《Ascending the Five Towers》


 Vol. 1 - Ch. 1 - Dural Island

    "Why did he decide to go to that island?" the boatman wondered aloud as he shifted his body back and forth, rowing the oar.A small wooden boat moved swiftly along the tranquil surface of the sea.


    "If you''re going there, then you must be headed for the Tower of Trials, right? With your title and skills, you could''ve easily made a fortune as a mercenary or even been hired by a noble. Hell, depending on the country, you could''ve even become a knight. So, why?"


    (Why are you doing something so stupid?)


    Was what the boatman wanted to ask.


    He spoke in a familiar tone, which was strange given he''d met his passenger not a while ago.


    Ash Brave chuckled involuntarily and remarked,


    "You''re a very accommodating boatman. I thought it would be a quieter voyage." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unfortunately, I''ve spent most of my life at sea," the boatman replied. "The people I talk to feel like family to me."


    "Is this what you always talk about when you send them off?"


    "Yea. Well, they''re all so crazy they won''t even listen to me," the boatman said as he increased the force of his oar stroke, revealing numerous wrinkles etched into his blackened skin that seemed to deepen even more.


    "Have you never wanted to test yourself, old man?" Ash asked.


    The boatman''s face twisted bitterly.


    "What''s with that sudden question? Ever since my wife beat me up... 30 years ago, my position has been under her thumb. And an oversized one at that," he confessed.


    It was a part of his daily life that he didn''t wish to remember.


    "Don''t be like me, son. The beginning is the most important part."


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    Ash nodded and responded noncommittally.


    The boatman''s life situation appeared to be complicated, and while Ash was a bit intrigued, he decided not to pry further.


    "So, what''s your reason, son? Why are you going to the island?"


    "I want to test myself. That''s all."


    Ash replied, forming a fist with his right hand.


    The boatman stared into Ash''s eyes.


    They were dark, but shone with various hues, most likely due to the countless years of experience he''d amassed.


    "I have seen off many challengers. Many of them, knights or mercenaries.  Some were even well-known to me, and there were many who appeared stronger than you. But still, none has yet to pass God''s Challenge."


    "Well, then, I guess I''m first in line,"


    Ash said brazenly.


    The boatman blinked several times, his expression showing dismay and surprise.


    "You''re quite the confident one, aren''t you?"


    "Confident enough to travel all the way here."


    "You might die; you know?"


    "Everyone dies eventually. Still, that''s fine with me. At least I''ll get to lie on a soft bed after I complete God''s Challenge."


    Ash remarked, causing the boatman''s mouth to drop open in surprise.


    He appeared to have momentarily forgotten how to row an oar, and as the boat began to slow down, the boatman burst into hearty laughter.


    Ash wondered if he was being ridiculed for a moment, but apparently, that wasn''t the case.


    "Let me add to what I said earlier. I''ve seen many challengers in my life, but I''ve never encountered someone as foolish and straightforward as you. I''ll pray for your success."


    "Thank you. I''ll be hoping for your quick retirement as well, old man."


    "Then help me dig up some buried sea treasure or something. Haha."


    As they exchanged these light-hearted remarks, a massive shadow appeared in the distance.


    Ash slowly stood up, squinting his eyes while maintaining balance on top of the swaying boat.


    "Everyone that walks the same path as your son can''t help but admire that island."


    Perhaps due to his experience of sending off countless challengers to the island, the boatman could clearly sense the proximity even with his back turned.


    A massive island, teeming with nature, came into view.


    There, five towers stretched into the sky.


    "That''s Dural Island. The place where those who wish to challenge god gather."

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 2 - Meeting at the Beach

    "Thanks, old man."Ash told the boatman after jumping from the boat to the pier.


    Perhaps, not expecting to be thanked, the boatman blinked with a surprised look on his face, but soon his mouth relaxed into a smile.


    "Good luck, and be safe."


    "I will."


    They both extended their hands and shook firmly.


    Their hands were as craggy as rocks.


    The boatman seemed capable of overpowering an average man, but even he wasn''t able to come out on top against his wife.


    (In this world, one can never be certain about the strength of others.)


    While Ash pondered this, the boat returned to the open sea.


    No other islands were in sight.


    Crossing such a vast ocean in such a small boat seemed unimaginable by nature, yet strangely, there were no waves in the sea.


    (Could this also be attributed to Dural Island?)


    Ash didn''t know the answer, but regardless, it was an island under God''s patronage.


    It would be foolish to question anything here.


    "Well then, I suppose I should also be on my way." Ash said.


    He picked up the bag of goods he had set aside and turned around.


    The landing area was simple, consisting of only one pier.


    In addition, the pier was ragged, and the bottom could easily fall out if someone stepped on it.


    On the other side of the pier, there lay an unblemished white beach.


    Further in, a dense forest stretched out.


    The scenery resembled that of the tropics, but the temperature remained moderate.


    Humidity wasn''t too pronounced, and comfort was the prevailing sensation.


    This too, perhaps, was the work of God.


    It was convenient, but the climate issue still lingered.


    (Where am I supposed to go?) Ash pondered


    No one was there to greet him upon landing. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He had heard that a guide would be waiting on the island when he arrived, but it seemed that information was either inconveniently incorrect or deliberately misleading.


    Though, that hardly mattered right now.


    (Given the scale of the island, I''ll eventually stumble upon someone.)


    With that thought in mind, Ash scanned the area and easily spotted someone.


    A woman sat alone at the edge of the beach.


    "She doesn''t appear to be sunbathing. Just what is she doing?" Ash wondered.


    Regardless, he decided to approach her.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The woman sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the ocean.


    Her eyes bore a sense of melancholy, making her appear somewhat mature, though she and Ash were probably of similar age.


    She appeared to be about 20 years old, or perhaps even younger.


    She wore a light blue and white outfit, resembling a dress but designed for ease of movement.


    It appeared so lightweight that it seemed like it could flutter in the sky.


    Yet, something even more extraordinary than her clothing caught Ash''s attention.


    Her golden hair, tied back in a single knot, cascaded down to her waist.


    It shimmered more brilliantly than the white sand in the sunlight, possessing a sheen that seemed otherworldly.


    This was only the second time in Ash''s life that he had been so captivated by someone.


    As he indulged in his nostalgic feelings, the woman gave him a quizzical look.


    "You''re a new face."


    Ash, extending his hand, replied, "I just arrived. I''m Ash Brave. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    "I see."


    She responded with a brief acknowledgment and then returned her gaze to the ocean.


    Ash felt somewhat at a loss, unsure of what to do with his hand.


    "Given that you''re here, you should''ve seen me arrive just now." Ash remarked.


    "I''m sorry, but my eyes don''t see things I''m not interested in," she replied coldly.


    "That''s quite the convenient pair you''ve got there then."


    "It is. Thanks to them every day is a bliss."


    The girl said, running her fingers through her wind-tousled hair.


    Ash moved around to stand in front of her, bending down so that their eyes met.


    "At any rate, I''m glad you''re showing interest," Ash said.


    "Move aside. I can''t see the ocean," she replied, glaring at him.


    "I''m sorry, but I''d like to talk to you for a minute."


    "But I don''t want to talk to you." she retorted.


    "Like I said, I just got here. Can you please tell me where I should go from here on out?" Ash inquired.


    The girl stared at him, as if evaluating his worth.


    She eventually sighed with an indifferent expression on her face.


    "Didn''t you see a Milma?"


    "Milma?" Ash asked.


    "The Messengers of God. Those who support the challengers on this island."


    "No, I haven''t seen her. What does she look like?"


    After a moment''s pause, the girl stood up.


    "She has a cat-like tail, and her ears stick out like this."


    She said, bringing her hands above her head, shaping them like an animal''s ears for clarity.


    It was an easy to understand explanation, however, Ash couldn''t help but let out a laugh.


    "W-What are you laughing at?!"


    "I''m sorry. You just didn''t strike me as someone who would do something like that." Ash explained.


    She had given him the impression of not being very outgoing, yet she had suddenly stricken a cute pose.


    Ash felt somewhat terrible, however, he just hadn''t been able to hold himself from laughing.


    The girl glanced at her hands, which resembled a pair of cat ears, and quickly hid them behind her back.


    Her face turned bright red as she protested,


    "T-This... I only did this so that you could understand!"


    "I know. I apologize for laughing."


    Ash offered a sincere apology, but her mood didn''t seem to improve.


    She turned her face to the side and puffed out her cheeks just a little.


    Ash scratched his head, feeling at a loss for how to respond.


    However, just then, out of the corner of his eye, Ash noticed someone running from the pier.


    "Um, her ears look like this, right?"


    "If you''re going to harass me, I''m going to shove sand down your throat."


    "I''m sorry, but I''ll have to decline. Isn''t that person running over there, Milma?"


    Ash inquired, gesturing toward the approaching figure.


    The girl looked in the direction Ash was pointing with a pout and then threw away the sand she was holding with regret.


    The one running here was undoubtedly Milma.


    "Sorry for the delay, rookie!"


    Milma exclaimed loudly, just before stumbling and falling with a loud thud.


    "Whoa, she fell down."


    Ash remarked. Despite being a Messenger of God she seemed surprisingly down-to-earth.


    A relatable sensation washed over Ash.


    He got up, wanting to help her, and as he did the young girl also stood up.


    Ash figured she''d go with him, but to his surprise, the girl turned to face the other way.


    "Where are you going?" Ash asked.


    "I can''t see the beautiful ocean today, so I''m leaving," she replied and began to walk away.


    "If you ask Milma, she''ll tell you about most things." she added, offering some advice that, though blunt, seemed genuinely helpful.


    "Thank you, Cat Ears."


    "Lapis." she corrected Ash, stopping dead in her tracks and turning around to glare at him.


    "My name is Lapis Kia Balkish. It''s not, Cat Ears."


    With those words, she left.


    (Lapis, huh... Quite the intriguing one she is.)


    With that thought in mind, Ash headed over to help Milma.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 3 - The Five Towers

    "First, let me take you to the central plaza that functions as the challengers'' base of action."Milma said and began to walk away.


    Ash followed her into the jungle, where they found a paved road.


    The trees surrounding it had been strategically pruned to allow moderate sunlight to filter through, revealing that the island was better maintained than it appeared from the outside.


    Ash''s attention shifted to Milma, who walked a little ahead.


    Wrapped in a soft green maid outfit, the Milma had a petite body, yet she wasn''t lacking in the breast department.


    Her long hair, which was shaped into twin-tails swung gracefully, giving her a womanly appeal.


    Aside from her cat-like ears and tail, she appeared entirely human.


    Ash had encountered Beastmen during his travels around the world, and Milma appeared to be just that.


    "Um, it was Milma, right?"


    "That''s right. But that name is the name of the Tribe. It''s not my individual name. You are free to call me Uru." she replied with a smile.


    Ash found Uru to be quite friendly.


    "I''m Ash. I look forward to working with you from now on, Uru."


    "Likewise!"


    Uru responded, twitching her ears and wiggling her tail.


    After a brief moment of enjoyment, her eyes began to wander.


    She slowed her pace and lined up next to Ash, gazing up at him as if peering into his thoughts.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that thing on the beach..." Uru said.


    (She''s probably talking about her tripping.) Ash thought.


    "That was painful to watch," He said.


    "P-Please forget it..."


    "It was a pretty good spectacle to mark my arrival on the island," Ash mused.


    "Urgh..."


    Uru let out a big sigh, causing Ash to realize that he might have pushed the joke a bit too far.


    After sighing Uru continued, "From being late to welcome you, to everything else, today is just the worst..."


    "It couldn''t have been helped if you had something else going on." Ash reassured her.


    "No, it''s mostly because Uru''s inept."


    Uru added, looking uncomfortable as she proceeded with her story. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Actually, today''s lunch was so good that Uru had four helpings. The walnut jelly was especially excellent. Uru will have to ask Miss Iris to treat me again some time."


    Uru said, unable to stop the drool at the edge of her mouth.


    There was no more remorse in her eyes.


    "I see. Well I can''t blame you for being hungry."


    "Uru''s glad you''re an understanding rookie." Uru remarked with enthusiasm


    Despite her chatty demeanor, Ash didn''t find her unpleasant at all. It was probably due to her adorable ears and tail.


    "Well, thanks to you, I''ve already made an acquaintance."


    "Now that you mentioned it, you did talk to Miss Lapis."


    "I did. I went to ask her for directions. Do you know who she is?"


    "Of course. Uru''s a Milma after all."


    Uru proudly replied, puffing out her chest.


    Ash glanced at Uru, noticing that her breasts were even larger than he had initially thought.


    He wondered if this was another characteristic of the Milma, though he kept those thoughts to himself.


    Uru continued with her story, unaware of Ash''s musings.


    "However, Uru thinks that there isn''t a person on Dural Island that doesn''t know Miss Lapis."


    "Is she famous?"


    "Far more than you can imagine. It''s mainly because of her achievements, thought before I talk about that--"


    Uru coughed deliberately,


    "How much do you know about the Five Towers?"


    "Almost nothing."


    "Haha. Well not many people return from Dural Island, so Uru''s not surprised. Understood. Well then, let Uru briefly explain it to you,"


    Uru said, raising her index finger and striking a poised stance.


    "The God of Desires, Aitiel, created both Dural Island and the Five Towers, in an effort to know the limits of man and to satisfy man''s desires."


    This much was common knowledge throughout the world.


    "The five towers are divided into ''red,'' ''blue,'' ''green,'' ''white,'' and ''black,'' respectively. Everyone refers to them as the Red Tower, the Blue Tower and so on."


    Uru explained. The towers were visible even before landing on the island.


    The Red Tower appeared as a burning flame.


    The Blue Tower appeared as thick ice.


    The Green Tower appeared as a hale and hearty, great tree.


    The White Tower appeared as a clean light.


    The Black Tower appeared as jet-black darkness.


    Each one of them stretched infinitely into the heavens.


    "And if you conquer all five towers, you gain the right to challenge God. In the end, if you manage to defeat God, you--"


    "Will have your wish granted."


    "That''s right."


    This was a major reason why countless individuals aspired to visit Dural Island.


    Some sought wealth, while others aimed for honor.


    Few dreamed of eternal youth.


    With various desires in their hearts, they all set their sights on the heavens.


    "However, the path to reach that point is naturally arduous. The five towers, each comprising 100 floors, are teeming with numerous monsters, with a Lord guarding every tenth floor." Uru explained.


    Compared to the Towers of Trials scattered throughout various parts of the world, which consisted of a mere 30 floors, Ash was certain that the Towers of Dural Island were far more challenging.


    "Various folktales, ancient and modern, surround these towers. The world beyond is a realm of the unknown, probably based on a different world, and even the mightiest individuals will struggle to conquer it all. It''s a daunting task for anyone," Uru continued.


    As an unspoken tension began to permeate the conversation, Uru offered a smile to lighten the mood.


    "But don''t worry. By defeating the monsters inside the towers here on Dural Island, you can acquire amazing weapons, armor, and tools. There are many other means to aid you on this journey... Uru recommends you learn more about them through firsthand experience." She said, finishing her explanation on a high note.


    "You wrapped it up quite roughly at the end there." Ash mused.


    "U-Uru was trying not to be a nuisance!" Uru replied, trying to get her feelings across.


    Ash understood that he needed to follow Uru''s lead in this situation, as even if she explained everything in detail, he would most likely struggle to remember everything.


    "And that concludes my brief explanation of the Five Towers."


    "In short, I just need to kill monsters and climb the towers." Ash remarked.


    "Yes, but aren''t you the one wrapping up way too roughly now?!"


    Uru said a bit teasingly, with a slight chuckle.


    (In the end I just need to kill monsters and push through. The same as I did to conquer every single of the other Towers of Trials spread throughout the world.)


    "Now that you know about the towers, let''s go back to our original topic." Uru suggested.


    "The thing about how amazing Lapis is, right?"


    "Yes," Uru nodded. "It has been almost 200 years since the God''s Challenge began. No tower has yet been fully ascended... Now, a sudden question! What is currently the highest floor that the survivors have ascended?" she asked


    "That was really sudden."


    "Fufufu."


    Uru chuckled, while turning around to look at Ash and continuing to walk with a backward stride.


    She was all smiles and her tail flicked playfully.


    Ash couldn''t help but join in the fun.


    "How many challengers are there on Dural Island right now?"


    "Asking for hints from the get-go. You''re a clever one."


    "It''s more fun if I come up with a good prediction, no?"


    "You''ve got a point. There are 318, including you Sir Ash."


    (That''s more than I expected, but still not that much considering they come from all over the world.)


    "The 92nd floor."


    Ash guessed, saying the first number that popped into his head, completely disregarding the hint, that didn''t prove to be of much use after all.


    "Boo. Wrong answer! The answer is the 79th floor."


    "What? They''re still in the 70s?"


    "That''s where things really start to get tough," Uru explained.


    (It''s been 200 years already. I thought we''d be nearing the top by now, but apparently the road to the summit is steeper than I expected. I''m getting excited.)


    "And there are only 10 people that have made it past the 70th floor."


    "I''m guessing Lapis is one of them."


    "That''s right. You''re quick to catch on."


    Given that Uru had been singing her praises, Ash assumed that Lapis would be a strong individual, but he''d never imagined that she''d be one of the top ten out of over 300 challengers. She was way more impressive than what he''d imagined.


    "Plus, you already know how she looks. It''s no wonder people are curious about her." Uru added.


    Ash couldn''t deny it. Even he had been entranced for a moment by her.


    If this had been anywhere else, she would''ve already been married into the royal or some other noble family.


    Her beauty was just that captivating.


    Suddenly, Uru threw an unexpected statement at Ash, "Despite this though, she is a loner."


    Ash was taken aback, but could believe it given he''d experienced Lapis'' sharp attitude firsthand.


    "The higher you climb, the stronger the monsters become. Naturally, your life is in constant danger. Most people ascend with a team, but for some reason, Miss Lapis continues to ascend all alone, and lonely."


    (Was the word lonely really needed there?)


    "Still, given she''s amongst the top ranked individuals must mean she''s strong, right?"


    "That''s right. It''s also why she stands out even more." Uru replied.


    Ash tried to picture Lapis in his mind, but he still couldn''t imagine her as that strong.


    He wondered how someone with such a thin body could fight.


    (I''d love to see her fight at least once.)


    "Whoa, we''ve gotten quite far while talking."


    Uru said suddenly, rushing ahead with eager steps.


    Her ears and tail wagged happily excited to reach the place up ahead.


    "The central plaza should appear any time now."

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 4 - Central Plaza

    Ash blinked involuntarily."This is the central plaza." Uru said.


    The scene before Ash was not something one would have expected to see inside of a forest.


    The best way to describe it would be to say that it was akin to a main street of a prosperous country.


    The wooden buildings were neatly lined up along the cobblestone pavement, laid out in a square pattern.


    In the center of the plaza, a fountain was splashing water, cooling the entire plaza.


    The whole area was colored with people and Milmas all walking around.


    While most of the Milmas were dressed similarly to Uru, the human outfits were wildly diverse, ranging from light to heavy.


    "It''s beyond what I imagined."


    "Right?! Everyone who comes here for the first time is as surprised as you are, Sir Ash!"


    Ash had thought that Dural Island was filled with a coarse atmosphere fostered by the challengers who had come to ascend the tower.


    However, he''d ended up being greeted with such a beautiful sight.


    His amazement was understandable.


    "Is this also God''s doing?"


    "He created the environment, however, it was us, the Milmas, that built the buildings."


    "That''s amazing."


    "Ehehe." Uru giggled.


    After her face was beginning to turn red from the compliment, Uru suddenly exclaimed, saying, "I almost forgot!", and began rummaging through the pouch on her hip.


    "I forgot to give you this."


    Uru said, handing over a frog the size of a fist.


    Its skin was mixed with green and purple.


    It had unusually large eyes and mouth, while its limbs were short.


    "That''s a very dumb-looking frog," Ash remarked.


    "It''s called a Gamal. It''s a purse that we use on Dural Island."


    "This thing is a purse? You''ve got some strange tastes here."


    "Really? Uru thinks it''s quite cute!"


    Uru handed over the Gamal to Ash, who was looking at her judgingly.


    Even looking at it up close, Ash couldn''t find it cute at all.


    "Do I really have to use this?"


    "Well you don''t necessarily have to, but the monsters in the towers drop plenty of gems that are used as currency on Dural Island. You''d find it hard to manage without a Gamal''s stomach."


    "Guess I have no choice then."


    Ash said, reluctantly accepting the Gamal.


    Contrary to its glossy skin, it wasn''t slippery at all.


    It was quite smooth and pleasant to the touch.


    When Ash flipped the Gamal over, he was met with its big belly.


    He then pressed it lightly with his thumb.


    "Gwa!"


    The Gamal made a weeping-like sound before opening its big mouth.


    Ash was left dumbstruck by the sudden development.


    "How it works is that you say the amount of money you wish to withdraw while pressing its stomach and it will appear."


    "That''s quite novel." Ash noted.


    Perhaps because he did not specify an amount, the Gamal closed its mouth on its own.


    It then squeezed out, falling to the ground, and with a jump it attached itself to Ash''s hips.


    Before Ash could figure out what had happened, the Gamal had already disappeared.


    "When not in use it attaches itself to its master and becomes invisible. Also, when inside the towers, if it happens to spot Duri, it will move on its own to eat them. It''s quite useful. There isn''t a challenger that doesn''t use one." Uru explained.


    Everyone using it was a testament to its usefulness.


    As time went on Ash thought that he might eventually get used to its appearance.


    Even then, he firmly doubted that he would find it cute the way Uru did.


    "Say, can I go to the tower now?" Ash asked.


    Ever since he had come to Dural Island, he had been curious about it.


    In fact, he was itching to go up immediately.


    "Sure, however, Uru suggests that you wait until tomorrow. Doing so you''ll have time to get used to the central plaza. Furthermore, if you go up and then come back without having found a place to stay you''ll be in trouble."


    Ash was used to staying in the wild, but that always left him exhausted the next day.


    If he wanted to ascend the tower at his best, he wanted to avoid that if possible.


    "Well I don''t want to hinder myself in any way, so I guess I''ll have to follow your advice."


    "Good choice!"


    "Guess I''ll go and try to find an inn then."


    There were about 20 stores facing the central plaza


    On their opposite sides there were enough buildings that an alleyway formed.


    There were approximately 300 challengers.


    Furthermore, Uru had also told Ash that it would be better to find a play to stay.


    This all meant that there were probably quite a few inns.


    "The place known as Blain''s Perch is cheap and good for newcomers."


    "I''ll go with it then."


    "You sure were quick to make the call."


    "I don''t want to waste any energy looking for a place to stay."


    Ash had decided he''d go to the tower tomorrow.


    As such he wanted to go to bed early today to prepare.


    "In that case we''ll visit Blain''s place later. Let me first show you around the central plaza. Huh?"


    Uru, who was about to start running, stopped dead in her tracks.


    Her ears twitched as she looked toward the distance.


    "U-Uru''s sorry. Master Venus is summoning me." Uru apologized.


    However, it didn''t seem like anyone nearby had spoken to her.


    Nonetheless, the Milma weren''t known as the Messenger of God for nothing.


    They probably had a means of communicating with someone far away.


    "Who''s Venus?"


    "The Chief Milma. You can view them as the supervisor of Dural Island."


    Maybe it was because Ash had seen the naive Uru earlier, but when he heard the word Chief, he didn''t picture a very impressive figure.


    "B-But what should Uru do... Uru still has to guide Sir Ash..."


    "You don''t need to worry about me. I''ve got the general stuff. I can manage the rest on my own."


    "Hmmm. In that case Uru will take your word for it." Uru replied.


    Despite this, she still seemed quite concerned and somewhat downcast.


    Nonetheless, after exhaling she looked up with her usual cheerful smile.


    After which she raised her hands to her chest and turned both of her palms towards Ash.


    "What with the pose?"


    "It''s a parting ritual that the Milma only show those they''ve taken a liking to."


    "We just met, you know?"


    "You went along with Uru''s mood swings without even complaining once!"


    Ash never believed that simply talking naturally with someone would cause him to be liked so much.


    "You must have it hard." Ash said.


    "Don''t look at me with that pitiful look! Uru has all of the other Milma! Uru''s not lonely at all!"


    Uru exclaimed, protesting desperately. Seeing that, Ash placed his palms against Uru''s.


    "Is this okay?"


    "Yes!"


    Uru replied with a cheerful smile and squeezed Ash''s hands.


    (Is this also a part of the gesture?) Ash wondered.


    Ash could feel the tips of her fingers as she repeatedly squeezed his hands.


    Each time she squeezed he vividly felt the texture of her smooth skin.


    "It''s more rugged than Uru thought it would be." Uru said.


    "It''s rugged enough for me to come here. And weren''t you in a hurry?"


    "That''s right!"


    It seemed Uru had genuinely forgotten.


    She squeezed Ash''s hands one last time before letting go.


    "Well then, see you soon Sir Ash!"


    "See you."


    As Ash said, Uru rushed out in a hurry.


    But then, after a short while, she turned around and waved her hands in the air while jumping up and down. She was really friendly even though they had just met.


    Thanks to her, Ash''s tour had been quite enjoyable.


    (I should thank her somehow next time.)


    Ash thought as he watched Uru''s back.


    "It''s quite rare to see someone getting along so well with the Milma on their first day here. You must be quite good with the ladies, rookie."


    A voice suddenly called out to Ash from the side.


    "I didn''t hear anything about this being an island for picking up women, though."


    As Ash answered, he turned his gaze toward the voice. There he saw a smiling man.


    At first glance the man appeared young, however, a close inspection of the skin around his neck revealed that he was probably in his 30s. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He had a neat face and short, silky hair.


    He had an air of being an heir of a wealthy household.


    "Oh my, what a natural, yet spontaneous encounter this is."


    "Is the hand that''s been on my ass for some time now also spontaneous?"


    "Oh my, it seems I''ve been found out."


    "Anyone will find out if you squeeze their ass!" Ash said, however, it seemed like that man had no intention of removing his hand. "Do you swing that way?" Ash asked.


    "To be honest, I''d say I swing more towards bottoms rather than anything else."


    "That still doesn''t answer my question."


    "Well then, I suggest you add my answer to your check-list for the future."


    (What an odd person.)


    As Ash thought that, the man in front of him put out his hand.


    "My name is Leo Grant. What is yours?"


    "It''s Ash Brave."


    Ash said, shaking Leo''s hand after a moment of hesitation.


    "Why do I feel like I''ve met you before, Ash?"


    "If this had been a normal first meeting then we might have even become best friends, Leo."


    "But I already think of you as my best friend."


    Leo said, reaching his hand for Ash''s bottom once more, but this time Ash managed to skillfully push it away.


    Ash then spoke while looking at Leo''s reddened hand.


    "So then, what''s your aim by striking up a conversation with a rookie?"


    "I saw your fine bottom and thought I had to reach out."


    "Can I go now?" Ash asked.


    "Wait, wait. I was only half joking."


    It was somewhat graceful of Leo to confess only half of what he did.


    The fact that the conversation had come this far was nothing short of appalling.


    "I was wondering if we could grab a juice and chat a little," Leo suggested, shifting his attention to a snack store on the corner of the square.


    In front of it, several chairs and tables spilled onto the street, where several people were currently engaged in conversations and enjoying their meals.


    Since morning, Ash had hardly eaten anything, and he was actually quite thirsty.


    Although having Leo with him seemed dangerous, he really wanted to go.


    But there was one problem.


    Ash pushed the stomach of the Gamal, and showed Leo that nothing would come out of its mouth.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t have any money."


    "It''s my treat of course!" Leo assured.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 5 - A Challengers True Strength

    "You like to sit facing one another, huh." Leo remarked."I never know what you''d do to me if I sat next to you." Ash replied.


    "It seems I''ve flopped my first impression then."


    Leo said, but despite calling it a failure, he didn''t appear depressed at all.


    Rather, he was smiling.


    Ash couldn''t fathom what he was thinking.


    A Milma brought their order, saying, "I''ve brought your order. Here is the Walnut Juice and ale."


    Ash stared at the white juice in front of him and then at the bubbling yellow beverage in the background.


    "The sun hasn''t even set yet. Aren''t you starting way too early?" he remarked.


    "Everyone''s desperately climbing the towers right now. Which in turn makes it the perfect time for a drink. Ahhh... This is the best. Now this is what being alive is like." Leo said, promptly drinking his ale, which left him with a fine white mustache.


    Contrary to his rough speech, he didn''t seem all too bad.


    "You''re a cool guy, Leo." Ash said, sipping his Walnut Juice.


    Because Uru had praised the Walnut Jelly so much, Ash had gotten curious and ended up ordering the Walnut Juice. However, it was too sweet for his tastes.


    And it had some small piece inside of it which released sweet juices when he chewed them.


    It was an unusual drink but not unpleasant.


    However, it would be better if he viewed it as a dessert rather than a drink from now on.


    With this in mind, he put down his glass, which is when Leo spoke to him.


    "So, why did you come here?" Leo asked.


    "Isn''t that obvious. There''s only one thing to do here."


    Leo wiped his white beard and responded calmly, "So you''re aiming for the top too?"


    "What else is there?" Ash responded with a question.


    "You''re right, but still, everyone has different goals and wishes they want fulfilled."


    Leo was referring to the wishes that one could have granted upon completing the God''s Challenge. Ash swallowed the remaining pieces in his drink and spoke,


    "Wish huh... I haven''t thought about it."


    "So it''s a secret?"


    "No. I''m just here to test my strength."


    "You''re a young man alright. I have to say, I quite like that."


    Leo nodded in admiration and took another sip of ale, which was already more than half gone.


    "And you''re an old man alright."


    "Hey, that''s rude. I often get told that I look quite young, you know!" Leo commented.


    His face appeared ageless and could easily deceive anyone who approached him about his true age.


    "That aside. Are you thinking about it? The wish you''ll ask of the gods?"


    "Actually, I''m just like you, Ash. I don''t really care about the wish. I came to Dural Island for a fresh start."


    "And your fresh start involves chasing after men''s asses? You sure that''s okay?"


    "I do find it regrettable, but it''s one of the pillars of who I am. It''s a part that can''t change."


    After this light-hearted exchange, Leo gazed into the distance as if reminiscing about the past.


    "A lot of things happened in my past. I came here to run away." he admitted, forcing a stiff smile.


    It became evident that the situation was more complex than initially assumed.


    "Do you regret it?" Ash asked.


    "No. I grew to understand that it all happened for a reason. And this place is quite pleasant to live in, so it all turned out well."


    "Haha, I knew you and I could become best friends." Ash remarked, refraining from prying further.


    Perhaps because he had glimpsed at Leo''s human side, Ash didn''t reject this so-called best friend, as much as when they first met.


    "Oh, but don''t get me wrong, people like me are only a small handful. Everyone who comes here is really committed to climbing the towers."


    "And yet none of the towers have been ascended."


    At that moment, the air around them shifted.


    Not realizing this Ash continued, "Are they really doing their best?"


    "You''re right about saying that Ash, but you should''ve picked the right place to say it." Leo replied, his expression unchanged.


    Simultaneously, half of the table, including the Walnut Juice, was cast in shadow.


