1 month later.
I walked into the inn carrying food for Leo, who had been in a deep sleep ever since our encounter with the Lunar Butterfly Queen. Since that moment, he barely woke up, and when he did, he would fall asleep again almost immediately. Mia, Lia, and I had been taking turns watching over him.
Knock, knock.
"Coming," Lia's voice called softly.
I knocked on the door of the inn room, knowing full well that Leo probably wouldn't respond. Inside, Leo lay in bed, tossing restlessly. Lia was sitting beside him in a chair, looking exhausted. Her eyes were heavy with dark circles, a sign of the little sleep she had managed to get. None of us had been sleeping well.
"Is it that time already?" Lia asked, stifling a yawn.
"Yes," I replied. "Thanks for all your hard work."
"No problem," Lia said, rising from her chair and quietly leaving the room.
I took her place, gently feeding Leo some soup and replacing the damp cloth on his forehead with a fresh, cool one. As I attended to him, I couldn't help but cry. The weight of the situation felt overwhelming, and I wished for his recovery with all my heart.
I spent the entire day with Leo, helping him in any way I could. Despite my efforts, he never woke up, and fear began to settle in my heart. When Mia arrived to take over for the night, I took the opportunity to walk around town and clear my mind.
Descending the steps of the inn, I glanced at the quest board. There were numerous signs seeking parties and guilds, and a few postings about new members. Nothing caught my eye until I noticed a small piece of paper tucked away in the corner, partially obscured by the others. It looked like it might be important, so I moved closer to investigate.
As I unfolded the paper, I saw it was a flier from the Crusaders, promoting the upcoming challenge on Floor 6.
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News Guild Update
Top 10 Guild Rankings & Player Counts
As of July 1, 2035
Ascend – 50 members
Black Cats– 200
Sho – 39 members
10 Slayers – 10 members
Order – 150 members
Mana – 6 members
G2 – 5 members
Crusaders – 10 members
Sovereign – 100 members
RG – 1,000 members
—-------------------------------------------------------
I took the pamphlet with me, planning to show it to Leo once he woke up. He used to be fascinated by guild rankings and often said that we needed to join a top-ranked guild. I scanned the list of guilds, puzzled by how a guild with a thousand members wasn't at the top. Leo had mentioned that guild rankings are influenced by how many members they can support. He explained that each guild's capacity is determined by the size of their guild hall or office. For example, a guild with 100 members would need a space large enough to accommodate them all in their city or building.
Since a month had passed, the rankings for both guilds and individual players had become more established and less fluid. It seemed like the standings were now set in stone.
Below the flier about Guild rankings was another pamphlet from the same News Guild. I picked that one up too, intrigued by what it might contain.
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News Guild Update
Top 10 Player Rankings.
As of July 1, 2035
Rank 1:Sho – Sho
Rank 2:Ascend – Valen
Rank 3:[Guildless] – Rhy
Rank 4:Order – Dante
Rank 5:The 10 Slayers – Thorne
Rank 6:[Guildless] – Arthur
Rank 7:Black Cats – Archer
Rank 8: Ascend – Darius
Rank 9:Mana – Lyra
Rank 10:Crusaders – Adrian Kundra
—-------------------------------------------------------
I assumed that personal and guild ranks were determined by the same criteria and decided to take that flier with me as well. Leo had explained that once player and guild rankings are set, the only way to change them was to challenge the guild or player to a duel. The winner would either rise or fall in the rankings. You could only challenge a top-10 guild or player once a year, so maintaining a high rank required not only skill but also patience.
Walking through the city, it seemed alive. The streets were full of players exploring, trading, and chilling with pals. It was peaceful but active, with light voices forming the music of discussions and sporadic laughter as instruments in the symphony drifting on the breeze. I continued towards the center of town, passing a myriad of stands and peddlers hawking goods.
The architecture of the city blended sleek modernism with traditional charm: down the streets, elegant buildings and snug shops passed by. There was a laid-back atmosphere that sharply contrasted with the pressure from our recent adventurers.
Eventually, I came across a stand that caught my eye. It was adorned with colorful flyers and banners, and the human NPC manning it was a middle-aged fellow with a friendly demeanor. Above his stand, a sign read "Crusaders."
