The radiant light of the eighteenth floor continued to filter through the high fronds of the ancient trees, drawing luminous patches that swayed gently over the grass and soft soil. The warm air, perfumed with the essence of fresh sap, maintained an atmosphere of constant lightness, something that made our squad's advance incredibly smooth and pleasant. After the refreshing break in the entrance area, the rhythm of our footsteps was completely synchronized, allowing us to cover vast distances through the vegetation without any sign of physical fatigue.
I took position at the vanguard of the formation, maintaining a strategic distance of a few meters ahead of Scarlet, while Rai'kanna and Elara covered the flanks with extreme efficiency. Liriel, her assistant, and Vespera followed in the center of the marching column, keeping watch over the mana waves and organizing the terrain cartography reports, while Lyannis secured the rear with her watchful gaze and unwavering stance.
"The terrain of this level is surprisingly regular," commented Liriel's assistant, adjusting her glasses as she walked with firm steps and kept her notebook level. "The elevations are gentle, and the density of the undergrowth offers no significant resistance to our advance. If we maintain this average speed, we will reach the transition zone to the next floor in very little time."
"The calmness of the forest is comforting, but we must not relax our attention when reading the perimeter," Liriel observed, serenely holding her sacred wooden staff while watching the tops of the trees along the sides. "The creatures native to this biome tend to use the density of the treetops to move without making any noise on the ground."
"Liriel is absolutely right," Rai'kanna interjected, pausing gently on the exposed root of a large tree and checking the upper branches with her feline gaze. "There are small vibrations in the higher branches about two hundred meters to the north. They are not large monsters, but rather groups of agile creatures moving in packs."
"Prepare preventive containment," I ordered in a calm and controlled tone, without interrupting the group's march. "Vanguard and flanks, eliminate the moving targets while maintaining continuous movement."
A few seconds after my instruction, a dozen small creatures, resembling wild apes with crystal claws and reddish fur, launched themselves from the high branches toward our column. The monsters moved quickly, attempting to use the cover of the leaves to make a surprise assault on the rear and center of the squad.
However, our tactical response was instantaneous and completely clean. Before the first creature could even complete its downward trajectory, Elara fired three arrows in rapid succession, piercing the chests of the three attackers leading the assault through the air. The monsters fell lifeless onto the undergrowth without even touching our defensive perimeter.
Scarlet took a quick step forward, delivering a precise horizontal arc with her longsword that split in half two apes attempting to leap over the rear line. Simultaneously, I channeled a subtle flow of mana into the blade of my runic sword, executing two fluid upward slashes that neutralized the remaining creatures advancing from my left.
The entire action lasted less than ten seconds. The remains of the monsters dissolved into arcane dust across the grass before even the last member of our squad needed to alter her usual pace.
"Corridor clearing completed without the need to slow down," announced Scarlet, wiping the steel of her blade with a clean motion before returning it to its sheath. "These smaller formations lack the structure to break through our vanguard."
"The precision of your shots was excellent, Elara," Lyannis praised, maintaining watch over the rear while the column continued its march without interruption.
"Thank you, Lyannis," Elara replied, replacing the arrows in her quiver with practiced movements. "Visibility between the treetops is excellent thanks to the lighting from the ceiling, which makes calculating the projectiles' trajectory easier."
We continued our march along the course of a small stream of polished stones, crossing the border of the eighteenth level and reaching the great stone passage that led directly to the nineteenth floor. The transition between these two levels occurred extremely quickly and without any setbacks. The nineteenth floor maintained a geography quite similar to that of the previous forest, presenting only a slight variation in the vegetation's coloration, which displayed darker tones and trees with dark trunks.
As we advanced through the natural corridors of the nineteenth level, clearing small groups of common monsters that appeared along the route, I allowed a focused and analytical thought to organize my perspective on the ascent. The apparent ease with which we were crossing these intermediate floors was not the result of chance or the weakness of the tower's monsters, but rather the direct result of our squad's efficiency and discipline. When a team reaches a high level of coordination, battles against common hordes cease to be chaotic events and become mechanical routine procedures. However, the great danger of continuous success is complacency. In a colossal structure like the Demon King's tower, the ease of one floor is often the prelude to a drastic leap in difficulty on the next level. Keeping our minds sharp and maintaining respect for the environment is the only guarantee that we will not be caught off guard when the true challenge appears.
"We are approaching the final boundary of the nineteenth floor," Vespera informed, observing the alignment of the rock formations that were beginning to replace the density of the trees on the horizon. "The terrain is becoming visibly more rigid, and the architecture around us is beginning to display blocks of carved stone."
"This confirms our projections," said Liriel's assistant, pointing to the map drawn on her notebook. "From the twentieth level onward, the tower's appearance abandons the completely open biomes and returns to the great monumental halls and combat chambers."
"The twentieth floor will be a turning point in our ascent," I commented, slightly reducing my pace to align the group into a tighter and more defensive formation. "According to the reports and the tower's own structural logic, it is exactly on the twentieth level that we will face our first battle against a General-level entity. The presence of a guardian of that magnitude requires us to abandon our fast-marching posture and adopt a high-intensity combat approach."
"A General-level demon..." Rai'kanna murmured, adjusting her grip on her twin blades with a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes. "The physical density and amount of mana possessed by a creature of that level are completely different from anything we have seen so far on these floors."
"Exactly," Liriel agreed, raising her sacred wooden staff and preparing the passive protection enchantments for the group. "The physical and magical defenses of a General will require a combined effort from all our lines. There will be no room for positioning errors."
"We are fully prepared for this, Takumi," Scarlet stated, walking beside me with a firm and unwavering posture. "Our energy is intact, our resources are at maximum level, and our cohesion is perfect. Whatever General guards the twentieth floor, it will fall before our Alliance."
"I completely agree," I declared, stopping before the monumental black stone arch that marked the beginning of the staircase leading to the twentieth level. "We have reached the gate of the main chamber. From this point onward, silence and tactical focus must be absolute. Stay calm, trust the plan, and be ready to execute every movement perfectly."
With the squad completely focused, positioned, and ready for the elite confrontation awaiting us, we took the first steps onto the great stone staircase, leaving behind the tranquil forest floors and advancing with determination toward the challenge of the twentieth floor.