    "Hey, brat! Who do you think you are, looking down on us like that?!"


    A deep, gruff voice came from right behind Ash.


    Startled, Ash stood up and turned around to find a large man wearing a bandana standing behind him.


    The man exuded an aura of roughness.


    He was glaring at Ash, his anger about to explode.


    The corners of Ash''s mouth lifted up slightly and he spoke, "Judging by how angry you are, I must''ve hit the mark."


    "You know nothing, you damn rookie!"


    The big man unleashed his fist, swinging it mercilessly.


    His fist was as substantial as his massive frame, making him a formidable presence.


    Ash didn''t back down; instead, he caught the big man''s fist with his right palm.


    The tremendous impact almost sent his arm flying, but Ash gritted his teeth and stood his ground.


    As Ash felt the wind of the impact on his face, the man drew his face closer.


    "It seems you aren''t here on a field trip," he said.


    "Does that mean that you''re here on one?"


    The two men glared at one another aggressively, their bodies trembling.


    "That just now was nothing more than a greeting."


    The big man mumbled as he pulled his fist back and prepared to strike again.


    "This one''s going to be serious!"


    "Stop right there!" S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A voice echoed. Although it was quiet, it easily cut through the air.


    Immediately afterward, the big man''s fist froze in place.


    The voice belonged to a Milma who was standing nearby.


    She appeared to be one of the workers in the establishment.


    She was dressed like the other wait staff with a headdress and a blue maid outfit.


    "This is a place where one comes to eat, not pick a fight. Any more and I will get angry."


    She warned, raising her shapely eyebrows.


    Her presence was nothing to scoff at.


    The large man clicked his tongue, saying,


    "You should thank the Milma."


    After which he departed while still keeping his guard up.


    Ash couldn''t help but wonder if the big man was genuinely afraid of the Milma.


    Meanwhile, the Milma let out a sigh and approached Leo.


    "Sir Leo, does trouble follow you wherever you go?"


    "No. I never imagined that something like this would happen."


    "I wonder about that." she said, puffing her cheeks.


    Ash found it somewhat strange to see her like that. He believed that it was probably because she seemed somewhat older than Uru.


    Just as he was about to chuckle, the Milma redirected her anger towards him.


    "And you, rookie! What''s wrong with you? Why did you have to go and say such provocative things? Didn''t you assume it might get you in trouble?"


    "It was just a joke. I never thought someone would get so pissed over it."


    Unsatisfied with his response, the Milma confronted Ash, looking at him seriously.


    She was so close that her long eyelashes were clearly visible, and her soft, sweet aroma filled the air.


    "You have an air of trouble about you. You smell just like Sir Leo."


    "Please, anything but that." Ash pleaded sincerely.


    After one final glare, the Milma stepped back.


    "Did you hear her, Ash? We smell the same." Leo commented happily, but Ash paid him no attention.


    The Milma bowed gracefully and glared at Ash.


    "If you''ll excuse me, I''ll be going back to work. Please try not to cause any more trouble."


    With one last warning, she returned to her duties, her long hair tied up high.


    Ash watched it sway for a while before Leo provided unsolicited information.


    "Her name is Iris. As you can see, she''s a Milma, and she''s one of the employees here."


    Ash acknowledged her beauty but wasn''t admiring her.


    What bothered him was that the large man from earlier had obediently followed Iris'' commands.


    "Is she strong?"


    "If you make her angry you won''t be able to eat."


    "That''s a big problem alright." Ash remarked.


    He knew that no one could win against hunger.


    "Well then," Leo said before taking his seat.


    The glass in front of him was already empty.


    "Now that we''ve caught Lady Iris'' attention I suggest we part ways here."


    "Sounds good to me."


    Ash agreed. He then was about to reach for his glass with his right hand, but then decided to grab it with his left.


    After downing the juice in one gulp, he chewed the sweet pieces in his mouth.


    "Say, Leo. What''s the highest floor that the guy from earlier has cleared?"


    "He''s probably a regular at the Red Tower, and from what I can judge, I would say no more than the 30th."


    "I see." Ash replied casually, but his mind was not at ease.


    Suppressing his emotions, he thanked Leo, saying, "Thanks for inviting me today. I''ve learned a lot."


    "I''m glad that I was able to be of help. And I also got to enjoy a good drink."


    "Drink in moderation, okay?"


    "Of course. Though, I''m going for round two in a bit."


    It seemed like Leo was planning on drinking more.


    Ash couldn''t help but wonder what would happen if the usually aloof Leo ended up drunk.


    He couldn''t envision it, but he could imagine that it wouldn''t lead to anything good.


    "Take care of yourself." Leo said, turning his back to Ash.


    He was a weirdo who had a smile at all times, but he was definitely not a bad person.


    If he hadn''t groped Ash''s butt during their first meeting then they might''ve become friends, just as Leo had wanted.


    "Still, take care, huh... It seems he noticed that I injured my right wrist."


    Ash had injured it during his confrontation with the large man just now.


    Although it wasn''t broken, he wouldn''t be able to use it for some time.


    Ash had picked a random challenger to test his strength against, however, he hadn''t anticipated that it would lead to this.


    (And that guy is only on floor 30...)


    Ash looked up towards one of the towers stretching to the heavens.


    "I can''t wait!"

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 6 - Another Meeting

    "This is bad." Ash sighed quietly, unbeknownst to others.He had been walking along a narrow street off the main road, searching for the inn Blain''s Perch, which Uru had introduced to him, but he couldn''t find it at all.


    He had hoped to get familiar with the area while searching for the inn, however it hadn''t gone as he''d expected.


    Ash guessed he should honestly ask someone about directions, but before that there was something else that he had to do.


    "What do you want? You''ve been following me for a while now." he suddenly stopped and turned around.


    A short distance away, a lone girl stood.


    She looked to be about 16.


    She wore a cheap white robe, only slightly patterned with red lines.


    Immediately after her eyes met Ash''s, she let out a strange sound, and, in a panic, scurried away into a nearby alley.


    She was acting extremely suspicious.


    A single white flower with a slight reddish tinge then emerged from the nearby alley''s corner.


    Of course, flowers didn''t move by themselves.


    The flower was the hair ornament that the girl had worn.


    The girl''s face then peeked out from around the corner, her shoulder-length hair hanging loose.


    "I-I wasn''t following you or anything."


    "I''m not blaming you. I just want to know why."


    Ash replied and after the girl thought about it for a moment she slowly came out.


    She looked away, as if she was about to be punished


    (Just why was this girl following me?)


    Ash thought and waited. After waiting for a while, the girl finally glanced at him.


    Her eyes were looking at Ash''s injured right hand.


    "U-Um... What happened?"


    "This? Oh, nothing much."


    "I saw everything." she confessed.


    She had apparently been at the plaza.


    Ash chuckled while gazing at his right hand.


    "This is what I get for picking a fight."


    "You''re an idiot, you know that? Everything else aside, that man''s physical power is nothing to scoff at."


    "Do you know him?"


    "Yeah... a little bit."


    It was a somewhat meaningful response.


    "Keep your hand like that for a bit."


    The girl ordered, moving her hand behind her back and pulling out a staff slightly shorter than her own height.


    Though, calling it a staff may have been an over exaggeration, given that it was a simple wooden stick, with nothing on it.


    When she extended the tip of the cane towards Ash''s injured right hand, a soft light emanated from it.


    The light dispersed into numerous dazzling particles, and a pleasant warmth enveloped Ash''s right hand.


    Before Ash knew it the swelling in his right hand had subsided.


    There was also no pain when he tried opening and closing it.


    "Heal... Are you a Healer? You''re amazing!"


    "I-I know! Is what I''d like to say, but this is all thanks to my staff over here."


    The girl said, showing Ash her staff.


    "I heard there were various tools available on Dural Island. Is this one of them? Regardless, it doesn''t change the fact that you healed me. You have my thanks, um, what''s your name?"


    "It''s Clara."


    "I''m Ash. Ash Brave."


    He extended his right hand, which was now fully healed, and gripped the end of the cane.


    Naturally, the bark of the stick was rough, far more so than any woman''s hand.


    "It''s my first time handshaking a staff."


    "I''m sorry, I''m not good with first meetings..."


    Ash had thought that Clara was a bit more open, but it seemed like he''d been wrong.


    "In that case I guess I''ll be best buddies with the staff."


    "Do you get called weird often?"


    "Hm, I''d say about once a year."


    "It''s definitely more!" Clara said without any restraint.


    Ash realized that he should revise his initial impression of her as a quiet child.


    "Did you follow me just so that you could heal me?"


    "A-As I said! I wasn''t following you! I was just walking around and happened to see you..."


    It seemed to have been a genuine coincidence.


    As it hadn''t led to any particular problems, Ash decided not to pursue the matter further.


    "O yea, do you know where the Blain''s Perch inn is? I''ve been looking for it for a while now, but I just can''t seem to find it."


    Ash asked Clara about it, but she suddenly gave him a dubious look.


    "Why there?"


    "A Milma called Uru recommended it to me."


    "Is that so..."


    Clara stared at him for a few moments, then turned away and walked away.


    "Follow me. I''ll show you the way."


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The most distant section of the buildings clustered in the central plaza.


    Blain''s Perch had its location in a place accessible only through an alley so narrow that a single person could barely pass through.


    "No wonder I couldn''t find it." Ash mumbled.


    As Clara led him through the front door, he could smell the rich scent of wood.


    The lobby inside was far from impressive.


    Despite this, several desks and chairs occupied the majority of the space, and it was a bit dim, relying on the sunlight streaming through the windows.


    "That''s the landlady, Lady Blain."


    Clara pointed to the corner of the room.


    There was a platform that appeared to serve as a reception desk, and an elderly Milma woman sat behind it, engrossed in a book, paying no attention to their arrival.


    As Ash approached Blain''s side, sharp words were thrown his way.


    "If you''re only going to look around, go home."


    "Uru told me to come here. Can I stay here?"


    "Are you blind?"


    Blain closed the book and regarded Ash with suspicion.


    It appeared that she didn''t view her own establishment very fondly.


    Ash glanced around the inn once more.


    It was undeniably old-fashioned, but it seemed sturdy enough to withstand rain and wind.


    "I think it''s a good inn. You have beds, don''t you?"


    "Of course. They''re even softer than my breasts."


    "I''m used to sleeping on the ground so it won''t be an issue."


    "You are one cocky brat." Blain said, but she didn''t seem all that offended.


    In fact, the corners of her mouth seemed to be lifting up with a touch of happiness.


    From all the Milmas he''d seen, Ash figured that Blain must have been a beautiful woman in her youth, with ample breasts.


    But time had taken its toll, and her chest had shriveled with age.


    With his gaze averted from the aged chest, Ash turned his attention to the matter at hand.


    "Though, I just came to Dural Island so I don''t have any money. Can I pay-"


    "You can pay later, yes."


    "What? I know I''m the one asking, but are you really okay with that?"


    "It''s common amongst rookies. Besides, I can''t put up a front given that Uru introduced you to my place, now can I?"


    (Could she be related to Uru in some way?) Ash thought, seeing how Blain''s face softened when she spoke of her.


    "I guess I''ll have to thank her later."


    "Just treat her some walnuts. She''ll be crying from joy."


    It seemed like everyone was aware of Uru''s favorite food.


    Ash decided that it would be the first thing he bought when he got his hands on some money.


    "You can use any room you like, except the one on the far end of the second floor." Blain said.


    "Thanks."


    Blain gave Ash one final glance before turning her face to her book.


    Despite her attitude, she didn''t seem like a bad person, especially given that she was an acquaintance of Uru. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Ash turned around and looked at the one who''d led him here.


    "Thanks, Clara. I''ll be able to sleep in a fluffy bed tonight thanks to you."


    "D-Don''t mention it. I didn''t do much."


    The conversation felt somewhat awkward, and they both seemed a bit uncomfortable as they glanced around.


    "Well then, I''m off to go look for a room. Thanks again for fixing up my hand."


    "W-Wait!"


    Clara exclaimed just as Ash was about to turn around.


    "I''m-"


    "What?"


    "I''m staying here too!"


    Clara exclaimed as if she had made up her mind.


    Her confession was vague, but Ash finally understood what she was trying to say.


    "Oh... Then the room at the far end of the second floor is-"


    "That''s right. It''s my room."


    Clara muttered in a fading voice.


    Ash had no idea she was also a guest here.


    He finally understood why she''d been able to guide him so easily to this secluded inn.


    "If you''re that ashamed of staying in this inn then why don''t you get the hell out." Blain said


    "What?! But I won''t have anywhere else to go if I get kicked out of here!"


    Clara''s eyes welled up with tears at Blain''s heartless words.


    Apparently, her financial situation wasn''t that rosy.


    "Then I guess we''ll be sleeping under the same roof."


    "That''s right! That is if I don''t get kicked out..."


    Clara muttered, apparently having taken Blain''s joke too seriously.


    She was apparently way purer than what Ash had thought.


    "I''ll probably have a lot of questions, but I hope you''ll help me with them, senior."


    "S-Senior?!"


    Clara''s eyes suddenly lit up, revealing a mixture of happiness and embarrassment.


    She puffed up her chest before responding joyfully.


    "O-Of course, you can count on me. I''m your senior after all!"


    She seemed to have taken quite a liking to the word, senior.


    "Now then, as your senior, I''ll start by telling you the types of monsters you may encounter in the tower..."


    "Hold right there."


    Clara''s eyes flashed with curiosity as Ash interrupted her.


    He was about to venture into a place where his life would be at risk.


    It would only do him good to have some information about it beforehand. Despite this...


    "I want to see it with my own eyes."


    "I-I see."


    Clara said with a dejected tone.


    Although he felt bad over it, Ash couldn''t compromise on this.


    "However, I''d love to hear all about it, after I''ve gone and come back. Is that okay with you, senior?"


    "Y-Yes!"


    Clara exclaimed, her mood quickly returning back to normal.


    (What an interesting girl she is. In any case, I was able to get to the inn safely. All that''s left is to climb the towers.)

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 7 - The First Tower

    The following day, Ash departed from the inn earlier than the sun had risen. He entered the dense forest that surrounded the central plaza and continued west.


    After a short while, he emerged from the jungle, greeted by a wilderness devoid of water and trees.


    The ground was wet and blackened, emitting a faint heat along with a dusty sound.


    His body felt hot, and he couldn''t help but wonder if this was a premonition of what lay ahead.


    Ash looked up and saw an incredibly massive tower, dyed in flaming red and exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation that seemed to halt any progress.


    The Red Tower.


    The tower Ash planned to challenge today.


    He proceeded through the wilderness and arrived in front of the tower.


    There, he noticed about twenty challengers already waiting in line.


    Most of them appeared to be divided into teams, with three or four challengers huddled together, tending to their weapons and discussing their strategies.


    All of them were clad in heavy equipment, giving off the impression that they were preparing to hunt. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You must be the newcomer, Sir Ash, correct?" a sudden voice greeted Ash. It was a Milma, whose age Ash couldn''t discern.


    "That''s right. And you?" Ash inquired.


    "I''m the supervisor of the Red Tower."


    The Milma, whose hair was as red as the tower itself, replied.


    It was most likely a coincidence, but it was quite conspicuous.


    "Are there supervisors at the other towers as well?"


    "Yes. However, although I am a supervisor, I don''t enter the tower personally. My main responsibility is...  Well, let''s say I explain things to newcomers."


    "Don''t you get bored?"


    "No. It''s quite enjoyable to see challengers return in tatters and imagine the challenges they faced that day."


    "That''s quite an interesting hobby you''ve got going on there."


    Ash remarked, noting that the Milma was being dead serious.


    He decided that in the future, no matter how grueling his experiences in the tower, he would return with a cheerful countenance.


    "So, what''s that explanation? If possible could you keep it brief? I can''t wait to head up."


    "Do not worry. It won''t take long. Do you see the circular formations at the entrance of the tower?"


    "I do. There''s one on each side." Ash replied, looking at the large gate leading into the tower.


    On either side of it, a magic circle in the shape of a hexagram had been inscribed on the ground.


    Even now, they emitted a faint blue light.


    "Let''s begin with the one on the right side. It''s called a Lift Gate. You can use it to instantly move to the top floor you''ve reached," the Milma explained.


    "That''s a lifesaver. Your explanation is quite straightforward as well."


    "Well it''s not like you can ascend the Towers of Trials in one go."


    The supervisor was hinting that each floor was a tough challenge.


    "The floor a challenger reaches is determined by something called the Mark of Completion. You can have the mark engraved on you by placing your hand on the crystal at the entrance of each floor, so please be careful and don''t forget to do it."


    "Got it."


    Despite the convenience of the Lift Gate, no one had managed to conquer the tower yet, and it was clear that using it was unavoidable.


    "Also, when you decide to return you must jump down from the tower."


    "Um I don''t feel like going to meet god just yet."


    "That''s not what I''m talking about. Look, right on time. Look at the formation on the left." the supervisor instructed.


    Following her instruction, Ash turned his gaze toward the magic circle opposite the Lift Gate.


    Suddenly, four men appeared above the magic circle.


    Some stumbled and fell on their buttocks or knees, while others rested their hands on their hips. Their landing aside, they all seemed quite weary.


    "I told you! We can''t beat the Wraiths on that floor!"


    "But we can earn more that way..."


    "It will be worth nothing if we end up dead!"


    Ash couldn''t quite make out what the conversation was about, but it seemed like they had been engaged in a battle with monsters until recently.


    Actually, that was probably the case.


    "That caught me off guard."


    "And that''s how you return. Though it''s not guaranteed that the friendships will return with you."


    The supervisor chimed in with a hint of delight, however Ash didn''t feel like listening.


    He now knew that jumping down from the tower meant that he''d be able to return easily.


    Despite this...


    Ash couldn''t help but glance up at the tower, which seemed ridiculously high from the outside.


    Even its second floor was at a height that would be deadly for a normal person.


    "It''s only scary the first time. Some people even find it enjoyable to jump down."


    "There sure are all kinds of people..."


    "This marks the end of the introduction. If you''d like I can provide an even more detailed description or advice."


    "That''s fine." Ash responded promptly.


    The supervisor blinked, then let out a faint laugh.


    "Alright. Also, keep in mind that the tenth floor is a bit of an odd one, so be sure to let me know once you safely ascend there for the first time."


    Safely ascend, huh. Judging from her tone, I''m assuming there''s quite a number that don''t manage that.


    "I will pray that the path to Aitiel clears for you."


    The supervisor said, turning to open the gate invitingly.


    Ash took a deep breath and walked forward with determination, positioning himself in front of the imposing gate.


    The gate was double-sided and three times the height of an average person.


    It was also quite wide, allowing him to reach out and touch it with both hands extended.


    With his heart pounding,


    Ash wondered what awaited him on the other side as he attempted to push open the gate.


    Suddenly, the light leaking from the magic circle on the left grew stronger, and a new returnee emerged.


    Upon seeing this, Ash halted.


    "If it isn''t Lapis! I haven''t seen you since yesterday." he called out.


    Lapis was dressed in the same attire as when they had first met on the beach, but this time, she held a Winged Spear that was taller than she was. It seemed like a fitting weapon for someone known for their sharp words and actions.


    "Lapis?"


    Ash tried to strike up a conversation, but Lapis walked past without acknowledging him.


    It was clear she was ignoring him.


    However, Ash had a back-up plan.


    "Hey, Cat E-"


    Ash began but couldn''t continue the sentence as Lapis pointed her spear right at the tip of his nose.


    "Call me Cat Ears again and you''ll get stabbed."


    "I got, I got it, I won''t do it, so please move that away."


    Ash surrendered, and Lapis reluctantly lowered her spear.


    However, she still had a sharp glare in her eyes.


    Ash, in turn, made it a point to never call her Cat Ears again.


    "Are you heading back?"


    "If that''s how it looks, then that''s how it must be." Lapis answered.


    "I heard that you''re in the upper echelon. That''s impressive."


    "I wouldn''t say that. There are way more impressive people than me."


    Lapis replied, bringing her left hand to her chest and forming a fist, as if she was holding onto something.


    (Does she have a pendant or something over there?) Ash wondered.


    "Oh! Is the newcomer going in?"


    The challengers waiting behind Ash suddenly exclaimed, realizing he was about to enter the tower.


    "Let us know when you die! I''ll buy you a drink at the bar!" one of them shouted.


    "Haha, that''s a good one! Count me in. You have a drink on me as well!" another chimed in.


    "Will do. Thanks for your encouragement!"


    Ash responded to their somewhat chilling words by raising his hand.


    Having grown up around pubs since childhood, he was accustomed to this kind of welcome.


    Lapis, on the other hand, seemed like she found this kind of thing ridiculous.


    "You sure are carefree." Lapis remarked.


    "I heard the journey ahead is long, so one needs to know when to let loose sometimes."


    Ash replied prompting Lapis to look at him wide-eyed.


    It was a peculiar reaction that left Ash feeling a bit unsettled.


    (Did I say something strange?) He wondered.


    "What''s wrong?" Ash asked.


    "I-It''s nothing. Really, it''s nothing..."


    Lapis mumbled, seemingly to herself.


    She nodded repeatedly, taking deep breaths.


    "Lack of sleep?" Ash inquired.


    "That''s not it. But I''ll probably go to bed early today."


    She replied. After which Lapis flipped her long blond hair and turned around.


    "Try not to get killed during your baptism."


    She remarked before departing, drawing the attention of the other challengers.


    Despite her somewhat dissatisfied expression, it was clear that Lapis cared enough to offer advice.


    After bidding Lapis farewell, Ash turned back towards the tower gate.


    "Time to go. It''s finally here, the moment I''ve been waiting for."


    Ash said, his hands filled with excitement as he opened the gate and stepped into the tower.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 8 - Red Tower ? 1st Floor

    What unfolded before Ash was a deserted space.It was weathered here and there, giving it the appearance of an archaeological site.


    Everywhere, it was reddish, albeit softer in hue than in appearance.


    Thanks to this, it didn''t hurt Ash''s eyes.


    The entrance gate closed with a heavy thud.


    Either the escape route had been closed or it had simply closed.


    Either way, it didn''t matter because Ash didn''t intend to turn back.


    Ash pulled out a stiletto - a dagger specialized for stabbing - that had been sheathed into the back side of his belt.


    He could handle a full range of weapons, but this was one of his favorites.


    However, it was a special-order item with a slightly longer blade than a normal one.


    The reason, of course, had been to ensure that even against thick-skinned opponents, the blade would penetrate all the way through to the flesh.


    The only other weapon he carried with him was a swordbreaker.  It was a type of parrying dagger designed to fit the opponent''s sword into a comb-like groove carved into one side of the blade and, as the name implies, break it.


    The warriors Ash had met throughout his travels had often told him that he had an unusual fighting style, and Ash couldn''t help but agree. However, this combination was the most comfortable for him, so he stuck with it.


    Looking toward the back of the hall, another gate awaited him.


    It was decorated with reliefs resembling burning flames.


    There were no other roads to be seen, and it seemed certain that this was the road he had to take.


    When Ash reached the gate, he felt uncomfortable.


    "There''s something behind it." he mumbled.


    After years of fighting monsters in the Towers of Trials his body sensed that something was amiss.


    It proved to be much more reliable than any amount of calm thinking.


    He wanted to keep his hands free, so he carefully pressed one side of the gate with the sole of his right foot.


    Eventually, the gap opened up wide enough so that a head could squeeze through.


    Suddenly, a fire arrow flew at Ash''s face.


    He quickly turned his face away and grabbed the fire arrow with his free left hand.


    "So this is what the baptism is all about. I can definitely imagine people dying here."


    As he looked at the arrowhead that was still burning strong, a tremor ran through the gate.


    "Gofu! Gofu! Gofu!!"


    A series of strange noises echoed, followed by the silhouette of a small monster with green skin and pointed ears.


    A Goblin was peeking through the gaps in the gate.


    It couldn''t get through it properly, and resorted to clenching and clicking its teeth.


    Ash pitied his enemy, but he had no intention of being merciful.


    "I don''t know if this is yours but I''m giving it back."


    Ash said as he put the fire arrow in the Goblin''s mouth.


    The goblin exclaimed, making strange noises, and pulled its face from the gate.


    At the same time, the gate''s door fully opened to the sides, revealing a number of Goblins waiting behind it.


    There were four in total. One Archer, and three Fighters.


    They moved in unison the moment the goblin pierced by the fire arrow fell.


    The Archer shot and arrow that ignited in midair.


    Ash had initially thought they''d used a primitive way of setting fire to the arrows, but it appeared to be some kind of magic.


    He pulled back to the front of the gate and hid behind a wall to cut off the line of fire.


    Ash could easily catch or avoid the arrow, however the Archer wasn''t his only enemy.


    Following the passing fire arrow, one of the Fighters jumped out with great force.


    Ash thrust the stiletto into its forehead, and the Fighter let out a rasping cry and collapsed.


    (One down.)


    However, there was no time to catch his breath.


    As Ash pushed aside the dead Fighter, another one thrust its sword at Ash. He avoided it by moving his body backward while kicking up the other Fighter''s sword.


    As soon as Ash regained his balance, the third Fighter also leaped out.


    After using the Goblin, which had lost its sword, as a springboard and leaping from its head, the Fighter grabbed the sword that was spinning in the air and attacked Ash with both swords.


    "Phew! I didn''t know the goblins here could do that!" Ash remarked, genuinely impressed.


    He then jumped back, letting the Fighter''s swords slam into the place where he had just been standing.


    The Fighter stiffened after landing, perhaps as a reaction from the high leap.


    Ash quickly raised his leg and let it down, driving his heel into the Fighter''s brain, knocking him out.


    The Fighter who''d lost his sword also jumped at him, but Ash quickly shifted his body to the side to avoid the attack.  As they passed each other, he stabbed the Fighter in the back with his stiletto and lifted him up.


    Although the Fighter was still breathing, he was clearly at his last breaths.


    He was visibly unable to fight.


    "Go-Gofu! Gofu..."


    "I''m sorry, but you''re going to be my shield."


    With the Fighter skewered, Ash turned his gaze to the room where the final Goblin was waiting. The next moment, a fire flew at Ash. He used the Fighter as a shield to stop the arrow, and then threw him at the Archer.


    The Archer ended up being squashed by the Fighter and dropping his bow.


    He desperately tried to pick it up, but before he could reach it, Ash ended him with his stiletto.


    The Archer''s figure blurred and dissolved into the air.


    A small blue gem appeared and fell to the floor with a clanging sound. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking around, Ash noticed that other Goblins had disappeared as well, leaving behind blue gems.


    (I guess these gems are the so-called Duri that work as currency on the island.)


    As if to prove it, the Gamal appeared before Ash knew and extended its long tongue to swallow the gems. The gems were definitely larger in volume than the Gamal''s stomach, but Ash chose not to worry about it.


    "Guep!"


    "Whoa! You even burp..." Ash muttered in response.


    He appreciated that it picked up the gems on its own, but he sincerely wondered if there wasn''t something that could be done about its appearance and behavior.


    "Hey! There''s still more over there."


    Ash said, noticing that one gem was still lying on the floor.


    It was red and a little larger than the others.


    When he picked it up and offered it to the Gamal, the creature turned its face away, indicating that it didn''t want it.


    The Gamal then jumped straight onto Ash''s hips and disappeared once more.


    (She did give me this thing to use as a wallet, so I doubt it''d be full with just this much. Maybe this red gem isn''t currency?)


    Suddenly, Ash noticed that something was drawn on the jewel.


    It was a picture of a sword.


    When he checked the back, he found that it was inscribed with the number {1}.


    "Well I''ll guess I''ll just bring it back and ask someone."


    Ash said, putting away the red gem in a pouch that he had attached to his belt.


    Suddenly, faint footsteps could be heard in the distance.


    Ash immediately fell to the ground and put one ear to the floor.


    It sounded like running, and from the light sound, he could deduct that the sounds were from Goblins.


    There were around 5 of them.


    It was well within Ash''s ability to handle.


    (Can I hide somewhere?)


    As before, there were no significant ornaments in the room, but Ash found just the right place.


    It was the gate at the far end of the room where the Goblins were likely to come out.


    Its upper edge protruded just slightly toward the front, and Ash hastily hopped on top of it.


    He could only put his heels on it, but his balance was stable.


    Thanks to the raggedness of the walls everywhere, he had no trouble finding a place to place his hands.


    The footsteps drew closer, and the green monsters entered the room in a group.


    As Ash had predicted, there were five of them, with a similar allocation as before. There were 4 Fighters and 1 Archer.


    They all looked around, searching for the intruder.


    Goblins were highly agile, partly due to their small size, but they lacked intelligence.


    Ash jumped down and swiftly thrust his stiletto into the place where the Archer''s brain and spinal cord connected. After landing almost soundlessly, he stepped forward and eliminated another Goblin from behind.


    It was only then that the remaining 3 Goblins noticed Ash''s presence.


    They attacked from the front, left, and right all at once.


    Ash stepped forward, drawing the other dagger at his waist---the swordbreaker--with his left hand. He pushed the comb part vigorously against the sword held by the Goblin in front of him. The Goblin struggled to free its sword, but Ash pushed down his dagger and twisted it, snapping the Goblin''s sword.


    After which he aimed the swordbreaker''s blade side to the Goblin''s throat and slashed it. While the enemy in front of him crumbled down, spurting blood, a rough voice approached him from behind. It was the remaining two Goblins.


    As Ash turned around, the goblins were about to swing their swords at him, their drool-covered mouths wide open.


    Ash instantly crouched down and pointed his daggers in both hands to the left and right. He dashed through, his daggers crossing one over the other, to caress the goblins'' throats as he passed them.


    The following moment a thudding sound echoed behind him.


    When he turned around, the Goblins had already disappeared, turning into gems.


    Ash tucked away his daggers as he watched the Gamal swallow the gems.


    "I guess it''s not much because this is only the first floor."


    Ash was managing quite well so far, however, he''d only been facing Goblins.


    He needed to progress further in order to fully experience the difficulty of the tower.


    "Let''s speed through it!"

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 9 - Floor of Trial

    Much of the first floor was a simple structure of several halls connected by narrow corridors.Furthermore, Ash had yet to encounter any traps.


    It was possible that he simply hadn''t activated them, but perhaps the intention was to place as many monsters as possible rather than traps. Ash had come to this conclusion after the numerous attacks on him from groups of Goblins.


    Nonetheless, Goblins were still Goblins.


    Although it had been tedious, Ash proceeded further in, eventually reaching a wide hall with stairs leading up.


    He peeked out from the corner and sneaked a peek at the room.


    A row of warrior statues lined the walls.


    In the center, a group of goblins was waiting for him.


    There were 8 Fighters and 2 Archers.


    Additionally, there was a Goblin with a small axe, wearing a helmet.


    Ash had never seen this type of Goblin before.


    Judging by its demeanor, he guessed that it was probably the leader.


    (Should I start with the Archer or the leader... Standard practice says to go after the Archer first, but still... If I can get the leader first, I definitely should.)


    He picked up a pebble that had fallen nearby and threw it over the Goblins'' heads.


    The pebble made a banging sound as it hit the wall in the far back.


    All the Goblins turned toward the sound at once.


    Ash used the chance to run out.


