The ascent through the wide white marble staircase revealed an extremely smooth and welcoming transition of environment. As we left behind the rigid basalt structures of the throne hall on the twentieth floor, the dry and heavy air permeated by remnants of combat energy gave way to a mild and refreshing breeze. The characteristic scent of wet earth and dense vegetation enveloped our formation, anticipating the scenery that awaited us at the top of the steps.
As we emerged onto the twenty-first level of the tower, we found ourselves facing a vast and imposing forested expanse. The arcane ceiling of this floor projected a vivid golden illumination, similar to the brightness of a sunny midday, filtering brilliant rays through the canopies of colossal trees whose leaves displayed intense shades of green and emerald. The terrain was soft, covered by a thick layer of moss and small wildflowers, allowing our march to proceed without excessive noise.
"The atmosphere on this floor is surprisingly balanced," Liriel's assistant observed, adjusting her glasses while walking with the notebook held level in her hands. "The concentration of mana in the soil supports abundant and vibrant flora. The tactical pressure has decreased significantly compared to the General's sector."
"Even so, the density of the vegetation reduces the range of our vision over long distances," Scarlet pointed out, maintaining a steady pace at the vanguard, with her right hand resting lightly on the hilt of her longsword. "The large trees and tall bushes create excellent natural points of cover."
"Rai'kanna and Elara, maintain advanced surveillance along the lateral ridges," I ordered in a calm and serene tone, adjusting my marching posture. "We will not reduce our speed, but we will keep perimeter tracking active with every step."
"Leave it to me, Takumi," Rai'kanna replied, leaping with extreme lightness over the trunk of a fallen tree to inspect the surroundings of our left flank. "The air smells clean, but there is movement from small packs about four hundred meters to the north."
We advanced through the forest of the twenty-first floor in a continuous and fluid marching formation. Shortly after beginning the journey, the first smaller horde of native monsters attempted to intercept our advance. They were creatures resembling hunting wolves covered in hardened wooden spikes, which emerged from among the dense bushes with low growls.
However, our tactical reaction was immediate and calculated. Before the beasts could organize themselves for a coordinated assault, Elara fired two arrows in rapid succession, piercing the chests of the creatures leading the group. Scarlet and I advanced in a coordinated movement, crossing our blades in a perfect arc that cut through the attackers' front line. Rai'kanna descended from the upper branches like a shadow, finishing off the remaining targets with precise thrusts from her twin blades. The battle lasted only a few seconds, dissolving the threat into arcane dust before the support group even needed to slow its pace.
The crossing of the twenty-first level took place without any additional complications, allowing us to reach the passage leading to the twenty-second floor in less than an hour of uninterrupted walking.
The twenty-second floor maintained the forest theme, but presented noticeably more rugged topography, filled with deep ravines, scattered rock formations, and flowing water channels. The density of the air became slightly heavier, indicating the presence of creatures with greater physical resistance and body structures adapted to rocky terrain.
As we ventured deeper through the corridors of rock and vegetation on the twenty-second level, the low vegetation began to give way to wide clearings surrounded by large blocks of gray stone. It was precisely in one of these narrow passages that we encountered the floor's main defensive barrier.
Blocking the exit of the rocky corridor stood a colossal creature: an elite Orc Warrior, measuring more than three and a half meters in height. Its body was extremely muscular and covered in deep scars from past battles, wearing thick plates of crude iron armor and wielding a spiked war mace covered with steel spikes. Beside the giant, four smaller Orc warriors stood guard, strategically positioned to cover the exits of the gorge.
"Target analysis!" Lyannis requested, positioning her battle axe along the rear guard's covering line.
"This is a resilient-class Guardian Orc!" Liriel's assistant quickly informed. "The density of its body armor and the rigidity of its bone structure grant it high immunity to superficial direct impacts. The creature's vital core is protected by the heavy iron chest plate!"
