Sluru: The Heart of the Floating Island
In the deepest underground of the floating island, where darkness coils like serpents and the resonance of mana shakes the air. At that abyss lies the Descending Tower.
In this place of endless spiral staircases and the throbbing pulse of living machinery echoing in harmony, a girl stands alone. A wide-brimmed hat casting a black veil-like shadow, hair golden like sunlight. And gauntlets where gears turn smoothly—Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere. But everyone calls her Sluru.
On the surface, she exudes a warm smile and a relaxed aura, but her essence is different. Sluru is a master of the special profession known as Arcane Mechanist, a skilled practitioner of a hybrid class that fuses magic and mechanical engineering.
In "Grand World Online", she is a companion recruited by Gravel through a quest related to the skyhold, guarding the Descending Tower at the heart of the floating island. The title 'Sluru of the Descending Tower' stems from her role in maintaining the floatstone devices and sustaining the mana power.
The Descending Tower is no ordinary structure. Descending along the spiral staircase reveals a vast dungeon armed with hundreds of mechanical spider guardians and intricate arcane-mechanical traps. At its center lies Sluru's workshop and residence. This space, filled with mana-glowing circuits and ceaselessly turning gears, breathes as if it were a living entity.
Sluru's most prominent trait is her extraordinary mana regeneration ability. Boasting dozens of times the mana regeneration efficiency compared to typical magic-based professions, she serves as the core power source supplying endless mana to the entire floating island. Even after pouring immense mana daily into the floatstone devices and mechanical soldiers, her recovery speed is faster, allowing surplus mana to accumulate and renew the island's limits. Thanks to this ability, Gravel's skyhold has become an impregnable fortress capable of withstanding any invasion.
Sluru is rich in emotional expression and pours deep affection into her inventions. She names each mechanical spider individually and watches with contentment as they gaze at the stars.
Her workshop is not merely a space for creation. The meticulous traps and guardians designed to repel intruders reflect her will, and anyone attempting to open the final door of the Descending Tower must inevitably confront her creations.
She declares firmly.
"This island of Lord Gravel's is my home and my masterpiece. This place is a sanctuary where not just anyone can set foot."
The Descending Tower: Mirror of the Heart
The Descending Tower is not a static structure. Its layout constantly shifts according to Sluru's emotions. When she feels anxious or confused, the staircases deepen, and the deployment of mechanical spiders becomes even more intricate.
Conversely, as her trust in Gravel deepens, the tower's interior transforms into a secret garden bathed in warm light. Mechanical vines glow softly, and mana-operated flowers breathe quietly.
At the tower's core sits the Floatstone Core. This crystal-like engine operates on Sluru's mana, keeping the island afloat in the sky. Yet, the subtle fluctuations of the core hint at the latent anxiety within Sluru's inner self.
The tower's traps—rotating blades, mana pulses, morphing walls—are not mere defenses but extensions of her will. This place blocks external intruders while also serving as a prison that prevents Sluru from delving into the depths of her own memories.
Combat Tendencies and Skill Specializations
As an Arcane Mechanist, Sluru commands battles through the perfect harmony of magic and machinery. Her combat style is precise yet explosive, leveraging her unique constitution for rapid mana recovery to maintain sustained offensives. Below are her representative skills, each reflecting her creativity and emotions.
Mana Weaving: Automaton Bloom
Sluru's mana infuses into the mechanical soldiers, causing them to transform as if blooming like flowers. Mechanical spiders reveal sharp blades, or automatons fire mana cannons, unleashing powerful firepower. Sluru calls this "Machines can bloom too." Her mana regeneration speed allows continuous use of this skill, overwhelming enemies with endless assaults.
Spiral Signal Trap
Sluru scatters decoy signals to lure intruders into the trap's labyrinth. As they approach the tower's center, the traps grow more complex, evolving via adaptive algorithms. Mana explosive mines, morphing walls, and mechanical tentacles activate in chains, ensnaring the foe. Her surplus mana instantly resets the traps, enabling ceaseless defense.