    Immediately, he closed the gap with the leader.


    The leader noticed him and turned around. Ash wasn''t sure if it was because of sound or his murderous intent that had given him away.


    As he turned around, the leader swung his small axe at Ash.


    (It''s the leader all right. It has good senses. Still, it''s not a problem.)


    Ash passed through the side of the leader, and using his full weight stabbed the stiletto into the Goblin''s back.


    Even before the leader could collapse, Ash turned his attention to his next target, the Archer.


    He quickly felled the Archer just as he was preparing to shoot.


    In the meantime, another arrow shot at Ash, but he managed to avoid it and close the distance.


    He stabbed his dagger into the remaining Archer''s brain, easily eliminating him.


    Now, only the Fighters remained.


    As Ash turned around energetically to face them, the Fighters had all turned their backs and were running away out of the hall.


    "Oh, so they''re running? Was it because I killed their leader?"


    Ash felt a bit let down, but he was nonetheless happy that he''d spared some energy.


    After waiting for the Gamal to gather the gems Ash began to ascend the stairs at the end of the hall. The staircase was made in the form of a spiral that circled alongside the circumference of the tower. Furthermore, it was also endless, most likely because of the scale of the tower itself.


    "So this is the crystal the supervisor told me about." he muttered.


    At the end of the stairs, Ash found a crystal on a waist-high stand.


    It was about the size of a human head.


    He put his palm on the crystal, and it emitted a faint red light for a moment.


    When he checked his palm, he found a {2} painted on it in red light, but it quickly and soundlessly lost its color.


    Ash figured that it was a system that remained hidden except when using the Lift Gate.


    At any rate, this meant that the first floor had been conquered.


    Ash wanted to challenge the second floor as soon as possible, but unfortunately for him, he still had to climb.


    This time, however, it wasn''t stairs, but a gentle slope. Ash walked along the pillared corridor stretching before him, allowing him to see the clear and bright sky outside, which was in complete contrast to the stark red walls inside.


    He stood on the edge to try and look down. As he did, he saw the ground, which had completely receded into the distance. Straining his eyes to their utmost, he could somehow make out what appeared to be the supervisor and the other challengers, but he wasn''t able to make out their expressions.


    He was quite high up after all.


    (I felt like I had climbed quite a bit, but it''s shocking to see that it''s this high on only the second floor. Just how high up is the 100th floor then? I might just get to see the whole world from it. I can''t wait.)


    Suddenly, Ash heard a howl coming from beyond the pillared corridor.


    Followed by an erratic sound of footsteps.


    It was clearly different from the footsteps of the Goblins.


    Suddenly, a four-legged beast leaped out of the wall.


    Its appearance was that of a wolf, but it was as tall as a human.


    Fierce fangs overflowed from its slender, elongated mouth.


    "A Direwolf!" Ash exclaimed.


    The four-legged beast, the Direwolf, did not stop and pounced on him.


    Ash immediately rolled to the left to escape.


    A Direwolf''s fangs were so destructive that they could chew through ordinary armor.


    However, Direwolves weren''t as agile as normal wolves, so it was easy to avoid their attacks.


    "I''ll close the distance and finish it in one go!" Ash exclaimed.


    As he turned around, his gaze crossed with the red shimmering eyes of the Direwolf. The mouth of the enemy, with its blade-like fangs, opened wide, and a fireball shot out of it.


    "No way!" Ash exclaimed.


    He rolled across the floor again and managed to evade.


    Immediately after, a fireball hit the spot where he had been standing earlier, creating a large scorch mark.


    Ash regained his stance while glancing at the scene next to him.


    He had fought Direwolves many times in the Towers of Trials he''d conquered, but this was his first time encountering a fire-breathing one.


    Ash had thought that the Goblin''s fire arrows were simply a coincidence, but given that even the Direwolf was using fire, it wasn''t hard for him to figure out that the Red Tower was fire-themed, as its color suggested.


    The Direwolf kicked the ground and pounced again.


    (If I can''t attack from here, then I guess I''ll just wait for it!)


    Ash took out his swordbreaker with his left hand, holding it in a reverse grip, with the comb part facing him. He circled to the right side of the approaching Direwolf and put the blade to its large mouth. He didn''t swing his arm through the air but rushed forward as if pushing with his entire body. Embracing the feeling of the Direwolf''s flesh being cut.


    Due to the length of the blade, it couldn''t cut the Direwolf in half, but it was enough to inflict a fatal wound.


    When Ash turned around, the Direwolf was lying on the ground.


    Eventually, its figure faded and disappeared like fog.


    Staring at the two blue gems on the floor, Ash exhaled heavily.


    Direwolves would often appear in the middle or upper floors of the Towers of Trials.


    But here, it appeared as early as the second floor, and could even spit fireballs.


    (The towers of Dural Island sure do live to their names. Nonetheless, I can still manage.) Ash thought.


    As long as he wasn''t attacked in excessive numbers, he would be able to ascend further without any major problems.


    Suddenly, with the sound of slow footsteps, three Direwolves appeared from the back, and behind them, a group of five Goblins.


    Ash couldn''t help but blink, however, he quickly relaxed, the corners of his mouth rising in a grin.


    "Haha... This is good. Now that''s what I''m talking about!"


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Ash placed his hand on the crystal, engraving the Mark of Completion on his hand and rested his back against a nearby wall.


    He slumped down, relaxing his whole body.


    "That was tough..." he muttered.


    About half a day after entering the tower, Ash''s fatigue was near its limit.


    The cause was none other than the tower''s structure.


    On the first floor there had only been one road to take, however, as he ascended, the branches increased.


    Furthermore, the branched off roads would often lead to dead ends where monsters were waiting. Making it quite the terrible experience.


    Of course, the complexity of the paths wasn''t the only thing that had increased. The monsters had gotten more annoying as well.


    The most troublesome of them had been the Direwolf riding Goblins. Namely, the Riders. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Their increased number of attacks reduced the gaps they showed and made them take longer to defeat.


    Moreover, in the beginning, only one pair appeared, but as Ash progressed, the number increased, and eventually, every Goblin was riding a Direwolf.


    It had been a tough road, but he had managed to get through it so far.


    When he looked at his palm, he saw a {10} mark that was about to disappear.


    "I was planning to get here faster, but I suppose I underestimated it a bit." Ash admitted.


    He stood up groggily and turned his body to face the door of the 10th floor.


    The tower supervisor had told him that this floor was special and that she''d explain it to him once he reached it.


    Indeed, the 10th floor was different from the previous floors in terms of construction.


    There were no narrow streets, only a wide-open space.


    The walls were beautifully decorated in red and gold, creating a majestic atmosphere that made one forget that it was a den of monsters.


    Above all, there was no gate that led to the next floor.


    There were no monsters, and the place seemed to have only artistic value.


    (Is there really a Lord here?)


    Ash came to the wall directly in front of him with doubts.


    Checking up close, there didn''t seem to be any kind of hidden door.


    (I really should go back and get the rundown from the supervisor first. I''m tired and all, so it''ll be just perfect.)


    Thinking that Ash turned around, however as he did, a blue shimmering hexagram appeared beneath his feet.


    "What?"


    Before he knew it, the view before him was stained black.


    It carried a completely different air than before.


    (I was teleported!)


    A large flame lit up in the distance inside a goblet-shaped cup as tall as a person. It shimmered violently as if blown by the wind.


    The flames revealed that Ash had found himself in a long, box-like space.


    The area, albeit boxy, was wide, making it impossible to close the distance from one end to the other with a single jump.


    The left and right walls were decorated with a total of four of the same cups as the one at the far end, two for each wall.


    Looking back, Ash noticed yet another cup at the wall behind him, coming up to a total of 6 cups, including the innermost one.


    He would have liked to see all the cups lit as the front was still quite dim, but unfortunately, there was no sign of that.


    Suddenly, a large shadow appeared at one of the back corners.


    The two red dots reflected in Ash''s eyes slowly walked out to the light.


    "A Direwolf. And quite the big one at that." Ash remarked.


    Normal Direwolves looked like babies compared to this one.


    (I guess he''s the King of the Direwolves.)


    "Are you the Lord?" Ash asked.


    A roar came back as if to say yes.


    "I guess that''s a yes."


    Everything about the monster before him told Ash that it was different from the previous monsters.


    Ash pulled out his stiletto while keeping his stance low and looked at the Lord.


    He wanted to at least get a glimpse at the Lord''s face before going back.


    However, right at that moment the Lord moved.


    It was huge, so it was only natural that the distance it covered would be enormous as well, however, the scary thing was that despite its size it wasn''t any slower than a regular Direwolf.


    (I can kill him with this stiletto. Though I can''t allow myself to get hit.) Ash thought.


    The Lord jumped at him with its big mouth open.


    Ash stayed there until right before the Lord reached him, then kicked the floor and dodged to the left.


    Fangs so large they could be mistaken for dragon claws gouged out the floor where Ash had just stood.


    The destructive power was immense.


    If Ash had been there he would''ve been turned to minced meat.


    Elevated by the chilling sensation running through his back, Ash kicked the ground hard once more.


    With his left palm on the bottom of the handle, he aimed the stiletto at the Lord''s side.


    A dull sound rang out.


    It was evident that the blade hadn''t penetrated the monster''s flesh.


    The Lord, finally having recovered its balance after its rough landing, turned around and swung its left front leg.


    Ash immediately retreated creating a great deal of distance between them.


    He then looked towards his right hand, as it felt strangely light. As he did, his face stiffened.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me..."


    His main weapon, the stiletto, had shattered.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 10 - Hope Amidst Despair

    There was no time for Ash to feel disheartened.A blackened claw swung down from the Lord, which was furiously closing in on Ash.


    Ash quickly backed away and successfully avoided it, but the sharp claw attacked him once more without a moment''s pause.


    Ash clicked his tongue and jumped back even further.


    "If you''re that hungry, feast on this!"


    He threw the now broken and useless stiletto into the Lord''s mouth.


    As soon as the Lord closed its mouth, it stared at Ash, its red jade eyes gleaming suspiciously.


    (Well then, how will he thank me I wonder?)


    As Ash waited, half amused and half terrified, the Lord opened its large mouth once more, shooting out a fireball.


    "You''re quite generous, aren''t you!"


    Ash immediately threw himself to the side.


    After rolling on the floor, he quickly stood up.


    At the same time, the fireball slammed into the wall making an earth shaking sound. Fortunately, the walls seemed to be sturdy, and the hall did not collapse, but a large black scorched spot appeared on it.


    Like the Direwolves he had previously encountered in the tower, Ash had expected the Lord to shoot fireballs.


    However, he hadn''t imagined that the magnitude and force would be at this level.


    Cold sweat poured down his back.


    Ash remained wary of the Lord and switched the swordbreaker he''d been holding in his left hand, to his right.


    Although it was tougher than the stiletto, the swordbreaker merely served as a tool for disarming one''s opponent.


    Furthermore, its blade wasn''t that sharp, and given that even the stiletto had been unable to penetrate the Lord''s skin, it would be an impossible task for the swordbreaker.


    In essence, Ash had only one option left.


    Flee.


    "Though I don''t see a way out of this..."


    Ash muttered, glancing around and surveying his surroundings.


    As he did, he noticed something peculiar.


    Geometric patterns were etched into the floor and walls.


    The vaulted ceiling was notably different from what he remembered.


    The disparity in brightness was significant enough to catch his eye.


    And it wasn''t as to where he could justify it to his eyes simply getting used to it.


    (Just what is going on?) Ash wondered.


    Meanwhile, he heard the Lord''s heavy breathing approach him.


    Evidently, it wasn''t going to grant Ash the luxury to devise a plan.


    Ash narrowly evaded the Lord''s two consecutive claw attacks and once again turned to face it.


    As he did, Ash noted that the cups on one of the walls had also lit up.


    (That''s not the one I first saw!)


    Ash quickly checked the other cups and discovered that three out of the six were illuminated.


    "When were they lit?! Or rather, why did they light up now of all times?"


    While evading yet another attack from the Lord, Ash''s attention shifted back to the spot where he had been summoned.


    Three dots on the floor shone like they were forming a triangle, reminding him of the Lift Gate''s magic circle.


    (Six cups... A hexagram!)


    It seemed too much of a coincidence for him to ignore.


    (Maybe if all six cups light up a gate to the outside will open!)


    He had no concrete proof, but it was certainly worth a try.


    As for the timing of the lighting, Ash guessed it might be related to the passage of time. This annoyed him since it proved that his primary accomplishment on the tenth floor had been to run away and stall for time.


    (Either way, if I run away I might just find a way to escape.)


    Then, another fire lit up.


    In his mind, Ash counted, "Okay, two more to go."


    However, just as he was gaining momentum the Lord howled.


    The sound echoed through the hall but gradually subsided.


    Soon, the hall was filled with the noise of approaching footsteps.


    Reinforcements were on their way, and Ash grew even more vigilant of his surroundings.


    Direwolves began emerging one after another from several small window-like holes dug into the top part of the walls. They were of the usual kind Ash had seen up to the 9th floor, but there were 10 of them.


    "I''ve totally become the prey, haven''t I!"


    The Lord''s roar served as the signal for the Direwolves to launch a coordinated attack from all directions---front, back, left, right, and even from above.


    Having dealt with Direwolves extensively before arriving at the 10th floor, Ash had a good understanding of their movements. Thanks to this, he managed to avoid any fatal injuries, but it didn''t change the fact that he was outnumbered. His skin was slowly being torn alongside his clothes.


    Observing the situation, the Lord, seemingly frustrated by his inability to finish Ash off immediately, joined in the attack. The Lord pushed the Direwolves aside and moved forward, crushing the floor beneath his feet.


    Ash swiftly slid by the Lord''s side and managed to get behind him. However, one of the Direwolves, anticipating his actions, pounced on him.


    Ash pressed the comb side of his swordbreaker against the Direwolf''s fangs but lost his balance and fell onto his back. He promptly kicked the enemy in the stomach, causing it to grunt and fall on its side. Ash then thrust his swordbreaker into the Direwolf, resulting in a dull sound.


    "Since when did you get this tough!"


    Ash muttered, his voice filled with a mix of exasperation and fatigue. With the previous Direwolves, the swordbreaker had been able to penetrate their skin, but it appeared that the Direwolves on the tenth floor were different.


    During this quick exchange the other Direwolves managed to close in on Ash. Unable to evade in time, he attempted to fend them off with his swordbreaker, but he found himself in an unfavorable position, which led to him to lose his grip on the dagger.


    The swordbreaker slid across the floor with such force that it unluckily came to a halt near the Lord, which proceeded to trample it into pieces with its giant foot. Ash couldn''t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.


    The Lord pounded the floor with its paw and let out another howl.


    The ten Direwolves rushed to the Lord''s side, forming a line beside him.


    It was clear from its red eyes what it intended to do.


    "Guess I won''t be slipping through the side anymore."


    Ash chuckled as he quickly turned around and sprinted as fast as he could.


    His shadow was vividly reflected, and his surroundings were bathed in red light.


    It was likely that the Direwolves had all simultaneously shot forth countless fireballs.


    Even if he continued to flee, Ash was headed towards a wall.


    However, as Ash looked upward, he noticed an alcove just where the cups were hung. With a powerful leap, he reached the edge of the alcove and, with a swift jerk of his body, climbed up.


    Almost simultaneously, a tremendous vibration shook him.


    It seemed like the fireballs had struck the wall.


    Ash almost lost his grip on the alcove but managed to hold on by grabbing onto a cup.


    As he caught his breath, the area turned a bit brighter once more.


    The cup that was right next to the one he was holding had lit up.


    (Five down. One to go!)


    Ash peered out of the alcove to observe what was happening below.


    The Lord and the Direwolves directed their attention upwards, releasing a thunderous roar.


    For a moment, Ash entertained the idea that he might escape if he remained hidden, but he quickly discarded that naive thought.


    All because he saw the Direwolves use the Lord as a springboard to leap toward him.


    Ash grasped the top edge of the alcove with both hands and used it for support to push the Direwolves back with the soles of his feet. He didn''t kick them strongly, as his opponents'' bodies were considerably tough, and a poorly executed move could result in injury.


    (Come on! When is the sixth one going to light up?!)


    As Ash kicked down a fifth Direwolf his footing shook drastically.


    Looking down, he saw the Lord slamming its body against the wall, repeating the action several times.


    The cups began to shake wildly as well.


    They looked like they could fall any moment.


    "Damn it!"


    With no plan B in mind, Ash jumped onto the Lord''s back, gripping onto its thick bristle.


    The Lord grew increasingly agitated, thrashing about violently.


    Ash''s head shook, and his consciousness began to wane as the situation escalated.


    (Come on! Why is the sixth cup not lit y--)


    Ash thought, struggling to maintain consciousness as his vision rapidly shifted.


    Suddenly, light flooded the previously dark space. At last, the last cup had been lit.


    Without wasting a moment, Ash looked towards the place he''d first arrived.


    The three dots of light that had been there earlier had now become six, and lines of light connected them.


    This pattern perfectly matched the magic circle of the Lift Gate he''d seen at the tower''s entrance.


    (I knew the cups were the key to getting out of here! Now all I need to do is get there!)


    However, as Ash momentarily diverted his attention from the magic circle, he noticed the wall approaching rapidly.


    It didn''t take long for him to realize that the Lord intended to crush him by smashing itself into the wall.


    "Hell!" Ash exclaimed.


    He kicked the Lord''s back as forcefully as he could and leaped off.


    Right after, the Lord collided with the wall with such tremendous force that the hall resounded with a deafening sound.


    Ash had initially considered staying on the Lord until he got closer to the magic circle, but given the situation, he had no choice but to make his way there on his own two feet. As soon as he landed, he swiftly regained his footing and hurried toward the magic circle at full speed.


    (Something''s off... Why aren''t the Direwolves following me? I was sure they''d attack me the moment I landed...)


    Although he was thankful for it, Ash couldn''t help but feel it was strange.


    Suddenly, the ambient light took on a reddish tint.


    Ash realized the situation and without stopping, glanced back. As he did, he saw a terrifying sight.


    The Lord and the Direwolves, lined up side by side, simultaneously let out a wave of fireballs.


    A large fireball formed at the center, with smaller fireballs surrounding it like wings.


    "Haha! They sure know when''s the best time to strike!" Ash exclaimed.


    He refocused on his destination---the magic circle---and pushed off the ground with such force that his ankles creaked.


    He swung his arms vigorously, feeling as if his shoulders might dislocate. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t remember the last time he had run full force, with his back turned towards monsters.


    He was nearly at the magic circle, but the fireballs were closing in fast.


    Ash could already feel the intense heat on his back.


    However, at that moment, Ash leaped headfirst into the magic circle without hesitation.


    (Make it!)

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 11 - The Weak are Expelled

    "I haven''t gotten this close to death in a while..."Ash stood up sluggishly and lightly brushed the dirt from his clothes.


    He was no longer in the hall with the Lord.


    He was in front of the entrance to the 10th floor, where the crystal to inscribe the Mark of Completion was placed.


    He turned around and looked up at the wall painted in red and gold.


    The Lord of the 10th floor had been mighty and Ash hadn''t stood a chance, yet he''d made it out alive.


    Despite this, Ash had also suffered major losses.


    He put his right hand behind his back and rubbed the empty scabbard.


    The two daggers that had been destroyed were both custom-made.


    In some countries, those two daggers would be worth enough to build a magnificent mansion.


    Ash sighed heavily and removed the pouch from his belt.


    He opened the lid to see what was inside.


    There were three red gems with a picture of a sword on the front and the number {1} engraved on the back.


    There was also one, slightly longer red gem.


    Ash had picked all of them along the way, however, he didn''t feel they had any special value.


    "I doubt this will be enough to cover the losses..."


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    While caught in a floating sensation, the vision filled with pure white gradually faded away.


    Soon, as the familiar landscape unfolded, the weightiness returned to Ash''s body.


    "I really did come back..."


    Ash muttered to himself, looking down at his body and then up at the tower that loomed nearby.


    He had just jumped down from the tower.


    At first, he had been terrified, but when it was over, he honestly felt that it had been a surprisingly pleasant thrill. He could see why people were addicted to this.


    "You survived?" called out the red-haired Milma - the tower''s supervisor.


    She was waiting at the tower''s entrance, perhaps because she had sensed that someone was coming back.


    "You look disappointed." Ash teased.


    "Of course not. Still, by the looks of it, you seem to have gotten your bottom whooped."


    "Now you look quite happy saying that, don''t you?"


    "Of course I do." She said excitedly. Thanks to which, her response didn''t feel unpleasant at all.


    "Yea, you''re right. I did get my ass whooped."


    "You''re quite upfront about it."


    "Well yea, it was totally one-sided. I can''t even find any excuses to defend myself with." Ash admitted, recalling the battle with the Lord and still believing he had no chance to win.


    "So, which floor got you looking like this? Given this was your first time in the tower, I guess it was the 2nd Floor? A lot of challengers retreat once they get there. Still, considering that you went in by yourself, Sir Ash, you have nothing to be ashamed of." the supervisor said, nodding her head and speaking eloquently.


    Ash appreciated the encouragement but felt the need to correct the misunderstanding.


    "It was the 10th Floor."


    "I see the 10th Floor. It truly is a place of nightmares. A lot of rookies get stuck there for close to a month. It''s quite normal. ...Huh? Wait... Which floor did you say again?" she asked.


    "I got my ass beaten by the Lord of the 10th Floor." Ash reiterated, causing the supervisor to open her mouth in surprise.


    "Wait, wait, wait! You shouldn''t joke about such things!"


    "You should know that big Direwolf, no?" Ash asked.


    "You can''t be serious..." the supervisor said in shock.


    Judging by her expression, Ash noted that his pace had apparently been quite good for his first time inside.


    Even he had thought that he''d gone a bit fast through the floors. However, before entering the tower he had planned to go up to the 20th or even the 30th floor.


    The reality was that the only thing he could do was to reach the 10th floor and go back in tatters, making it the most embarrassing thing ever.


    "I really should''ve listened to you."


    "Does that mean you managed to survive until all of the cups were lit...?"


    "I was this close to dying you know." Ash responded, shrugging his shoulders.


    In reality, Ash had run around the entire time.


    He didn''t feel like he had anything to be proud of.


    "S--Something just came up so I''ll have to excuse myself." the supervisor said.


    "S-Sure."


    (What happened so suddenly?)


    Ash couldn''t help but wonder.


    The supervisor bowed her head and turned around, walking away.


    As she left, she put her hands over her ears, yelling, "Master Venus! Master Venus!"


    Ash remembered that this was the way that the Milma used to communicate to one another. It certainly was a strange thing.


    Ash tilted his head, and at the edge of his vision, he noticed a girl wearing a flower ornament.


    It was Clara, the girl who was staying in the same inn as him.


    She was looking up at the tower with a somber expression.


    "What are you doing just standing there?"


    "A-Ash?!"


    Clara exclaimed, visibly surprised to see Ash here.


    She looked away and replied in a muffled whisper.


    "W-Well... I-I was thinking of going up. What about you, Ash? Are you going back?"


    "That''s right. I just snatched myself quite the spectacular debut." Ash said, spreading his hands while speaking lightly.


    "Wouldn''t disgraceful be a better way to describe it... You look terrible."


    "Yea... I did get my ass whooped." Ash chuckled.


    "You seem quite happy about it, though." Clara noted.


    It was just as she said. The sense of fulfillment was far greater than the frustration of losing.


    "If you beat someone you once lost to, it means you''ve surpassed who you were before. There are so many opportunities to do that here. How can I not be happy?"


    Ash was now sure after finally having ascended the Red Tower.


    He was convinced that the towers on Dural Island would definitely ascend him to new heights.


    "I''m so jealous." Clara blurted out.


    As when she had been looking up at the tower earlier, Clara had an expression of deep thought.


    Ash wondered for a moment whether he should step in but decided not to butt in.


    "Sooner or later I''ll catch up with you Clara."


    "In your dreams. I''m your senior after all."


    "Now you''ve said it! By the way, what floor are you--"


    Just as Ash was about to ask what floor she was on, someone appeared beside him.


    "I don''t mean to butt in, but you shouldn''t hang out with her." the person said.


    It was someone Ash had seen before.


    It was the big guy with the bandana who had gotten involved when Ash was talking with Leo in the central plaza.


    Unlike before, he now wore thick sheet metal armor and carried a large battle axe on his back.


    (So that''s how he looks when he''s in battle mode.)


    Three other men stood behind him, looking quite imposing.


    "Darrion..." Clara muttered upon seeing the big man.


    She looked away, appearing uncomfortable in some way.


    Ash remembered that Clara had mentioned Darrion the day before, as if she knew him.


    (Just what sort of relationship do these two have?)


    Ash was curious, but first, he had to deal with the big man who had made the disparaging remark about Clara.


    "We meet quite soon, big oaf."


    "Cocky as always I see. How''s your hand doing?"


    "Thanks to you, it''s in tip-top shape."


    "Haha. And yet you still got your ass whooped."


    "I''m still alive, aren''t I? I''ll climb again tomorrow." Ash stated.


    Despite his lighthearted tone, he showed that he had not lost his composure.


    Ash could also feel that the other party was the same.


    "So, what''s wrong with hanging out with her?" Ash asked.


    "What? Haven''t you heard?"


    Darrion looked dubious and then laughed mockingly.


    "Let me enlighten you then."


    "Please, don''t!" Clara quietly exclaimed, trying to stop him, but Darrion continued without a care in the world.


    "She hasn''t been able to beat the 10th Floor''s Lord despite already trying for close to a year."


    "So what?" Ash responded.


    The supervisor had told him that the 10th floor was usually a struggle, and struggling for a month there was quite normal.


    Undoubtedly, a year seemed like a long time, but he didn''t think it was all that unusual.


    It wasn''t important enough to criticize someone for.


    "You really don''t know anything, do you? Challengers are required to pass the 10th Floor of any of the five towers within a year. Those unable to accomplish that are not qualified to be challengers, and are expelled from the island." Darrion said, raising his chin to point at Clara, "That one''s got only 3 days left." he remarked.


    Ash looked at Clara, only to see an uncomfortable look on her face.


    He didn''t want to believe it, but it appeared to be true.


    "You seem to be quite informed. Could it be that you have the hots for Clara or something?"


    "L-Like hell!" Darrion vehemently denied, his blood pressure rising.


    (Seems I missed the mark.)


    Darrion clicked his tongue and turned a sideways glance at Clara, as if to glare at her.


    "She used to be on my team. She was useless so I ended up kicking her out." He said in a mocking tone.


    (Whoa! I never would''ve imagined!)


    At first glance, Darrion looked like a town gangster, and Clara looked like a quiet village girl.


    It was quite hard to imagine them working together.


    In any case, it was definitely not a good memory from the looks of both parties.


    "Sir Darrion, let''s leave them and go."


    "Yea. See you around, rookie. Try your best not to end up like her." Darrion said, turning to leave towards the tower after being urged by his team.


    Watching their backs, Ash spoke to Clara,


    "Is everything that guy said true?"


    "I''m sorry... I acted all high and mighty, and yet I have nothing to show for it."


    "Absolutely." Ash turned to look at her as he answered.


    Clara turned her face down and bit her lip hard as she gripped her hands tightly.


    "And because of it, it took me so long to realize that you were in trouble!"


    "Ash?"


    "Wait here for a bit."


    Ash left Clara in a daze and headed toward the tower.


    He shouted to the biggest person in the group of four walking in front of him.


    "Hey, muscle bandana!"


    "What? Who dares call me that?!"


    Darrion stopped in his tracks and turned around only to see Ash.


    Ash looked at him, declaring, "I''ll clear the 10th Floor with Clara. When we do, I want you to take back what you said about her being useless."


    "What? What are you--"


    "You''ll take it back." Ash said with determination.


    Darrion stared at him, and eventually, the edges of his mouth curled up.


    "Fine! I''ll take you up on that offer. However, keep in mind that it''s the 10th Floor of the Red Tower that Clara has failed to conquer. And if you fail, you''ll have to leave Dural Island alongside her. That''s my condition." S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fine by me." Ash responded immediately.


    He had no intention of failing in the first place.


    "Hell, I''ll even give you my three day cut if you manage to do it!" Darrion laughed.


    "Deal!" Ash exclaimed.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 12 - Trip to the General Store with Clara

    "You''re unbelievable!" Clara exclaimed.The sun had begun to set, casting a reddish hue on the buildings in the area.


    As they entered a deserted alley, Clara, who had been walking in front, suddenly shouted out.


    She''d kept quiet even since they''d left the tower, but she couldn''t bear it any longer.


    She turned around, stopping in her tracks.


    "This is my problem! It''s none of your business, Ash! Why did you have to go and pick that dumb fight?!"


    "Because it''s my problem as well." Ash replied.


    "No, it isn''t!"


    Clara was flabbergasted, her voice louder than she had expected.


    "I''m sorry." Clara said, seemingly having lost her momentum.


    Ash, in turn, called out to her.


    "We stay at the same inn, don''t we?" he asked.


    "Then is everyone staying at that big inn your friend?"


    "It''s not just that. I also asked you for directions, and we''ve already bumped heads and apologized not once. At the very least, we''ve talked a lot during these two days." Ash said, trying to convince her, however Clara didn''t seem to be buying it.


    Ash sighed and tried saying something slightly mean.


    "Apparently, I''m the only one who thought we were friends."


    "I-I''m glad you think of us that way, but even if we''re friends, it''s still crazy to pick such a reckless fight." Clara remarked, showing her kind nature.


    After all, it didn''t matter whether they were friends or not, she simply didn''t want to involve anyone else.


    "Yes, I may have overstepped my boundaries, but I do owe you, Clara."


    "Owe me? But I haven''t done anything..." Clara said, to which Ash showed her his right hand.


    "You fixed my right hand."


    "Over that small thing..."


    "It''s not a small thing. Thanks to you I was able to have a great time in the tower today. I can''t thank you enough." Ash said, trying to convey his feelings, but it seemed like it wasn''t enough.


    Clara was still evidently sulking. Seeing her like that, Ash didn''t give up and continued speaking optimistically.


    "Whatever the case, sooner or later I''ll have to overcome the 10th Floor as well."


    "The sooner the better!" Clara said, continuing to explain, "Don''t you get it? It''s not like you can challenge the 10th Floor straight away! Like, I''m not sure we can even get to the 10th Floor by ourselves..." Clara said, holding her head in her hands, "Argh... Good grief! Just what am I supposed to do!" she exclaimed.


    "I don''t mean to bother, but I''ve reached the 10th Floor."


    "As things are right now, it would be best for me to apologize to Darrion and get him to forget that... Huh? What did you say just now?"


    "For now, all we have to do is not lose hope." Ash said with a wide smile.


    Clara blinked her eyes and slowly stood up.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me... You''re already on the 10th Floor?"


    "If you don''t believe me, just go and ask the supervisor."


    "How did you get past the 8th Floor? That place is packed to the brim with monsters! It''s impossible to clear it with only one person."


    "Oh yea, that place was annoying, so I just ran through it after seeing that there weren''t any Archers."


    "How did you kill the monsters?"


    "In the innermost hall, there was an alcove with a fire burning inside, so I just burned them there."


    Ash didn''t know whether it was intentional, but the tower had a lot of places where one could climb.