"No unnecessary or exhausting frontal combat," I determined, stopping the vanguard and observing the arrangement of the enemies in the clearing. "Scarlet and Rai'kanna, you will take responsibility for neutralizing the primary target through a coordinated high-speed attack. Lyannis and I will clear the smaller Orcs from the sides to prevent any attempt at encirclement."
"Understood!" Scarlet replied, planting her feet firmly on the dirt and focusing on her running stance.
"I'll focus on the giant's leg joints to reduce its mobility!" Rai'kanna added, bending her knees and preparing her approach jump.
At our signal, the action began with extreme speed. The smaller Orcs charged with aggressive roars, but Lyannis and I immediately intercepted their advance. With a continuous rotational movement of my runic sword, I deflected the first heavy club attack and cut across the attacker's armor, neutralizing it instantly. Lyannis, using the disciplined strength of her axe, delivered a devastating downward strike that crushed the second Orc's protection, keeping the entire side sector under control.
While we cleared the perimeter, the Guardian Orc raised its spiked mace and delivered a crushing blow toward the vanguard. The impact cracked the rock beneath it, sending dust and debris in all directions.
However, Scarlet and Rai'kanna moved with impeccable synchrony. Scarlet dodged the impact with a fluid sideways leap, maintaining her body's stability and advancing diagonally to cut the wrist of the giant's armed arm. The precise cut caused the Orc to drop its heavy weapon, its stance staggering backward.
Taking advantage of the exact moment of the giant's vulnerability, Rai'kanna propelled herself off the lateral rock and launched into the air like a beam of light. Her twin blades delivered two perfect crossed cuts to the exposed back of the monster's knee, causing the creature's legs to buckle and making it fall heavily to its knees onto the ground.
Without losing the momentum of the movement, Scarlet took two quick steps forward, placed her foot on the fallen armor plate of the Orc, and drove her longsword with full force into the creature's unprotected neck groove. The metal of her blade pierced through the monster's internal defenses, striking the vital point with surgical precision.
The Guardian Orc released a muffled roar, trembled for a brief second, and collapsed lifelessly in the clearing. The two remaining smaller Orcs, seeing their leader fall, attempted to retreat, but were promptly intercepted by Elara's accurate arrows and Vespera's repulsion spells.
In less than two minutes of combat, the clearing on the twenty-second floor was completely cleared. The remains of the creatures dissolved into arcane mist, leaving the path through the rocky corridor completely unobstructed.
"Clean victory without excessive resource usage!" Scarlet announced, pulling her longsword from the monster's carcass and cleaning the blade before elegantly returning it to its sheath.
"Mana consumption analysis confirms minimal energy expenditure for the entire team," Liriel's assistant reported, recording the combat resolution time in her progress report.
As I watched my team reorganize the marching formation with absolute serenity, I allowed a focused and analytical thought to strengthen my understanding of our journey. The continued success of a squad on floors with a high density of monsters is not measured by the brute force of its attacks, but rather by intelligence and resource efficiency in every engagement. When facing a resilient enemy such as a Guardian Orc, attempting to overpower it in a direct clash would be a foolish waste of muscular energy and magic. By clearly dividing the roles — neutralizing the escort, destabilizing the base, and delivering the finishing blow at the exact point of vulnerability — we transformed a potentially exhausting battle into a simple and elegant tactical procedure. The true mastery of our Alliance lies in the ability to act with surgical precision, conserving our strength for the truly monumental challenges that still await us on the higher levels of the tower.
"The path to the twenty-third floor is completely open and free of threats," Lyannis declared, checking the rocky corridor that climbed along the slope.
"Excellent work from everyone in every movement," I praised, placing myself at the front of the marching column with a confident posture. "We maintained our speed, conserved our supplies, and cleared the terrain with absolute perfection. Let us continue our ascent with the same discipline as always."
With the formation regrouped, the pace adjusted, and our determination renewed, our squad took its first steps through the passage of the twenty-second level, advancing with light, firm, and confident steps toward the twenty-third floor of the tower.