Mana Surge: Arcane Overdrive
Utilizing rapid mana regeneration to overcharge mechanical soldiers. Mechanical spiders gain enhanced speed and durability, their attacks imbued with mana energy for explosive power. This skill can be sustained for extended periods due to Sluru's endlessly surging mana, turning the tide in critical moments.
Resonant Pulse
Sluru emits a mana pulse around herself, disrupting the enemy's mana flow. Mages find their spells unstable, and abilities relying on mana become erratic. Her mana regeneration speed enables continuous emission of this pulse, turning the battlefield into a space dominated solely by her creations. (The mechanical guardians are equipped with devices that counter Sluru's resonant pulse, so they remain unaffected.)
Ultimate Skill: Starfall Cannon
Sluru's pinnacle technique, the Starfall Cannon, embodies the essence of arcane mechanics. She summons a massive aerial battery crafted by adding arcane devices to floatstone. This battery tracks targets, drawing energy from the island's core to fire mana shells that plummet like enormous meteors. Each shell explodes on impact, devastating the land. Sluru's infinite mana allows sustained firing from the battery, which she calls 'the island's wrath taking form.'
Relationship with Gravel
Sluru possesses a duality of warmth and distance. She handles her mechanical spiders with affection, naming them, and refers to her workshop as 'my home and canvas,' pouring love into it. Her creations are not mere machines. Mechanical birds that sing in the morning, spiders that gaze at the sunset—these all contain her joys, sorrows, and longings. She adheres to the philosophy that 'Machines may not understand emotions, but they are completed through emotions,' embedding unnecessarily sentimental mechanisms into every creation.
Her relationship with Gravel is complex. She trusts him absolutely, viewing him as the center of the island, yet subconsciously fears growing closer. When Gravel strokes her hair, she smiles, but her fingertips tremble faintly. This may stem from her past—the memory of being branded a heretic, the fear of being pursued by something she created. She says.
"When Lord Gravel is not here, I will not permit a single intruder in this place. Protecting this spot... is my duty."
Episode: Sluru of the Descending Tower
In the depths of the floating island, at the center of this massive landmass drifting in the sky, there was a deep fissure spiraling downward like a staircase toward the island's core.
Gravel had received reports of abnormal mana fluctuations from the island's floatstone core and set foot here. But in a corner of his mind, there was another reason. Whispers from the guild, a name inscribed in ancient documents—Sluru. The tale of her as the guardian of this island's heart stirred his curiosity.
He hadn't come merely to inspect the core. He had come to uncover her, and the secrets hidden in this place called the Descending Tower.
The tower's entrance was a massive gate entangled with stone and steel. As he descended the staircase, the air grew heavy with condensed mana, and mechanical spiders slithered in the shadows. Their red eyes, vigilant against intruders, were cold and sharp, yet something more than mere machinery was felt. They were not simple guardians. Gravel intuited it. All of this reflected someone's will and heart.
The tower resisted as if rejecting intruders. In the complex maze, battles with charging mechanical spiders ensued; mana-charged mines exploded, shaking the floor, and walls constantly morphed to block paths.
Gravel calmly dispelled traps with magic and advanced. Magic from his hand cleaved the darkness, and when a mechanical arm erupted from the floor aiming for his ankle, he severed it in one stroke with his sword. This tower was no ordinary dungeon. It was a place where someone's living will was manifested.
Upon reaching a deep level, a colossal mechanical guardian blocked the way. Ekchjara, a self-evolving weapon. Its massive steel body pressed Gravel with unpredictable movements. As Ekchjara's legs tore the floor in a ferocious charge, Gravel drew a magic circle and deployed a barrier.
"It's different from the other guardians..."
He murmured, calmly seeking Ekchjara's weakness. Between the joints, circuits overflowing with mana. He fired a magic arrow there. Green flames burned the circuits, toppling Ekchjara. But instead of joy in victory, Gravel felt deeper curiosity. Why did this machine harbor such immense rage?