    And given that he was a pro at using the enemies'' weak points, this helped him a lot.


    "You''re crazy. What would you have done if it wasn''t there?"


    "I would have lured them to a narrow passageway and taken them out one by one. Though, it would''ve been quite annoying."


    "Ash... are you like, really strong?"


    "Beats me. But I''m confident in the number of monsters I''ve slain."


    After all, from before Ash could even remember, his father had taken him to the various Towers of Trials around the world.


    As such, Ash was sure that he had way more experience than your average warrior.


    "T-Then can we go right away?!" Clara asked excitedly.


    "That won''t be possible. I don''t have a weapon."


    "What?"


    One moment Clara appeared hopeful, and the next, the hope escaped her face.


    Clara was sure a strange one, always having her emotions shift from one to the other.


    Ash opened both palms to reveal that there was nothing there.


    "As I said. I don''t have weapons. The Lord broke the two daggers that I brought with me."


    "I-I see... Though I''m not surprised." Clara remarked.


    "You''re not surprised? What do you mean?"


    When Ash asked this, Clara sighed, her face showing her surprise.


    "Listen here. The monsters on Dural Island aren''t your regular monsters. Any weapons from the outside are unlikely to work here," she explained.


    "But they held fine up to the 9th Floor."


    "And that''s what''s so strange about this whole thing!" Clara exclaimed, visibly angry.


    Ash''s desire to get the most genuine experience of the tower, had led him to request only the most basic information from the supervisor. For which he was now paying the price.


    "Then how do the other challengers manage?" Ash asked.


    "Apart from Duries, you should''ve found gems with a picture of a sword on them, right?" S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh! You mean this?"


    Ash took a painted gem from his pouch and held it out in his palm.


    "This is called an Exchange Stone. You can exchange it for the specified equipment at an Exchange Shop in the central plaza."


    "And that equipment won''t break against the 10th Floor''s Lord?"


    "Probably."


    (I guess she means that it depends on how I use it. In any case, the equipment seems to be quite durable.)


    "Usually, you''d come back once you get an Exchange Stone. After which, you''d exchange it at the central plaza and go challenge the tower again." Clara explained.


    "Just goes to show how awesome my weapons were!"


    "What''s the point if they break, though?" Clara replied mercilessly.


    Ash couldn''t utter a single word at that comment.


    With a chuckle, Clara said, "For the time being, let''s wait until tomorrow morning and go get you some new equipment."


    "Oh? You seem like you''re finally down to do it."


    "Don''t get the wrong idea! I-I just don''t want to get you kicked off the island too! That''s why we must conquer the 10th Floor no matter what!"


    Clara was indeed a kind girl, concerned not just for herself but for others.


    "Now, now, don''t get so worked up. You''re not alone from now on."


    "Ash..."


    Perhaps feeling a little better, Clara let out a relieved laugh.


    "Well then, I''m looking forward to tomorrow, senior." Ash chuckled.


    "M-Me too!"


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The next morning, Ash arrived at the central plaza with Clara.


    "People here sure do get up early..."


    Even though the sun had only been up for a short time, it was already brimming with people and Milmas.


    Ash couldn''t help but be surprised by the sight.


    "Everyone gets ready in the square before they go to climb. There''s also those that have stayed up all night, so it''s not all that surprising."


    As Clara mentioned, there were challengers who appeared to have finished their hunts, and were devouring large portions of food.


    (That''s the shop I went to with Leo!)


    "They really do sell everything here!"


    Various covered stalls of interesting colors lined the sides of the street selling products not so different from the markets found on the streets of larger kingdoms.


    Everything from food to daily necessities was available.


    "It''s thanks to all of the Milma living here. If it weren''t for them, it would''ve been quite inconvenient."


    "It''s truly a dreamland." Ash exclaimed.


    Nonetheless, the majority of the island''s inhabitants, aside from the Milma, were bulky men, so children were likely to run away the moment they set foot here.


    "Hey! You two over there! Come take a look!"


    A cheerful voice suddenly called out to Ash and Clara.


    It was a Milma peeking out from a nearby stall and waving her hand.


    Ash and Clara exchanged glances before making their way to the Milma''s store.


    "You''re a new face. A rookie?"


    "Yeah, I just arrived."


    "The store I run is a General Store. Here you can buy lots of items to help you climb the towers. So don''t be shy and take a look." the Milma said in an encouraging manner.


    Various goods were stored in boxes of different sizes, scattered around the stand.


    There were vials filled with liquids or grains, small gems about the size of an eye, square stones, blackened drawstring purses, and more.


    The items'' shapes and colors were far from coherent.


    "You''ve got quite the selection." Ash remarked as he picked up one of the items that piqued his interest.


    It was a necklace with a small, unusually shaped whistle on the end.


    "What''s this?"


    "That''s a Bite Whistle. It can lure the surrounding monsters to you. Though it only works on weaker ones. See the flat tube sticking out in front of you? If you bite that and blow, it makes a sound," the Milma explained.


    Ash examined the flat tube while listening to the explanation.


    "Also don''t touch it with your mouth, unless, of course, you intend to buy it."


    "How much is it?" Ash asked.


    "3000 Duri." the Milma replied.


    Realizing that Ash wasn''t familiar with the currency, Clara stepped in to provide an explanation.


    "Blue gems are 1 Duri, red are 10, green are 100, silver are 1,000, and gold are 10,000."


    "I''ve only seen blue gems up until now... Counting them seems like a pain."


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Try holding both of the Gamal''s paws at the same time. The Duri amount that''s inside it should appear on its stomach."


    Following her advice, Ash grabbed the Gamal, which was clinging to his thigh, and grasped its paws with both hands. The number {563} appeared in red on the Gamal''s white belly.


    "Phew! That''s useful. It says I have 563 Duri."


    "Amazing! That''s quite the haul for just one day."


    "I''m still quite short though."


    The Gamal was swinging its hind legs and making noise. It was evidently showing that it didn''t like the treatment, so Ash decided to put it down quickly.


    "It''s quite expensive so newbies shouldn''t worry about buying it." The Milma remarked.


    Instead of getting discouraged, she showcased other products with stars gleaming in her eyes.


    "The whistle aside, how about this <Energy Tonic>?! Albeit only slightly, it can restore your Mana! I''ve also got <Fairy''s Sleeping Powder>. If you drink this, you''ll sleep like a log even if there are monsters nearby!"


    "It seems like the perfect thing for a quick nap inside the tower." Ash chuckled.


    "Right?! I also have <Maspin''s Cold Water> to resist scorching flames, and <Dorpin''s Warm Water> to prevent freezing to death!"


    "I''m sorry to say this after you''ve shown us so many things but--"


    "It''s better to be prepared for all kinds of scenarios!" The Milma exclaimed, keeping the items coming.


    Normally, Ash might have purchased one or two items, but that was not the case now.


    "I just got here and I haven''t even paid my rent yet. I''ll come back once I''ve gotten my bearings." he said.


    "I see. I guess it can''t be helped then."


    "You''re pulling off quite easily." Ash chuckled.


    "If you settle in, I''ll eventually make more money, no?" The Milma giggled.


    Ash had assumed that the Milma were living an easy life, being the Messengers of God and all, but it seemed they were also struggling to survive. He made a mental note to return as soon as he had enough money saved up.


    As they left the store, Clara gave him a complicated look.


    "Ash, you''re amazing. I ended up buying a lot of stuff the first time I got here..."


    "I''ve had to fend for myself since I was a kid, so I''m used to it."


    His father''s policy had been that no matter how hungry Ash was, he was in charge of providing for himself.


    Thanks to this upbringing, Ash was not only accustomed to hunting animals but also to negotiating with merchants.


    "Sir Aaaash!"


    As Ash was reminiscing about his past, he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    Looking back, he saw a small Milma running towards him, waving her hand.


    It was none other than Uru.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 13 - Obtaining Weapons at the Exchange Shop

    Uru made her way towards Ash and Clara while skillfully avoiding colliding with any passerby.Just as Ash thought that she was doing quite well, she ended up stumbling in the middle of nowhere. Ash quickly grasped her hand.


    "That was a close one... Are you okay?"


    "Haha. I saw your back Sir Ash, and just ended up running." Uru said with a wide smile.


    "Next time you should focus more on not falling down rather than waving."


    "I don''t stumble that often you know!"


    "And who was it that fell down grandiosity on our first meeting?"


    "Um... That''s... I''ll be careful..." Uru conceded.


    Ash decided not to press further and helped Uru to her feet.


    Meanwhile, Clara observed the scene with a scrutinizing gaze.


    "You get along quite well."


    "We sure do! Sir Ash and Uru are great friends!" Uru replied with a wide smile.


    Curious, Clara asked, "Ash, didn''t you come here just the other day?"


    "Sure did." S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Ash knew what Clara was trying to say.


    Uru''s behavior made it feel like she and Ash were old friends. Uru had the power to easily transcend the wall of friendliness.


    "And you must be Lady Clara, correct?" Uru asked.


    "You remember me?"


    "Of course. Uru has been a guide even since Uru was a child. Uru remembers all of the people Uru has led here. For example, Uru remembers that you came here roughly one year ago, Lady Clara!"


    Uru said with a smug attitude, however the same instant, Clara dropped to her knees and nodded in agreement.


    "Huh? What? Did Uru say something Uru shouldn''t have?"


    "You can say that Clara is quite happy to hear the words ''one year'' right now." Ash joked.


    "I''m not happy at all! I''m depressed!"


    Clara vehemently denied while Uru contemplated the significance of the phrase.


    "One year... one year... Uru got it! Could today be the day you broke up with your lover?!"


    "No! I''ve never had someone like that to begin with!" Clara exclaimed, however, she quickly realized that she''d said something she didn''t need.


    Her face grew red and she hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.


    (It''s fun teasing her, but I''m starting to feel kind of sorry, so I''ll stop here.) Ash thought.


    He hadn''t expected that Uru''s comments would cause so much damage.


    "U-Um, are you two planning on climbing the tower?" Uru asked.


    "That''s right. But before that I need to get weapons."


    "Oh!"


    Uru immediately grasped the situation upon hearing ''weapons''.


    The memories of how she had cut off Ash''s tour short on the first day came flooding back to her.


    "Uru apologizes for the other day. Uru should''ve properly explained about weapons and the Exchange Shop."


    "It''s fine. Your boss was calling, there''s nothing you could''ve done."


    "Thank you for understanding. I-If you''re fine with it, do you mind if Uru joins you as well? It won''t be enough to atone for what Uru did, but Uru would love to guide you there." Uru pleaded, bringing her face close to Ash''s.


    "Didn''t you have something else to do?"


    "It''s fine. It''s not urgent!"


    "I''m fine with it, but... Clara, what do you say?"


    "I don''t mind. It''ll actually be beneficial to have a Milma with us."


    "There you have it, Uru." Ash said, accepting Uru''s offer. As soon as she heard that, Uru burst into a wide smile.


    "Thank you! Then Uru, incompetent as Uru may be, will do my best to guide you Sir Ash!!!"


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    "Is this really the place?"


    Ash inquired as he entered the building indicated as the Exchange Shop.


    He received a bit of a shock when he noticed the damaged equipment displayed along the walls.


    None of it seemed capable of even cutting a hair, let alone defeating the Lord of the 10th Floor.


    "Sure is. Don''t go and think it''s a junkyard or something, okay?"


    Clara assured him as she followed him into the store.


    Ash was now certain that they hadn''t brought him here to mess with him.


    "Hello!"


    Uru, who had entered first, greeted and made her way to the counter in the back, where a Milma with long hair stood.


    Unlike the other Milma, who didn''t wear a lot of things, this one had a lot of ornaments.


    "If it isn''t Uru. What brings you here?" the Milma asked.


    "Uru''s guiding the newcomers." Uru said, gesturing with her head towards Ash.


    The Milma, in turn, followed Uru''s gaze.


    As she did, Ash suddenly approached her and extended his hand, introducing himself.


    "I''m Ash. It''s nice to meet you."


    "Orge. The pleasure is mine." she replied.


    Perhaps it was her gestures, behavior, or an air of unusual charm that surrounded her, but Orge''s eyes locked onto Ash, licking her plump lips as if sizing up her prey.


    "You''re quite young." she said.


    "You can''t!" Uru said, hastily intervening while spreading her hands wide.


    Orge blinked her eyes, curious about Uru''s reaction.


    "I haven''t done anything, though."


    "Then who was the one that got scolded by Master Venus for laying a hand on the challengers?" Uru retorted.


    "That was because I was slacking off at the store, not because I was fooling around with them."


    "No matter the cause you still can''t!"


    Even though she was being scolded, Orge seemed unconcerned as she played with her hair.


    Uru, accustomed to Orge''s attitude, muttered, "Good grief..." before changing the subject.


    "Sir Ash, can you take out the Exchange Stone?"


    Being asked by Uru, Ash quickly took out the Exchange Stones from his pouch.


    "You already have three? That''s amazing!" Uru exclaimed.


    "Are they hard to come by?"


    "Unlike Duri, Exchange Stones are quite harder to come by."


    "I couldn''t even get one on my first day here. Well, in your case, Ash, the number you hunted was extraordinary..." Clara chimed in.


    Her statement left it unclear whether she was impressed or dismayed by Ash''s success.


    (I did hunt a lot, but given how shocked the two of them are I guess my luck must be quite good.)


    While pondering that, Ash handed over the Exchange Stones to Orge.


    "Only Grade 1 huh. Well you''re still a newbie I guess." Orge remarked.


    "Are you talking about the number on the back? Just what do those numbers mean?" Ash asked.


    The one to answer him was Uru.


    "Exchange Stones have Grades according to the floor on which they are obtained. For example, floors from 1 to 10 drop Grade 1 Exchange Stones, 11 to 20 drop Grade 2 and so on." Uru explained.


    "So if the towers go up to the 100th floor, then the strongest ones are the Grade 10 ones, right?"


    "That''s right!"


    Having finally understood the meaning behind the numbers, Ash felt great.


    However, he still had more questions.


    "So I''m guessing a higher Grade means higher quality equipment."


    "That''s right. Furthermore, some higher grade equipment also come with special effects. For example, if it''s armor we''re talking about, the Grade 7 Fairy Series is quite famous among the upper rank challengers. If you manage to snatch yourself a set, not only will it improve your agility, but it will also reduce the damage you take from magic attacks."


    Upon hearing about the Fairy Series, Ash couldn''t help but think of Lapis'' equipment.


    Her equipment had screamed ''fairy'', so it wasn''t hard for Ash to put the pieces into place.


    "Also the number of Enhancement Stones you can embed increases with an equipment''s grade."


    "Enhancement Stones?"


    "They appear as elongated gems, about this long."


    Uru demonstrated the size using her index finger and thumb.


    "Are you talking about this?"


    Ash checked his pouch and retrieved the gem that was inside.


    He placed it on his palm for everyone to see. Clara drew her face close to get a better look and immediately gaped in amazement.


    "You must be blessed by luck, Ash! Those are nearly impossible to find on the lower floors!"


    "It was a drop from one of the Goblins."


    "If you sell this you can get 5000 Duri. That''s close to a month''s income!" Clara remarked.


    Ash wondered if she were so tight on money that she would immediately resort to such measures.


    Uru, in turn, held up her index finger to continue her explanation, "The Enhancement Stones can be embedded into weapons to give them specific attributes based on their colors. For example, red is fire, blue is water, green is wind or earth, and so on."


    "So, given that mine is red, it can give the Fire Attribute?"


    "That''s right. The effect is based on the number of embedded stones. If you have 5 or more, you can even send flying slashes."


    Higher grade equipment could have more Enhancement Stones.


    And currently, the highest floor the challengers had reached was the 79th Floor.


    Ash assumed that it was likely quite normal for the top teams to have 5 or more stones embedded into their equipment.


    "Enhancement Stones come in many kinds. There are Poison ones, paralysis ones, bleeding ones, reflection ones, weight reduction ones, strength increasing ones and many more. You can try them out once you get some." Uru explained.


    Ash was excited just listening about them, he couldn''t wait to get a chance to try them.


    "If it were me I''d sell it immediately." Clara remarked.


    Ash was now sure that his assumption about her financial situation was right on the mark.


    "Well then, rookie, could you hold one of those Exchange Stones in your hand?" Orge asked, and Ash obliged, placing the Exchange Stone on top of his palm.


    "Like this?"


    "Yes. Now grip it lightly. Good. Stay like that."


    Orge then reached behind the counter and explained, "The Exchange Stones contain special Mana coursing through them based on their Grade. By holding a staff blessed by the God Aitiel over them, the stones can embody the shape their bearer imagines."


    Orge concluded her explanation by holding up a white staff, which was about as tall as herself, and had a round, clear crystal at its tip.


    "Let me know if you have trouble visualizing a weapon. I have a lot of references here."


    It appeared that the scattered equipment in the shop was meant to assist in forming a mental image.


    Ash, however, couldn''t help but think that it would be great if they were a bit more maintained.


    "I think I''m fine with the visualization part. You can continue."


    "Sure thing. Now, imagine it." Orge instructed.


    She gently pressed the tip of her wand, the crystal, against Ash''s hand.


    The first thing Ash had decided to imagine was his stiletto.


    With the image of the stiletto in his mind, the Exchange Stone in Ash''s hand began to emit a faint glow.


    Ash felt a strange sensation in his hand. As if something was trying to push his fingers away.


    Then, suddenly, light burst from Ash''s hand and began taking on the shape of a blade.


    When the light dissipated, Ash was left holding the stiletto he had envisioned.


    Its color was similar to steel, but it felt lighter compared to the stiletto he had used before.


    Ash guessed that this was probably due to different materials being used.


    Lowering down the staff, Orge expressed her admiration, "You have pretty good taste."


    "I''m quite used to this one." Ash replied.


    "What are you going to do with the remaining two?"


    "I''m going to use one to make a swordbreaker. As for the remaining one..."


    Ash placed the stiletto in its sheath, contemplating how to use the remaining stones.


    "You can save it for later. Exchanging them is not free, you know." Uru remarked.


    Having remembered that it would cost money, Ash, somewhat apprehensively, turned to Orge.


    "Um... How much does this cost?"


    "Grade 1s are 100 Duri each."


    "That''s quite a bit." Ash remarked.


    "The first time is on the house so rest easy."


    Ash hadn''t worried about it, given that Uru had come with them, however, he''d never expected it to be free.


    He was reminded once more how important the Dural Island-made weapons were for ascending the towers.


    "Okay, I''ve made up my mind. Orge, let''s do the second one."


    "Sure thing!"


    Ash had decided to create a whip, leaving the swordbreaker for later.


    Orge''s staff hovered over the Exchange Stone in Ash''s hand.


    From it, a short grip and a long body began to form.


    Ash pictured his whip without a weight at the front and that''s just how it was created.


    "A w-whip?"


    "You picked quite the unusual one again..."


    Uru and Clara both remarked, expressing their surprise.


    "I wanted something to deal with enemies at a distance."


    "That''s fine and all, but can you really use such a strange weapon?"


    In response to Clara''s concerns, Ash gave a quick demonstration with the whip, letting it unfurl into the void.


    The flexible body extended and reacted to his movements, bursting forth with a deafening sound.


    Clara''s expression shifted dramatically from her previous demeanor, showing a mix of surprise and tension.


    "Amazing!"


    "I don''t mean to brag, but I can handle a wide range of weapons. With either hand to boot."


    "There''s a limit to being deft you know..."


    Although Ash was far from having mastered all weapons, he was at a level where he could use them in real battle.


    He wasn''t particularly attached to any weapon, so he could switch to different ones in the future if needed.


    After Ash finished creating the swordbreaker, he left the Exchange Shop.


    Once they stepped out onto the street, Uru inquired, "What are you going to do with the Enhancement Stone? Uru can show you to a blacksmith if you plan on embedding it."


    "This is enough for today. I''m thinking of going and climbing the tower."


    "Uru understands. In that case Uru will be leaving you." Uru said.


    "Thanks for tagging along with us."


    "Do not mention it. Uru''s glad she could be of help. Sir Ash, Sir Ash!"


    She then wagged her tail and held her hands at chest level, waiting to perform the Milma''s unique farewell ritual.


    Ash put his hands against Uru''s and she gripped them with a grin on her face.


    However, when Uru realized that Clara was watching, she quickly pulled away, seemingly embarrassed.


    "W-Well then, see you later you two!" Uru exclaimed before running off.


    After a short distance, Uru began walking backward while waving her hand, a truly dangerous maneuver performed by her.


    "Hey! You''ll trip again! Ah... She fell..."


    Luckily, Uru didn''t seem to have suffered any major injuries.


    She quickly got up after falling and ran off with an embarrassed smile on her face.


    Observing the exchange, Clara gave Ash a suspicious look.


    "Why is she that attached to you?"


    "I''d like to know too."


    He recalled that Uru had once mentioned it was because they got along well, but he was unsure if that was the sole reason and would need to ask Uru to find out the actual cause.


    "Oh yea, I need to ask you something. You''ve fought the Lord on the 10th Floor, right?" Ash inquired.


    "Y-Yes. With Darrion and his team."


    "I saw it call out its friends. Does it do that only once?"


    "No. It''ll call out reinforcements when it''s fatigued or damaged."


    "I figured as much."


    "I, personally, have seen it call out reinforcements twice, however, it may do it even more."


    (With its howl, the Lord can call 10 Direwolves. Given that it can do that gimmick at least twice, dealing with those numbers is ludicrous. And if I don''t deal with those Direwolves fast I''ll have a hard time getting to the Lord. Furthermore, Clara''s role is a Healer.)


    "We lack firepower." Ash remarked.


    "In that case, we can go to the Blue Tower to gather Attribute Stones. It''s normal for even the higher-ranked challengers to gather equipment in a tower with an attribute favorable against the attribute of the tower they are conquering. It''s just that..."


    Clara stopped for a moment, and continued with a disheartened expression,


    "As we discussed in the Exchange Shop, it''s not guaranteed that they''ll drop... The lower the floor the lower the chance after all."


    "Well it did drop once, so it''s bound to drop again."


    "Hearing you say that, Ash, I really do believe that it might actually drop..."


    Ash had always been lucky, as such he even had hopes that the first monster they killed could drop an Enhancement Stone.


    "Then it''s settled. We''ll be hunting in the Blue Tower today!"


    "O-Okay!"

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 14 - Looking for a Blue Attribute Stone

    As soon as they entered the small room, four Goblin Fighters attacked them all at once. After Ash dispatched the Fighter with his stiletto, a group of monsters with sharp fangs, pounced on him.These monsters were called Sahuagin. They were monsters with the body of a fish that had arms and legs. The trident in the Sahuagin''s hand thrust out with great vigor, while the scales that covered its body gleamed.


    Ash quickly caught the spear with his swordbreaker and lifted it upward.  He then closed the distance with the Sahuagin and thrust his stiletto into the monster''s soft belly.


    The Sahuagin let go of its spear and fell backward.


    All the bodies lying around the room disappeared without a sound.


    "These rooms are as chaotic as always." Ash muttered as he put his weapons away.


    After which Clara entered the small room.


    She was dumbfounded as she looked at the inside of a small room that had been cleaned up.


    "You really are amazing, Ash..."


    "What''s with the praise all of a sudden?"


    "This is the 6th Floor, you know?! You wouldn''t normally climb this fast." Clara explained.


    The two of them were currently ascending the Blue Tower.


    Unlike the Red Tower, the Blue Tower''s walls were all blue.


    Perhaps because the color was reminiscent of water, it felt slightly cooler.


    There were some new species of monsters, like the Sahuagin, but there were also ones Ash had encountered before, like Goblins and Direwolves.


    (Perhaps these two appear in the first 10 floors of all towers.) Ash pondered.


    However, they were not exactly the same. The monsters in the Blue Tower attacked with ice arrows and ice breath, which were associated with the tower''s attributes.


    "W-Were you an assassin or something?" Clara asked timidly while looking at Ash''s stiletto.


    This was probably because in some regions the dagger was considered a symbol of an assassin.


    "Rest assured, my principle is that I will not murder."


    As soon as Ash responded a Sahuagin, holding a spear, jumped out at Clara from behind her. Ash immediately picked up his whip and flicked the monster''s spear. He then leapt at the Sahuagin and thrust his stiletto into the monster''s chest.


    As the Sahuagin faded away, Ash looked back and shrugged.


    "Though I have no gripes about killing monsters."


    "T-Thank you." Clara replied.


    She smiled a little as if she had been slightly taken aback, but then something occurred to her.


    "You''re bleeding!"


    Ash hadn''t noticed until Clara pointed it out, but there was a cut on the back of his right hand.


    He must have gotten it when he''d brushed past the Sahuagin''s scales.


    In any case, the wound was shallow.


    Leaving it alone wouldn''t have been a problem, but Clara apparently didn''t think so.


    She held up her staff and closed the wound using Heal.


    "Thanks. But how''s your Mana holding up? You''ve been using it non-stop."


    "It''s fine. To be honest, I have more than enough."


    One had to use the Mana that saturated the world in order to wield Magic.


    Each person had a different capacity for holding Mana, and this capacity dictated how fit they were to use Magic. One could cast stronger spells and cast them in greater numbers the more Mana they possessed.


    Mana was replenished over time, but the amount regained was minimal, thus one had to be careful not to exhaust all of their Mana in a single battle. Additionally, since Mana was strongly linked to life force, it was easy to tell at a glance when it was about to be depleted.


    Clara showed no sign of this at all.


    On the contrary, she was full of life.


    Ash figured that she most likely had considerably more Mana than your average person.


    "Still, my Heal isn''t very effective, so I don''t want to rely on it too much."


    Hearing Clara say that a question popped into Ash''s mind.


    "I was wondering, how does Magic work on Dural Island? It''s different from the Magic outside, right?"


    Essentially, Magic was learned through long years of practice.


    There was an exception in the form of <Inherent Abilities> that were passed down from parents to children, but other than that, there were few people who could use Magic. Thanks to this, Mages and Healers were considered rare.


    Amidst these circumstances, Clara explained that it was her staff that allowed her to use Magic.


    "Simply put, there are Magic Stones that can activate certain spells. You can activate these stones by embedding them in specific tools. Staves are used for Healing Magic, bracelets for Offensive Magic, rings for Auxiliary Magic, and so on."


    "From listening to you talk, Magic seems to come in various different types."


    "Yes, I''ve heard there are a lot. And they don''t just differ from tower to tower. Each floor may drop a different Magic Stone."


    "Why do you speak of it as though it doesn''t affect you?"


    "Well I''ve only got a Heal Magic Stone..." Clara blurted out in embarrassment.


    "Did you get it from the White Tower? That''s the image I get when I hear Heal."


    "That''s right. I was lucky enough to get it from my first monster. Quite amazing, don''t you think?!"


    Clara put on her best face and showed a peace sign with her fingers.


    She didn''t know the exact odds, but she believed that she must have been tremendously fortunate.


    "Then do Magic Stones get stronger if you embed the same one, just like the Enhancement Stones?"


    "No. If you want to increase a Magic Stone''s power you have to embed Attribute Stones of the same color."


    "Then in order to power up your Heal we need White Attribute Stones, correct?"


    "That''s right!"


    "Magic users seem to be way more dependent on Magic Stones and Attribute Stones than those in the vanguard."


    "I agree. For us it depends on how many stones you can gather."


    Nevertheless, there was no doubt that strengthening one''s weapons was important for those in the vanguard as well.


    Ash was painfully aware of this after losing his weapons the day before.


    Before coming to Dural Island, Ash had viewed equipment as secondary, with the priority given to improving physical capabilities, but now he knew he had to change his approach.  He realized that now he needed to prioritize enhancing his equipment just as much as his skill, if not more.


    After a bit Ash left the room alongside Clara and they continued forward.


    As they proceeded down the passageway, monsters constantly appeared from the back.


    Ash mercilessly slaughtered the monsters using the stiletto and swordbreaker.


    "Sorry for bringing this up now, but thanks for tagging along with me from the 1st Floor." Ash said.


    "It''s fine. I''d only reached the 5th Floor anyway. A-And besides, I usually hunt on the 1st Floor..." Clara said in a fading voice.


    Ash thrust the stiletto into the mouth of a Sahuagin in front of him, and the wailing Sahuagin soon vanished.


    He then looked back towards Clara, while keeping a wary eye on the road in front.


    "By yourself?"


    "Yes. Though it was really tough for me, so I ended up using the big entrance door. I''d open the door just a bit for a Goblin to peek their head through and once they did I''d smack them with my staff."


    "That sounds like a pain."


    "T-That''s the only way I could hunt!"


    Ash was surprised that Clara had managed to challenge the Tower of Trials with such an approach.


    From their battles so far, it was easy for Ash to imagine that Clara hadn''t ascended the Tower of Trials alone.


    He figured she was most likely accompanied by an excellent companion.


    (I wonder what her companion is doing now...)


    Suddenly, three monsters jumped at them from a corner behind them.


    The monsters rushed in with a Sahuagin in the center of the group and one Goblin Fighter on each side.


    The narrow passage made them difficult to avoid.


    "Clara! Stay close to me and run as fast as you can!"


    "Wh- O-Okay!"


    Ash ran forward as fast as he could.


    Directly in front of him was the Sahuagin''s spear.


    If he kept going he''d be skewered, but Ash wouldn''t let that happen.


    He got as close as he could and jumped, leaping into the air and stepping on the spear, knocking it to the ground.


    Using this momentum, he kicked the Sahuagin, knocking it down. Immediately after that he repelled the two Fighters'' swords that came at him from both sides and ran past. He immediately turned around and saw Clara following as instructed.


    She followed after him, stepping on the Sahuagin''s stomach and face, and accidentally hitting the two Goblins'' necks with the two ends of her staff.


    "Whoa!"


    Clara exclaimed as she suddenly stopped. The Goblins were then released from her staff and fell, tumbling to the ground. The shock they received was so great that they ended up turning into currency.


    "I ended up killing them."


    "So you did have it in you."


    "I-It was just luck!" Clara said with an embarrassed smile.


    Behind her one could see the Sahuagin slowly begin to disappear.


    After the duo made sure that there weren''t any other monsters in the area


    Ash tucked away his weapons and took a deep breath.


    "Let''s pick up from earlier. Given that you were hunting at the entrance there should have been newcomers passing through, right? Couldn''t you have asked them to team up?"


    "I could have but..."


    "Did they turn you down?"


    "I-I would''ve been nervous with just the two of us!" Clara exclaimed.


    Her response made Ash involuntarily look up.


    (She should''ve learned how to talk to people before trying to climb the towers...)


    "But you teamed up with me, no?"


    "I wouldn''t call this teaming up. You basically forced this onto me, Ash."


    "I can''t deny that."


    Even though Clara was saying that, she didn''t come off as nervous at all.


    (If I wasn''t that pushy she wouldn''t have opened up though.) Ash thought to himself.


    "But still-"


    Ash put his hand on the pouch and mouthed it, feeling its lightness.


    "I didn''t expect we''d be this unlucky."


    "Yea..." S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 15 - Squealing Pig

    That evening, after they had returned from the tower, Ash and Clara had dinner in the lobby of the inn.The menu consisted only of grilled fish and soup with lots of vegetables.


