Ash murmured. Of all the treasures he could receive, finding a way to enhance his cultivation was the most precious.

Since he had already learned to convert the chaos energy into cultivation energy, it meant he was holding enough energy to propel him to the ninth stage of the Tempering Realm and beyond. It would still take some effort to fend off the debilitating effects of the chaotic energy, but it was worth it. The energy refined from it was especially potent.

The far door opened with a soft click.

Ash turned back to Zinnia, who remained in deep meditation. He settled against the wall to wait, thoughts turning to what might await them beyond the final door. Maxie would be furious after being denied the prize. The Team Magma leader struck Ash as the vengeful type who would hold a grudge indefinitely. He would need to prepare for their eventual confrontation when they left the Pillar.

An hour passed before Zinnia stirred. She stretched, rolling her shoulders to work out the stiffness from sitting so long on the floor.

She spotted the open chest. "Did you find the Keystone?"

Ash shook his head. "Only cultivation resources. Maybe it's waiting for us at the summit."

"No skin off my nose." Zinnia stood. "It's not what I'm here for anyway."

"The door's open." Ash nodded toward the exit. "Shall we?"

They exited through the door and ascended a spiral staircase. It opened into a spacious room.

Ash blinked, momentarily stunned by the unexpected sight. The room held floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of Floor Zero's landscape. Bookshelves lined the sections between windows, their shelves packed with leather-bound volumes. A desk occupied one corner, its surface neat and organised. Comfortable chairs surrounded a stone fireplace that showed no signs of recent use.

The chamber looked like someone's personal study.

The most striking feature stood at the room's centre—a raised circular platform. Its surface bore intricate decals depicting the same serpentine Pokemon carved on the Pillar's exterior. Above the platform, suspended in midair without visible support, hung a massive prismatic crystal that caught and refracted light in dazzling patterns.

"This isn't what I was expecting," Ash muttered.

"What were you expecting?" Zinnia asked.

"Something more grandiose, maybe."

Zinnia shrugged. "Who cares how it looks. Let's start investigating."

Ash approached the central platform, studying the hovering crystal. "Do you think that's the Keystone?"

"Who knows?" Zinnia joined him, neck craning upward. "But it's a little too big to carry around in our pocket."

A door on the far side caught their attention. It led to what appeared to be a balcony wrapping around the Pillar's summit.

"Let's take a look at the view," Ash suggested.

They stepped outside. Immediately, Ash noticed an intense light shining directly above them. Looking up, they saw the Pillar's peak glowing with blinding intensity, cutting through the floor’s perpetual gloom.

"Did we cause this?" Ash shielded his eyes. "What's the purpose of it?"

Zinnia walked to the balcony's edge and leaned over the railing. "Ash, take a look at this."

Ash joined her, following her gaze downward. His mouth fell open.

As far as he could see, masses of creatures converged on the Pillar from every direction. The eyeless humanoids moved in coordinated groups, while variant Pokemon of all types surged forward in a chaotic wave. The entire population of Floor Zero seemed drawn to the beacon like moths to flame.

At the Pillar's base, chaos engulfed the encampment. Cultivators ripped tents from the ground and scattered belongings as they fled from the approaching horde. They mounted flying Pokemon, their frantic shouts drowning beneath the shrieking mass of variant creatures surging towards them. 

A particularly massive flying variant—something that might once have been a Swellow before generations of mutation—swept through the fleeing crowd. Its hooked talons snatched up three cultivators at once, their limbs dangling helplessly as it carried them away.

Ash's throat constricted as he watched the slaughter unfold. His thoughts turned immediately to Erika. She had no Pokemon besides Zubat, no means of escape from that death trap below. 

He scanned the panicked masses for any glimpse of her. The alchemist had saved his life in the tunnels. Her variant Zubat might offer some protection, but against hundreds of creatures?

Ash's fingers curled into fists. That would have been his fate if they hadn't reached the summit—torn apart and scattered to the wind. And now it might be Erika's fate instead.

"At least that takes care of Team Magma," Zinnia said. “Maxie is unlikely to stick around and wait for us to leave the Pillar.”

"If we’re lucky, the bastard will die down there." Ash frowned. "But what are we going to do? Will we have to wade through that horde after we're finished here?"

"I don't know." Zinnia grabbed his shoulder. "Let's get back inside. I doubt the Pokemon can reach us here, but there's no need to test it."

They retreated to the safety of the chamber and began a systematic search of the room. The desk drew their attention. A large leather-bound ledger sat squarely in the centre, its cover emblazoned with the serpentine Pokemon.

Ash opened it to the first page. Zinnia leaned over his shoulder, her breath warm against his cheek as they read together.

The script identified the writer as "The Chronicler, Draconid Tribesman." The entry began:

In these pages, I record the truth of our world's final days, so that those who come after might understand. We Draconid people, guided by our patron Rayquaza, fought against the World Government's plans for invasion, but our battle was lost before it truly began.

