Katarina's presence alone was suffocating. She was the client who assigned us the task we just completed and the mother of Tony, Johnny, and Lonnie—Katarina de Strange. Of all people, she had come to find us.
"Verdin, it's been a while."
Unconsciously, I bowed my head in response.
"Yes."
There was a subtle tension between us. Cynthia, sensing something off, cautiously stepped between us.
"Sorry, but we said we wouldn't meet the client."
Katarina turned to face her directly.
"And?"
"What?"
"I heard that from the master. However, is there any reason I can't come to this tavern?"
"No, it's just that—"
"I simply came to see the master and happened to hear that you were here, so I came to say hello."
That couldn't be true. Katarina never moves without a purpose. She spends more than half her day conducting research at the guild.
"I wanted to give you an additional reward for completing a long-standing request of mine."
The tavern master, sensing the awkwardness, tried to mediate with a forced smile.
"Yes, I should have informed you earlier. I apologize for that."
Cynthia turned away with a displeased expression.
Katarina chuckled and tossed a bundle of master keys onto the table.
Clank.
"A hundred master keys and some refined oridecon for crafting high-grade equipment for your adventures."
Alfredo and Judah's eyes widened. Even Cynthia was slightly surprised at the mention of oridecon, though she didn't show it.
"If you need more oridecon, I can get it for you."
Rocks opened the pouch and checked its contents.
"I've been to the Strange castle a few times, but I've never seen you there."
"That's because I don't stay at the Strange castle."
"Then where?"
"I'm always at the Legion Alchemist Guild. I'm the owner."
If the continent's top alchemists heard this, they'd be dumbfounded. A mere mid-level alchemist like Katarina being the guild master?
'So it started from here.'
The takeover of the Strange Alchemist Guild.
I stood up and spoke to Katarina.
"Thank you, but we need to leave now."
"Leaving so soon after seeing you again?"
"We're in a hurry."
"In a hurry?"
"Yes, today we plan to ascend the tower, so we need to move quickly."
"Not even a moment to chat?"
"I'm sorry. Let's take our time talking when there's an opportunity."
Her eyebrow twitched. Though she smiled, her eyes glared at me sharply.
"Tony said he wants to see you."
"Brother Tony?"
"Yes, and Johnny and Lonnie too."
"Why?"
"You'll find out when you meet them."
She gave a meaningful smile.
"Alright. When I have time—"
"Make sure to visit the academy this week. I already informed your father about it."
"My father?"
"Yes, he said it would be good for you to see how things are going at the academy, so visit when you can."
There's no way my father would say that. This must have been her idea, and my father merely agreed.
"I'll visit the academy after we come down from the tower."
The conversation ended there.
Katarina left before we did. Why did she come all the way here? It couldn't have been just to say hello.
I couldn't find the answer, but one thing was certain.
'Katarina has started moving.'
To make the three brothers kings.
* * *
Monestier de Strange, also known as Baron Monkl, had become the leader of Pierre's mercenary corps.
His unexpected appearance not only shocked other mercenaries but also restricted their actions, as they came from different factions.
"Mix this powder into the completed high-grade potions and sell them."
The owners of the Bourbon merchant group, gathered before Monkl, tilted their heads in confusion.
"Baron Monkl, if foreign substances are added, the potion's color may change."
"This would lower the product's value and force us to reduce the price."
"May we know what this powder is? We need to understand why we are adding it and what it is to follow your orders."
The merchants spoke in unison.
Monkl, unfazed, took out a high-grade potion and mixed in the white powder.
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
The high-grade potion, meeting the white powder, bubbled noisily for a moment before settling back to its original state.
There was no change in the potion's color or any foreign substance visible.
"The powder is from an orc's claw. We add it to defeat our enemies. When mixed with the blue cannabis in the high-grade potion, it induces hallucinations."
One of the merchants recoiled in shock, shaking his hands.
"Baron Monkl! That method is banned by the state! We'll all be executed if we do that."
"That won't happen. Marquis Pierre is behind us, and we won't get caught."
"But—"
"If we're discovered, only the implicated merchant group will be punished. And even that punishment will be lightened by Marquis Pierre's influence."
Monkl drank the high-grade potion mixed with orc claw powder.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
"Ah! The taste remains unchanged. And in such small amounts, the hallucination effect won't occur."
An old vassal of Pierre snatched the empty bottle and spoke.
"Let's wrap it up and leave quickly. There are many eyes around here."
"...Yes, the explanation is over. Now, mix the orc claw powder into the potions."
Monkl pointed at each of the gathered merchants as he spoke.
"Those who do not follow Marquis Pierre's orders will all die. It's best to comply."
An ultimatum.
Some merchants who disagreed with him murmured, but they soon fell silent as Moncl drew his sword.
