Tower Climber (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 1) by Jakob Tanner (interesting books to read for teens .txt) 📗

The boy stepped out from the shadows. He walked calmly towards him. Tears filled Mr. Grimes’ vision as his whole body trembled with fear.

The boy then placed his foot on Mr. Grimes’ head, pushing it against the floor with his sole.

“Give me one good reason why you don’t deserve to die?”

The man sobbed. Snot leaked out from his hairy nostrils.

“But I’m feeling merciful today,” said the boy. “I won’t kill you on the condition that you promise me that you’ll never lay a hand or do anything harmful to any orphan in this residence again. Do you promise?”

“I promise,” wheezed Mr. Grimes.

The boy pressed his foot on Mr. Grimes’ head harder against the floor. The shards of the broken whiskey glass were cutting into his sweaty cheeks.

The boy pulled out a USB stick from his pocket. “I have a flash drive here you see and it made a replica of your computer desktop with all your files and folders, including the one you didn’t want others to know about. If you break your promise to me, the first thing that will happen is the authorities will receive a copy of this flash drive in the mail. Multiple orphans here have a copy of it. You’ll lose your job and go to jail, you hear?”

The man sobbed on the ground. “I’ve already promised. Please leave me be. This job is all I have.”

“Listen,” said the boy. “I won’t cut you any breaks next time, understand? You won’t just lose your job, you’ll lose your life as well. I get to you before they put you in prison. You won’t be able to escape.”

“I...understand...” sobbed the man on the floor.

The boy then took his foot off the man’s head.

He crouched down and looked the group home manager dead in the eyes.

“Not so useless any more, am I, Mr. Grimes?”

10

Max stepped into the hall, closing the door to Mr. Grimes’ office behind him.

He wanted to do more to the evil man, but he figured that would be enough. Plus, it wasn’t like he actually had a powerful ability to hurt Mr. Grimes with at the moment. Also, he now had Mr. Grimes under control. That was better than a new unknown slimeball who could take over.

He walked away from the office and paused in front of another door.

Sarah’s door.

He didn’t like goodbyes. Not since he was little. Growing up in an orphanage you got used to them though. You made a friend one day, then a nice couple would come in a few days later and adopt your newest friend. The friend would tell you they’d visit or write, but they never stuck to their word. Why would they? Who would want to remember being stuck in a home with a bunch of other desperate kids without parents?

Max gulped. He knocked on Sarah’s door.

She didn’t respond.

Max realized she might think it was Mr. Grimes outside her door.

“Sarah,” he said. “It’s me.”

The door opened, rapidly. Had she been standing behind the door the entire time?

The girl grabbed Max in a tight embrace.

“Max,” she sobbed. “I thought you were dead.”

She cried into his chest for a moment and then pulled away.

“Wait...” she said. “You’re standing up. You’re walking. What happened?”

Max told her the story as quickly as he could.

“Listen, I don’t have much time left before I have to go back,” he said. “We won’t be seeing each other again after this. So I wanted to say goodbye. I don’t think I would’ve been able to get through all these years with Mr. Grimes without you.”

Sarah sniffled. “Me too. What will I do here without you? Who will protect me from him?”

“I made sure he won’t harm anyone in here ever again,” Max said. He handed the flash drive over to her. “If he even thinks about it—which I highly doubt he will after my talk with him—you just let him know you have one of these flash drives and know how to contact me.”

“How will I contact you?”

“Right now,” said Max. “I’m not sure. The city has it pretty well set up that people in the tower-zone can’t communicate with those in the outer-rim and vice versa, but I’ll figure out a way. What I need you to do is promise me, you’ll look after everyone.”

She nodded her head, determinedly.

“I’m sad to say goodbye,” she said, her eyes tearing up again. “But I’m glad you’re one step closer to achieving your dream.”

“Thanks,” Max smiled. “And hey—I think I helped you get one step closer to yours as well. I have a pretty good feeling the Mr. Grimes we grew up with is no more.”

They hugged each other again and said goodbye for the final time.

Max hurried out the door and through the streets of the outer-rim.

He only had fifteen minutes left to get back to the secret tower-zone entrance Sakura had brought him to.

He picked up the pace as he walked through the city he once called home.

This was the last time he’d come here, he thought.

He wasn’t going to miss it.

The tower at the center of the city loomed large in the night sky.

It felt as if he was walking determinedly towards it.

A shadow flickered at his side.

The glint of steel emerged out of nowhere.

Max grabbed hold of the attacker’s arm.

“Agh,” screamed the attacker.

His face appeared beneath the streetlight.

It was Seth.

So the bully spent his free time mugging people in the streets, too, huh?

He had always wondered why Seth picked on him so much. What had he ever done? It was finally crystal clear to him. He picked on those weaker than him so he could feel strong. Stroke his demented ego. That was the reason. Simple as that.

Max wished he still had that powerful punch ability from the minotaur.

“Maxie—” Seth shivered recognizing him in shock.

Max twisted Seth’s arm and kneed him as hard as he could in the gut.

The boy collapsed to the ground.

He kicked him again in the stomach, just to make sure the bully didn’t run after him