Part 1: The Hidden Destination
The 24-hour countdown hung in the sky like a guillotine blade, but before the panic could fully set in, a chime echoed in the minds of every player in the Starter Town.
[System Notification]
[Sender: Administrator]
[Subject: A Parting Gift]
"Since you are all so worried about getting lost in the dark... here is a flashlight. Try not to trip."
[Item Received: Map of the Middle Floors (14-24)]
Elian opened his inventory. The map materialized in his hands. It wasn't a tactical chart. It was a vague, artistic rendering of the world above. Most of the areas were covered in a thick, grey "Fog of War," but the major landmasses were named.
Floor 15: The Crystal Caverns.
Floor 19: The Ashen Plains.
Floor 24: The Azure Sea.
It was enough to give hope to the desperate, but Elian knew better. A map without monster spawn locations or trap markers was just a pretty picture of a graveyard.
Inside the "Conference Room" of the Eclipse warehouse, the mood was quiet, save for the scratching of Elian's charcoal on a large printout of this new map.
"The Tower has given us 24 hours," Elian announced, looking at his ten members. "When the barrier lifts, we are leaving the Starter Town. We aren't coming back."
"Finally," Jax muttered, sharpening his dagger. "I'm sick of this fake sun."
"We need a new base," Valen noted, looking at the map Elian was marking up. "Where are we going? Floor 15? The Crystal Caverns looks defensible."
Elian tapped the map vaguely around the twenties, right near the edge of the Azure Sea.
"We will decide when we get there. As we climb, keep your eyes open for a location that is defensible, hidden, and rich in resources."
It was a lie.
Elian already knew exactly where they were going.
Floor 24: The Azure Floating Islands.
Specifically, a hidden island that drifted off the main map, accessible only during a specific lunar cycle. It was a natural fortress with its own mana spring. It would be their home until they reached the Death Zone at Floor 76.
But he didn't tell them yet. If he gave them a specific destination, they would ask how he knew.
Plausible deniability, Elian thought. I have to discover it 'accidentally'.
"For now," Elian said, dropping the charcoal. "Rest. The climb from 14 to 24 will be a marathon. I want everyone at 100% morale."
He looked at Titan, who was trying to braid his little sister's hair with his clumsy, armored fingers.
"Take the day off. Do whatever keeps you sane. Dismissed."
Part 2: The Family and The Guard
The Starter Town market was buzzing with panic-buying after the mortality announcement, but for Titan, it was a wonderland.
"Look, big brother! Blue apples!" Naya squealed, pointing at a fruit stall.
"And red ones!" Noya, her twin brother, chimed in, tugging on Titan's other hand.
Titan, who was usually a fortress of steel and silence, looked completely overwhelmed by two toddlers.
"Uh, Valen? Can we buy apples?" Titan asked, looking at the Hero for guidance.
"We can buy the whole cart," Valen laughed, tossing a gold coin to the stunned merchant. "Pack them up. The kids are hungry."
Seraphina walked beside them, holding Naya's hand. She looked less like a Saintess and more like a big sister. For a few hours, the horror of the Tower seemed far away. They weren't climbing a death spire; they were just a family on a grocery run.
Fifty meters behind them, the mood was very different.
Jax blended into the crowd, wearing a hooded cloak. His eyes darted from rooftop to alleyway.
He saw a thief eyeing Valen's purse. Jax flashed a tiny sliver of his dagger. The thief turned pale and ran.
He saw a group of Dynasty scouts watching Titan. Jax stepped on a dry twig, snapping it loudly. The scouts looked at him, saw the black sun emblem on his collar, and vanished into the crowd.
"Idiots," Jax muttered, stealing an apple from a passing cart. "They have no idea they're walking in a shark tank."
Part 3: Chemistry
Back at the warehouse, the air smelled of sulfur and lavender.
Luna was frantically chopping herbs. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun, and she was muttering to herself.
"If the mortality rate starts at Floor 50, then I need to up the potency of the healing potions by 40%. But if I add too much Star-Moss, it becomes toxic..."
"You look stressed, Doc."
Luna jumped, nearly dropping a vial of volatile acid.
She spun around to see Roger leaning against her doorframe. He was holding a tray with a steaming cup of tea and a biscuit.
"I'm not stressed," Luna snapped, pushing her glasses up. "I'm calculating survival probabilities. And don't call me Doc."
"Sure thing, Alchemist," Roger grinned, walking in and setting the tea on her cluttered desk. "Chamomile. Helps with the nerves. Or so my grandmother said."