    It was by no means a glamorous menu, but its nutritional value was more than sufficient.


    However, it was by no means enough for Clara who was constantly saying, "I''m starving!"


    Ash, in turn, stood up and called out to Blain, who was reading at the reception.


    "Sorry that you had to treat us both yesterday and today. It was delicious."


    "Hmph. You must not be picky at all given that you''re satisfied with just that."


    "Thanks to this, everyday has been a happy one. What should I do with the dishes?"


    "Same as yesterday. Leave them there."


    After he heard Blain say that, Ash turned his back to her and began walking.


    He headed straight for the front door when Clara asked him, "Where are you going?"


    She was still eating, and both her cheeks were puffed out.


    "I thought I''d go for a quick walk outside."


    "Hmmm." She muttered.


    For a moment Clara seemed to have an interested look in her eyes, but that quickly disappeared.


    She once again dropped her gaze and began chomping down on the soup with her tiny mouth.


    (She looks just like a small animal.)


    With this in mind Ash left the inn.


    ¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô


    Many people were still present in the central plaza.


    Ash thought he could enjoy a bit of a quiet night, but apparently, that would be some time in the future.


    Many of the stores on the street were closed, but a few leaked pale golden lights.


    (Those are probably the pubs. Just what I wanted.)


    Ash turned and headed towards one of the open stores.


    The sign hanging at the entrance read <Squealing Pig Pavilion>.


    "That''s a crazy name alright." Ash remarked.


    He briefly considered going to a different pub, but then he remembered that he had never been to a good pub before, so he opened the door.


    The sound of a clanging bell rang out, and shortly after that, a middle-aged man with a bright red face appeared in front of him, shouting, "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"


    Ash quickly stepped to the side, and the middle-aged man fell to the ground.


    Ash wondered what was going on but he quickly figured it out.


    In the middle-aged man''s hand was a wooden cup filled with ale.


    Ash realized that he had to take back what he''d said before.


    The Squealing Pig Pavilion was indeed a fitting name.


    While he was distracted by the middle-aged man, he could hear the bustle and noise of the pub. Of course, the stale air and slightly sour smell were an added bonus.


    At a cursory glance, there were perhaps 30 guests.


    The interior of the pub was larger than expected, but the oppressing atmosphere was so pronounced that it still felt cramped.


    Ash would''ve liked to go order a drink straight away, but first, he had to deal with the drunken middle-aged man before he could close the door.


    He immediately tried to pull the middle-aged man''s leg, but quickly gave up the idea.


    Instead, he chose to lift up the man by the collar and placed him leaning against the now closed door.


    "This should do it." Ash said with satisfaction.


    After which he turned around and walked away.


    Soon after the pub''s door was heard opening once more, and another vigorous squealing sound was heard in the background.


    (It seems like it went just as planned.)


    With a smug look on his face Ash walked to the counter and approached a young Milma, who was busy serving drinks to the customers.


    "How much for a drink?"


    "Oh my, a new face! A cup of ale is 100 Duri. But, since it''s your first time here, it''s half price~!"


    "Thanks!"


    However, even at half price, it wasn''t cheap.


    Although Ash had earned money today, he''d also paid for the weapon exchange.


    He wasn''t that well off just yet, but he couldn''t skimp on information gathering.


    Ash grabbed the Gamal.


    "Could you take out 50 Duri?"


    He pressed his thumb on Gamal''s soft belly as he said the amount he wanted. The Gamal then made a "Gue!" sound before spitting out five red gems, a total of 50 Duri, onto the counter.


    It wasn''t the first time Ash was withdrawing money like this, but he was concerned about whether he would get used to it in the future.


    "Thanks. Here''s your cup!" the Milma exclaimed


    After successfully purchasing the ale, Ash began his search for an empty seat.


    However, at a quick glance, there were no seats available anywhere.


    He could wiggle his way someplace, but if he didn''t choose right he''d only end up being a nuisance.


    (Where should I sit...)


    "Hey! Ash! Over here, over here!"


    A man was waving from a small table in the corner.


    Ash would never forget his aristocratic, boyish appearance.


    It was none other than Leo, with whom Ash had gotten acquainted on his first day on the island.


    Opposite Leo sat a man in a plain, haze-colored robe.


    Ash felt a little uncomfortable going to Leo, but other than touching his butt, Leo was basically a good person. Besides, there were no other available seats. Ash had no reason to refuse, so he decided to take advantage of Leo''s kindness.


    "Come, come. Sit."


    Leo took the liberty of bringing a chair from a pile in the corner of the pub and placed it near the table.


    "Thanks."


    "Don''t mention it. If it''s for you I''d even stand and offer up my own seat."


    The excessive kindness made Ash kind of back-off, but he put up with it, partly because Leo had helped him find a seat.


    Ash glanced at Leo''s seatmate as he took his seat.


    The man was probably around 30 years old.


    His cheeks were a little puckered, but his presence was undoubtedly dominating.


    It was so sharp that it felt like it could cut through the air.


    "Is this person your teammate, Leo?"


    "No, no. His name is Lucas. And he''s got a nice butt."


    Ash realized that it had been a mistake to ask Leo.


    As Ash sighed, the robed man, Lucas, spoke.


    "Leo, who is he?"


    "His name is Ash. He''s my best friend."


    As soon as Lucas heard that Ash was Leo''s best friend, his face contorted and he looked at Ash.


    He stared at Ash as if he were staring at a maggot.


    "I think you have the wrong idea about me." Ash remarked.


    "That''s a relief then. It seems we''ll be able to get along."


    "How strange, me too."


    Ash shook hands with the relieved Lucas.


    He was glad to hear that the misunderstanding had been cleared up.


    "Hey, hey, wait a minute! You don''t act the same when you''re around me!"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Lucas teased


    "Of course we don''t..."


    As Leo sunk into his depression, Lucas rubbed his chin with his finger and made a thoughtful face.


    "Come to think of it, Ash, are you that Ash that picked a fight with Darrion?"


    "You know about that?"


    "The rumor has spread to some areas. It says that a newbie took up a reckless gamble."


    Given it was something that involved a newcomer, Ash had thought that it would get swept under the rug, but contrary to his expectation, it had turned into a big deal.


    "What? What''s this thing about a gamble?"


    Leo, who had somehow resurfaced, entered the conversation with a curious look on his face.


    Lucas took a sip of his ale and proceeded to explain.


    "You know about the girl that''s always hunting in the Blue Tower''s 1st Floor, right?"


    "Of course. The one that''s had the nickname ''The Blue Tower''s Ghost'' for a while."


    Hearing their story, Ash let out an unintentional laugh.


    (It seems like Clara is quite famous. Albeit in a strange way.)


    "That''s the one. So this girl has been on the island for almost a year now, and she hasn''t made it past the 10th Floor yet. So Darrion agitated her about how useless she was and how she was about to get expelled."


    "He''s quite far from being a gentleman."


    "And then Ash here ended up agitating Darrion in return. He apparently told Darrion that he had to take back what he said after he and that Clara girl cleared the 10th Floor." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing less from my best friend! Good job, Ash! You''re so cool~!"


    Leo patted Ash on the shoulder while being in an extremely good mood.


    He didn''t show any signs of stopping so Ash had to forcefully stop him.


    Leo was definitely not someone Ash could let his guard around.


    "That about covers it... But you''re awfully knowledgeable about it." Ash remarked.


    "I just know a guy who happened to be at the scene."


    Lucas downed the ale in one gulp and left, saying, "I''m going to get another one."


    Leo rubbed his hand that Ash had hurt just now while asking, "So what did you bet, Ash?"


    "Oh that. I''ll also be expelled if I lose."


    Leo froze with his eyes wide open.


    Eventually, after a long exhale, he looked at Ash with pity.


    "Ash, it''s my treat tonight."


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Because usually you''d try to get a group of four to clear the 10th Floor... If possible even the maximum of five. And even if that isn''t enough, you''d try to scavenge all the money you have to strengthen your equipment until the next newcomer arrives. Though, I do admit that there are some exceptions."


    As soon as Ash heard about the exception, Uru''s words came to his mind.


    (She did say that Lapis was a loner. She''s probably the exception Leo is talking about.)


    Ash was sure that there were probably other people who had also cleared the 10th Floor alone.


    "I might also be an exception, you know." Ash chuckled.


    "Then that''d be great!"


    "For a guy who calls himself my best friend you don''t seem to believe in me that much." Ash said, trying to be sarcastic, and Leo''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Oh my! How could I mess this up so badly?! You''re right... If you''re my best friend I should believe in you and give you a grand send-off, shouldn''t I?"


    "Hey, Leo, just what are you-"


    Before Ash could finish his sentence Leo stood up and leaped to the center of the pub, holding his ale high in the air.


    "I, Leo Grant, have realized that this is the moment where I must show that I am a real man! Everyone! Drink to your heart''s content! Tonight is on me!"


    The cheers were so loud that the pub shook.


    The challengers began to drink so wildly that it no longer mattered where they were seated.


    Utter chaos ensued.


    "Just how did it get to this?" Lucas asked as he returned with a cup of ale into his hand.


    "Beats me... But is Leo going to be alright? You know, buying everyone drinks and all."


    "That''s not a problem. He''s already ascended up to the 69th Floor so he''s loaded." Lucas explained.


    Uru had told Ash that there were only 10 challengers who''d made it past the 70th Floor.


    This meant that Leo was one of the challengers closest to those ten.


    "He''s quite high up." Ash exclaimed.


    "Sure is. There''s nobody on the island who doesn''t know who Leo is." Lucas said, while the person in question was dancing naked before them.


    It was clear that he was already completely wasted.


    "Why do I feel like he''s famous for other reasons..."


    "I can''t deny that." Lucas replied.


    Ash had no plans on drinking with a man''s naked body as his side dish.


    Thus, he shifted his gaze away from the naked Leo and took a sip of his ale.


    The bitterness of the foam was followed by a slight sweetness.


    It also had a clean aftertaste.


    It was a taste that made it hard for one to stop at the first cup.


    (It''s no wonder the pubs here are thriving.)


    With this in mind, Ash placed the cup on the table.


    "You seem to be quite knowledgeable about Clara, I mean the girl we were just talking about. Could you also know about the time she was climbing together with Darrion?"


    "A bit."


    "I went hunting with her today and I have to admit that her ability as a Healer isn''t half bad. I''ll admit that we had some close calls, but her ability in a drawn out fight is amazing. Knowing that I can''t seem to understand why they''d kick her out."


    The reason Ash visited the pub this time was to obtain this information.


    After Ash''s explanation Lucas began to speak.


    "This is something I heard from Darrion and his teammates, but they basically said that she was useless apart from her Heal."


    "Isn''t that more than enough for a Healer?"


    "For better or worse, Darrion''s team is full of muscle heads. That''s why my hypothesis is that they didn''t pay attention to the monsters that slipped through to the rear."


    "And that made it impossible for Clara to use her Heal, thus labeling her as useless, huh..." Ash muttered.


    Ash didn''t know if what Lucas said was true or not because he hadn''t been there, but if it was true, then it was just too unreasonable.


    "From what I''ve heard, it really does sound terrible." Leo, who had just returned from the center of the commotion, said.


    Ash had assumed that Leo wouldn''t be this serious, given that he was constantly holding his ale cup with one hand, but he was wrong.


    "Though, the towers on this island aren''t that straightforward. There are times when Healers are required to deal with challengers on their own. You should do well to remember that." Leo explained.


    "I figured as much. I appreciate the advice. Though--" Ash let out a sigh as he looked at Leo, "Please put some clothes on before you say such serious things."

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 16 - Rare Monster [Part 1]

    Similar to the previous day, Ash was ascending the Blue Tower with Clara.In order to obtain an Attribute Enhancement Stone they¡¯d decided on a hunting ground and simply killed monsters.


    With this idea in mind, they remained on the 8th Floor for a while, but given that there were no signs of the stone dropping, they decided to go up to the 9th Floor.


    "They really don¡¯t want to drop¡­"


    Ash muttered as he pulled out the stiletto from a Sahuagin¡¯s head. Clara, who had been following behind him, let out a disgusted "Ew¡­" and took an exaggerated step away from the crumpled Sahuagin.


    "This is how it usually is." Clara explained.


    "But I got one on my first day here."


    "I¡¯m sure you just got lucky."


    As they proceeded through the narrow passageway, fending off the monsters, they saw a room in the back.


    While hiding behind the wall at the entrance, they sneaked a peek inside to check.


    The room was much wider than anything up to this point.


    However, the noteworthy thing wasn¡¯t the room¡¯s size, but rather its flooring.


    Here and there were square regions that had been cut out and were filled with water.


    Although there was a straight path to the gate in the back of the room, the other footholds were irregularly cut and seemed to be very difficult to fight on.


    "Whoa. One wrong step and we¡¯re done for¡­" Clara exclaimed.


    "You should''ve brought your swimsuit." Ash joked.


    "I¡¯m not falling so it¡¯s fine!"


    From the looks of it, there were five Sahuagin waiting for them.


    They were opponents Ash had beaten many times before.


    As long as he fought normally they wouldn¡¯t pose a threat.


    "I¡¯m going. Come in once I finish cleaning them up." Ash said.


    "Be careful."


    "Of course!"


    Ash pulled out his two daggers, held them in a reverse grip in each hand, and rushed forward.


    The Sahuagin waiting for him were spread out with three in the front and one on either side. The two on the left and right were the first to notice Ash, and they thrust their spears out from both sides. Ash dived under the spears feet first and slid past them.


    As he did, the three monsters in front were waiting for him with their spears outstretched. He quickly slammed the soles of his feet into the floor and leapt without killing his momentum. Twisting his body, he circled behind the Sahuagin and slaughtered two of them as soon as he landed. The remaining one immediately turned around, rearing its spear, but Ash eliminated it after getting down to the floor to evade the attack.


    Now only the two on the sides remained. As Ash prepared to intercept them, he heard a bubbling sound coming from somewhere. He followed the source of the sound and found bubbles appearing from the water near his left foot.


    Just as he managed to figure out what this all meant, a Sahuagin came flying out of the water.


    (It must have been hiding there the whole time.)


    The enemy was pointing its spear at Ash, but Ash had no intention of receiving an attack that had falling momentum behind it.


    He threw himself to the side and avoided the spear without any difficulty. After the falling Sahuagin¡¯s attack missed completely, it ended up joining the two from earlier. It stood by their side, forming a line.


    Suddenly, another bubbling sound appeared, however, this time it was from behind.


    (There were more?!)


    As Ash exclaimed inwardly, two more Sahuagin appeared from the water on either side.


    "Just how many are there?!"


    He was in a pincer attack, with monsters from his left, right and back.


    In addition, the three Sahuagin from earlier attacked from the front, ready to lay down their lives.


    It would be hard for Ash to make a clean escape.


    (In this case¡­)


    He raised his swordbreaker vertically and wedged it between the trident coming straight at him. After which he pushed forward.


    As he moved forward, he stabbed the Sahuagin on the right with the stiletto in his right hand. However, in return, the Sahuagin on the left clawed at his left arm.


    "Argh!"


    The wound was quite deep.


    In no time at all, the sensation in his left arm faded, and Ash let go of the swordbreaker.


    The spear, finally free from its lock, struck straight at him.


    Ash ducked to evade the attack and stabbed the Sahuagin in the front to death.


    With his left arm hanging slack, he immediately turned around and confronted the remaining four.


    "Ash!"


    "Don¡¯t come!"


    Ash responded to Clara''s voice, which came from behind him, from the entrance side.


    Immediately after, his left arm was enveloped in white light.


    The burning heat eased, and the pain receded.


    (She must have used Heal. I¡¯m thankful, but¡­)


    "Get back right now! There are probably more!"


    "What?"


    One new Sahuagin popped up from the water square right next to Clara.


    Before the falling water could settle the Sahuagin thrust its spear at Clara.


    Her body moved on its own, and Clara somehow wedged her staff between the trident¡¯s tips.


    However, she couldn¡¯t hold against the momentum and fell backwards.


    "Ahhh!"


    "Hold on for a bit!" Ash exclaimed.


    He turned his back towards the four enemies and ran.


    Even now, Clara was steadily being pushed down.


    At this rate, the Sahuagin would pierce her throat before Ash could get there.


    With his free left hand Ash swung his whip and flicked the Sahuagin which was pushing down on Clara.


    Clara got up in a hurry and began to pound the now fallen Sahuagin repeatedly with her staff. It might have seemed overkill, however, it ended up paying out as the Sahuagin eventually disappeared.


    Clara had somehow escaped for the time being.


    Ash turned around and headed for the remaining Sahuagin.


    As long as no surprise attacks came his way, he could easily deal with the four enemies.


    Using his whip he broke their balance and then finished them off with the stiletto one by one.


    After eventually taking care of all of them, Ash picked up his fallen swordbreaker and headed towards Clara.


    Her breathing was quite rough, indicating that she was likely frightened.


    "It¡¯s fine now. They''re all taken care of."


    "S-Sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have come out."


    "It''s thanks to it that I managed to get off with only minimal injuries. Thanks." Ash tried to cheer her up, but Clara''s expression remained dark.


    "I¡¯m really hopeless."


    "Clara?" S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ash, you''re really amazing. You can clear a whole flock of monsters by yourself, and you even got to the 10th Floor all alone. But no matter how great you are, if I''m with you, I¡¯ll only end up dragging you down¡­"


    "Don''t say any more. There¡¯ll be no going back for you if you do."


    Although Clara stopped talking, her emotions didn''t seem to disappear.


    Her lips were trembling, indicating that she wanted to get it all out.


    "Are you worried because they told you that besides your Heal you''re useless?"


    "How do you know that?"


    "I heard about it last night from a friend at the pub."


    "So you heard¡­" Clara''s face became tense, and she looked down.


    "I didn''t mean to poke my nose¡­ I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine. Actually, I was going to tell you about it, Ash. But then I got scared and couldn''t get it out."


    Ash had already felt that was the case.


    That''s why he''d gone out of his way to get the information in such a roundabout way.


    Clara squeezed her staff.


    "I¡¯ve always been a bit of a klutz. If I try to do more than one thing at a time my head gets all mixed up."


    "It¡¯s rare to find someone who doesn¡¯t." Ash chuckled.


    "But I think that Healers should be able to do it. What would happen if I can¡¯t Heal when I need to¡­ It¡¯ll be the same as the time when someone on my team got seriously hurt because of me¡­"


    (She¡¯s probably talking about when she challenged the Red Tower¡¯s 10th Floor with Darrion¡¯s team. I heard they¡¯d failed, but I didn¡¯t hear anything about someone getting seriously injured. Though, you can cure almost anything with Magic, so as long as they didn¡¯t die it¡¯s fine. The problem right now is Clara.)


    Ash was certain that the fear of failure had etched itself into her.


    "It¡¯s their fault for not taking care of the monsters that were headed for you, isn¡¯t it?" Ash asked.


    "They had their hands full with the monsters in front of them. Besides, it¡¯s the Healer that holds the team¡¯s lives in their hands. I can''t be the one making excuses."


    Ash understood her point of view, but she was taking on too much.


    "If it were me I¡¯d definitely go to help. However, there are times when that help might not come in time. In such cases you should put your well-being before healing. Like I already told you, you¡¯re not alone, so don¡¯t get too worked up, okay?"


    "Okay." Clara nodded slowly and finally relaxed.


    Ash was relieved, but at the same time, something was nagging at the back of his mind. However, he could not find the cause immediately and could only put it aside for the time being.


    "Now then, let¡¯s switch gears and continue forward."


    As he said that and prepared to walk away, Ash noticed something strange in one of the water squares in the room¡¯s corner. It was an underwater passageway that seemed to lead out of the room.

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 17 - Rare Monster [Part 2]

    He checked the other water squares, but there was only one underwater passageway."What''s wrong?" Clara asked


    "There''s a passageway inside this one. I believe it might lead us somewhere."


    "You''re right! Could it be a passageway for the Sahuagin?"


    Ash was too thinking that this case was highly likely.


    However, the possibility of it being something else excited him even more.


    "Wait here for a bit."


    "Huh? Ash, what are you doing?!"


    Ash dove into the water and entered the underwater passage.


    He moved to the side with a single stroke, only to be confronted with a dead end, leaving him with only one option, upward.


    He emerged from the water in no time at all and was met with a narrow overland path.


    There were no monsters in sight, and the place was secluded.


    (Seems like my hunch was right after all.)


    Ash could not hide his elation and hurried back the way he came.


    As soon as he showed his face, Clara gave him a pouty look.


    "Good grief! Why''d you have to dive in so suddenly? You scared the life out of me!"


    "Sorry, sorry. I found a path in the back."


    "R-Really?"


    "Yea. There might be something. Let''s go check it out."


    "B-But I''m not much of a swimmer..."


    "It''s fine. I''ll help you."


    "Okay..." Clara muttered, reluctantly entering the water.


    She held the hem of her floating robe with one hand while gripping the floor firmly with the other.


    "I''ve hunted a lot in the Blue Tower, but this is my first time swimming..."


    "You''ve only hunted on the 1st Floor though."


    "Don''t say that!"


    "Oh yea! Clara, do you know you''re famous as the Blue Tower''s Ghost?"


    "What?! That''s the first I''m hearing of this!" Clara''s face seemed to turn pale, and after she blushed.


    "What shall I do... I''ll be ashamed to show my face at the plaza from now on..."


    "We''re going. Hold your breath!"


    "Huh? Hey, wait!"


    Pulling Clara''s hand from her grip on the floor, Ash began to dive.


    He turned around to look at Clara and saw that her eyes were completely closed.


    Her cheeks were swollen to the point of bursting.


    It was kind of interesting to watch.


    Soon, they were out of the water, and Clara was exhaling and inhaling in an exaggerated manner.


    Ash ruffled his hair, then went up first and pulled Clara up.


    "You were right, there really is a path here. Still, now I''m soaking wet." Clara remarked


    "You''ll dry in no time."


    "I sure hope so..." S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Clara began to squeeze her clothes with a displeased look.


    The clothing adhered to her body, highlighting her contours even more.


    Below her narrow, gently curved shoulders, her modest but well-shaped breasts could be clearly seen.


    Ash had forgotten that she was also a fine woman mostly because of her usually childish side. Now, perhaps because of her damp hair and skin, she had an unusual luster about her.


    Clara tilted her head, seemingly noticing Ash''s gaze.


    "Something wrong?"


    "No at all. I was just thinking that you really are a woman, Clara."


    "...! L-Look away!"


    It seemed like she hadn''t realized what she''d been wearing up until now.


    Clara hurriedly straightened herself up and glared at Ash with a bright red face.


    "So you were a pervert, Ash..."


    "There isn''t a man that would react differently."


    (Though I guess there are some who are more interested in the butts of the same sex...)


    "I just meant that you were an attractive adult woman, Clara."


    "I-I see. I''m an adult, huh... F-Fine then."


    Given that she''d been over the moon when Ash had called her his senior, it was clear that Clara was hungry for respect.


    Ash then proceeded to the back with Clara, who was now in a completely good mood.


    "I heard a long time ago that there are several hidden passages in the tower, and at the end of them, there is a Rare Monster."


    "A rare monster?"


    "I haven''t seen one either, but it seems that Rare Monsters have a higher chance of dropping Exchange Stones, Enhancement Stones and other things."


    "That sounds exciting."


    As they turned the corner they saw a room some distance away.


    They peeked inside while making sure not to give themselves away.


    The room was quite big, almost identical to the room they had been just now, and inside there was only one monster.


    It had a vase-shaped body about the height of an adult, with many tentacles sprouting from the top that resembled a head of hair. It was a monster both of them had never seen before.


    "So that''s a Rare Monster... It''s kind of wiggly, like a worm."


    "Ew~ it''s disgusting. Let''s turn back... It''s definitely strong, and from the looks of it, it''s probably poisonous..."


    Purple mist leaked out in puffs from the top of the vase, alongside the tentacles.


    As Clara said, it really did look dangerous.


    "Have we gotten a Magic Stone up until now?"


    "Not one... But we still have time. We can hunt other monsters and--"


    "But the drop chance is higher with this one. We should try it."


    Ash entered the room, holding the swordbreaker in his left hand.


    After about three steps, a vertical crack appeared in the skin of the vase-shaped body, and from the crack a red crystal emerged. The red crystal moved around like an eyeball and then stopped.


    Immediately after, one tentacle came flying at Ash. He was able to repel it without any problem with his swordbreaker, but five more tentacles followed after it.


    It wasn''t a number Ash could handle.


    "Ash!"


    Amidst Clara''s screams, Ash jumped back, creating distance.


    A tentacle struck the floor where he had just been, and a loud sound echoed.


    "Phew! That was scary. If that had hit me it definitely wouldn''t have been good."


    As he huffed, Clara turned an anxious look at him.


    "We should definitely turn back..."


    "It''s still early to tuck our tails. Look carefully. Those tentacles won''t attack us here."


    "Now that you mention it..."


    The monster''s tentacles had already returned to their original state, and were showing no signs of pursuing.


    "From this distance, we just might be able to launch a one-sided assault against it."


    After Ash sheathed the swordbreaker, he struck the eyeball of the monster with his whip.


    A powerful blow sounded, and the monster''s pained, strange voice echoed.


    Furthermore...


    "Look! Its tentacles shrunk!" Ash exclaimed.


    "Maybe if you hit that eyeball, all the tentacles will retract."


    "It''s worth a shot."


    As Ash relentlessly continued to aim at the eyeball, all the tentacles eventually settled inside the vase-like body.


    "Bingo. Now it can''t attack us even if we get close."


    "This feels way too cheap."


    "This was probably the right way to beat it. Let''s hurry up and get this over with, we don''t know if the tentacles won''t come back."


    "I-I''m coming!"


    Ash closed in on the monster at once and stabbed it in the eyeball with his stiletto. As the monster wailed like a crying child, Clara also delivered a weak blow with her staff. They weren''t sure if their blows had any effect, but the monster eventually began to disappear, proving they had indeed worked.


    "The Sahuagin from earlier were way tougher than this." Ash remarked.


    "I''m sure it would have been quite the formidable opponent for those who can''t use ranged attacks."


    "You have a point."


    Ash was reminded yet again that opting for a whip was a wise decision.


    When the monster disappeared completely, a number of gems appeared in its place and rolled on the floor.


    The Rare Monster ended up dropping way more gems than normal monsters.


    "Whoa! A green gem. It''s my first time seeing one. This should be worth 100 Duri." Ash exclaimed.


    The first thought that came to Ash was that he could buy a round of ale with this, showing that he was now a proper resident of Dural Island.


    "Wait... This should be an Attribute Enhancement Stone! Clara! We got one! We got an Attribute Enhancement Stone!"


    "Ash!  Look, look!"


    Just as Ash was about to share his joy, Clara, with a broad smile on her face, jumped in as if to take the initiative. With a twinkle in her eyes, she showed Ash a blue gem.


    "What''s that?" Ash asked.


    The gem was round and small enough to pick up with one''s fingers.


    It looked different from both the Exchange Stones and the Enhancement Stones. This was Ash''s first time seeing a gem like this.


    Trying to suppress her overflowing excitement, Clara explained the gem''s nature.


    "It''s a Magic Stone that drops in the Blue Tower... A Frost Arrow Magic Stone!"

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 18 - Fight! Red Tower 10th Floor [First Act]

    The next day, as the sun began to set, Ash and Clara visited the square in front of the Red Tower.Unlike in the morning, there were only about 10 challengers waiting.


    Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere was somewhat calm.


    The red-haired Milma, the tower''s supervisor, walked up to them.


    "Miss Clara, may I take a minute of your time?"


    "O-Of course!"


    Clara''s face instantly became tense at the supervisor''s attitude.


    She could guess what they were going to talk about.


    "I have a message from Master Venus. It said that if you do not manage to clear any of the towers'' 10th Floor by sunset, you are to leave the island."


    "O-Okay..."


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve last issued this warning. After all, most would have died before the deadline for clearing the 10th Floor came." The supervisor said with a carefree smile.


    Clara, in turn, was as white as a ghost.


    "I see you''re enjoying this as usual." Ash muttered.


    "Thank you for the compliment." the supervisor replied.


    Ash couldn''t even get angry given that the supervisor had seen right through his ploy.


    While they were talking with the supervisor, Darrion and his team came to the square.


    "Hey, newbie."


    "What''s the deal? Did you come to cheer us on?"


    "Like I''d ever come to support you!" Darrion replied, his face unmistakably anger-stricken as he moved closer to Ash.


    "I hope you haven''t forgotten our bet. Don''t you dare chicken out." Darrion said.


    "Same goes for you."


    "Naturally. Though with that woman around I''m pretty sure I won''t have to do anything on my part." Darrion said.


    He glared at Clara, causing her to shiver, but then Clara squeezed her hands together as if to hide her fear.


    "I-I''ll clear it this time!"


    Hearing Clara''s response Darrion showed an amused smile, as if he hadn''t expected her to talk back.


    However, that smile quickly vanished and Darrion''s expression became grim.


    "Let''s see you try then. Though, it''s impossible for someone like you." He said.


    Clara looked straight back at him resolutely, but her body was terribly frightened.


    If things were left as they were, she''d be rattled even before they challenged the Lord.


    "Let''s go, Clara. He''s not the one we''re fighting."


    "O-Okay."


    ¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô


    "What was with his face?! You''d only see such ugly faces inside the tower! It''s definitely not the face of a human!"


    As soon as they arrived at the 10th Floor''s hall, Clara started screaming in exasperation.


    Ash understood where her frustration was coming from, but Clara''s words were just so mean that he couldn''t help but feel sorry for Darrion.


    "I was worried that you''d be exhausted from this morning''s hunting, but you seem to be doing fine." Ash said.


    "Yea, I''m in perfect condition. Besides, unlike you Ash, I don''t move around that much."


    The thing Ash was concerned about was the amount of Mana Clara had left. However, judging by her complexion, she was doing just fine.


    Suddenly, Clara looked intently at her arm where she was wearing a metal bracelet with the Frost Arrow Magic Stone embedded in it, which she had obtained yesterday.


    "Are you sure I can have this? After all, you''re the one that took down most of the monsters..." Clara muttered.


    "We''re a team. There''s no need to even mention it. Besides, if you can use Offensive Magic then it''ll be easier for you to deal with any small-fry that might come at you."


    "B-But I''m not sure I''ll be able to hit them..."


    "Didn''t you practice quite a lot? You''ll be fine!"


    During the morning hunt Clara had tried hitting enemies with Frost Arrow numerous times, and for a good chunk she had hit the targets. She was definitely not the athletic type, however, from what he''d seen up until now, Ash believed that she might have a natural talent for using Magic.


    "But remember, don''t shoot at the Lord no matter what. If he switches his target to you I won''t be able to cover."


    "G-Got it!"


    "Perfect. Let''s go then!"


    They stepped onto the magic circle at the back of the hall together and moved to the room of trial.


    As before, the moment they arrived they were met with a dark place.


    It was so dark that it was almost impossible to make out anything.


    "Was it always this dark?"


    "Don''t you remember?"


    "No... It''s been quite a while since I''ve last been here." Clara explained.


    Immediately after that, the goblet in the back lit up, making the entire hall slightly brighter.