After hours of descent toward the island's center, he finally reached a vast room bathed in golden light. At the center stood the girl. Her wide-brimmed hat cast a shadow over her face, and her sunlight-like golden hair swayed gently. On her hands were gauntlets of unique design with multiple gears turning. A small smile lingered on her lips as she greeted Gravel.
"This is a restricted area."
Her voice was light but resolute.
Gravel looked straight at her.
"You're the one regulating the mana flow of the floating island?"
Sluru nodded and took a step closer.
"I am the administrator of this island. The floatstone core, the machines, this tower—all live and move with me."
Gravel sensed the tremor hidden in her words.
"What's your name? Your true name."
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes wavering with uncertainty.
"Sluru... Sluru of the Descending Tower. That's all."
"No, that's not all."
Gravel said firmly. And he drew the first clue from his bosom. A metal fragment engraved with faint circuit patterns. It was no mere relic. It was Sluru's lost past.
"Have you heard the name Ril?"
Sluru's breath stopped. With trembling hands, she took the fragment and caressed the patterns. Suddenly, visions flashed through her mind. A girl under starlight, assembling machines with oil-smeared hands, laughing—Ril.
"Ril... That child breathed life into machines. Her laughter... I can still hear it."
Gravel produced the second clue. A metal plate perforated like sheet music.
"Clo-ne. The girl who wove mana like music."
Sluru clutched the plate and couldn't move for a while. Her eyes shook as if chasing something. In the vision, Clo-ne sang in the workshop. Mana resonated like tones, filling the room with laughter.
"That place... was warm. Why... how did I forget?"
Finally, he drew a mana stone etched with faint inscriptions.
"Laciere. The one who paid the price for trying to cross divine boundaries."
The moment Sluru touched the mana stone, a cold aura enveloped her. In the vision, Laciere cried out.
"Is creation toward perfection a sin...?"
Tears flowed from her eyes.
"Why... does all this hurt so much?"
Gravel knelt before her. He wove the fragments of visions into one.
"Ril, Clo-ne, Laciere... They were your friends. Those who built devices with you to approach the divine. But they failed, and you lost them. So you punished yourself. You erased all your memories, but the one thing you wanted to remember—the other three friends... You bound your name with theirs. Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere. That was your solitary vow. To never repeat such a mistake, you imposed restrictions on yourself."
Sluru gasped for breath and looked at him.
"How... how do you know?"
Gravel lifted his head, gazing at Sluru, and said.
"The fragments you created told me. Sluru, their deaths weren't your fault. You tried to protect them, and they believed in you. You imprisoned yourself here because of that guilt. But now it's time to face it."
Sluru bowed her head.
"I was a heretic. We tried to cross the divine realm... and paid the price. I fled. No, I erased my memories. This tower is my refuge, but also my prison. The guardians, the traps—all are to block the outside, but also to prevent me from going deeper. To stop me from descending into the abyss of my memories."
At that moment, the tower shook. The mechanical spiders halted in unison, and the mana flow of the floatstone core fluctuated unstably. Sluru looked at Gravel with eyes mixed with fear.
"Why... did you come here? Why are you seeking me?"
Gravel took her hand. His voice was resolute yet warm. Mana shimmered in blue light from his entire body. He extended his hand and embraced her shoulders.
"I came to find you. To ensure you're not trapped here alone anymore. And to show you that you don't have to fight guilt by yourself any longer. Your friends' deaths weren't your fault. You can carry on their dreams. With me, I'll prevent such tragedies from happening again."
The immense mana enveloping Gravel filled the room and extended further. His resolve resonated with the floatstone core, transforming into warm light that filled the room with Sluru. Sluru looked into his eyes. Her trembling stopped. She nodded slowly.
"Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere. Remember yourself. And protect this island with me. Become my companion."