Luna stared at the tea. She looked at Roger, who was leaning casually against her workbench, suspiciously close to her gunpowder supplies.
"What do you want, Roger?" Luna sighed, taking the tea.
"Me?" Roger put a hand on his chest, feigning innocence. "Just checking on my favorite guildmate."
He paused, watching her take a sip.
"But... since you're already mixing chemicals... I was thinking."
He pulled a bullet casing out of his pocket. It was etched with runes.
"My rifle loves Ice Dust. But I was thinking... what if we put, say, liquid fire inside the hollow point? Just a tiny bit?"
Luna looked at the bullet. Her eyes, usually tired, lit up with the manic gleam of a scientist.
"Incendiary rounds?" she mused. "Standard fire oil is too unstable. But if I use the Magma Core shavings from the Minotaur..."
She grabbed a notebook and started scribbling furiously.
"I can do it. But it will cost you. I need you to grind the core shavings into dust. By hand."
Roger beamed. "Deal."
He grabbed a mortar and pestle and sat on the floor next to her, grinding away happily while Luna muttered about explosion radiuses. It was a strange, dangerous domesticity.
In the corner of the main hall, Lyra sat cross-legged on a crate. She plucked her lute strings, testing chords.
High C for Haste. Low D for Sluggishness.
She closed her eyes, weaving mana into the sound. She wasn't playing music; she was coding reality with soundwaves.
In his room, Caelum sat in the lotus position. He wasn't meditating on peace. He was visualizing a wall. A mental barrier to keep the ocean of mana inside him from bursting out and drowning the guild.
Control, he told himself. Do not let the Admin hear you.
Part 4: The Spider on the Wall
Elian sat on the gargoyle of the Clock Tower, his legs dangling over the edge of the city.
The wind was cold up here.
He wasn't looking at the view. He was looking at his internal database.
Floor 15: The Crystal Caverns. Hidden piece: The Geode of Reflection.
Floor 18: The Rotting Swamp. Hidden boss: The Hydra King.
Floor 21: The Library of Ash. Skill book: Shadow Step.
He was mentally marking every location he intended to raid on the way to Floor 24.
"I need to get Valen the Sun-Fire Hilt on Floor 17," Elian murmured. "And Titan needs the Gorgon's Shield from Floor 22."
He was so focused on his mental map that he almost missed the shift in the air.
It wasn't a sound. It wasn't a smell.
It was a ripple in the mana.
Elian didn't draw his sword. He didn't turn around.
"You're loud for an assassin," Elian said calmly.
A figure materialized from the shadows of the clock face.
She was tall, wearing a skin-tight suit of black leather that seemed to drink the light. Her face was covered by a veil, revealing only eyes that were a piercing, unnatural violet.
Dual daggers, curved like fangs, rested at her hips.
The Queen of Assassins. Isara.
In his past life, she was the Guild Master of "Nightshade," a mercenary group that worked for the highest bidder. She had killed kings, heroes, and demon lords.
Elian had fought her three times. He won once. She won twice.
"And you are arrogant for a rookie," Isara replied. Her voice was like silk over a razor blade.
She didn't draw her weapons. She walked to the edge of the ledge and stood next to him, looking out at the city.
"You killed the Minotaur in two minutes," Isara said. "You humiliated the Dynasty. You triggered a system update."
"I've had a busy week," Elian shrugged.
"The Dynasty has put a bounty on your head," Isara continued. "10,000 Gold. Dead or alive. Preferably dead."
She turned her violet eyes toward him.
"My lieutenants want to take the contract. They say you're just a lucky boy with a big sword."
Elian finally looked at her.
"And what do you say?"
Isara smiled beneath her veil.
"I say you smell like the grave," she whispered. "You smell like someone who has died a thousand times."
She reached into her belt and pulled out a small, golden coin. She flicked it at him.
Elian caught it. It wasn't gold. It was a Token of the Nightshade.
"I'm not taking the contract," Isara said. "I'm curious."
She stepped back, her form beginning to blur into smoke.
"Survive the climb to Floor 24, Elian. If you make it... maybe I'll let you hire me instead of killing you."
"Is that a threat?" Elian asked, pocketing the coin.
"It's a date," Isara replied.
And then she was gone, leaving only the scent of nightshade flowers in the cold wind.
Elian looked at the coin in his hand.
A grin, sharp and dangerous, cut across his face.
"Floor 24 just got interesting."