Derek and Edward heard the piercing scream that cut through the dense forest's silence. This time, the sound was different, sharper and more painful. Derek turned to his new companion, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
"He's come out early this time," Derek whispered softly, as if afraid the distant beast might hear him. "Something must have happened to him. We can watch him together to find his weakness and kill him."
He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the surrounding area for any suspicious movement. "And if he's injured, that'll make our job easier. The monsters inside the inner area are very strong, and our hunters are weaker than this beast."
Then, as if suddenly remembering that he hadn't formally introduced himself to his new companion, he added, "By the way, what's your name?"
Edward, who had been intently observing the area around them, replied quietly without shifting his gaze: "My name is Edward."
Derek thought to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Edward, then. I hope he's alright. I haven't seen him in a long time." It was clear that the name had stirred old memories in him, but he quickly refocused on the current task.
As they were lost in their thoughts, they spotted the beast moving on the horizon. But this time, there was something different about its movement. It was stumbling slightly, and even from a distance, injuries were visible on its massive body.
"From the wounds... it's clear that whoever injured it was human," they both thought at the same moment, exchanging looks of surprise and curiosity.
At this point, Derek felt shock coursing through his veins. Since he had arrived in this strange place, and since he had lost his entire team, Edward was the only human he had seen. He had explored the entire forest and hadn't seen any trace of other human life. Who could this mysterious attacker be?
Suddenly, as if their thoughts had summoned it, a figure appeared chasing the beast. It was a woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She was bombarding the beast with powerful magical attacks, tongues of fire and lightning shooting from her hands with skill and confidence.
Edward was surprised by this unexpected sight, his eyes widening in astonishment. But Derek, on the other hand, showed no clear reaction. Perhaps he had seen stranger things in his long journey in this weird world.
Edward continued to watch the woman in awe. From her fighting style and confidence in facing the beast, it was clear that she was an expert in this type of battle. This wasn't the first time she had faced this terrifying creature.
"We should help her," Derek said suddenly, his voice carrying a tone of determination. "After all, we also want to leave this place."
Without hesitation, Derek advanced towards the battlefield, followed by Edward after a moment of hesitation. The two began attacking the beast, trying to distract it from the sorceress.
The woman saw them from the corner of her eye, but paid them no attention. She was completely focused on her target, continuing to bombard the beast with a barrage of consecutive magical attacks.
As the battle continued, the hard shell covering the beast's body began to crack and fall off. The woman smiled a victorious smile and shouted, "Finally, you've come out of your lair!"
Edward didn't understand what the woman meant by these words. For a moment, he thought the beast had finally been defeated. But what happened next was far beyond his expectations.
Suddenly, from among the falling shell debris, a new creature appeared. It resembled an eagle, but its size was much larger, nearly the size of an adult human. Its body was covered with steel-like feathers that gleamed under the sunlight filtering through the tree leaves.
This new creature immediately attacked the woman, but she was ready. She leaped lightly upward, and a stunning aerial battle began between the sorceress and the flying beast.
Derek, who possessed some magical abilities, began supporting the woman from the ground, launching energy arrows towards the flying beast. But Edward, a close-range fighter, found himself unable to help in this aerial battle.
Derek noticed his new friend's frustration and said in a calm and encouraging tone: "Don't be sad that you're useless now. But you should know that it's necessary to learn some long-range combat skills. Not all your enemies will fight you up close. Take this woman in front of you, for example. She's a sorceress. She can simply fly and bombard you from above until you surrender or die."
The battle continued for a full thirty minutes, filled with stunning aerial maneuvers and magical explosions that lit up the forest sky. Finally, after a grueling effort, the flying beast fell to the ground, motionless.
The woman landed lightly on the ground, her face bearing a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. She turned to Derek and Edward and said in a quiet voice: "Although I didn't need your help, you saved me some time in killing it."
Then, as if reading their thoughts, she added: "I know why you helped me. You wanted to kill this thing and leave. But unfortunately, it won't take you back to where you came from. It will only transport you to the second stage of the tower."
She paused for a moment, then introduced herself: "I'm Ariana. This is the middle level of the tower, and you're not the first to enter by mistake."
Disappointment was evident on Edward's face, but Derek, as usual, showed no clear reaction. Instead, he calmly replied: "Thank you for the information. I'm Derek, and this is Edward."
As they were talking, a huge gate opened before them, emitting a faint blue light. Ariana said: "This gate will lead you to the next level. I'll be quick and explain about the tower so you don't lose your lives due to ignorance."
She took a deep breath, then began a detailed explanation: "The tower consists of ten floors, and each floor has three levels. With each level, the difficulty increases, which is why only the strong enter. When you reach the end of the tower, you'll meet the tower's sage."
She paused for a moment to make sure they were following, then continued: "We're now on the fourth floor. The monsters are divided into levels from F to SS. Monsters from rank B to SS are very intelligent and have many deceptive skills and tricks. Each monster has a special skill that differs from one to another."
Then she added an important piece of information: "Time here is slower than in the outside world. Two hours here equal one hour outside."
She looked at their faces to see if they were comprehending all this information, then continued: "If you want to leave before meeting the sage, you must reach the sixth floor and defeat the boss monster, like the one we just killed. And for your information, its level was just C. The next floor will probably be level B."
Ariana finished her explanation, trying to summarize everything as much as she could. Then, without another word, she turned and left, leaving Derek and Edward staring at each other with a mixture of amazement and determination.
Derek looked at Edward, his eyes reflecting a mix of challenge and concern. "Well, my new friend. It seems we have a long and dangerous journey ahead of us. Are you ready to face what awaits us up there?"
Edward nodded, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "We don't have any other choice, do we? Let's face what this cursed tower has in store for us."
The two advanced towards the gate, their steps steady despite the fear creeping into their hearts. The faint blue light grew brighter as they approached, as if inviting them to enter.
Before they crossed the threshold, Derek paused for a moment. "Edward, whatever happens in there, we need to remember that we're a team now. We may not know each other well yet, but we're all we have in this strange place."
Edward smiled faintly, nodding in agreement. Then, with a deep breath, they both stepped through the gate, ready to face whatever challenges the next level of the tower held for them.