Ethan almost let his greed take the better of him. He did want to get that man's treasures and all, but it would be reckless to just jump at him now.
At least, he needed to find out first how strong that man was and what his background was really like. If not, he might make unnecessary mistakes.
"Do you know anything about that man?" Ethan asked Irene in a whisper.
"I'm not sure," Irene shook her head slightly. "But I'm sure he comes from one of the big Conqueror Houses. I've seen him at a party."
Ethan contemplated for a while then nodded his head. "Okay, for now, we should go back to Claudia's place," He said after a while.
As Ethan and Irene returned to Claudia's apartment, they found the Floor Guardian seated at a small table. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she pored over a stack of papers spread out before her.
"Got what you want?" Claudia asked tersely.
Ethan looked at her and then replied nonchalantly, "Yes."
He sat down in a chair, Irene sat next to him.
"What will happen next in this Floor?" Ethan asked.
"You don't want to just skip to the next Floor? I can take you there," Claudia said, avoiding his question.
But Ethan shook his head. "Not yet. I have to take everything I can from this floor before moving up. Tell me more about the Gears that exist here."
Claudia sighed heavily, looking at him with a stern expression. "You already have the Elemental Crest, yet you still want more?"
"I don't just want more. I want all of it. Now, tell me and don't waste my time."
Claudia snorted unhappily, her voice dripping with resentment and disdain as she reluctantly explained the foreboding news to Ethan.
"There's a storm approaching," she seethed, her tone filled with frustration and reluctance. "A tempest of darkness and chaos that will unleash untold horrors upon this floor."
Her eyes flashed with barely concealed resentment as she continued, her voice trembling with suppressed fury.
"More monsters will be spawned, their insatiable hunger for destruction and chaos driving them to seek out Invited souls to consume."
Ethan stared at her, his head spinning with thoughts.
Beside him, Irene thought that she would have trembled with fear upon hearing that news before. But for now, when she was not alone and with Ethan, she didn't feel too anxious.
Despite her obvious disdain for Ethan and his enslavement of her, Claudia couldn't hide the urgency in her voice as she warned him of the impending danger.
"Prepare yourself because the storm will test your strength like never before. But know this, the rewards it offers are as great as the risks it poses."
"What's the reward?" Ethan asked.
"The Soul Essence you gain from killing monsters will be higher, but the monsters will also become stronger and their number higher. They will form a monster tide. And you will also gain a lot of abilities based on your luck."
Ethan nodded, his face calm. Then, without hesitation, he said, "Then tell me what I can exploit in that event."
Claudia ground her teeth, glaring at Ethan with eyes full of anger. If she could break free from Ethan's grasp right now, she would strangle Ethan and watch the life leave him slowly and painfully.
But she can't do that, for now. What she has to do now is obey his orders, and when the time comes, she can kill him slowly and painfully.
Claudia began to tell Ethan about what he could do when the storm arrived. Ethan and Irene listened attentively.
---
Inside the forest, Ryan Bright gazed at the eastern sky. He sensed something ominous approaching, his forehead furrowed.
This was like what his father had told him. About a storm that would hit the First Floor a few hours after he entered this place.
The story his father told him was of a chaotic event. Monsters unleashed upon the floor in a torrent of darkness and fury.
And now, as he stood on the precipice of its arrival, Ryan couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation gnawing at his insides.
But despite the rising tide of fear threatening to overwhelm him, Ryan remained remarkably calm.
His expression was stoic and resolute as he braced himself for the trials ahead.
He knew that he was strong enough for it. His years of training and discipline had honed him into a formidable warrior capable of facing the challenge.
However, the other Invited might not be so lucky. He looked at them, sensing their worry. Their unease palpable in the air like a heavy fog.
"Hey, Ryan, do you think we'll be okay?" one of the Invited asked. Her voice trembling slightly as she looked to Ryan.
Ryan offered a reassuring smile, though it did little to dispel the unease gnawing at his insides. "We'll be fine," he replied, his tone calm and steady.
The Invited smiled, relieved by Ryan's words that managed to alleviate their fear.
"Let's find a place to camp for tonight," Ryan suggested.
They began searching for a camping spot, but the storm arrived quickly. It came just about three hours after Ryan felt the foreboding sensation.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the world into shadow, an ominous darkness began to gather on the horizon. A low rumble echoed across the landscape, heralding the arrival of the storm.
At first, it was just a distant rumbling, like the growl of a sleeping beast stirring from its slumber. But the sound grew louder, until it filled the air with a sense of danger.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling and churning in a maelstrom of blackened fury. Lightning danced across the sky, illuminating the darkness. The wind picked up, howling and moaning as it whipped through the trees, bending them to its will.
Beneath the roiling mass of darkened skies, and from the depths of the storm, a horde of nightmarish creatures emerged. Their twisted shapes illuminated by flashes of lightning.
The monster wave was coming, the ground trembling beneath their relentless advance.
---