Our world was dying. The World Government presented a solution—they had discovered another planet capable of supporting life. Their scientists claimed this new world was perfect, save for one problem: it was already inhabited.

The inhabitants were humans, like us, but they didn’t have Pokemon. They had developed technology instead—advanced machines to compensate for what nature had not given them. The World Government saw them as primitive, despite their achievements. These Earthlings had severely depleted their resources from overpopulation and poor governance. They were to be eliminated to make way for our survival. 

The Draconid Tribe stood against this plan. Rayquaza, the greatest of the dragon Pokemon, led our resistance. For years, we sabotaged their preparations. We believed we were winning.

Then came the day everything changed. A new weapon, developed in secret, struck Rayquaza from the sky. Our patron was dead. Without his guidance, our rebellion collapsed. We scattered, went into hiding. We watched as the massive ships launched into space, carrying soldiers and Pokemon trained for war. They called it 'Operation Salvation.' We called it genocide.

The invasion force never returned. Years passed with no communication. As our world's final resources dwindled, something unexpected occurred—reality itself began to fragment. 

—Elder Cormac.

Zinnia punched Ash's arm in her excitement. "Do you see that? The Draconid tribe fought to stop the World Government from invading Earth. This is my legacy."

Ash rubbed his arm. "Yes, they were amazing. Rayquaza must be the serpentine Pokemon we’ve seen everywhere."

“I knew it was a dragon-type Pokemon."

"I could have guessed that.” Ash rolled his eyes. "But why is it showing up everywhere in this tower? Was this Arceus' way of honouring its sacrifice?"

"Let's read on and find out."

"Hang on a moment," Ash said, running his finger across the text. "This Elder spoke about a fracturing. I always assumed both worlds ended due to some kind of calamity. But I'm beginning to suspect that Arceus caused it."

Zinnia shrugged. “Maybe. But even if that were the case, I think it was inevitable that either one or both worlds ended at some point; Arceus just accelerated the process to save more lives."

"That's an optimistic take on things."

They flipped to the next page and began reading the subsequent entry:

As we awoke in this strange new reality, we Draconids found ourselves in an unprecedented position of power. We were conscious, while others remained in suspended animation, waiting for the Towers' completion. 

Arceus created the Pillar as a precursor to the Tower and worked with the Draconid Tribe on its design. At first, Arceus envisioned the Tower as a series of challenges for humanity, where moving up a floor would lead to improved living conditions.

Yet something changed. Arceus scrapped its plans and transformed Floor One into a prison for the invaders. It sealed the floor, leaving the invaders trapped below as it continued to build the Tower. The Draconid Tribe were forced to migrate upward, to join the new society forming above. I was the only one to stay behind. 

When construction finished, Arceus awakened the sleeping humans, distributing them randomly across the floors—except those who participated in Operation Salvation. They remained here with their downed ships, sentenced to isolation. 

Arceus wasn't entirely without mercy—it left the Pillar as a path of redemption, a means to reconnect with the Tower proper when the time was right.

But catastrophe struck soon after Arceus vanished from the Tower. Two Arceus Fragments collided, and the resulting explosion transformed the once-habitable domain into a hellscape of fire and darkness. Many perished instantly, while others fought hard to adapt. I watched this all unfold from the safety of the Pillar, saddened by how far humanity had fallen.

I write this in my twilight years, hoping to pass our history onto a future generation.

May Rayquaza guide those who follow. —Elder Cormac.

Ash and Zinnia sat in silence, processing the implications of the entry. The revelation reframed their understanding of the Tower's history completely. The invasion of Earth, the retribution by Arceus, and the separation of Floor Zero from the rest of the Tower. 

"So, this is the first floor," Ash said. "Technically, I lived on the second floor all this time."

"Is that all you got from reading it?" Zinnia asked incredulously.

"Of course not. It explains why your ancestors were so confused about the map. Maybe over time, they forgot this floor existed."

"That's likely. What do you think it means that the Pillar is the means to rejoin the other floors?"

"I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the shiny beacon outside."

"Let's continue reading." But when she went to turn the page, she noticed something on her arm. "Where did this come from?"

On her arm was an image of Rayquaza, its serpentine form coiling around her wrist. Ash pulled up his sleeve and saw that he had the same mark. They tried to rub it off, but it didn't budge.

"It must be a tattoo," Zinnia said. "What do you think it means?"

Just as Ash was about to reply, a strong tremor shook the floor beneath them, nearly knocking them off their feet. The entire Tower trembled, sending books tumbling from shelves.

"What the hell?" Ash shouted over the rumbling.

They carefully made their way to the door leading to the balcony. When they reached the edge, they looked down to see an astonishing sight. The Rayquaza carving that had wrapped around the bottom of the Tower was now spiralling upwards, its stone form slithering around the structure as if it were alive.

"Did we do that?" Zinnia asked, gripping the railing.

