“Are you aware that a defense battle is expected to occur on the third floor?”
Dyke’s eyes sparkled as he mentioned the defense battle.
Unlike missions that involve entering dungeons, a defense battle signifies monsters invading the residential areas of the tower.
“You probably know this, but not everyone can participate in a defense battle. For instance, if it happens on the third floor, anyone who has climbed past the 16th floor is ineligible to join.”
“Why are you bringing this up?”
“You meet the qualifications anyway, don’t you? Why not head to the third floor without any affiliation and participate in the defense battle? If you stand out and achieve something noteworthy, it’ll be something you can claim as your own. The rewards are a bonus.”
Dyke explained his plan, emphasizing how it was mutually beneficial.
Since his reasoning was logical, I had no particular reason to refute it.
‘That much, I can do.’
It was true that this could benefit us as well.
However, there was one flaw: the individuals responsible for screening participants in the defense battle.
“As you know, starting from the third floor, the floors fall under the jurisdiction of various factions. The dominant faction on the third floor is Reglos. Do you think they’ll let unaffiliated climbers like us join the defense battle?”
The arrogance of the tower’s factions wasn’t limited to controlling climbers.
They treated the floors they occupied as personal domains, ruling as if they were sovereigns.
While the second floor was left unclaimed as a neutral zone by mutual agreement among all factions, the third floor was a different story.
Because of this, unaffiliated individuals like me in the past were often pushed into the shadows, unable to participate in significant events like defense battles.
“I’ll handle that. I happen to have a personal connection with the Reglos floor manager.”
Dyke answered without hesitation, as if he had already accounted for this issue.
Since he had gone to such lengths, I had no complaints.
With nominal agreement from Eden and Norha, our party decided to ascend to the third floor and join the defense battle.
For a lower-floor defense battle, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Our party had quickly cleared trials, enhanced our abilities, and even obtained an advanced engraving that increased stat multipliers through secret achievements.
Statistically speaking, we were already at a level comparable to the third floor without even stepping onto it.
With that as our basis, we wouldn’t underperform, at the very least.
“Besides, combat isn’t just about stats, is it?”
“True. Especially with someone like you around.”
As we left Dyke’s mansion and returned to our lodging, Norha nodded at my comment with a grin.
I couldn’t help but smirk at his reaction.
He had climbed as high as the 15th floor himself, after all.
“I believe we’ve had enough rest, but make sure to get plenty of sleep today for tomorrow.”
I urged the two of them to maintain optimal condition.
I’ve fought countless battles, but they were all confined to dungeons where it was just us.
Fighting in front of other climbers, with everyone watching, will undoubtedly feel different.
“Dyke told me. He said you’re people he’s testing out, so just let them participate.”
Upon responding to the system message asking if we wanted to ascend to the third floor, we were immediately transported.
The scenery wasn’t much different from the second floor, as the first five floors shared the same “theme.”
There, we encountered a stern-looking goblin with glasses.
“The rosters and groupings are already finalized. You don’t have a choice. You’ll head out of the city and join the northern faction.”
“Understood.”
The goblin gave us directions and the details of the unit we were to join.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—this goblin seemed to know nothing about us.
He treated us as ordinary climbers of the third floor.
In the defense battle, which involves protecting the city on the third floor from enemies attacking from four directions, our assignment was to the northern front.
Since it didn’t matter which direction we defended, we had no complaints.
“So this is the third floor! But it doesn’t look much different from the second floor.”
“The scenery will stay similar until the fifth floor. Things will change from the sixth floor onward. The tenth to fifteenth floors are also different.”
Unlike the experienced Norha, Eden, seeing the third floor for the first time, was busy looking around at the surroundings.
‘I only made it as far as the fourth floor before failing.’
Most people have a similar reaction.
Climbers who reach the third floor from the second are those who’ve overcome trials with a “let’s give it a shot” attitude.
I had been the same, reacting just like Eden.
Instead of fear, disappointment, anger, or despair at the harsh reality, there was anticipation and hope.
A pure and innocent novice.
“I want to see how things change as we climb higher. I want to keep going up without stopping.”
“That’s right, isn’t it?”
I chuckled at Eden’s enthusiasm, which made his face light up with excitement.
In that moment, I felt a sudden pull.
Even though I had failed in the past, I wanted to try again.
I couldn’t deny that I saw my younger self in Eden.
What would have happened if the me of the past had been supported by companions and a better environment, remaining strong in both body and spirit?
For now, we needed to prepare for the imminent battle.
“I received word from the manager. I’m Rulkan, of Reglos. I’ll be commanding the northern unit. I came down from the fifteenth floor.”
After exiting the city to the north and joining the assembled unit, we met an orc warrior—a seasoned veteran assigned as the commander to lead the battle with the climbers on the third floor.
The third-floor climbers were still novices, newly graduated from training facilities.
These precious recruits couldn’t be sent to their deaths, so factions often recruited instructors from the upper floors to guide them.
“The manager didn’t specify… What roles do you two have? Are you a mage and an archer, perhaps?”
Rulkan began inquiring about our skills to assign us roles in the battle.
Since this was a group battle involving multiple parties, everyone’s specialization was crucial.
‘So, he didn’t know at all.’
It wasn’t clear whether the manager deliberately withheld the information or if even he didn’t know, but Rulkan had no idea that Eden and I were dark mages.
When it was time to reveal our abilities, I sensed Eden flinch reflexively.
He still found it difficult to admit he was a dark mage.
But I had already made my decision.
I wouldn’t shrink back or avoid it anymore.
At least for myself and those around me, I would reject prejudice and discrimination.
“It seems you weren’t informed. We’re dark mages.”
“…What?”
Rulkan’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Unexpected Development
It was clear from Rulkan’s expression that he didn’t know how to react.
“Why… Why are you dark mages… No, are you truly dark mages?”
“We are here to fight the enemies, nothing more. Is that a problem?”
“Well, that’s…”
Oddly enough, I found myself relieved that Rulkan, the commander, was male—especially since his orcish nature made it hard for him to hide his expressions.
“We aren’t prepared to fight alongside dark mages. Even I don’t know how to coordinate with you in battle.”
“Then place us on the flanks. We’ll assist where needed without causing trouble for the other units.”
Honestly, I had no desire to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with these fledgling soldiers.
All I wanted was the freedom to fight the way we always had.
“I suppose I have no choice. Very well, if the manager vouched for you, I’ll trust that.”
And so, Rulkan accepted us.
From the third floor onward, we had finally managed to step confidently into the light.
“Amazing. You managed to sway an orc warrior with nothing but your words,” Norha said with admiration.
“Then why don’t you take off your hood and show your face? You’d probably get treated differently.”
I scoffed at her comment.
Like any elf, she was incredibly beautiful, but she always kept her body and face tightly covered, almost obsessively so.
While I still found it awkward and uncomfortable to use my appearance as leverage, Norha seemed even more resistant.
She was the polar opposite of another elf I knew, who flaunted her beauty by deliberately dressing scantily.
“I… I’m a fugitive with a bounty on my head…”
“If you join a faction, you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”
Her fugitive status wasn’t a valid excuse anymore.
‘I’ll have to make her show herself.’
I decided then and there to figure out a way to make Norha reveal herself once this mission was over.
I couldn’t keep bottling up my frustrations and smiling through gritted teeth.
If she shared some of the burden, maybe things would get a bit easier.