"And there is one more thing I need to warn you about."
Moncl suddenly began to envelop his entire body in aura. He also demonstrated a sword grip that had never been seen before. He gripped his single-handed sword strongly with both hands, pulling the blade long and straight behind him before swinging it broadly.
*Whoosh-!*
His strike was aimed at an empty corner of the room.
*Crash!*
The tip of his sword pierced the stomach of a gargoyle statue in the corner.
The hidden Gangradra, caught off guard by the unexpected blow, spewed blood and collapsed forward.
*Thud.*
"If you want to hear what I have to say, come forward honorably. Otherwise, you'll end up like this one, losing your life."
* * *
I returned to the jungle with Cynthia's party.
Floors 11 through 20 were all similar-looking forests.
The difference was that as the floor number increased, the jungle's size became more expansive, making it take quite a long time to navigate even if you knew the way.
So we spent three days climbing, dealing with the monsters we encountered, and growing stronger.
'And.'
Rox grew stronger at an unimaginable speed in this place.
"Verdin, should we take that one too?"
He turned the jungle monsters into his marionettes until he reached his mana limit.
Even when Hysteria had used the Phantom Puppet, he couldn't control more than two hundred marionettes.
"Yes, all of them."
Rox had already reached three hundred.
If you asked who was stronger, I would undoubtedly choose Hysteria.
But Rox's talent was truly extraordinary. To surpass Hysteria's abilities with just a few years of training was astonishing.
"Alright! I'll bring all the mantises here."
Rox conquered various jungle monsters like ants, butterflies, mantises, and spiders.
Not only that, Cynthia's party also showed remarkable growth.
*Whack!*
Cynthia, having accumulated enough experience, was able to cast a higher-grade holy spell.
"Holy Chain."
*Clink.*
Her aura turned into white chains, binding a beetle.
*Pow!*
As she clenched her previously open palm into a fist.
*Crack.*
The chains tightened, crushing the beetle's body.
"All clear. Verdin, can we move on to the next course now?"
Just as she let her guard down, a mantis appeared from behind. I quickly rushed forward and swung my sword at Cynthia.
"Move and you'll die."
*Slash!*
The blade of my sword passed right by her face. Of course, my target was not Cynthia but the mantis.
Cynthia slowly turned her head to see the mantis behind her, then let out a sigh of relief and said.
"That was dangerous."
"Yeah, its sting is poisonous, so it is dangerous."
"No, not the bug, your sword!"
"Why?"
"Why? You almost took my head off with that swing!"
"That wouldn't happen, so don't worry. No one from the Strange family wields a sword that poorly."
It's true.
But Cynthia seemed displeased with my response and pouted.
"Fine, let's just collect the chest."
She inserted a master key into the chest hidden in the thick bushes and turned it. With a clicking sound, a small handheld mirror emerged.
"Five of them. Is it over now?"
"Yes, there's no point in looking for more."
"What is this for?"
"You'll find out soon."
"...You always say that."
Rox wiped his nose and looked at Cynthia.
With all preparations complete, we arrived at the 20th floor, where the second trial awaited.
The entrance to the 20th floor was blocked by a massive cliff that felt overwhelmingly grand.
*Swoosh.*
The waterfalls pouring down on both sides created a cool breeze.
In front of the entrance were dozens of gargoyle statues, positioned like chess pieces, each standing guard.
"Hey, are you guys challenging the trial?"
A knight from a group of adventurers who had arrived before us spoke up.
Counting their number, there were about thirty. They were likely looking for more members after failing the trial.
"Yes."
"Will you join us? If we gather a few more people, we might be able to move to the next floor."
Just as expected.
"No, I prefer to move with a minimum number of people."
He glanced at me and nodded.
"Got it."
Negotiations failed.
We do not join forces with other parties.
The new world of the tower that begins now would be too much for them.
I placed the five handheld mirrors we collected from the jungle in the hands of the gargoyle statues.
*Clack, clack, clack, clack.*
Of course, they weren't placed randomly.
By placing the mirrors in the positions indicated in the Dead Road's past records.
*Clack.*
The mirror at the position directly facing the sun reflected the light.
*Whoosh-*
The reflected light from the handheld mirrors reached another mirror, bouncing off five times before heading into the cave.
*Rumble!*
The cliff split open, creating a path. The ground shook violently as if it were about to collapse.
Everyone except me took a step back in surprise and assumed a combat stance.
'Finally, we meet.'
King of the Jungle, Dead Road.
*Swoosh!*
The direction of the waterfalls changed, flowing into the crevice of the cliff.
As a massive amount of water poured down, a small island began to rise from within.
I pointed to the temple in the center of the island and said to the person standing before the cliff.
"If you don't want to die, run away."
*Swoosh-.*
Because anyone unprepared would perish.