"Get back inside," Ash said. "Whatever is going on, we don't want to be outside to witness it."

They scrambled back inside and huddled down as the shaking intensified. Soon, the stone Rayquaza reached the balcony and climbed onto the top, where the light beacon still shone brilliantly. They waited in breathless silence before feeling another jolt, this one even bigger than before.

A minute passed before Ash noticed the sky moving outside the windows.

"Are we flying?" he asked.

They rushed to the window, pressing their faces against the glass.

The landscape below was indeed growing smaller. The entire Pillar had detached from the ground and was rising steadily. 

"Where are we going?" Zinnia asked.

"Up, apparently."

As if in response to his words, the Pillar halted its vertical ascent, pivoting until it flew horizontally. The flight stabilised enough for Ash and Zinnia to venture back onto the balcony, where they clung to the railing as unwilling passengers on this unexpected journey.

Above them, the stone Rayquaza wrapped around the Pillar's apex, its massive form somehow propelling their flight. Wind whipped against their faces as they stared upward at the impossible sight.

"Should I summon my Salamence so we can get off this ride?" Zinnia shouted over the rushing air.

"Too dangerous," Ash called back. "We're flying too fast. Besides, I don't think we're in danger. This has something to do with rejoining the other floors."

Zinnia's face contorted in disbelief. "What does that even mean? Who would want to be connected to this place?"

"If the Arceus Fragments hadn't destroyed the environment, perhaps this place would have turned out differently."

After ten minutes of flight, they spotted their destination—the cylindrical opening they'd used to enter the floor. The Pillar slowed as it approached, aligning perfectly with the massive hole.

"Is it going to..." Zinnia trailed off, her question answered by another violent tremor.

The top of the Pillar extended upward, stretching into the hole above. Simultaneously, the structure elongated downward, spanning the distance to the ground below. The entire Pillar transformed before their eyes, reshaping itself into a connecting structure.

"I think we have our answer," Ash said, watching the metamorphosis unfold.

They returned inside once the rumbling ceased. The study-like chamber had vanished, replaced by a generic room similar to those they'd encountered on other floors. An elevator now occupied the far wall where bookshelves had stood.

Zinnia spun in a circle. "Are you seeing this?" 

"I am. The Pillar has transformed into a miniature Tower, connecting the first and second floors."

"Where did the study go?" Zinnia asked with dismay. "Those books belonged to my tribe. If I knew this would happen, I would have grabbed them immediately."

They approached the elevator and pressed the call button. Inside, they found seven buttons corresponding to the Pillar's floors. The seventh would presumably open onto what had previously been considered the first floor. As they studied the panel, another button materialised above the others, bearing Rayquaza's symbol.

"Is this what the tattoo is for?" Ash held up his arm, examining the dragon mark.

Zinnia reached out and pressed the Rayquaza button. The doors slid shut, and the elevator descended for over a minute before stopping. When they exited, they found themselves back in the study, but transformed. Solid walls had replaced the bookshelves and windows, encircling the room completely. Opposite them stood a counter with a glass display case behind it, its contents obscured.

Zinnia placed her hands on her hips. "I get the feeling that I’m being trolled.”

“Paranoid much?”

They approached the counter where a ledger lay open. The first page read:

The marks upon your skin serve as vessels for dragon-type energy. Seek out locations in the Tower where this energy occurs naturally. After you have absorbed enough energy into your tattoos, return here to exchange it for the items recorded in these pages. The offerings will only appear when you possess sufficient energy.

"Do you think they locked the books behind this?" Zinnia asked.

"Probably," Ash replied. "But who knows what other items it has? This is a nice bonus. I thought the treasure chest was the only reward I would get."

"Why does the Pillar need dragon-type energy?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's trying to revive Rayquaza."

"Don't even joke about that," Zinnia snapped.

"Well, there's no use speculating about it," Ash said, closing the ledger. "We'll find out in the future if we work hard enough. Maybe there is no reason for it."

"I suppose so,” Zinnia replied. “We can return here anytime to exchange for some rewards. Should we get out of here for now?"

Ash nodded. They returned to the elevator and pressed the button for the seventh floor. 

A muted bell announced their arrival. The doors slid open, and they crossed the chamber to the exit. When they opened it, it revealed the familiar environment of Ash’s old home. 

A crowd had gathered—hundreds of people packed the area. Officials in Tower Association uniforms stood at the front. Behind them were more cultivators and ordinary citizens. 

Administrator Wei approached with a second man. The newcomer wore a simple white robe emblazoned with the Tower emblem on the chest. Each step he took released waves of cultivation energy that pressed down on everyone nearby. The sheer weight of his aura forced Ash's knees to buckle, and he grabbed the elevator door to stay upright. Even Zinnia struggled to maintain her composure under the crushing pressure.

"An Overseer," Zinnia whispered. 

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Ash and Zinnia deal with the aftermath.

Thanks for reading.