[You are the first to reach the 6th floor!] [News of your advancement will be announced to all players in 3 hours.] [All stats have increased by 0.3 points.] [You have acquired two Lv.3 Skill Level Up Coupons.] [You have acquired one Lv.2 Consolidation Coupon.]

I arrived on the 6th floor covered in mud, vomit, and garbage.

“Uuuk!”

I fell to the ground and threw up again. My stomach churned as yellow gastric fluid gushed out of my mouth.

“Ugh…”

I only came to my senses after emptying my stomach. I brushed aside my disgust and got back on my feet. Then the 6th floor came into view. After the most disgusting passage was…

“Wow.”

The most beautiful sight in the world.

[Welcome to the 6th floor, Splendor.] [The 6th floor is a neutral floor.]

I became speechless. My mind blanked and my heart stopped from the breathtaking view. The sun and the moon magnificently shone in unison. The navy blue sky glowed with stars like the milky way. Water shot out from the ground and into the air at an emerald waterfall. Trees with leaves that sparkled like jewels filled the pink forest.

I couldn’t take my eyes off this spectacular sight. Surely heaven would look like this. Even the Garden of Eden wouldn’t be as wonderful.

“Ah, ah.”

I shook my head and recalled why I came here in the first place.

My top priority was to reach the 8th floor. Then I had to block the bridge that connected the 8th floor to the 9th floor. Why? The 9th floor contained a calamity that needed to be delayed as long as possible. I didn’t know what would happen if players rushed in like in the original novel. I would probably receive an alert saying: [It has been determined that the calamity described in the original novel was too weak…] and the calamity would be significantly increased. I expected that much from my experiences so far.

Of course, players would try to ascend to the 9th floor. I planned to stop them with my arrows. To do that, I needed to hone my skills first.

“Hmm.”

I stretched and looked around. The 6th floor’s crystal stele stood nearby. Someone appeared before me as I touched it to save my current location.

“U-Uwoah! That surprised me…”

A woman appeared out of nowhere and stood like a statue. I recognized her as Eirene, the 6th floor’s administrator.

“Uh… Nice to meet you. Are you the administrator?”

I politely introduced myself, but Eirene only smiled.

“Put your clothes back on first.”

She lightly waved and refreshing magic power flowed from her fingertips. It removed all the mud from my body.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Eirene watched as I quickly dressed. Then she asked, “Did you come here alone?”

Her voice sounded soft like a mother speaking to her son.

“Yes, but I plan on… bringing more people in the future.”

“Is that so?”

Her smile calmed me.

“Yes…”

“Oh, that’s right. I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Eirene, the 6th floor’s administrator.”

I already knew, but sincerely nodded.

“As you can see, the 6th floor is very peaceful and I wish to retain this peace.”

“Yes.”

“For that reason, one cannot stay here for long nor can many stay at the same time.”

A system window popped up.

[1/111] [199:57:58]

I felt surprised and elated at the same time. I received 200 hours, which was about the same as Kim Suho. For the record, the time limit depended on how well you treated the system.

“It seems the child watching from above has taken a liking to you, so I gave you extra time.”

Eirene smiled.

“Now, I shall not interfere any longer. Do what you must. Oh, the ticket to the 7th floor is hidden somewhere on this floor.”

A ray of sunshine fell on me as she finished her sentence. I closed my eyes and she vanished when I opened them again.

“Phew…”

I took a deep breath. Eirene had skipped a lot of details. The 6th floor was one of the most important floors. Here, one could dramatically improve their skills over a short period.

The 6th floor’s objective seemed straightforward. Players had to find tickets to the 7th floor while evading illusory beasts from time to time. Their climb would end if they ran out of time before finding a ticket.

I didn’t worry because tickets could be found everywhere. However, it would be foolish to immediately ascend to the 7th floor.

“…”

I checked the time: 3 PM. I’ll spend just 12 hours today.

“Mm… Ah, hmm…”

What was it called again? Kim Suho had used a hot spring, but I couldn’t remember the name. I glanced at my smartwatch and looked at the settings again.

[Spring of Peace]

“Ah, that’s right.”

Half water and half spirit energy filled the spring. It restored all your energy, whether it be magic power or spirit energy. I found its location through the Book of Truth and drove there on the dwarven supercar. A system alert popped up.

[Your pet Spartan has grown!] [Spartan has awakened a new trait.] [3rd Trait — Summon] [Spartan can now be summoned by its master whenever and wherever.]

“Oh?”

Perfect timing. Spartan could become stronger if he came here. We should train together.

“Summon.”

I muttered, but nothing happened no matter how long I waited. The 6th floor remained as quiet as a library.

“Summon?”

I assumed a portal would show up. What’s this? I bobbed my head in confusion.

Kieeeek—!

Suddenly, a loud cry filled the air. I looked up and saw Spartan flying between the clouds.

“What?”

Spartan appeared out of nowhere with no trace of magic power.

Kiiiiii—!