    Following that, a huge shadow appeared in the far right corner.


    It had a long mouth with sharp fangs and muscular limbs supported its majestic body.


    It was the king of the Direwolves, a monster Clara had squared off against numerous times in the past.


    The Lord finally made its appearance.


    (Is it waiting for a moment to strike?)


    Ash thought as he watched the Lord approach with a leisurely gait, grunting and groaning.


    "Here it comes. Clara, stay as far away from it as possible and be careful not to draw its attention."


    "O-Okay!"


    "And no matter what, don''t stand in front of it. Otherwise, you''ll be playing dodgeball with the fireballs." Ash warned.


    He pulled out his stiletto and braced himself.


    The blue Attribute Stone they''d gotten yesterday was embedded in the stiletto''s handle. Ash had wondered whether to strengthen the swordbreaker or the stiletto, but in the end, he''d decided to go with the stiletto, which would end up delivering the final blow.


    Suddenly, Ash noticed the Lord opening its big mouth, and releasing a fireball as a welcoming gift.


    However, thanks to there being a lot of distance between the two parties, Ash dodged it easily.


    He glanced behind him and saw that Clara had also successfully avoided it, albeit, leaning slightly forward as if she was about to fall.


    Suddenly, a sound, resembling the rumbling of the earth, reverberated.


    Ash quickly returned his gaze forward, and found the Lord had closed in on him.


    (It probably used the fireball as a distraction to cover the distance!)


    Using the momentum, the Lord swung its front right foot, bringing its sharp black claws down.


    Ash evaded by diving headfirst below the Lord''s bosom, then spun around and rolled on the floor, swiftly repositioning himself.


    The Lord couldn''t move quickly right after the attack so Ash seized the opportunity to drive the stiletto deep into the heel of its front left foot.


    The sensation, akin to piercing through soft soil, took Ash by surprise.


    (Dural Island''s weapons aren''t half-bad. I couldn''t really feel the difference against the weaker monsters, but these really are worlds apart. Maybe it''s also because of the Attribute Stone, but no matter the case, this is way better than what I had before!)


    While Ash was admiring the weapon, the Lord lashed out. Ash quickly pulled out the stiletto and escaped. Without a moment''s pause, the Lord followed after him, trying to bite him off.


    Ash ducked, spinning himself sideways, and poked the enemy in the left eye.


    As he did, blood of the same color as the eyeball gushed out.


    Ash wished he could''ve struck another blow, but the Lord suddenly burst into rage, leaving Ash with no choice but to retreat. The Lord likewise moved away and raised its face towards the ceiling.


    (It''s calling for reinforcements.) Ash thought.


    The howl echoed throughout the hall.


    When the echo eventually died down, normal-sized Direwolves popped up from all over the walls.


    There were ten of them, but unlike last time, not all of them were aiming at Ash.


    One of the Direwolves was heading towards Clara.


    "Clara!"


    "I-I''m fine!" Clara replied.


    At the tip of her outstretched right palm light began to gather and converged to form an arrow of ice.


    It was the Frost Arrow spell.


    The Frost Arrow shot out like a bullet, hitting the head of the Direwolf running toward her and slaying it.


    Clara, breathing a sigh of relief, pointed a peace sign at Ash.


    (It seems I didn''t need to worry.)


    Ash ducked as a Direwolf came at him from behind and stabbed the stiletto into its head.


    Following that, two more Direwolves jumped at him.


    He swiftly pulled out his swordbreaker and gripped it tightly, slashing at both of them simultaneously.


    (Who''s next!)


    The remaining six Direwolves retreated to the Lord''s side and lined up side by side, preparing to release a wave of fireballs.


    "Clara! Run to the right-hand side!" Ash shouted.


    He then instantly ran towards the Lord and right before reaching it, suddenly changed direction to the right.


    He slashed and slaughtered three of the Direwolves that were about to release a fireball. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Almost simultaneously, the remaining Direwolves released their fireballs, turning the hall red.


    The fireballs, however, only ended up crashing into the back wall.


    Afterwards the three remaining Direwolves approached.


    With Ash''s enhanced weapons, these Direwolves posed no real threat.


    Ash easily eliminated the Direwolves and approached the Lord.


    However, the Lord was further away than Ash expected, and he couldn''t move to attack immediately.


    Using the time it had opened up, the Lord let out another howl.


    (I''d heard that it''d call in reinforcements a second time once it got weakened to some degree, but I didn''t expect that we''d already be at that point. In any case, the plan remains the same. We just need to slaughter all the reinforcements!)


    Is what Ash thought, however, after eliminating the new wave of ten Direwolves, the Lord called in another wave, and then yet another. Because of this Ash had no time to attack the Lord.


    "Does this have no end?!" Clara exclaimed.


    "Doesn''t seem like it...!" Ash replied as he used his swordbreaker to cut a Direwolf in two, from top to bottom.


    However, at the same time the Lord howled once more.


    Almost no time had passed since its last howl, and there were still 8 Direwolves left from the previous wave.


    With the new wave, the total number of Direwolves would jump up to 18.


    Dealing with this many, even if they were small fry, was not easy.


    Ash was attacked from all sides, receiving numerous cuts and deep scratches on both arms.


    "Damn it!" he cursed.


    The pain wasn''t enough as to where he couldn''t wield his weapons, but it was certainly there and was gnawing away at him.


    Amidst Clara''s worried cries Ash gritted his teeth and continued to slash and stab, bringing two Direwolves to their death.


    However, he then noticed that there were fewer enemies attacking him than before. Looking around he saw that three Direwolves were heading towards Clara. Even though Clara knew this, she nevertheless decided to raise her staff and start casting Heal.


    "I''m fine!"


    "But-"


    "Keep yourself safe!"


    Clara finally took her right hand off the cane and slaughtered one Direwolf with a frost arrow.


    Despite this, she would likely fail to kill the remaining two before they got to her.


    (I guess I''ll have to use that...)

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 19 - Fight! Red Tower 10th Floor [Second Act] Part 1

    Ash dodged the enemy''s attack while keeping his stiletto in place, and then used his free right hand to grab something around his chest area. He took the object that was hanging around his neck and brought it to his mouth.It was the Bite Whistle.


    He''d bought it, just in case, with the Duri he''d received for selling the Red Attribute Stone.


    He breathed out, as hard as he could, while biting down hard on the flat tube.


    A high-pitched sound, almost like a ringing in the ears, echoed through the hall.


    The two Direwolves that were heading toward Clara suddenly stopped and turned their attention to Ash, just like the other monsters.


    Ash had been skeptical about whether the whistle would actually work, but he was now certain that he had definitely gotten his money''s worth.


    Furthermore, it seemed like the whistle''s effect didn''t only extend to attracting attention. The enemies'' attacks also became more relentless.


    With both of Ash''s arms injured, he wouldn''t be able to fight back properly.


    "I-I''m sorry... I... I messed up ag-"


    "Leave that for later! For now use Heal on me!"


    "O-Okay!"


    Clara tended to the wounds on Ash''s arms.


    The pain eased, but there was no time for relief.


    Even now, 16 Direwolves attacked one after another.


    While concentrating on evasion, Ash ensured to slay them one by one.


    He eventually managed to get their number down to ten, but then...


    The Lord howled yet again.


    Ash clicked his tongue as he intercepted the Direwolves, which increased in number again.


    Rather than improving, their current situation was only getting worse.


    If Ash was able to get to the Lord he''d surely be able to counterattack, however, the Lord was simply eyeing the development from a distance.


    Ash couldn''t do anything.


    He regretted that he didn''t push a bit more and kill the Lord before it summoned the first 10 Direwolves, but Ash knew there was no point in thinking about that now.


    (Should we retreat and try again? No, that won''t do. We can''t escape with these numbers on our tail. In this case, I should at least try and get Clara to safety...)


    Ash''s vision narrowed, perhaps due to the frustration mixing with his thoughts, and he failed to notice a single Direwolf leaping at him from his flank.


    Drooling, the ferocious fangs closed in.


    Ash had no time to dodge.


    (I can only sacrifice one of my arms...)


    Suddenly, an arrow of frost pierced the side of the attacking Direwolf.


    The Direwolf, which had been full of energy until just now, lost its momentum and crashed down.


    Ash, with his eyes wide open, half unconsciously looked in the direction from which the arrow of frost had come.


    He looked straight at Clara.


    "I''m sorry for doing something unasked for! But--" Clara looked embarrassed, but then she shouted as if she had made up her mind, "I want to fight alongside you, Ash!"


    At that moment, something clicked in Ash''s head.


    It was something that had been bothering him even before they''d entered the 10th Floor.


    It was thanks to Clara that he was finally able to put his finger on it.


    (How didn''t I realize something this simple earlier?!)


    He naturally burst into laughter.


    His voice grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the hall.


    Laughing hysterically while dealing with the Direwolves was the very definition of a madman, but unfortunately, Ash couldn''t stop himself.


    "H-Huh?! I''m being serious here! Why did you have to go ahead and laugh!"


    "Sorry, sorry. My bad. I''m not making fun of you, Clara. I''m just laughing because I realized I was acting a bit foolish."


    Ash thrust his stiletto into an attacking Direwolf while avoiding a fireball.


    He vigorously pulled out his stiletto while repelling another enemy who was in pursuit with the swordbreaker.


    "I''ll draw their attention! Clara, you continue clearing out the mobs!"


    "L-Leave it to me!"


    Clara''s face broke into a smile for a moment, but she quickly took on a serious look and assumed an attack position.


    From her outstretched right hand, Frost Arrows were shot one after another.


    Each arrows hit a Direwolf, rendering them incapable of fighting.


    Ash and Clara desperately fought to reduce the Direwolf numbers.


    Eventually, only 8 of them remained.


    Four Direwolves, standing side by side a short distance away, shot fireballs at Ash.


    Ash, however, threw a Direwolf that was lying at his feet and managed to deflect one of the fireballs. He then used the opportunity he''d created to slaughter two of the four Direwolves that had shot fireballs at him.


    (Six left!)


    Suddenly, the Lord took a big leap backwards.


    "Like I would let you call your friends!" Ash declared while heading straight for the Lord while the rest of the Direwolves pounced on him to interfere.


    Ash forced himself to push forward while avoiding them, but it took longer than he expected.


    The Lord was already poised to howl, and the distance between it and Ash was about 10 steps.


    (I won''t make it in time.)


    Suddenly, a Frost Arrow flew from the left edge of Ash''s field of view and hit the Lord in the side of the head.


    It did not penetrate its skin, but it managed to delay its howl.


    Clara''s voice echoed, "Please, take it down!"


    Ash accelerated and leaped at once.


    After spinning once in the air, he stabbed the stiletto right between the Lord''s eyes.


    The Lord lifted its head and began to thrash about in severe pain.


    (I can''t let myself be thrown off here. I''ll finish it off!)


    Clinging hard, Ash continued to stab the Lord in the head over and over again with the stiletto.


    The Direwolves came to their king''s aid, but before they could reach it, the Lord collapsed.


    It then began to dissipate, and following it all of the other Direwolves disappeared, leaving behind only several gems.


    (So it''s set up as to where they disappear alongside the Lord.)


    Looking around, Ash noticed that all of the enemies had completely vanished.


    It was then that he finally relaxed his arms.


    Rather than the joy of successfully conquering the 10th Floor, he only felt fatigue.


    Ash calmed his breathing as he looked at the ceiling.


    "We really beat it..."


    When his breathing finally calmed down, Ash saw Clara collapsed down on the ground with the corner of his eye.


    After tucking away his weapons he approached her.


    "Good job. We really did it!" he remarked.


    "W-We did. I-I''m sorry for attacking the Lord even when you told me not to..."


    "Don''t be. That decision was right on the money."


    Their victory would not have been possible if Clara had not attacked the Lord at that time.


    "Actually, I''m the one that''s sorry." Ash said, bowing lightly.


    Clara, in turn, was left completely shocked at the sudden apology.


    "H-Huh?! Why are you apologizing, Ash? I''m the one that should apologize for dragging you down."


    "I''m the one that told you that we''re a team and that you shouldn''t be taking in everything by yourself, and here I went ahead and ended up trying to do everything on my own." he explained.


    Ash hadn''t realized it until Clara had told him that she wanted to fight alongside him.


    He understood that he''d been foolish and that if he had realized it earlier, they would have cleared the 10th Floor way sooner.


    "I got stuck thinking that I had to do something myself, but that was exactly where I was wrong."


    "You couldn''t help it, Ash. After all, I really am useless. I''m sure you could''ve cleared it by yourself." Clara said.


    "That''s not the case." Ash denied it in a quiet but strong tone, and then continued, "We were only able to win because you were here Clara. Thank you." S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The moment Clara heard that, her expression changed.


    She shook her head slowly, her eyes moistening as if she were moved to tears.


    "I should be the one saying that... If it weren''t for you Ash, I would''ve left without even challenging the 10th Floor." Clara said, rubbing her eyes.


    Although it might have seemed like an exaggeration to some, this was a huge issue for Clara.


    The feeling of clearing the 10th Floor was not the only one in her heart right now.


    "Will you shake my hand? After all, I''ve only shook your staff until now." Ash asked, holding out his hand.


    Clara roughly wiped her tears, looked up, and nodded with a wide smile.


    "Of course!"

 Vol. 1 - Ch. 20 - Fight! Red Tower 10th Floor [Second Act] Part 2

    Ash and Clara had taken longer than they had expected.Dusk was falling, and the square in front of the tower was reddening.


    Among the challengers who appeared exhausted after the hunt, Ash spotted a group led by a large man.


    It was Darrion and his group.


    (So they were waiting.)


    Ash and Clara made their way to them.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting." Ash said.


    "A bit more and we would''ve written you off as goners."


    "I hate to break it to you, but we''re alive and kicking."


    "So, what''s the outcome?"


    "The outcome? Isn''t it obvious? We cleared it." Ash replied.


    Darrion''s eyes opened wide in surprise, but then he quickly sneered. He shrugged his shoulders, looking at his companion who was waiting behind him, then snickered like a fool.


    "Is that the best joke you could come up with?"


    "If you don''t believe me you can ask the supervisor." Ash said in a loud tone so that the supervisor, who was observing the situation from a distance, could hear him.


    The supervisor smiled and nodded.


    "Fine with me. It''ll become clear once I check your Marks of Passage." the Milma said.


    Ash and Clara held out their right palms upward, and the supervisor took their hands. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly the Mark of Passage, inscribed with the number 11 in red, quickly emerged.


    "Good, good... Both of you have reached the 11th Floor."


    The supervisor''s words finally made it clear that Ash wasn''t joking. Darrion''s eyes widened with a grim expression on his face.


    Behind him, his friends scowled in an exaggerated manner.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! How could she clear it?!"


    "And with just the two of them! I can''t believe it..."


    "That newbie must be a powerhouse..."


    Ash''s blood began rushing to his head as he heard the various derogatory remarks aimed at Clara.


    After all, she had gone above and beyond her role to help them win.


    He was just about to go out and express his thoughts when Clara stopped him by holding his hand.


    "You''re right. I was able to clear it because Ash was with me."


    After saying this, she stepped forward and bowed her head.


    "I have caused you all a lot of trouble because of my immaturity. I''m really sorry... But, but... I''m not the person I was back then."


    She raised her head again, her face filled with courage.


    Darrion''s teammates were taken aback by Clara''s change, but Darrion seemed unfazed as he looked straight at her.


    They locked eyes with one another for a while, but, in the end, Clara buckled and said, "I can''t!"


    Ash chuckled as he watched her hide behind his back.


    He''d waited for her to pull it through until the end but she hadn''t been able to do it.


    This too was very much like Clara.


    "I''ll keep my promise. I take back what I said about her being useless. But don''t forget that what you cleared was just the beginning of the tower."


    With that, Darrion left with his still stunned companions.


    Ash sighed at the somewhat unsettling conclusion.


    "I should''ve told him he had to apologize as part of the promise as well." Ash remarked.


    "It''s fine. If I complain too much, I''m just going to get glared at again..." Clara muttered.


    Ash realized that he was the one that had started the fight, but it was Clara''s issue to begin with.


    If she was happy with the outcome, there was no need to push it further.


    He exhaled and relaxed his shoulders.


    "All in all, you held your ground well."


    "I know, right? I can do it when it matters!"


    (Where did the feeble girl from a few moments ago go?)


    Ash thought as he watched Clara puff out her chest with pride.


    "How can you say that when your legs are shaking?"


    "I-Isn''t that a given? I mean, did you see his face?! It''s totally against the rules!"


    Ash found Clara desperately trying to refute him very funny.


    He thought that the word ''aide'' fit her perfectly right now.


    Ash laughed heartily and turned towards the way home.


    "Let''s go, Clara."


    "What? Where are we going?"


    "To eat, of course. We got a lot of Duri for killing the Lord. It''s time for a victory party." Ash said, but Clara remained still.


    "What? You''re not coming?"


    "N-No! I''m coming. I''m definitely coming!"


    Seeing Clara nodding her head, Ash started to walk away.


    Clara came trotting alongside and began to blurt out shyly.


    "A-Actually, I''ve never eaten at one of the island''s proper restaurants."


    "Seriously?! You''ve been here for a year, haven''t you?"


    "I''m too shy to go into a restaurant by myself!"


    (She should know there''s a limit to being shy. I guess the fact that she met Darrion and his team is nothing short of a miracle.)


    "Then we must have a blast today!" Ash exclaimed.


    "Okay!"


    Clara responded, her smile like a blossoming flower.


    Although she had her quirks, her foundation was pure.


    Unbelievably pure.


    Ash couldn''t imagine what life one would have to lead to turn out like her.


    Or what had to have happened for someone like Clara to come to Dural Island.


    Ash wanted to know, but, at the same time, he thought there was no need to rush.


    He had the feeling that he and Clara were going to be friends for a long time.


    (I''ll just wait until she tells me herself someday.)


    With this in mind, Ash called out to Clara, who was walking next to him with a spring in her step.


    "Don''t be shy and tell me if there''s somewhere you want to go," he remarked.


    "Really?! Well, there''s this place that I''ve wanted to go to since forever. It''s called Brinschrill."


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô


    At the north end of the central plaza, inside the largest mansion in the vicinity, Venus was relaxing on a sofa, staring at the opposite wall.


    The wall displayed an image of two challengers conquering the 10th Floor of the Red Tower.


    The image was abruptly cut off as one of the challengers interrupted the Lord, allowing the remaining challenger to swiftly finish it.


    "He''s good. Unusually good for a newbie." The Milma, Iris, who was waiting in the corner of the room, commented.


    She usually served customers at a restaurant in the central plaza, but her work was temporarily put on hold today.


    "But that''s all he is. There have been other challengers who''ve cleared it by themselves. I don''t think it''s something that you should be concerned about Master Venus." Iris continued, looking unimpressed.


    Venus, in turn, chuckled and offered a different perspective on the matter.


    "Would you say the same thing after knowing that he''s conquered all of the Towers of Trials?"


    "That''s certainly impressive... However, from what I recall you only need to conquer one Tower of Trials in order to get the qualification to enter Dural Island. There''s no point in conquering more than one. Besides, compared to the towers here, none of the towers are all that difficult."


    "I told you, didn''t I? He conquered all of them."


    Iris didn''t immediately understand what Venus meant and looked down, apparently thinking.


    After a bit she suddenly raised her head and uttered, "Even the Abandoned Tower? The first tower to be built, but also the one that no one could conquer because of its high difficulty?  Which, in the end, led to it eventually being abandoned. You mean that he conquered even that?"


    "That''s right." Venus answered.


    Hearing that, Iris got visibly upset.


    "B-But there is a Dragon at the peak of that tower! Even on the towers here, on the island, a Dragon is a Grade 8 Monster! I just can''t imagine anyone on the outside clearing something like that..."


    There was nothing wrong with Iris'' disbelief.


    After all, even though the skin of the Dragon on the outside was inferior to that of the Dragon on Dural Island, its movements were not that different.


    Venus remembered how she too had been as astonished as Iris when she''d first heard about it.


    "About five years ago, two men challenged the Abandoned Tower and slew the Dragon that reigned at its summit." Venus then licked her lips and continued to speak, "That boy was one of those two men."

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 21 - Marihabas Hunter [Part 1]

    The day after having broken through the 10th floor of the Red Tower, Ash departed from Blain''s Perch as soon as the sun rose.Walking out of the narrow alley to the street and towards the central plaza, the early morning air was still cool and slightly chilly, taking away the slight remaining drowsiness.


    Ash was in perfect physical condition, not tired from the previous day.


    He was itching to go to the tower as soon as possible, but before that, there was something he needed to check.


    Someone had been following Ash since a few minutes ago.


    Sneaking a peek over his shoulder, Ash saw a head of hair with a flower ornament and a wooden staff sticking out of a corner.


    It was a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Ash instantly figured out who that person was.


    Sighing, he turned around.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you hiding over there?" he asked.


    "What?!" The person responded.


    (Did she really think I wouldn''t notice her...)


    Suddenly, the tailgater, Clara, came fearfully out of the corner.


    After averting her eyes from side to side, she turned to look at Ash.


    "I was just wondering where you were going."


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to climb the tower."


    "I-I see. Hmph... In that case you could''ve called." Clara remarked.


    "We cleared the 10th Floor, didn''t we? There''s no need to climb together anymore." Ash explained.


    The moment Clara heard that, her expression sunk to one of despair.


    However, she quickly pulled herself back up and looked at Ash.


    "U-Um... I was thinking... If it''s fine with you Ash, how about we continue climbing together? We worked quite well on the 10th Floor and I think we make quite a good team." Clara said.


    "Team, huh..."


    "Of course, I fully understand that I still have my rough edges. But I''ll do my best, so please, don''t leave me alone!"


    Ash listened to her sincerely, his expression not shifting at all, that was until Clara at last started crying and hugged him.


    (She probably remembered how hard and grueling it was hunting and surviving all alone.  Maybe I went too far with my joke.)


    "Sorry, sorry. I was kidding." Ash said with an apologetic tone.


    "What?"


    "I just wanted to see how you''d react." Ash said, fully expecting Clara to get angry and lash out at him.


    However, all she did was open her eyes in shock.


    "Y-You mean we can stay together?"


    "I''d be lying if I said I had no gripes. My biggest one is with how you''re not used to combat."


    "That''s..."


    "However, that''s something you''ll learn with time. The most important one is whether I can trust you or not."


    When fighting alongside others, annihilation was to be expected if there was poor coordination and no support present. As such, when teaming up mutual trust was the most important thing.


    "I have no problems with trusting you. What about you?"


    "I-I... have trusted you for a long time now! If I hadn''t I wouldn''t have shook your hand." Clara said. She then raised her eyebrows a tad bit and continued, "Though I have some grievances about how you drag me into fights and tease me all the time..."


    "You could say I''m just being playful."


    "There''s nothing cute about a grown man being playful!"


    "I can''t argue with that..." Ash said, shrugging his shoulders, to which Clara giggled. He then continued, "Regardless, I look forward to being with you, Clara."


    "M-Me too!" Clara said, bowing her head vigorously.


    (She''s really a strange one. That''s not the way you bow to someone you''ve known for a while now.  Though I guess that''s what makes her interesting.)


    "Well then, now that our team has been established, where should we go hunting today?" Ash asked.


    "You haven''t decided?"


    "I''m curious to see the Red Tower''s 11th Floor, but I''d also like to see how the other towers are. After all, I''ve only been to the Red and Blue Towers."


    Ash was now painfully aware that to ascend the towers he had to make good use of the Enhancement Stones. After all, the most sure way to reach God''s Challenge was to gather Enhancement Stones while ascending all of the towers.


    "It''s my fault for dragging you down... I''m sorry."


    "Don''t worry about it. I was doing that either way so it''s all good."


    (To be honest, the pressure actually accelerated my speed, so it was a godsend.) Ash pondered.


    "In the end I can''t help but think about the other towers. Let''s leave the red one on hold for now and go climb the others."


    "The White and Black Towers are known for being slightly more difficult, so I suggest going with the Green Tower for now."


    "Good. It''s decided then. We''ll go to the Green Tower, just as my partner suggests." Ash exclaimed.


    "P-Partner?!"


    Clara''s eyes twinkled as if she were deeply moved, and she started walking forward with a bouncy gait.


    "Follow me! Your partner will show you the way!" S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m sorry to break your bubble, but before going there''s something I''d like to do."


    "Could it be..."


    Clara''s guess was right on the money.


    Ash fished through his pouch and pulled out a small gem - a Red Attribute Stone.


    He had picked it up on the 10th Floor yesterday.


    "Yea. I want to have this embedded."

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 22 - Marihabas Hunter [Part 2]

    Ash and Clara headed for the blacksmith shop located at the northwest end of the central plaza.Passing through the sales area riddled with cooking utensils, tableware, etc., they headed for the counter that separated the front sales area from the blacksmith shop in the back.


    "I''d like to embed an Enhancement Stone." Ash said, placing the stiletto and the Red Attribute Stone on the counter.


    The Milma, who was on shift, took them in her hand and answered, "This already has an Enhancement Stone on it. I''ll have to charge you a removal fee. Are you fine with that?"


    "Isn''t the removal free the first time?"


    "Wait, you''re that newbie from the other day. You''re right. It''s free. However, the embedding fee is free only the first time, so I''ll have to charge you 100 Duri."


    "That''s fine."


    After Ash paid the specified amount, the Milma got to work.


    Sprinkling white powder on the Blue Enhancement Stone embedded in the stiletto, she sealed the area around it with what looked like a bandage. She then gently placed it into a square stone vessel filled with a clear liquid.


    Soon, the liquid emitted a faint glow, and the Milma pulled the stiletto up. Following that she removed the bandage and the Enhancement Stone plopped right off.


    Wiping the liquid off the stiletto with a cloth, the Milma placed the removed Enhancement Stone on the counter.


    "I''ll return the Enhancement Stone first."


    "That was way easier than I imagined."


    "Doesn''t make it any cheaper though. Oh, and by the way, for every grade the fee for both embedding and removal goes up by 100 Duri."


    "Life on this island must be tough."


    Ash let out a sigh and put the Blue Attribute Stone he received away in his pouch.


    Meanwhile, the Milma moved on to the embedding process.


    She placed the Red Attribute Stone into the hole in the stiletto''s handle and sprinkled red powder on top of it.


    After which, she gently placed the stiletto in a large-mouthed furnace and closed the door.


    Finally, she pulled down the lever attached to the side of the furnace.


    Immediately after a heavy sound rang, smoke began to leak from the thick tube that extended from the top of the furnace with a sizzling sound. The smoke did not stay inside the room but went out through the ventilation openings in the ceiling.


    Ash had already seen this process once, so he knew that all he had to do now was wait.


    Clara, on the other hand, spoke while looking at the swordbreaker, "Aren''t you embedding this one?"


    "This one is only for receiving attacks. There''s a limit to how much I can increase its attack power. Instead, I''ll hold off until I happen upon an Abnormal Status Enhancement Stone, like poison or paralysis."


    "In that case, they''re all yours if they drop." Clara exclaimed


    "Sounds good. In turn, you''ll get all the Magic Stones."


    "S-Sure! I like this atmosphere. We really do feel like a team!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    To some it might have seemed like an overreaction, however it was not unreasonable for somebody like Clara.


    While Clara and Ash spoke, the Milma finished the Enhancement Stone''s embedding process.


    She pulled up the furnace''s lever, opened the door and took out the stiletto.


    The Red Attribute Stone was firmly attached to its handle.


    "Here you go. Please come again." The Milma said, handing the stiletto over to Ash.


    Although he''d only been away from the stiletto for a short while Ash still ran his hand over the handle to get a good feel for it.


    "Phew! You have quite the unusual combination of weapons there."


    Suddenly, a voice called out to Ash from behind him.


    Turning around Ash noticed a lone challenger looking at him with interest.


    Their eyes were sharp and determined, and their snow-white skin seemed fragile, as if it would melt in a heartbeat.


    Ash couldn''t figure out if they were male or female.


    The abnormally large bangs and short black hair also did not aid him in the slightest.


    They''d wrapped their slender but toned body in a revealing outfit that exposed the shoulders. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Also, no fullness could be seen around their chest area.


    However, that alone was not enough to judge the person as a male.


    The challenger in front of Ash looked a little uncomfortable, perhaps because Ash was staring at them.


    "I wasn''t trying to peep. I''m sorry if I have offended you." the person explained.


    "No, that''s fine. That aside, you are?" Ash asked.


    "I''m Luna Pistacha. Sorry for showing up out of nowhere."


    The challenger in front of Ash - Luna - smiled briskly, and the ornament hanging from their ears swayed.


    The ornament looked like a round crystal wrapped in a silver hexagram.


    Furthermore, the way they spoke told Ash that they were quite the sophisticated person.


    "I''m Ash and this is Clara."


    "H-Hello..."


    Luna smiled at Clara, who backed away as she greeted Luna.


    "She''s on guard." Luna remarked, smiling.


    "She''s just shy. That aside, your name... Are you from Marihaba by any chance?"


    "Cover me impressed... I didn''t think anyone knew about Marihaba."


    Luna''s eyes fluttered, showing they were quite surprised.


    "I used to travel all over the world. I think the last time I visited there was about 3-4 years ago."


    "Then we''ve just missed one another. I left Marihaba 5 years ago."


    "If we had met then this would''ve been a fateful reunion." Ash teased.


    "I''d prefer not doing that with other men."


    "That makes two of us."


    In an attempt to ascertain Luna''s gender, Ash had ventured to make a joke, which fortunately bore fruit and revealed that Luna was, in fact, a man.


    While this was going on, Clara tugged at the edge of Ash''s clothes.


    "Hey, Ash... Ash. What''s Marihaba?"


    "It''s a place deep in the mountains of the northeast continent. Hunting tribes that are good with bows live there."


    "Oh my! But how did you know that Luna is from Marihaba?"


    "Pistacha is a title given to the bravest in Marihaba. That means Luna is the strongest warrior there."


    "Whoa!" Clara exclaimed, prompting Luna to blush slightly.


    "Haha... Now you got me all embarrassed."


    "Most people there tend to be really quiet, but you don''t look like you fit that stereotype, Luna."


    "I often get that I''m an odd one. That''s probably why you and I seem to get along so well, Ash."


    "I''m sorry to break it to you, but I''m pretty normal."


    "You''re not. You''re an odd one as well, Ash." Clara interjected


    When Ash glared at her for saying something unnecessary, she gave him a scowl.


    Luna chuckled, perhaps amused by their exchange.


    "You two seem really close."


    "Despite this, she didn''t even want to shake my hand at first." Ash joked.


    "That''s because you''re a man, Ash."


    "Oh, so it was because I''m a man? Don''t you think that''s a bit rude?" Ask asked.


    "I too think that it''s normal for a girl to be wary of men." Luna added.


    "See! It''s just that you''re way too friendly, Ash." Clara exclaimed.


    Ash realized that he''d found himself in hostile territory.


    When he glared at Luna with a grim look of betrayal, Luna just pretended like nothing had happened.


    Luna then glanced toward the blacksmith shop in the back.


    "I''d love to talk more, but I have a hunting appointment coming up."


    "Sorry for taking your time." Ash remarked.