The NPC waved me over, his face lighting up with a warm smile. "Crusaders," he said, as if the name alone should ring a bell. The guild had been making waves as we continued our ascent through the tower, with the top ten guilds now firmly established.
I approached the stand, curiosity piqued. "What are you selling?" I asked.
The NPC's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "My guild is offering detailed information on each floor of the tower," he replied.
"Information?" I echoed, intrigued.
"Yes, indeed," he said, sliding a piece of paper across the counter towards me. "This will give you insights into the challenges awaiting you on floor 6."
I took the paper and unfolded it, eager to see what valuable information it might contain.
The paper read:
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On the sixth floor, players enter the Spider Caverns, a vast and ominous network of underground tunnels. They are teleported to the top of the cavern, where they appear within a summoning circle capable of holding approximately 10,000 people. From this vantage point, players can choose from several perilous paths leading deeper into the cave system. The cavern is also riddled with treacherous chasms. Falling into these crevasses results in instant death.
The cavern is a breeding ground for a variety of dangerous spider species. The walls are lined with spider eggs, contributing to the constant threat. Players will encounter venomous spiders, shadow spiders that blend into the darkness, and exceptionally fast cave spiders.
At the cavern's base, players will confront the boss, the Spider Queen. This colossal, menacing arachnid dominates the cavern with her immense size and aggression. Giant spider mini-bosses roam the area, entering and exiting a cave that connects to the fourth floor of the dungeon.
—---------------------------------------------------------
"We can make copies of every floor," the NPC said proudly.
"How did your guild get this?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"After exploring each floor, we document what we encounter," the NPC explained.
"How much is it for one floor?" I asked, recalling what the game master had said about relics going to auction houses. The player must have acquired it there.
"It's 1 silver per floor," he replied
I decided to purchase the flier for Floor 6 and continued my exploration of the city. Each quadrant had its own distinct environment and feel: the vibrant and fiery red quadrant, the cold and calculating blue quadrant, the free and independent white quadrant, and the strong and connected green quadrant. The NPCs and people in each area reflected their respective elements.
By the time I returned to the white quadrant, the sun had begun to rise, and I realized I had lost track of time. I hurried back to the inn and raced to Leo's room. To my relief, Leo was sitting up against his headboard, and Mia was feeding him. She looked exhausted but relieved to see me.
Leo's eyes met mine, and he managed a smile. I rushed to him, enveloping him in a tight hug.
"I'm so happy you're okay," I said in his arms. Mia quietly stood up and left the room, giving us space to talk.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern.
Leo's face fell into a look of despair before he began to speak.
Lionheart's Perspective:
For an instant, everything stood quiet. It seemed like the forest held its breath as the long shadows from the bioluminescent trees did in the dim light. Then everything seemed to go in slow motion as my knees buckled. I crumpled to the ground, my sword slipping from nerveless fingers to clatter against the stone. I shook my head with both hands outstretched to steady myself- a useless gesture. My mind was swamped with memories that were not mine.
I felt every cut. Every burn. Every freeze — the pain that the lunar butterflies had endured coursing through me as if it were my own. I experienced the sting of a blade slicing through delicate wings, the heat of fire burning them, and the icy chill of magic freezing them in place. I felt the weight of every life lost. Every soul taken.
Memories flooded. Drowning into the sea of pain and sorrow was overwhelming. It was unbearable. Choking, unable to breathe my vision blurry as tears welled in my eyes in utter remorse.The weight of their suffering pressed down as well, crushing me with its guilt.
And then, finally—I passed out.
Wakaba's perspective:
As Leo finished recounting what happened, I could barely hold back my tears. I clung to him tightly, needing to be close, needing to offer some semblance of comfort. He had always been by my side, even on Earth. I understood pain and sorrow deeply, and all I wanted was to protect him from more suffering.
Leo looked up at me, determination burning in his eyes. "I want to continue fighting," he said firmly.
Shocked, I responded, "Why? We could build a good life here—buy a house, get married, live the life we never could on Earth."
He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with both pain and resolve. "Even though I feel the suffering of every fallen lunar butterfly, I also feel human pain and emotions. I want to stop people from dying needlessly. And to do that, I need to keep climbing."
I held him close. "I will follow wherever you go," I said softly, kissing his cheek as I handed him the pamphlet for Floor 6.