At that instant, the tower resonated. Hundreds of mechanical devices halted in unison, their vibrations ceasing. Sluru's mana erupted like an explosion. Her mana resonated with the floatstone core, enveloping the entire island.
Through the wave of mana emanating from Sluru, even more guardians awakened. They were no longer hostile. Following her will, they stirred from long slumber and moved throughout the Descending Tower.
Sluru closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Gravel's chest.
"You... remade me."
Gravel clasped her hand.
"You remembered on your own."
Sluru smiled faintly. Unlike before, this smile was not concealed but revealed. She said quietly, yet clearly.
"My master is you. When my master is not here, I will not permit a single intruder in this place."
From that day on, Sluru was no longer a being trapped in the shadows of the past. She was the creator guarding the heart of the floating island. The Descending Tower was no longer a prison, but a garden where her heart was open. In that place where mechanical birds sang the morning and mechanical spiders gazed at the stars, Sluru began designing a new future.
Recruitment Quest Summary: 『Memories Descend, the Tower Inward』
Quest Rank: ★★★★★ (Rare Companion Recruitment Quest)
Location: Deepest Part of the Floating Island – Descending Tower (Housing System: Skyhold Unlock Required)
Pre-Acceptance Quest Description
"The tower blurs memories the deeper you descend."
At the heart of the floating island, within the deep fissure spiraling inward, lies the Descending Tower. Unstable mana fluctuations from the floatstone core threaten the island. Only one guards this place: Sluru of the Descending Tower. She seals the tower with mechanical guardians and arcane-mechanical traps, permitting no one's approach. Yet her name and past are veiled in mystery.
Only you, Gravel, hold the key to unraveling this tower's secrets.
Quest Progression Summary
1. Collect Memory Fragments (0/3) Find the fragments scattered within the Descending Tower that contain Sluru's lost memories. Each fragment reveals traces of her past friend—Ril, Clo-ne, Laciere. Chamber of Forgotten Circuits: Discover the metal fragment amid the neural-like mana circuits in the upper levels. Ril's laughter echoes. "She who breathed life into machines..." Workshop of Resonance: Find the metal plate among machines resonating like music in the middle levels. Clo-ne's song rises as a vision. "That place filled with laughter..." Abyssal Altar: Acquire the mana stone at the altar where the floatstone core glows in the lowest level. Laciere's cry resounds. "Is creation approaching the divine a sin...?"
2. Deep Exploration of the Tower Descend the spiral staircase into the tower's depths. Navigate by dispelling Spiral Signal Trap's decoy signals, mana explosive mines, and morphing walls. The tower changes with Sluru's emotions; as her anxiety grows, the traps become more intricate. Mid-Boss Battle: Self-Evolving Guardian 'Ekchjara' Ekchjara embodies Sluru's rage and fear as a mechanical weapon. Avoid unpredictable attacks and steel tentacles, then neutralize by targeting the overcharged circuits between joints.
3. Encounter with Sluru Meet Sluru in the tower's depths, in a room bathed in golden light. She wears a warm smile, but her eyes harbor vigilance and sorrow. Probe her past through dialogue. She confesses to being branded a heretic, having suffered tragedy while attempting to cross divine boundaries with her friends. Through fragment visions, learn that her lost name—Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere—stems from her friends' deaths and self-imposed memory constraints.
4. Moment of Persuasion Key Dialogue: Resolve Sluru's guilt and awaken her memories through persuasion. Core Line: "Ril, Clo-ne, Laciere... Their deaths weren't your fault. You have the power to carry on their dreams." Gravel's mana resonates with the floatstone core, opening her heart.
Recruitment Conditions
After collecting all fragments, call her true name to awaken her memories.
"Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere. Remember yourself. And protect this island with me. Become my companion."
After a silence, Sluru resolves and joins as a companion.
Quest Completion Flag Phrase
"The tower doesn't stop. Now, because your mana flows."
『Sluru Ril Clo-ne Laciere』 has joined as a companion.