    "Don''t be. It''s been a while since I''ve had such a good time. Well then, see you around, Ash, Clara."


    "See you."


    "S-See you!"


    Just as they left the blacksmith shop after parting ways with Luna, Clara spun around and looked back.


    She nodded vigorously as she looked toward the shop.


    "He''s a good person. He took my side!"


    "You seem like you''ll be easy to fool, Clara."


    "Huh? Why?!"


    (She really should''ve come to Dural Island after getting to know the world a bit first. Though, I guess it''s too late for that now. Nevertheless, it''s no wonder she liked Luna. After all, he''s quite friendly. Though, something about him feels off.)

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 23 - The Green Tower

    An arrow with a white haze passed right by Ash''s temple.The creeping chill and running tension were immediately transformed into a sense of elation, and his body was propelled forward.


    Ash leaped forward as if crawling on the ground.


    He sliced two Goblin Fighters in front of him from top to bottom. Then, he closed in on the Archer in the back of the room and stabbed him between the eyes with the stiletto.


    "Listen, never stand directly behind me! Keep track of all enemy attacks from a slight distance!"


    While pulling his stiletto from the enemy, Ash advised Clara, who was waiting behind him.


    They were currently climbing the hill connecting the 9th and 10th Floors of the Green Tower.


    To the right, the sky was colored bright blue


    On the left, a deep green wall, reminiscent of moss, stretched to the back.


    "Also turn your back against the wall and face slightly towards the front! That''s it! This way you''ll have a better view of your backside!"


    "G-Got it! I''ve got our backs covered!"


    They had reached the 10th Floor in the Red and Blue towers and were currently climbing at a steady pace.


    However, it was not an easy journey


    Suddenly, One goblin with a whip and five Corm-like monsters appeared before them.


    The Corm monsters were about the size of a human head, with twin leaves growing from the top.


    It was a monster unique to the Green Tower that appeared from the 6th Floor onwards.


    The Goblin swung its whip at the Corms with a high-pitched cry.


    The two Corms that were struck by the whip charged at Ash, their jagged mouth open.


    "You damn Corm bastards!" Ash yelled, using his whip to strike one of the Corms, however, instead of stopping it, he only managed to push it back a little bit.


    This was the tricky part about the Corms.


    They did nothing but charge forward after being whipped by the Goblins'' whips.


    Ash immediately put away his whip with a click of his tongue and readied his daggers in both hands.


    Almost simultaneously, one Corm, and belatedly another, leaped at him with drooling mouths wide open.


    Ash thrust his daggers into both the Corms'' mouths, feeling a solid resistance.


    However, the Corms didn''t stop there. They pushed forward, completely ignoring the blades piercing deeper into their flesh.


    If this continued, Ash''s whole hands could be eaten.


    He slammed the Corms to the ground immediately, and then pulled his daggers by pressing the Corms'' jaws with his leg.


    Immediately after, the Corms emitted a strange, deafening sound and disappeared.


    "Ash! Two more!"


    When Ash lifted his gaze in response to Clara''s warning, he saw that two Corms were already in close proximity.


    (My balance is disrupted. I need to retreat and steady myself...)


    Just when Ash thought that, an arrow of frost pierced one of the Corms.


    It was Clara''s Frost Arrow.


    The arrow wasn''t able to finish the monster off, but did at least separate it from the other Corm.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ash circled behind the Corm that came first and stabbed it with the stiletto.


    He then dealt with the Corms that arrived later by stopping them with his swordbreaker and stabbing the stiletto in their side.


    "Thanks, Clara!"


    "I finally helped today!"


    Hearing Clara''s joyous response, Ash closed the distance with the Goblin.


    The Goblin tried using the last Corm, but a single Corm was no match for Ash.


    As Ash passed by the Corm, he tore it apart with his swordbreaker, and then continued towards the Goblin. After throwing himself diagonally forward to evade the Goblin''s whip, he pushed the stiletto into the enemy''s brain.


    Ash huffed and puffed as he stood up, trying to calm his breath, when he heard Clara''s worried voice.


    "Ash! Reinforcements from the back! Two Goblins and 5 Corms! They''re disgusting!"


    "Got it! Turn your back to them and run! We''re making a run for it!"


    ¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô


    After seeing the 10th Floor''s Mark of Passage being engraved on their hands, both Ash and Clara slumped down.


    "I just can''t deal with those disgusting Corms... I swear, I''ll have nightmares about them." Clara said.


    "We''ll probably see ones with human faces the further we go up." Ash remarked.


    "Ew... That''s the worst."


    With tears in her eyes and a weak voice, Clara turned her attention to the entrance on the 10th floor.


    As on the other floors of the tower, a vast space awaited them at the end of the staircase landing.


    Geometric patterns were carved here and there on the walls, and tree roots crawled over them, adding to the atmosphere.


    Combined with the quiet air, it looked like an archaeological site.


    "Well, we reached the 10th Floor, so what now?"


    "What now? You aren''t thinking of challenging it, right?" Clara exclaimed.


    "Well, we did get there sooner than expected. Nothing wrong with giving it a shot, no?"


    Ash stood up quickly and smiled.


    Clara, in turn, stared back at him in dismay.


    "You look like you''re having a blast, Ash."


    "What''s with you all of a sudden?"


    "I just thought that you''re amazing. And here I am, giving my best, only barely keeping up." Clara said with a slightly saddened expression, before standing up too.


    As soon as she adjusted the mess of her clothes, she turned to Ash with a mischievous smile.


    "But I think you''re slowly inspiring me, Ash. After all, I too feel a bit curious about the 10th Floor''s Lord."


    "I''m glad I have such an understanding partner."


    "P-Partner...!"


    Clara''s eyes twinkled, and she ran toward the teleportation circle.


    She began swinging her staff around, jumping up and down. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you doing, Ash? The Lord is waiting for us!"


    "Good grief. You sure are lively."


    (Maybe that''s why I enjoy being with her so much.)


    After sighing, Ash went to Clara.


    ¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô


    "I just can''t get used to this darkness..."


    As soon as she was teleported into the Room of Trial, Clara let out a frightened sound.


    It was indeed scary being in the dark and not being able to see one''s surroundings.


    However, they weren''t going to fight under these conditions.


    Soon after, the cup in the back was lit, and a faint light reached the area.


    "Gishishishishi!"


    Suddenly, laughter echoed from somewhere.


    The voice was both eerie and cute at the same time.


    In the distance, a ball of light the size of a human head shimmered and flew through the air.


    If one stared at it, they would notice that the ball of light had a humanoid form.


    It wore a pointy hat and slouchy clothes.


    (Seeing as how it''s glowing and resembles a human, it can only be a fairy) Ash pondered.


    "Ah! I know what that is! It''s a Chelf! A Naughty Fairy! I read about them in a fairy tale a long time ago!"


    "What are its abilities?"


    "Let me think..."


    Clara began to fish for memories.


    At the same time, the Chelf swung the short wooden stick in its right hand upward.


    Ash prepared himself for Wind Magic to come flying their way, but nothing happened.


    (Just what on earth did it do?)


    As Ash was frantically looking around to grasp the situation, light suddenly flooded out from under his feet.


    Before he knew it, there was a magic circle painted on the floor that encompassed a single person.


    "It''s able to make trees grow!"


    Ash had a bad feeling and threw himself down faster than he could hear Clara''s voice.


    A tree grew out of the magic circle at a furious pace, making crackling sounds.


    In an instant, the tree had grown to the point where one could look up and see many branches, and finally stopped when it had sprouted many leaves. The sound of leaves rustling echoed through the hall as if blown by the wind.


    "I can see that." Ash chuckled.

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 24 - The Naughty Fairy

    Looking up at the tree in dismay, the Chelf gave a peculiar laugh as it clutched its stomach.It was clearly making fun of Ash.


    "That bastard..."


    "It''s starting to get on my nerves." Clara remarked.


    Staring at Chelf, Ash felt something strange above his head.


    He probed with his hand and grabbed a single leaf.


    There were a lot of leaves falling around the area.


    The Chelf then swung its wooden stick in a circular motion.


    As if in tandem, the fallen leaves all rose up at once and began to swirl and fly up to the ceiling. The wind, soft at first, turned into a gust a few moments later.


    Ash''s feet left the floor, and his body was gradually lifted.


    Ash quickly grabbed a nearby tree branch, but Clara, unable to do the same, was blown further upward.


    "I didn''t hear anything about this?! WHOA! Ash!"


    "Grab on!"


    Ash exclaimed, throwing the handle of the whip to Clara''s side for her to grab.


    After she grabbed a hold of the handle Ash pulled her in close and embraced her.


    Almost simultaneously, the rolling gusts of wind stopped.


    After landing on solid ground Ash finally let go of Clara.


    "T-Thank you. I thought I was a goner." Clara exhaled, deeply relieved.


    The Chelf was laughing out loud again, probably at the sight of their shaggy hair.


    "We''re at a disadvantage at this distance. I''ll finish it off in close-range!"


    "Be careful!"


    Ash pulled out his stiletto and ran out.


    The Chelf swung its wooden stick to keep Ash away, and several trees sprouted up to hold him in check. However, avoiding them was easy for Ash. That was, as long as he didn''t miss the moment the Chelf swung its stick.


    Ash took evasive actions and moved to a new location faster than the magic circle could be drawn under his feet.


    He also increased the speed at which he ran, escaping the range of the rolling gusts of wind. Eventually, when he came within arm''s reach, Ash saw the Chelf''s annoyed face.


    "Naughty kids need to be punished!"


    With the stiletto facing forward, Ash delivered a thrust to the Chelf''s small body.


    However, it fluttered away like a leaf in the wind.


    The Chelf laughed with a bellyful of laughter, as if to say that the impatient look on its face from earlier was a lie.


    "Gishishishishi!"


    "Tsch. What a slippery bastard."


    Ash continued to attack but couldn''t even graze the Chelf.


    On the contrary, the Chelf seemed to have deliberately allowed Ash to get close, slipping out of range quite easily. Ash knew that he wouldn''t be able to reach it with his stiletto.


    "Clara, can you hit it?!"


    "I''ll try!"


    Soon after her vigorous reply, a Frost Arrow was fired at the Chelf but was easily avoided.


    "I''m sorry. It''s too fast. I don''t think I can!"


    The Chelf danced in the air and then stuck out its tongue, mocking them.


    "Gishishishi!"


    "It''s totally making a fool out of us!"


    Clara began to release Frost Arrows in a grueling manner, but all of them missed their target.


    In the end, the Chelf suddenly began to yawn.


    "It''s pissing me off!" Clara exclaimed.


    However, thanks to her, Ash was able to keep his cool.


    (It''s impossible to hit such a slippery foe with normal means. Which means--)


    "Keep shooting while going circles around it!" Ash exclaimed.


    "Even if I miss?!"


    "Even if you miss!"


    Ash put away the stiletto and readied his whip.


    The Chelf, in turn, tilted its head and looked at them with interest.


    "I don''t quite get it, but I''ll do it!"


    The moment Ash sensed Clara cast a Frost Arrow, he unleashed his whip.


    A dry burst of sound echoed through the hall as the whip bent.


    It was Ash''s best shot, but it was easily avoided.


    However, at the place where the Chelf avoided, a Frost Arrow was waiting for him.


    The Chelf somehow avoided it with a panicked look on its face and suddenly got very upset.


    (It has no choice but to evade the whip. As a result, launching a Frost Arrow in the location where the Chelf will end up increases the likelihood that the arrow will strike the Chelf. I thought it was a bad gamble, but judging by its face, it might just pay off.)


    "More! Keep shooting for as long as you can!"


    One after another Frost Arrows flew from behind.


    Ash, in turn, whipped out his whip accordingly.


    Although the attacks had yet to graze it, the Chelf began to take exaggerated evasive maneuvers.


    It began growing trees and creating gusts of wind, most likely afraid that it would be captured.


    Nevertheless, Ash continued his attacks while avoiding the Chelf''s assaults.


    (I knew it. As long as I pay attention to its wooden stick it can''t hit me.)


    As Ash thought that the Chelf, its face contorted in anger, turned to Clara.


    "Clara, it''s coming!"


    "What?!"


    The Chelf wielded the wooden stick, and a tree flew out from under Clara''s feet.


    Clara threw herself to escape in the nick of time, but immediately after, a gust of wind lifted her up.


    (I have to stop it somehow!)


    With this thought in mind Ash tried to stop the Chelf using his whip, but the monster easily evaded his attack.


    (I guess it won''t be that easy...) S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as Ash thought that, a Frost Arrow hit the Chelf in the head.


    The Chelf began to wobble amidst the flurry of ice shards.


    Ash looked behind him and saw Clara holding onto a tree branch, sticking out her right hand. Despite being flung up by the gusts of wind, and having been left in a disadvantageous position, she had cast Frost Arrow.


    Ash immediately took this opportunity and unleashed his whip.


    A cracking sound echoed and the Chelf was blown away. It quickly regained its consciousness and stabilized itself in midair. However, just as it did another whip strike hit it, slamming it straight into the wall.


    As it began plummeting to the floor, the Chelf''s head swelled up.


    It was clearly trying to move onto its next form due to suffering a certain amount of damage.


    The Chelf''s face grew more and more grim.


    Ash tossed his whip aside and pulled out the stiletto.


    He then quickly closed the gap with the Chelf and stabbed it in the face with all his might.


    The previous cute voice was now replaced by a wild scream. The swelled up head popped like a balloon, and finally, the Chelf''s body disappeared.


    Although Ash was doubtful if they had truly defeated it for a short while, he exhaled with satisfaction upon witnessing the trees the Chelf had made vanish.


    "Auch!" Clara cried out.


    It seemed that the tree she was holding onto had also disappeared, leading to her falling on the floor.


    Clara rubbed her bottom with tears in her eyes.


    Ash, in turn, exhaled and relaxed his body as he sheathed the stiletto.


    He then picked up his whip and went to Clara.


    "You did good. That last shot was amazing."


    "I-I too thought that I did good work today. Hehe." Clara said with a wide smile, seemingly satisfied with her performance.


    After helping Clara up, Ash took another look around the hall where the enemy had disappeared.


    "That was surprisingly easy." He remarked.


    "It seemed like it was trying to do something though..." Clara muttered.


    "If you don''t take them out when you can it''ll just lead to it becoming messy as what happened with the Red Tower''s Lord." Ash said.


    Despite this, he kept hidden the fact that he had been tempted not to kill the Chelf just to see what it would do.


    "I would''ve liked to contribute more though..." Clara remarked.


    "What are you saying? We were only able to kill it because of that first hit."


    "I guess you''re right."


    As they were talking, their Gamals were burping after having finished eating up all of the dropped Duri.


    Ash picked up the two remaining green gems and handed one to Clara.


    "But if you still want to contribute more, then use this next time."


    "T-This... It''s a Wind Arrow Magic Stone! Amazing! Can I really have this?"


    "We promised, didn''t we? All of the Magic Stones are yours."


    "Super! Thank you, Ash!" Clara thanked him with a bouncy smile.


    Just like the time with the Frost Arrow, Clara was most likely extremely happy because she didn''t often get the chance to enhance her equipment like this.


    "That leaves us with this Green Attribute Enhancement Stone." Ash remarked.


    "What a haul! Are you going to embed it, Ash?"


    "I''ll hold onto it for now. If a time comes when we need it, I''ll think about it."


    He could use it himself, or he could enhance Clara''s Wind Arrow.


    This time, against the Chelf, Ash clearly realized that his lack of a long-ranged means of attack was seriously hindering him.


    "I guess that wraps it up for this floor. Clara, how are you holding up?"


    "What''s with that question... You don''t plan on climbing any more, do you? Tell me you''re joking." Clara exclaimed.


    The edges of Ash''s mouth turned upward as he looked at the lighted exit.


    "Well it''s a good opportunity. We might as well take a peek at the 11th Floor."

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 25 - To the Grade 2 Floors

    After receiving the 11th Floor¡¯s Mark of Passage, Ash and Clara passed through the entrance gate.Their whole world suddenly turned white and they couldn¡¯t see ahead at all.


    As they wondered whether to walk, their vision took on color once more.


    The land was filled with lush grass, and several large trees could be seen before them.


    A scene that could truly be described as a great forest spread out before their eyes.


    "Amazing¡­" Clara exclaimed.


    "Now this is a surprise."


    "Ash, look! There¡¯s even a sky here!"


    Clara pointed excitedly to the heavens.


    It was hidden by the tree canopy, but if one looked closely, blue could be seen beyond it.


    "So it¡¯s a place that feels like it''s outside of the tower, despite being inside the tower."


    Ash had assumed that the floors above the 10th Floor would maintain the same archaeological site ambiance.


    He began to ponder whether the first 10 floors weren¡¯t in fact a testing ground, and that the real challenge was from here on.


    "God is amazing." Clara said.


    "Well naturally. They¡¯re amazing enough as to where they can build these towers and put monsters in them."


    They were even able to distribute weapons to the challengers with the pretense of helping them.


    Ash couldn¡¯t help but want to meet them and see just what kind of being they were.


    "Okay, let¡¯s move."


    There were no nicely paved roads, but the worn off ground made it easy to see where to head.


    The problem was the raised ground and many trees that existed here and there.


    There were far too many places for monsters to hide themselves.


    And suddenly, Ash and Clara heard the sound of leaves rustling from somewhere.


    (They¡¯re quick to welcome us.)


    "Something¡¯s coming. Get ready!" Ash yelled, pulling out his stiletto and swordbreaker.


    Clara, in turn, got behind Ash.


    "There¡¯s¡­ three, no, four. One probably has a long-range weapon. It¡¯s moving slightly and then stopping."


    "It¡¯s amazing you¡¯re able to pick all that up, Ash."


    "My eyes and ears are my pride. So don¡¯t worry Clara. If you get lost I¡¯ll definitely find you." Ash chuckled.


    "Thank you¡­ but I don¡¯t plan on getting lost."


    Perhaps having realized that Ash had noticed them, the enemy stopped trying to hide themselves.


    Simultaneously the rusting of the leaves grew louder.


    (They¡¯re coming!)


    One monster popped out of the ridges on either side.


    The two figures were humanoid, yet completely devoid of flesh.


    "If it isn¡¯t Skeletons."


    Both seemed like Fighters and carried long swords held in both hands.


    The momentum of their fall further enhanced the strength of their assault.


    However, there was no need to take their attacks.


    Ash immediately jumped backward.


    As he did, one of the Skeleton¡¯s long swords slammed into the ground where Ash had just been standing. Naturally, the enemy''s face showed no sign of regret at having missed.


    Ash, however, did not miss the opportunity when the enemy was rigid after their landing and kicked the Skeleton¡¯s torso as hard as he could.


    He then severed the head of the remaining Skeleton with his swordbreaker.


    Following that he tried to sever its wrists as well, but a wind-covered arrow flew straight at him, stopping him in his tracks.


    With the flat portion of his swordbreaker, Ash immediately rejected it, but the surprising force behind the arrow made his face freeze up.


    Ash kicked the Skeleton next to him and then retreated.


    "There¡¯s an Archer in the bushes upfront. Be careful." Ash said, using his left hand to push Clara back, while also moving back with her.


    "U-Understood." Clara replied.


    As they retreated, the first Skeleton Ash had kicked managed to regain its bearings and slowly began closing the distance.


    Skeletons often appeared in the Towers of Trials on the outside as well, however, the ones here were way bigger, as big as grown men.


    "Annoying ones showed up¡­" Ash mumbled.


    "They don¡¯t look that strong though¡­ See, you¡¯ve already killed one."


    "Unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case."


    As Ash said that the headless Skeleton stood up.


    Clutching its sword it started moving towards Ash and Clara alongside its companion.


    "What?! It can still move?! But it doesn¡¯t have a head?!"


    Most monsters could be slain by chopping off their heads, but not Skeletons.


    "The fastest way to kill them is to turn their body to dust using a hammer. If not, you chop off their head and limbs, making it so that they can¡¯t move."


    "T-They sound quite tenacious."


    "Tenacious enough as to where they can move despite being only a bunch of bones." Ash said teasingly, however, at the same time an arrow flew between the Skeletons.


    As before, Ash repelled it with his swordbreaker. In the meantime, however, the two Fighters closed the distance.


    The headless one swung its sword down, and the other one threw a cleave.


    Ash, in turn, stepped forward.


    He received the headless Skeleton¡¯s blow with his swordbreaker and flicked it away using the momentum.


    He then turned his body toward the other Skeleton, which was cleaving at him, and swung the stiletto at its wrist. However, the stiletto was unable to penetrate the wrist, and only ended up scraping past it.


    (Meat aside, penetrating through something as thin as bone is no easy feat.) S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Without a moment''s pause, the enemy began its counter-attack.


    Ash evaded and tucked away his stiletto, then switched the swordbreaker to his right hand.


    The dagger then flowed without stagnation to the enemy''s neck, both arms, and finally both legs, dismantling them.


    Rattling sounds were heard as the Skeleton before Ash collapsed.


    As soon as Ash turned the Skeleton into nothing more than a pile of bones, he noticed the headless Fighter coming towards him, thrusting its weapon.


    Ash was able to quickly react, mostly because the enemy¡¯s body was made entirely of bones which clattered when it moved.


    After getting as close as he could, Ash dodged the headless Skeleton¡¯s attack, and severed its wrists.


    As the bone hands gripping the sword fell to the ground, Ash circled behind his enemy. Kneeling down, he swung the swordbreaker horizontally, separating the Skeleton¡¯s legs from its torso.


    Suddenly, the bisected Skeleton¡¯s body disappeared along with the severed limbs and head.


    (That does it for the two Fighters. All that¡¯s left is the Archer.)


    Immediately after Ash thought that, three wind arrows came at him.


    He jumped back and looked in the direction from which they flew while dodging.


    "Reinforcements¡­"


    There were now three Archers. Moreover, leaves could be heard rustling from both left and right.


    (Probably two more Fighters. The more time I take dealing with the Fighters the more Archers appear. Nevertheless, it¡¯s difficult to deal with these Fighters quickly with my current weapons. Meaning I only have one choice. Flee.)


    "NOOOOOOOOO!"


    Suddenly, Clara screamed.


    Turning around, Ash saw her frantically swinging her staff.


    (Just what is she scared off?)


    Ash couldn¡¯t understand what was happening at first glance, but the moment he looked down, everything became clear.


    A bluish-purple caterpillar, as long as a human¡¯s torso, was crawling on the ground toward Clara.


    "To think that there would even be a Crawler!"


    "I don¡¯t do caterpillars! I don¡¯t do caterpillars!" Clara yelled, beginning to cast Frost Arrows without a moment¡¯s thought.


    However, Clara and Ash were currently in the Green Tower. This implied that the Crawler''s resistance to the Blue Attribute would probably be higher.


    That did not, however, imply that Clara''s assault would be completely ineffective.


    The attacks opened a small hole on the Crawler¡¯s skin, from which a purple liquid began oozing out.


    "EWWWW!"


    (She must really hate caterpillars. I¡¯ve never seen her this frightened and pale. If this continues she might really collapse.)


    Dodging another flying wind arrow, Ash flicked the Crawler away using his whip. He then ran to Clara, who was in a state of relief, pulled her hand, and ran to the entrance of the floor.


    "That¡¯s enough sightseeing. We¡¯re retreating!"

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 26 - Scatligo at Night [Part 1]

    After leaving the Green Tower, they returned to the central plaza.The sun had just begun to set, and the buildings were blotched red.


    (I guess it''s normal to hunt from dawn to dusk.)


    Ash thought while looking at the plaza crowded with challengers who seemed to have just finished their hunts.


    "That was tougher than I thought it would be. It''s going to be a challenging one to clear." Ash said as he walked away from the crowd, remembering the 11th Floor of the Green Tower.


    Thinking about how he would deal with the Skeletons when hindered by the poor visibility


    made Ash all excited.


    This was also thanks to this environment which offered a variety of means to choose from.


    Here Ash had to make use of the tools offered to him and not just his own strength.


    The towers on Dural Island offered a new type of difficulty that the Towers of Trials on the outside did not have.


    "I propose we completely halt climbing the Green Tower..." A monotonous voice muttered behind Ash.


    Upon turning around, Ash saw Clara following him with a clouded look on her face.


    She had been like this ever since they had escaped from the Green Tower''s 11th Floor.


    "But then we won''t be able to challenge God."


    "B-But there''s caterpillars! Didn''t you see it wriggle around?!" Clara exclaimed.


    "Well of course it wriggles around. It''s a caterpillar." S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "They''re disgusting as they are, why did it have to be that big... Just thinking about it makes me want to puke..." Clara said, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth.


    She wasn''t acting or anything, she genuinely looked sick to her stomach.


    "It was the right choice to scout. Next time we can prepare ourselves before challenging it." Ash remarked.


    "Ash, you''re a demon, the devil himself!"


    "Well, at any rate, we''re done hunting for today, so let''s go and grab something to eat."


    One would only get tired if they were on their guard at all times.


    As such it was essential to switch things up.


    "Now that you mention it... I''m starving." Clara said.


    "It''s settled then. Let''s go eat somewhere."


    "Yea! There''s actually this place where I''ve been wanting to visit, if you don''t mind that is."


    "Sure, I''m fine with wherever."


    "It''s a restaurant called Scatligo. It''s that one! The one with the crowd!" Clara exclaimed.


    "That one, huh?"


    The place to which Clara pointed was on the corner of the square, with tables and chairs encroaching into the street. It was the same place where Leo had bought Ash a glass of juice.


    "Unlike the day, at night you can eat as much as you want for a certain price."


    "Phew. Now that''s a deal."


    Fighting monsters consumed a lot of physical energy.


    Inevitably, one needed to eat a lot of food to keep their bodies going.


    "Though, unlike you Ash, I don''t have any friends... so I haven''t been there during the day."


    "I wouldn''t call that a friend..." Ash chuckled.


    "Oh, really? Then we''re the same!"


    "You don''t have to say that so happily. And it''s not like we don''t have any friends. We''re each other''s friend, aren''t we?"


    "You''re not my friend Ash, you''re my p-p-partner!"


    "You don''t have to force yourself to say it if you''re embarrassed."


    As they talked, Ash and Clara headed to Scatligo.


    They''d already seen it from a bit far away, but when they got there, the place was really packed.


    After standing in line for a short time, they paid their fee to a Milma and went through the simple entrance.


    "400 Duri... That was unexpectedly expensive."


    "I-I''m sorry..."


    "Well we did clear the 10th Floor today. We might as well treat ourselves." Ash said.


    He had already paid a 1000 Duri to Blain for 10 days of rent, and his Gamal''s stomach was running thin, but regardless, it was necessary to splurge once in a while.


    After placing a huge plate on his tray, Ash headed to the section where the food was lined up.


    Most of the items offered were seafood and vegetables, with a few meat options.


    Other eye-catching items included were the wide variety of desserts. Colorful cakes, jellies, and ice cream adorned the tables.


    It was unlikely that one could enjoy everything in one visit.


    (This array of desserts is probably why Clara wanted to come here.)


    Ash, in turn, was in the mood for something greasy, so he took his share of the scarcely arranged meat dishes.


    Clara then peeked at his plate.


    "Whoa. It''s full of greasy things..."


    "I''m quite hungry."


    "You should eat some vegetables as well. Give me that."


    "Hey!"


    Clara took Ash''s plate and began to fill it up with things of her choice.


    Ash''s plate soon took on a greenish-red color and the various meats were quickly covered up.


    She proudly handed Ash a finished, vibrant plate - or rather, a plate filled with greens and an abundance of nature.


    "Here you go."


    "Thanks. I''m so moved I might just cry." Ash said sarcastically.


    "You''re welcome!" Clara responded with a carefree smile.


    The fact that Ash couldn''t tell whether she was serious or joking terrified him.


    He made a mental note to include vegetables in his meals when he shared a meal with Clara.


    "Now all we need are drinks." Ash said.


    "Huh? There''s a price tag next to the drinks... Am I imagining things." Clara said, looking at the wooden sign hanging above the reception desk facing the kitchen.


    "You aren''t."


    A price was written exactly next to an item''s name.


    Alcoholic beverages were 100, and everything else was usually around 50 Duri. Just as they were looking at the price tags, an employee suddenly passed by them.


    "Excuse me, are drinks paid separately?" Ash asked.


    "Yes. Drinks are separate." The employee answered with a very nice smile.


    Ash had been left with the impression that the drinks were free as well, but that was apparently not the case.


    "We''ll have to do our best from tomorrow on." he chuckled.


    "Y-Yea."


    It would indeed be tedious to eat without having a drink to go along with the food.


    Albeit reluctantly, Ash and Clara chose a random beverage and ordered it.


    "I''ll bring them to you later." the Milma employee said.


    Hearing that Ash began to look for a place to sit.


    "It''s full..."


    "Hey! Ash!"


    A short distance away, Ash saw Clara waving at him.


    "There''s a place there!"


    She pointed to where a waitress was clearing a table for three people.


    As they waited by the table, the waitress finished wiping down the table and said, "Please." while pointing at the table.


    Ash and Clara put their food down and took their seats.


    "That was lucky." Ash remarked.


    "Yea! Still, there really are a lot of people here."


    "There sure are. I didn''t imagine there''d be this many."


    There were about 40 customers.


    Considering the number of people on the island, that was a significant amount.


    Entrance restrictions even began being applied, and clerks were turning away customers with their heads down.


    "Then again, there''s only women here." Ash remarked.


    Although there were some Milma mixed up with the customers, most of them were human challengers.


    Ash couldn''t figure out why there were so many people. He could guess that it was either because the pubs smelled like men, or that Scatligo was just that popular.


    "Maybe it''s because vegetable dishes are the main ones here, and also because of the various desserts!" Clara said excitedly.


    "In any case, I definitely wouldn''t come here alone."


    "You can thank me right about now." Clara said proudly.


    "You sure sound smug for being a woman who couldn''t come here by herself."


    "T-That was cheap!"


    After stopping at that, so that he wouldn''t go overboard with teasing Clara, Ash looked down at his plate.


    "For the time being, let''s eat. I''m starving."


    "Me too. Let''s eat!" Clara exclaimed and got to work on her food.


    Ash promptly devoured the veggies from the platter, exposing the meat, which disappeared fast after that.


    The sensation of a large amount of meat juices filling up his tired body was nothing short of bliss.


    Their hearts began to fill with each bite they took. Suddenly, however, a familiar figure appeared in Ash''s field of view.


    It was a woman with long blond hair tied into a ponytail. It was none other than Lapis.

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 27 - Scatligo at Night [Part 2]

    As usual Lapis couldn''t help but attract eyes from all over the place.Lapis appeared to be in trouble due to not having a place to sit. She was fidgeting with a plate of food in her hands.


    Ash hurriedly swallowed what was in his mouth and called out.


    "Hey! There''s a free spot here!"


    As soon as he shouted, Lapis quickly noticed him.


    After a moment of anguished consideration, Lapis came to Ash and Clara''s table.


    She put her plate on the table and then gave Ash a menacing look.


    "May I? There are no other seats, so I have no choice."


    "It''s fine." Ash reassured her.


    "Thank you." Lapis blurted out and took the free seat.


    Although Lapis'' tone sounded a bit crabbily, she nonetheless thanked, which showed she was disciplined.


