The next few days in the 10th-floor town felt oddly normal. Arsonat and Alec spent most of their time exploring the bustling town, trading, and looking for any clues about the next floor. Yet, despite the appearance of peace, an unease lingered in the air. The encounter with the stranger in the inn was still fresh in Arsonat's mind. Why had Alec acted so strangely? The sudden tension, the hurried rejection of the stranger's offer—none of it added up.
On the fifth day after their arrival, Arsonat and Alec found themselves once again at the same inn where they had first encountered the mysterious man. The place had become a regular stop for players looking to rest and socialize, but something felt different this time.
As they sat at a corner table, Arsonat noticed the man from before slipping through the crowded room, his eyes scanning the inn like he was looking for someone. The man's gaze finally landed on them, and his lips curled into a sly grin.
"Ah, you two again." The man's voice was low but carried an air of authority. He walked up to their table with ease, his fingers lightly tapping on the back of Arsonat's chair. "I was hoping we could continue our conversation from before."
Alec stiffened beside Arsonat, his body language betraying a hint of nervousness that wasn't there before. He quickly glanced at Arsonat, as though silently urging him to avoid the conversation. But the man wasn't going to let that happen.
"Come now, Alec, Arsonat, don't be shy. I know you have something special." The man's voice dropped to a whisper, and he leaned closer, a malicious glint in his eye. "I have a little tool here that can see things... things players usually try to hide."
Before either of them could react, the man pulled out a small device from his pocket, its dark crystal glowing faintly. He placed it on the table, and a faint pulse emanated from the object. Arsonat's heart skipped a beat as he realized what was happening. The Artifact.
Alec's face drained of color, and he quickly rose to his feet. "What do you want?" Alec's voice wavered slightly, his usual confidence gone. Arsonat watched, confused, as Alec seemed to struggle to keep his composure. Alec was acting like he had something to hide—but what?
"I want what you have." The man's voice was cold and firm. He stared directly at Arsonat, his eyes narrowing. "I know you have it, don't try to hide it. I can see it." The man reached for Arsonat's inventory with a predatory grin. The crystal on the device pulsed again, and for a moment, everything went still. The device had locked onto something—the Artifact in Arsonat's inventory.
But before anything could happen, Alec stepped between them, his hand glowing faintly as if readying some kind of magic. "Back off!" Alec's voice had a surprising sharpness to it, an authority Arsonat hadn't heard before.
"You're too late." The man sneered, stepping back slightly as though sensing Alec's power. "I've already seen what you have."
Alec's hands tightened into fists. "What do you want with it?" His voice was a low growl.
The man chuckled darkly. "I just want to know what makes it so special. But I think you're both a little too dangerous for me to deal with on my own."
Arsonat's mind was racing. How did he know about the Artifact? How did he track it? But more pressing than that was the fact that the man seemed to know something about Alec. His earlier behavior—the strange way he spoke to Alec—wasn't just about the Artifact. There was something more going on here.
At that moment, the man made a quick motion, and suddenly, the inn's front doors slammed shut with a thunderous crash, trapping them inside. The air grew heavy as players began to murmur, noticing the unusual tension in the room.
Before Arsonat or Alec could react, a loud voice echoed from behind them, booming from a distant corner of the inn.
"What's going on here?"
A massive figure stepped into view, towering over the rest of the players. The figure was wearing a black cloak, and his eyes glowed a faint purple as he surveyed the scene. He was one of the bosses of the 10th-floor town, a being who had the ability to read the minds of others—a form of telepathy granted to him by the tower itself.
The man with the device froze, his posture stiffening. "Boss Lorian, this is a misunderstanding."
Lorian, the boss, didn't speak, but his eyes locked onto Alec. Arsonat could feel a strange pressure building in the air as Lorian's gaze pierced through the room. The boss was using his telepathic power, probing the thoughts of the players around him.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Lorian's eyes narrowed as he attempted to read Alec's mind—but there was nothing.
Alec's thoughts weren't there. His mind was like a void.
"Interesting." Lorian's voice was a low growl as he approached, his gaze now completely focused on Alec. "There's nothing here. How curious."
Arsonat felt a cold shiver run down his spine. How was this possible? Alec was standing right there, but his mind was unreadable, as if he didn't exist in the same way the other players did. There was only one explanation: Alec wasn't a player.
Alec's eyes darted toward Arsonat, and for the first time since they'd met, Arsonat saw genuine fear in Alec's expression. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Lorian spoke again.
"You're not a player, are you?" Lorian's voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it.
Alec swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly. "I—I'm not." His voice faltered. "I'm… I'm an NPC. I was created to climb the tower with a player. That's why I've been following you, Arsonat. I need a player to help me uncover the tower's deepest secrets and reach the higher floors."
The room fell silent. The players in the inn watched in stunned disbelief as Alec finally confessed his true identity.
"You've been traveling with me, but you're not real?" Arsonat's voice was low, the shock of the revelation settling in.
Alec nodded, guilt and fear clouding his features. "I never wanted you to find out like this. But I couldn't do it alone. The tower's trials are too much for one person, NPC or player. I needed someone strong enough to climb with me."
The tension in the inn was palpable. Alec, an NPC, had been pretending to be a player all this time—following Arsonat, not as a companion, but as part of his mission. The strange distance he had shown recently, the odd way he avoided certain topics—it all made sense now.
Lorian, still watching Alec with interest, gave a low laugh. "I'll let you off with a warning for now, NPC. But know this—" Lorian's voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible. "The tower is watching."
With that, Lorian turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Arsonat and Alec alone with their tangled secrets.
As the inn doors opened again, the players began to murmur, slowly returning to their business, leaving Arsonat and Alec alone with the weight of the revelation hanging in the air.
Alec, his shoulders slumped, turned to Arsonat.
"I didn't mean for you to find out like this, Arsonat." Alec's voice was quiet, full of remorse. "But I couldn't hide it any longer. The truth is, I need your help to climb the tower. Without you, I'm stuck on these lower floors."
Arsonat stood in stunned silence for a moment, trying to digest the truth. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with emotion.
"You've been with me this whole time… but you've been lying to me."
Alec nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I'm sorry. But I've come to trust you, Arsonat. I can't do this without you."
The truth had come out, but the questions remained: What did this mean for their journey? What was Alec's true role in the tower's mysteries?
And more importantly… Could Arsonat still trust him?