The adventurer remained standing in the center of the room while everyone present turned their attention toward him. After giving a brief bow to the kings, his eyes met mine for a few moments before he began his report.
"My name is Aron. I have been a Rank S adventurer for almost fifteen years. I received the mission to investigate the tower shortly after it appeared in the Isolated Lands."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"When I arrived at the location, the first thing that caught my attention was the size of the structure. I had already seen enormous castles and gigantic walls, but that was different. The tower seemed to touch the sky. I couldn't see where it ended."
The King of the Humans gestured for him to continue.
"There were no guards at the entrance. No demon waiting for me. The door was completely open, as if someone actually wanted me to enter."
I crossed my arms while listening attentively.
"And you entered alone?"
"Yes."
He nodded without hesitation.
"As soon as I crossed the entrance, I found a huge corridor illuminated only by a few torches attached to the walls. The environment was silent. I walked for a few minutes until I encountered the first monsters."
"What kind of monsters were they?" I asked.
"Slimes."
The answer surprised some of those present.
"They were extremely weak creatures. It took only one strike to defeat each of them. At first, I thought the tower was disappointing."
He smiled faintly.
"I realized shortly afterward that it was only the beginning."
Aron continued.
"At the end of the first floor, I found a large staircase leading to the second. When I climbed it, I had the impression that I had entered another world."
"What do you mean?" asked the King of the Elves.
"The second floor was completely different. There was a huge lake occupying almost the entire area. Rocks emerged from the water, forming small islands. Fish-man-like creatures lived in that place and attacked anyone who approached."
"Were you able to defeat them?"
"Without much difficulty."
He looked at me again.
"At that moment, I still hadn't realized how the tower worked."
I continued listening in silence.
"On the third floor, I found a forest."
Several kings exchanged glances.
"A forest?"
"Yes. Tall trees, rivers, small lakes, hills, and even ordinary animals. There were rabbits, wild boars, and various birds. If someone were taken there blindfolded, they would believe they were in a real forest."
"Did the sky exist too?" I asked.
"It did."
"It was possible to see clouds slowly moving."
He paused briefly.
"Of course... today I believe that everything was some kind of extremely advanced illusion magic."
The King of the Dwarves rested his hands on the table.
"Was each floor different?"
"All of them."
Aron answered immediately.
"There were places covered in snow. Others looked like enormous caves. Some were mountainous. Others had rivers so wide that you had to find a way to cross them."
That really did not seem like an ordinary tower.
"I thought I would only be climbing stairs and walking through corridors."
"Me too."
He smiled slightly.
"But I soon discovered that each floor had its own environment."
"Were there traps as well?"
"Many."
His expression became more serious.
"False floors."
"Arrows hidden in the walls."
"Holes covered by leaves."
"Passages that ended in dead-end rooms."
"You had to pay attention to every step."
I quickly looked at the map on the table.
"And the monsters?"
"At first, they were weak."
"Then they began to change."
"Goblins."
"Giant wolves."
"Orcs."
"Lizardmen."
"Creatures made of stone."
"Some species I had never seen before."
"Each floor seemed to increase the difficulty a little more."
He slowly closed his right hand.
"It wasn't a sudden increase."
"The strength of the monsters grew gradually."
"When I realized it, I was already facing enemies much more dangerous than the previous ones."
The representative of the dragons asked a question.
"Did you encounter any Demon General?"
"No."
"None."
"I also did not encounter any demon soldiers."
That caught my attention.
"Then there were only monsters?"
"Exactly."
He confirmed with a nod.
"That was what I found strange."
"The entire tower seemed to be inhabited only by creatures."
Silence once again dominated the room.
Aron continued.
"As I advanced, I began to notice something else."
"The path was rarely straightforward."
"Some floors had several branches."
"Others were true labyrinths."
"I spent hours searching for the staircase to the next floor on some occasions."
"I even thought I had become completely lost."
The King of the Humans asked:
"And how far were you able to reach?"
"The twentieth floor."
The answer made everyone turn their attention toward him.
"At the beginning of that floor, everything seemed relatively normal."
"But after walking for some time, I felt a completely different presence."
His voice became lower.
"It was much stronger than any creature I had faced."
"What appeared before me was a single monster."
"Just one."
"Even so..."
He took a deep breath.
"...I couldn't even make it retreat."
I continued looking at him without saying a word.
"I exchanged blows with it for a few minutes."
"Every attack of mine seemed useless."
"My sword could barely penetrate its defense."
"Meanwhile, a single strike from it was enough to nearly finish me."
The adventurer clenched his fist.
"It was at that moment that I understood."
"If I continued fighting..."
"I would die."
"What did you do afterward?" I asked.
"I looked for a way to escape."
"While retreating, I found a small stone embedded in the wall."
"There was a glowing rune on it."
"When I touched that rune..."
"...I was immediately teleported outside the tower."
The room remained completely silent.
"You never tried to enter again?"
He shook his head.
"No."
"I was ordered to return immediately and report everything I had seen."
I looked at the kings.
Then I turned my attention back to Aron.
His report answered many questions.
But at the same time, it raised countless others.
That tower hid far more mysteries than we had imagined.
And, for the first time since the beginning of the meeting, I felt that facing the Demon King might be much more difficult than any battle I had ever fought.