    Suddenly, Clara pulled Ash by his arm.


    "Hey, Ash!" She said in a hurried manner, pulling Ash closer, "Would you mind explaining?"


    "Oh. That''s Lapis."


    "I know. She''s really famous! What I want to know is, just how in the world do you two know each other?"


    "I just happened to meet her when I arrived at Dural Island."


    "You just happened to meet her? Really?"


    Clara''s eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    Apparently, she didn''t trust Ash when it came to women related matters.


    "Is it really okay? I''ve heard she''s really scary!"


    "She''s a bit cold at times, but otherwise she''s a good person."


    Just as Ash answered, Lapis cleared her throat and spoke.


    "If I''m bothering you I''ll leave."


    "Sorry about that. It must have been uncomfortable listening to us whisper. I swear that we weren''t bad-mouthing you or anything."


    "That''s not what I was trying to--"


    "Sorry to have kept you waiting. Here are your Maska and two Honey Milks."


    The waiter brought the drinks just in time.


    Ash picked up his cup of bright purple liquid - the Maska.


    Leaving two cups of Honey Milk left.


    (Seems like Clara and Lapis ordered the same thing.)


    "Wait, you are..."


    The waitress said, staring at the Ash without walking away.


    As Ash looked at her, he realized who she was.


    (It''s the Milma that warned me when I got into a fight with Darrion on my first day here.


    I think her name was Iris.)


    Iris silently brought her face so close to Ash''s that their noses almost touched.


    "Do you need something from me?" Ash asked.


    "No, nothing."


    "You say that, but you sure got awfully close."


    "Don''t get the wrong idea. I don''t have the slightest interest in you." Iris said and after sniffing twice finally moved away.


    For some reason, she glanced at Ash one last time, then said, "Please excuse me," and left.


    "Ash, what did you do? She looked very angry."


    "I haven''t done anything."


    "I''m sure you tried to court her or something." Clara exclaimed


    "Just what do you take me for?" Ash asked in a surprised tone.


    "A womanizer." Lapis said after taking a sip of her Honey Milk.


    "I can see that~!" Clara exclaimed, agreeing with her, while also leaning forward.


    "That''s an awful image you have of me. And Clara, why are you getting aboard with her?!"


    "But it''s true." Clara responded with a blank expression, as if she had done nothing wrong.


    Ash then looked at Lapis, who looked away as if it wasn''t her problem.


    Ash sighed and put the Maska up to his mouth.


    This was the first time he had seen this type of fruit alcohol so wanted to try it.


    "Whoa. This is good."


    Although it had a rich sweet taste, it was refreshing and easy to drink.


    It was slightly sour, however, that went perfectly with the meat.


    As he took another sip, Clara poked him in his side.


    "Hey. I want to try it too." Clara said.


    "Here you go."


    "Thanks."


    Wrapping the cup in her hands, she fearfully put her little mouth to it.


    "Oh. This isn''t half bad."


    "That''s all you get." Ash said, immediately taking the cup away from Clara, who was trying to take another sip.


    "Why''d you do that for? I was just gonna have another small sip!"


    "Children can''t drink this."


    "I''m not a child! I''m already an adult."


    "How old are you?"


    "S-Sixteen..." Clara replied, her mouth agape with embarrassment.


    (I knew she was young, but I didn''t think she was this young...)


    "See? You''re still a child."


    "Where I grew up you are considered an adult when you turn 16!"


    "That still doesn''t mean you''re allowed to drink alcohol. See? Your face is already starting to turn red." Ash remarked.


    "That''s..."


    Clara''s cheeks were slightly flushed, though she did not appear to be drunk. It was really noticeable due to her fair skin.


    "You''re like siblings." Lapis commented in a cool tone.


    "She''s quite the troublesome little sister."


    "Hmph... Well that''s because I''m still a kid, isn''t it?" Clara said, turning around and sulking.


    She began to eat silently, her cheeks puffed out.


    She was clearly showing that she was angry.


    However, because of her innocent face, she wasn''t scary at all. In fact, one would even consider her cute.


    "Which floor did you reach?" Lapis asked suddenly.


    "I''m surprised that you''d ask." Ash remarked.


    "I''m a little curious. There''s nothing else behind it."


    "I see... Then let me turn it around. Which floors do you think I''m on?" Ash asked.


    After a short pause to think Lapis answered,


    "Red (9), Blue (9), Green (9), White (0), Black (0)."


    "Is that evaluation good?"


    "It''s on the higher end."


    "Do you have a high opinion of me then?"


    "I don''t like you, but you could say that."


    After she answered, Lapis nibbled on a vegetable and ham sandwich in her hand.


    Even that simple movement seemed elegant when performed by her.


    "Eleventh, ninth, eleventh, zero, zero."


    The moment Ash said that Lapis stopped moving.


    However, she quickly recovered and continued eating. She then took a sip of her Honey Milk before speaking.


    "You aren''t half bad."


    "I know right? But it''s mostly because I had Clara here with me."


    "What? Me...?"


    "If you weren''t there Clara I probably would''ve still been struggling on the 10th Floor."


    "T-That''s not true! I did almost nothing. It''s mostly thanks to you, Ash!" Clara said in a panic.


    The bad mood she''d had a few minutes ago was nowhere to be seen.


    However, the corners of her mouth, which were slightly pointing down, conveyed that she was still a little upset.


    Ash decided not to pay much heed to it and instead continued, "Though we did get our asses handed to us today."


    "The 11th Floor was a huge jump for sure." Clara exclaimed.


    "Say Lapis, how did you deal with the Skeletons? They must have been quite a pain to deal with using a spear."


    "No. I just split them in two starting from the top of their head."


    "And here I thought I''d either need a hammer or to sever their limbs. But I guess your method works as well."


    "If you don''t deal with them cleanly they won''t disappear. But if you''re skilled enough to be here, then they shouldn''t pose a problem." Lapis said, looking at Ash as if trying to measure his value.


    "Your weapon of choice was a dagger, correct?" she asked


    "That''s right. Though I might make an axe or a hammer. While I''m at it I might as well make a spear." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aren''t you spreading yourself thin?"


    "Not to boast, but I can use any weapon."


    Most people would be suspicious or surprised here, but Lapis was neither. Rather, she seemed like she wasn''t interested.


    "Then wouldn''t a longsword be the best?" Lapis asked.


    "Let me rephrase what I just said. I can use everything apart from longswords." Ash added.


    "And you can use daggers?"


    "When I was young I made a mistake and lightly cut my own arm. Even since then my hand shakes just by holding a longsword."


    "I see." Lapis'' reply was as curt as ever, however, it was thanks to it that Ash felt like he''d been saved.


    "Still, changing weapons will only make it easier to deal with the Skeletons, nothing more. If you''re having trouble tackling the likes of them, you probably need more power." Lapis clarified.


    "You say that, but Enhancement Stones aren''t easy to come by." Ash chuckled.


    "Even more so on the lower floors." Lapis added.


    Perhaps due to their talking, her plate was only slowly going down.


    However, Lapis didn''t seem to be bothered by it at all and continued to talk to Ash.


    "Have you been to the Consignment Store?" Lapis asked.


    "What''s that?"


    "It''s where you can buy and sell tools to other challengers through the Milma."


    "Wow, I didn''t know such a place existed."


    When Ash replied, Lapis looked at him with a look of surprise.


    She then turned her gaze to Clara, who was listening absent-mindedly.


    "You... I''m pretty sure you''ve been here for a while now. Haven''t you told him about it?" Lapis asked Clara.


    "I-I know of the place, but I haven''t been there."


    "Clara''s quite shy you see." Ash explained.


    "That''s..." Clara shrugged as she sipped a bit of her Honey Milk.


    Lapis, in turn, sighed with a look of astonishment.


    "Either way, I''d recommend taking advantage of the Consignment Store. Though, I think it will be closing soon, so it might be good to go tomorrow." Lapis clarified.


    "I''ll do just that then. Thanks, you taught me a lot. You''ve been a huge help."


    Lapis became overcome with emotion as soon as Ash thanked her.


    "I-I didn''t do it out of the kindness of my heart! I just wanted to thank you for letting me sit here...!" Lapis exclaimed and started eating much faster than she had only a few minutes earlier.


    She began stuffing her mouth and finished her plate in no time. She then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and stood up vigorously.


    "Thank you for the meal. I''ll be excusing myself."


    "Sure. See you around." Ash said, and Lapis left quickly, leaving no traces behind.


    Perhaps because of the raging development of the situation, Clara was left with her mouth gaping open.


    "T-There she goes... She looked quite angry..."


    "She was probably just embarrassed."


    (It''s probably because she''s always alone. What a difficult personality she has.)


    With this in mind, Ash looked away from the blonde hair that wagged left and right.

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 28 - Consignment Store [Part 1]

    The next morning, Ash followed Clara down the north street of the central plaza.It was a place that was not often visited, partly because the stores were clustered on the east and west streets.


    Other than on his first day on the island, this was the first time Ash was visiting this place.


    A brick building could be seen ahead on the right.


    Ash stopped, bringing the building into his view.


    Behind it the White and Black Towers could be seen at the northern tip of the island.


    Yet, the brick building did not lose to their presence.


    Thanks to its stylish exterior, Ash didn''t feel any sense of stuffiness.


    "It sure is huge." Ash remarked.


    Because it was visible from every street, Ash had gazed upon it every day.


    It was without a doubt the largest building in the central plaza.


    "That''s Venus'' house. The Consignment Store is over here,"


    Clara pointed to the building slightly further down.


    It was built of stone and had a flat roof.


    The exterior of the building was plain and looked like a warehouse.


    Suddenly, Clara stopped in front of the entrance door.


    She pointed at Ash as if to say, "Go in first."


    Ash sighed and ended up opening the door.


    The floor was made out of wooden planks and creaked whenever stepped on.


    The inside was probably about the same size as a pub.


    However, this place felt more spacious, perhaps because there were no desks or chairs placed in it.


    Three reception tables were at the front, each with a smiling Milma waiting behind the counter.


    Further in the back were neatly arranged wooden boxes of various sizes. The place was well deserving of its name as a Consignment Store.


    Ash figured that the items entrusted to the store were most likely stored there.


    Several bulletin boards were placed on the walls on either side. They were each divided, most likely by type.


    The names of the boards were written on their upper edges, with some reading, <Exchange Stones>, <Enhancement Stones>, <Magic Stones>, and so on.


    There were numerous challengers gathered in front of the various bulletin boards. Most of them checked eagerly, as if they were looking for a needle in a haystack.


    "It kind of feels like sneaking into enemy territory..." Clara remarked.


    "Just how scared are you?"


    "Ah! Wait!"


    Leaving the frightened Clara behind, Ash went to the <Enhancement Stones> bulletin board.


    The bulletin board was so large that one had to step back to take in all of it. Despite this, it was crammed with horizontal papers that were only about two fingers tall.


    Suddenly, Ash saw a piece of paper with the words <Red Attribute Stone> and price of <5,100> written on it.


    Ash recalled once selling the same item to a General Store for 5000 Duri. There were several other postings of the same item, but they were all around 5,100.


    (Seems like I lost out a bit. But it''s fine. Back then I needed the money to buy the Bite Whistle.)


    Ash ended up considering it as a tuition fee and made up his mind to not to make the same mistake again.


    "Ash, isn''t that you?"


    A person suddenly approached Ash from the side. As Ash turned he saw a familiar face standing next to him.


    "Leo. What a coincidence."


    "I knew that we had a strong bond." Leo remarked.


    Suddenly, Ash felt something pulling on his clothes from behind. Clara, who had been hiding behind Ash for some time now, glanced at Leo. She was apparently trying to ask who he was.


    "This is Leo. He''s dangerous." Ash said.


    "Ash... Couldn''t you introduce me in a better way..."


    "His hobby is groping other people''s butts. Don''t let your guard down around him."


    "No!" Clara gave a short scream and quickly hid behind Ash. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hold up, hold up. I don''t go after girls." Leo said, trying to defend himself.


    "Then you ought to give up going after whoever it is." Ash said.


    "That''s the same as telling me to stop living." Leo said with a straight face, reaffirming Ash''s thought that he was a dangerous person.


    "Oh, that''s right. I saw Lucas. He was just here a second ago, but I don''t know where he went..." Leo said with a disappointed expression.


    "He might''ve gotten tired of you."


    "There''s no way... is what I''d like to think, but..."


    It seemed like Leo was somewhat aware why people were avoiding him.


    Ash, on the other hand, was completely positive that it was because of Leo''s habit of groping butts.


    "Well, nothing to be done about it now. That aside, Ash, is there something you''re looking for? Given that you''re here that must be the case."


    "I shared with a friend that I was having a tough time with the enemies on the 11th Floor and they suggested that I come here. So, it''s not like I have anything in particular I want."


    "So you''re on something like a field trip?"


    "You could say that. Though, if I see something I want, I''m going to buy it."


    "I see," Leo nodded, "In that case, I have a piece of advice for you. You can only use equipment that corresponds to the highest grade you''ve reached. So do not go buying Exchange Stones or Magic Stones of Grade 3 or higher."


    "I didn''t think equipment would be this influential."


    "I don''t have it with me right now so I can''t show you, but my Grade 7 weapon can probably one-shot the 10th Floor Lords."


    "Seriously?!"


    Ash figured that a weapon that could take down an opponent he had fought so hard against in a single hit would undoubtedly be strengthened by a large number of stones.


    It was way more powerful than anything he''d ever imagined.


    Although Ash was somewhat crestfallen, he was also excited.


    After all, he''d thought that his fighting prowess had almost reached its peak. But, knowing that he still had room to grow, albeit with the help of tools, made him quite pumped up.


    However, Ash''s excitement did not last long and was soon grounded by a certain wall.


    Namely, the price written next to an item''s name.


    "They''re expensive..."


    "Look! A Paralysis Enhancement Stone is 200,000 Duri... One of those and you can kick up your heels for several years."


    Clara was looking at the bulletin board, her eyes filled with despair.


    Although not as expensive as the Paralysis one, the Poison, Bleed and Reflect Enhancement Stones were all expensive.


    One of each went from 50,000 to 100,000 Duri.


    "We might not be able to strengthen ourselves if we keep having feasts like the one from yesterday." Ash muttered.


    "But I want to eat good food once in a while." Clara exclaimed.


    "Don''t forget that you came here to conquer the towers..."


    "Oh yea..."


    Having reminded Clara of their original goal, Ash headed to the <Armor Exchange Stones> board.


    The armors, to Ash''s surprise, were not only divided by grade, but also by series.


    (What a way to complicate things...)


    The Grade 3 armor series included the <Guardian> and <Assassin> series. The Grade 7 included the <Fairy> and <Giant> series. While the Grade 8 armors included the <Dragon> series.


    Naturally, none of them were very affordable.


    This rang even more true for the Grade 7 and 8 series.


    Still, Ash could only find armor series for Grades 3 and above, which left him wondering if there weren''t any for Grade 2 and below.


    The fact that he too had not come across any armor in his hunting confirmed that his theory was probably right.


    Moving on to another location, this time Ash stopped in front of the <Weapon Exchange Stones> board.


    Here, unlike just now, there were plenty of Grade 1 and Grade 2 items for sale.


    Their pricing was 200 Duri for Grade 1 stones and 500 Duri for Grade 2 stones, respectively.


    Ash could definitely afford them, but they would still hurt his pocket.


    (I''d like to make an axe to fight the Skeletons, but...)


    Ash couldn''t help but groan as he stared at the bulletin board.


    If he were to be honest, Ash wanted to procure all of his equipment with his own hands.


    But given the low drop rates, it was clear that his idea was not the brightest. It would be easier for him to abandon his principles and use the tools provided to him.


    Ash reached out with a heavy hand and peeled off a paper that read, <Grade 2 Exchange Stone>.


    He paid the bill at the reception table and got what he wanted.


    "Ash, what did you buy?" Clara asked.


    Ash showed his purchase to Clara, who asked, tilting her head sideways.


    "We need a Grade 2 Weapon Exchange Stone to deal with the Skeletons."


    "D-Did you have enough?"


    "Yea. But I''m completely dry now."


    Ash answered nonchalantly, but it was clear that he had been hurt by the transaction.


    (If there was a more efficient way for me to make more money...)


    As Ash was pondering this, Leo approached him with a wry smile.


    "If you join a Guild you can trade with the other members at a discounted price."


    "A Guild?"


    "It''s an organization created by the challengers for like-minded companions. The main purpose of a Guild is to allow challengers to team up easily and form stronger bonds with members of the Guild, and as I mentioned earlier, trade equipment and tools at a lower rate."


    Ash was totally unaware that such an organization existed.


    But, after giving it a bit more thought, he wasn''t all that surprised that there was one.


    It was too difficult to reach God alone.


    Suddenly, Leo began to scurry around as if he were paying close attention to the people around them.


    "Hmm... It''s hard to talk here. How about we go outside for a bit?"

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 29 - Consignment Store [Part 2]

    Just across the street from the Consignment Store, all three sat side by side on the wooden benches placed along the flowerbeds."Sorry about that. There are several Guilds you see..."


    "And I assume the like-minded companions are like a faction."


    "Exactly."


    What Leo was trying to say was that there were members of various Guilds inside the Consignment Store.


    As such, if he tried to talk about Guilds in depth inside there, he would probably get interrupted.


    "How many Guilds are there?" Ash asked.


    "About 10. However, you''ll have an easier time thinking of them as the top three Guilds and all others."


    "I''m guessing that those top three Guilds have a lot of members."


    "That''s part of it. How should I say it, well it''s best that you learn about them earlier than later. I don''t think the young lady over there has ever been briefed on it either, so this is the perfect time."


    Clara, who had been quietly listening, instantly looked uncomfortable.


    Although Clara had been on the island for a year she was well aware that she was out of touch with the island''s affairs.


    Leo held up his index finger and began to explain, "The first of the Top Three Guilds is Red Fang. It''s a guild with about 100 members. They''re a bunch of roughnecks, but the bonds between them are stronger than any other guild. Though, they have drinking parties, so you''ll rarely see them up and kicking in the morning."


    "Judging by that I assume it''s all men over there." Ash remarked.


    "By the way, that Darrion you had a beef with is one of their members."


    "He sure does fit the Guild''s image perfectly." Ash chuckled, and Clara nodded emphatically next to him.


    Leo, perhaps seeing this gesture, chuckled, and then continued his explanation,


    "The second of the Top Three Guilds is Soleil. An all-female guild with about 40 members. Although its members are scarce, they are all as fierce, if not even fiercer than the men. And, most importantly, they are all total beauties."


    "It sure is completely different from the first Guild you mentioned."


    "Ash, you seem kind of happy..." Clara remarked.


    "I''m a man after all." Ash said confidently, to which Clara puffed out her cheeks.


    "Come to think of it, if it''s all women wouldn''t you be able to get in easily, Clara?"


    "You think I can get in?"


    "I''m sorry I brought it up..."


    "I just can''t with you..."


    Clara really was a child who changed her expression from one moment to the next. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo then went on, completely disregarding Clara, who was on the verge of tears.


    "At last, but not least, is Albion. The Guild that''s all about justice. Its members number about 60. The average floor conquered by Albion is higher than that of any other Guilds, because each of their members is a powerhouse. Also, since most of Albion''s members are earnest, they are on bad terms with Red Fang, which has a lot of ruffians."


    The image that Ash got from Leo''s story was that Albion was likely the strongest Guild.


    Clara, in turn, suddenly began to speak in a grumpy tone.


    "You know those people that sometimes patrol here and there? Those are from Albion." she explained.


    "You know about them?" Leo asked in surprise.


    After nodding, Clara spoke, while still seeming slightly upset,


    "They caught me once when I was wondering if I should go into a store or not..."


    "You probably spent a lot of time in front, right?" Ash asked.


    "That''s..."


    (Seems like I hit the nail on the head.)


    Ash too had to agree that Clara''s behavior had certainly been extremely suspicious.


    However, he didn''t like that they were taking matters into their own hands without being affiliated to an official organization.


    He also believed that their play of cat and dog with Red Fang might pose a problem.


    "Still, this place seems way bigger than I originally thought." Ash remarked.


    "It sure does. And after those three come the small Guilds like mine."


    "Yours? Are you in a Guild as well, Leo?"


    "Let alone being in one, I''m the Guild Master." Leo said, puffing out his chest proudly.


    Ash couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    The fact that Leo was a Guild Master was quite a shock to him.


    "You did it for the butts, didn''t you?"


    "That''s right. All of our members have supreme asses that are too big to fit in my hand, while also being bouncy enough to... Hey! Just what are you making me say..."


    During the first part of his speech Leo seemed to be on cloud nine, however, he quickly managed to come to his senses.


    "All the members are good people who cherish their friends. Just watching them moves my heart." Leo said with kind eyes.


    However, to Ash it only seemed like Leo''s eyes were looking at something entirely different.


    After a moment, Leo''s relaxed gaze shifted back to his normal one, and with an air of nonchalance he spoke, "Ash, how about joining us?"


    "A place whose Master starts drinking in the middle of the day?"


    "T-That was... I swear! We do not slack off. We are serious about hunting." Leo said, frantically trying to defend himself.


    Ash, in turn, couldn''t help but giggle at seeing him like that.


    "Jokes aside, sadly I''m no good at working with big groups of people." Ash explained.


    "That''s unfortunate. But I got the feeling you''d say that. You seem like the type of person that paves their own road." Leo said.


    "You''re quite an awful dude to ask even after knowing that."


    "It just goes to show how much I like you."


    Ash was amazed that Leo would think so highly of him despite Ash being only a Grade 2 challenger.


    Ash could figure that Leo was likely not simply judging him by his floors.


    "What about you, Clara? If you want you can join."


    "What? Me?"


    "If you want to, we''d gladly welcome you, Lady Clara." Leo said, showing a gentleman''s side which was quite unlike him.


    (I''d really love it if he could act like that on a regular basis.)


    As Ash was thinking that, Clara sneakily grabbed him by the waist of his clothes.


    "I-I won''t join as well." she said, looking at Leo.


    "So you''re turning me down, too..." Leo smiled bitterly and stood up quickly.


    "Sorry, Leo. Even after you went through the trouble of inviting us." Ash apologized.


    "It''s fine. However, if you do happen to change your mind, be sure to let me know. I''d gladly welcome the both of you."


    "Sure. If we do, I''ll be sure to hit you up."


    Ash had no intention of joining a Guild at this time.


    However, if he were to one day decide to join one, he wouldn''t choose any other but Leo''s Guild.


    "Still, without a Guild''s help it might be hard for me to get money." Ash thought, his expression becoming a bit grim.


    At the same time Leo reached out to him, "How about taking on a Quest?"


    "A Quest?"


    "You get a reward for defeating a designated number of monsters. Most of the time the reward comes in the form of Duri, but you can also get Enhancement Stones, Enhancement Stones and even Magic Stones. Anyway, it''s a great means, so you should check it out."


    (To think there was such a thing!)


    As Ash was excited about the new information he looked at Clara, who in turn, looked away in panic.


    (She forgot, didn''t she... Or, she knew about them, but didn''t recommend them because she''s never actually used them. If I were to guess, it''d definitely be the second.)


    "By the way, where can I receive those?"


    Leo turned his attention to the large mansion standing next to the Consignment Store.


    "At Venus'' Mansion."

 Vol. 2 - Ch. 30 - Venus Mansion

    Bidding farewell to Leo, Ash and Clara entered Venus'' Mansion.They could tell from looking at it from the outside, but the inside of the mansion proved to be even more spacious than the Consignment Store.


    Various woods were utilized, with plants strategically placed throughout.


    Despite its brick construction, the building''s interior emanated a warm ambiance, thanks to these features.


    Reception desks adorned the entrance, just like the Consignment Store.


    There were three desks, with Milmas behind them, that constantly handled incoming challengers.


    On either side of the reception area, stairs led to the second floor, both guarded by a single Milma.


    It was worthy enough to be called Venus'' Mansion.


    Ash figured that the stairs most likely led to the mansion''s owner.


    "It''s so magnificent, so overwhelming."


    "Clara, let''s go."


    Urging the spaced out Clara, Ash headed for the vacant reception desk at one end. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When they reached, they both sat down on the stools placed in front of the desk.


    They observed the Milma receptionist who was deeply engrossed in her work, oblivious to their presence.


    (Why does her twin-tail hairstyle look so familiar...) Ash couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Uru, is that you?" he asked.


    "Huh? What? Sir Ash?!"


    The Milma raised her head, showing that it was in fact Uru.


    She seemed terribly surprised, her eyes unable to believe what they were seeing.


    "Y-You scared the life out of Uru..." Uru exclaimed.


    "Sorry about that. I didn''t mean to startle you."


    Ash apologized, seeing as Uru placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down.


    As Ash observed her, a question suddenly came to him.


    "Say, I''ve been wondering this for a while now, but Uru, are you like, totally free?"


    "T-That''s rude! Uru isn''t free!"


    "Then why are you here?"


    "That''s..."


    Uru instantly turned her head down and began to speak in hushed tones, her mouth agape, "If there aren''t any newcomers there''s nothing for Uru to do... So, Uru ends up helping out here and there!"


    "So you''re doing chores?" Ash chuckled.


    "That may be so, but please don''t say it so bluntl--"


    Uru, who had puffed out her cheeks in a threatening manner, suddenly stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of Clara.


    "U-Uru forgot her greetings. Welcome, Lady Clara."


    "Hello..."


    It wasn''t the first time they had met, but Clara still felt as shy as ever. It seemed like Clara would still need time to get used to Uru.


    Putting that aside, Ash decided to get straight to the point.


    "I heard that I can receive Quests here, is that right?" he asked.


    "That is correct."


    "Is there any good Quest that I can take up?"


    "Let Uru check..."


    Uru began rummaging around under the desk.


    "Given that you''ve just arrived Sir Ash, Uru''s assuming a Grade 1 Quest should be good."


    "No need, I''ve already reached Grade 2 in the Red and Green Towers."


    As soon as Ash answered that, Uru looked up vigorously.


    "That''s amazing! Most people would be stuck on the 10th Floor for close to a month!"


    "There are some people that took almost a year..." Clara said with a look of despair.


    Deciding not to pay her any heed, Ash continued the earlier topic.


    "Though, I''m currently stuck on the 11th Floor on both. Are there any Quests around that area?"


    "In that case... How about this one? It''s a task to subjugate the numerous Bomb Mushrooms on the Green Tower''s 12th Floor."


    Uru said as she placed a book on the desk that had the number <2> written on its cover. She turned the pages till she reached a page with an enormous mushroom with a purple umbrella.


    "Bomb Mushroom... This is the first I''m hearing of such a monster."


    "They aren''t that strong, however, there are Skeletons and Crawlers in the area which are the main issue."


    (Yea, Skeletons really are an issue.)


    Perhaps because of yesterday''s loss, Clara asked, "Ash, can we do it?" with a frightened expression.


    "By the way, what''s the reward?" Ash asked.


    "You''ll get 100 Duri for every 10 monsters. If you manage to kill a 100, you will additionally receive 2000 Duri and a Green Attribute Stone."


    As soon as Uru said that, Clara''s eyes lit up.


    "Ash, let''s do it! That''s a load of money!" she exclaimed.


    "It really is."


    (It certainly is an attractive offer, and I''d love to accept it, but I''d be lying to myself if I said it didn''t carry any risk. I''m planning on using that Grade 2 Exchange Stone to make an axe,


    and that should increase the speed with which we deal with the Skeletons, but still...)


    As Ash was wondering what to do, somebody interrupted their conversation.


    "Phew! A Bomb Mushroom hunt."


    "Ah!"


    Clara jumped back in surprise.


    Seeing her act like that, the intruder chuckled.


    "Sorry, sorry. I didn''t mean to scare you."


    Long silver bangs, and a hexagram ornament hanging from his ears - from these characteristics, it was immediately apparent that the intruder was Luna.


    Unlike yesterday, he carried a white narrow bow, the Marihaba''s signature weapon.


    "You sure came out of nowhere." Ash remarked.


    "And despite that you don''t seem the least surprised."


    "I could smell the forest."


    "So you felt Marihaba''s smell huh." Luna said somewhat proudly and then chuckled, "Still, we haven''t met since yesterday!"


    "I never thought we''d get to meet again so soon." Ash remarked.


    "I''m off from team activities today. I had some free time, so I thought I''d come and take on a Quest." Luna said, glancing away.


    His eyes were aimed straight at the Quest book.


    "Truth be told, I happened to overhear the quest you were talking about right now, and I''m actually quite curious about it. Would you mind if I tag along?"


    "No issues on my end. Rather, I''d be glad." Ash said, fully understanding that they didn''t have the necessary strength.


    He then glanced at Clara, who was still recovering from the shock.


    "What do you say, Clara?"


    "I-I''m fine with it as long as you are, Ash."


    Having gotten that out of the way, there was one more thing Ash was concerned about.


    "However, this is a Grade 2 Quest. Can you take it?"


    "My floors are Red (19), Blue (19), Green (19), White (9), Black (9). It should be fine, no?"


    "I''m shocked. I thought you''d be higher." Ash remarked.


    "That''s what I''m capable of."


    Ash had gotten the impression that Luna was a skilled warrior.


    As such, he had assumed that Luna would have been amidst the top challengers, thus he was surprised to learn that Luna wasn''t all that ahead of him.


    "In that case, that''s perfect. We''d love to have you."


    "The pleasure is all mine." Luna said, shaking Ash''s hand.


    Luna''s fingers were thinner and longer than Ash had expected.


    Furthermore, the skin on his fingertips had callused due to his bow use, however, the remaining part of his hand was soft.


    Touching Luna''s hand, made Ash feel somewhat comfortable. However, the moment Ash realized that he quickly pulled his hand away.


    He looked away from Luna, who tilted his head in confusion, and proceeded to talk about the quest.


    "How will we prove how many we''ve killed? They disappear once we kill them, don''t they?" Ash asked.


    "If you place your left hand on this contract, and then stamp the seal, a counter will appear on the back of your hand. It can be easily removed afterwards, so please go ahead and try it."


    Upon Uru''s prompt, Ash placed his left palm on the contract.


    He then stamped the seal with his right thumb using the provided red inkpad.


    Immediately afterwards the number <0> formed of light appeared on the back of Ash''s left hand.


    It appeared to work just like the Mark of Passage, and it didn''t take long for the number to become invisible.


    "This is really convenient."


    "It''s all thanks to Lord Aitiel." Uru said with pride, as if it were her own doing.


    "Hey! I want to try it too!"


    Following Clara, who cheerfully came forward, Luna also stamped his seal on the contract.


    In the midst of this, Uru continued to explain, "One more thing. This Quest is considered as a Repeatable Quest. Just note that after the second completion, the Attribute Stone will be removed from the additional rewards."


    "It would''ve been too good to be true if we could get them infinitely." Ash remarked.


    Luckily for them, they could earn Duri infinitely, so it wasn''t a bad deal. Given the situation, they could complete it as many times as they needed.


    As the explanation came to a close, Luna appeared to have completed signing the contract as well.


    After Uru finalized the contract, she gave everyone a wide smile.


    "All done. Everyone, good luck on your Quest."