He circled the sky and flew between the sun and the moon before landing on my shoulder. His dashing figure looked more like an eagle now.

“Let’s do some training.”

— Peep!

His chirping sounded more mature as well. I headed towards the hot spring with Spartan.

We arrived after driving for about 10 minutes. Sapphire rocks surrounded the spring and the water shone brightly.

I took my clothes off and went in as Spartan hesitantly followed.

[The hot spring’s heat has enveloped your body.] [Stats will increase 30% faster.] [Stamina, magic power, and spirit power will recover 100% faster.]

It gave a series of incredible buffs. I closed my eyes to enjoy the hot spring before training.

“Ah, so good…”

My body felt warm and my head turned foggy. This must be what heaven feels like. I suddenly laughed after about 3 minutes. Spartan floated on the surface with his stomach up. Someone could mistake him for a bird that drowned.

“Hey, hey, sit up straight?”

I spotted something black in between the leaves and through the steam. I thought I had imagined it, but the thousand-mile eyes had never been wrong.

“H-Hey, Spartan!”

I pulled my naked self up.

“Spartan, go that way!”

I pointed at where I saw the dark figure. Black fur, a glossy mane, and a sleek yet well-built body. That might be the legendary horse, Bucephalus.

***

The first castle attack with 53 participants from 3 different guilds finally ended in success. The allied team broke through the gate, killed all the demons, and now occupied the castle.

“Auuu.”

The players enjoyed their victory to the fullest as they sprawled all over the ground from fatigue.

“Haa, haa.”

Chae Nayun caught her breath in silence. Her arms ached as if they would snap. Every muscle in her body hurt. How many times did she swing her sword? How many magic slashes did she fire? How much magic power did she use? She worried about her longsword’s durability. She had heard a new blacksmith shop opened in Prestige and wanted to visit.

“…”

Chae Nayun looked about 10 steps away at Rachel.

Rachel looked like a refined royal even as she rested. She knelt with her eyes closed and slowly breathed in and out. The nearby wind and earth shook with every breath. So that’s an elementalist’s way of breathing. Chae Nayun watched in awe before speaking.

“Hey.”

Rachel heard Chae Nayun’s whisper and opened her eyes.

“…” She simply stared at Chae Nayun.

“Uh… Umm.” Chae Nayun had called Rachel, but didn’t know what to say. Finally, she managed to utter a few words.

“Good work.”

“You too,” Rachel casually replied and went back to meditating. Chae Nayun carefully observed her.

“Hey.”

She called again.

“…”

Rachel didn’t answer and simply stared at Chae Nayun.

“I mean, it’s nothing. It’s just, we fought together… and I wanted to ask you something.”

Something had been bugging Chae Nayun for a while now. A thought sprang up in her mind every time she saw Rachel. Sometimes, the thought would make her blood boil with rage. Everybody knew the relationship between the English Royal Court and Fenrir.

“Uh, um… you see…”

It wouldn’t be a problem if things ended there, but rumors circulated about a scandalous relationship between Rachel and Fenrir.

That bothered her. She knew it had nothing to do with her, but the thought still made her angry. Still, she couldn’t ignore it. A person’s feelings couldn’t be controlled.

“You and Kim Ha….”

She found it difficult to speak that name. Chae Nayun stopped and clenched her teeth while looking at Rachel, who curiously tilted her head.

“Anyways, you and him…”

The reason Chae Nayun entered the Tower of Wish. Her top priority was to find Kim Hajin. She knew he would enter it.

“Have you met him? Inside the tower?” Chae Nayun finally managed ask. However, Rachel shook her head.

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“It’s true.”

“…”

Chae Nayun licked her lips at the straightforward response. A princess wouldn’t lie without blinking an eye, right?

“Then, is there… something between… you and him?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, I mean… Well, um… Sigh.”

Chae Nayun frowned after hesitating.

“No, never mind. Just let me know if you run across him later. Keep it a secret from him.”

“Why?” Rachel’s crystal-like eyes stared at her.

“You don’t need to know why. I mean, it’s better to stay on good terms with each other. I’m pretty influential in Essence of the Strait, so I’ll tell them good things about you and the Royal Court guild.”

“Pft.”

Others must’ve eavesdropped as not just one or two people snorted. Of course, they all lowered their heads when Chae Nayun glared at them.

Chae Nayun blushed in embarrassment and glanced at Rachel. To her surprise, Rachel smiled and nodded without a hint of mockery.

“Okay.”

“…”

That made Chae Nayun even more embarrassed.

“B-By the way, I got this sword from a quest. Do you want to see?”

She fiddled with the rare longsword for no reason.

“It’s nice. Can I hold it?”

“Oh, y-yeah. Here you go.”

Rachel’s eyes widened as she examined it. Yup, it’s awesome. Chae Nayun smiled in satisfaction.

“Oh, it’s upgradable too. The blacksmith told me I could get it up to level 5 or 6.”

“Wow, really?”

“Good work, everyone! The alert for the rewards should be coming out any time!”

Kim Youngjin clapped and shouted. Players who participated in the castle attack screamed with joy. Soon, a system window popped up.

[You have successfully conquered the first castle!] [Contributions are being calculated based on merit…]

Players watched the system in silence.

[Calculations complete.]

“Oh!”

The team leaders each reacted differently. Essence of the Strait’s Kim Youngjin appeared confident, Rachel pulled her hands together as if praying, and Frost Sanctuary’s Jung Hosun licked his lips.

The 53 participants looked at the system window with different expectations.

[Participants — 3 parties and 1 individual player.]

[Party 1: Essence of the Strait] [Contribution – 32%]

[Party 2: Frost Sanctuary] [Contribution – 27%]

[Part 3: English Royal Court] [Contribution – 24%]

[Individual Player] [Contribution – 17%]

“…”

“…”

“…”

No one cheered or patted each other on the shoulder. The crowd became silent because of one reason.

[Individual Player] [Contribution – 17%]

This individual player shouldn’t have existed. Amidst the confusion, the system kept spitting out new messages.

[Rewards will be given based on contribution.] [A total of 15000 TP will be divided according to the contribution ratio.] [The lottery for a special item will now proceed.] [The higher the contribution, the higher the chances of winning the lottery.]

“L-Lottery? What’s this?”

The whole place grew noisy again.

[Lottery in process…]

Gulp. Nervous swallowing filled the castle. They didn’t expect a lottery, but it would surely give an amazing item. A special item like a skill book for our guild please. Such thoughts filled the minds of every player.

[Individual Player has won the lottery!] [The special reward will be sent to the individual player.]

An icy silence filled the air.

“… Younghyun.”

Kim Youngjin broke the silence and called his subordinate.

“Y-Yes!”

“I asked you to record a video of the castle attack, right?”

“Yes. I recorded it with the player shop’s recorder…”

“Show it to me.”

However, before the allied team had a chance to grasp the situation—

[Notification: An unknown player has reached the 6th floor!]

Another storm struck them.

***

[3F Prestige – Riry Restaurant]

This restaurant owned by Henry and Kiri was the first of its kind outside the inner walls.

“So you’re saying it’s all Black Lotus’ doing?”

Jin Seyeon asked as she stuffed the restaurant’s best dish, meat-flavored corn fried rice, into her mouth. Seo Youngji sat next to her.

“Yes. An arrow came flying from somewhere and killed 10 magicians simultaneously. Kim Youngjin wanted to know if it was you. You said no, so it must be Black Lotus.”

Jin Seyeon grinned.

“So Black Lotus helped finish the first castle attack. Then he ran to the 6th floor?”

“Probably? They’re not sure if it was him who climbed to the 6th floor.”

“Amazing.”

Jin Seyeon laughed at the interesting turn of events. Then a particular individual caught her eye.

“Oh? Youngji, over there.”

“Let’s see… Hm? It’s Aileen.”

Aileen plodded through Prestige’s entrance. She kept her hands in her pockets for some reason.

“What’s wrong with her?” Jin Seyeon asked. Aileen walked cutely while staying on guard.

“Oh, I heard she lost some TP before. She’s been on high alert in the city ever since.”

Jin Seyeon and Aileen suddenly made eye contact.

“Aah?”

Aileen grimaced as Jin Seyeon politely nodded. Aileen looked at her disapprovingly and approached with quick steps.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Aileen.” Jin Seyeon stood up and greeted her.

“So you came?” Aileen pouted as she looked up at Jin Seyeon, who stood more than 20 cm taller.

“Haha, yes. I did.”

“Hmph.”

Seo Youngji looked at their battle of nerves. Well, it seemed more like Aileen picking a fight.

She thought to herself. Who would win between a Temple of Justice hero and a master rank hero? The subject was quite controversial. Some said the former while others believed the latter would win.

“It’s an honor to meet the Spirit Speech Master. I apologize for the late greeting. I had a lot going on.”

Aileen was one of the strongest in the Temple of Justice. Jin Seyeon adopted a modest attitude towards the small giant considered second only to the Nine Stars.

“What brings you here? You should just keep volunteering.”

Aileen decided to politely speak as well. Their age gap wasn’t big, but she didn’t want to become too friendly.

“Ah, did you not hear the rumors?”

“Rumors…?”

Aileen seemed oblivious, but soon nodded. She’s probably talking about Black Lotus.

“You’re here to catch him too?”

“Does that mean Miss Aileen is here to do the same? That’s right, did you hear about what happened at the castle attack today?”

Aileen didn’t answer. Jin Seyeon pointed down the street.

“Ah, here comes the participants themselves.”

Kim Youngjin, Jung Hosun, Rachel, Chae Nayun, Yi Jiyoon, etc. The so-called rankers of the great guilds approached the restaurant.

“Miss Aileen, why don't we hear what happened directly from the participants?”

“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Then please, have a seat.”

Jin Seyeon pointed next to her.

“…”

Aileen slowly sat with her hands still in her pockets in case she might lose all her money again.