As expected, humanoid monsters also appeared on Floors 13 and 14.
Although their numbers, equipment, and formations differed, they shared one common trait: unconditional hostility towards us. This was actually fortunate, as it allowed the party members to eliminate the enemies without hesitation.
However, battling humanoids is slightly more stressful than fighting other types of monsters. Knowing this, Amukena didn't force them into reckless grinding. They fought once a day, followed by rest. Managing their condition in preparation for Floor 15 was also important.
Several days passed like this.
Party 1 reached the appropriate level required to challenge Floor 15.
I was level 15, Jaina and Aaron level 13, and Iolka and Edith level 11. While not their maximum potential level, raising the two 3-star heroes (Iolka and Edith) any higher would take too much time due to lower experience efficiency—one of the few downsides of high-grade heroes.
The Equipment Workshop also started operating again. This time, they were issued Leather Pouches, accessory items that increase the carrying limit for consumables like potions. It wasn't a bad choice; carrying an extra potion was better than upgrading mediocre armor.
As the challenge drew nearer, I gave the party members a goal: acquire at least one new skill before tackling Floor 15. This time, Party 2, who weren't deploying, stuck around all night helping with the training.
And then,
['Lower Health Potion' is given to 'Han (★★)'.]
['Lower Health Potion' is given to 'Han (★★)'...]
[Don't drop it! It's expensive!]
Iseul, standing on a cart, threw a health potion.
I caught the potion and put it in the pouch on my belt. Then I received another and put it away. As Iseul tried to throw the third one, her hand slipped.
Crash!
['Lower Health Potion' was broken!]
[Tips/Item loss can occur during consumable distribution.]
"Didn't you say it was expensive?"
[Th-this wasn't my fault! It's the Master's fault for overworking me!]
Iseul flapped her wings, her face blushing.
The broken glass shards and red liquid were absorbed into the floor and vanished. The distribution started again. This time, it was Jaina's turn.
['Lower Health Potion' is given to 'Jaina (★★)'...]
A total of five people were gathered in the plaza: myself, Jaina, Aaron, Iolka, and Edith. All of Party 1 was assembled for item distribution.
The intention was clear to anyone: it was time to challenge Floor 15.
I observed the Party 1 members. Jaina muttered 'I can do this' to herself; Aaron repeatedly gripped and released his spear shaft until his hands reddened; Iolka was taking deep breaths; Edith had her eyes closed. Each was easing their tension in their own way.
No one seemed overly stiff. Having gone through numerous real battles with me, it was natural they had developed this level of know-how. Finally, I glanced over my own status window.
[Han Israt (★★) Lv. 15 (Exp 38/120)]
[Class: Novice]
[Strength: 35/35]
[Intelligence: 10/10]
[Stamina: 32/32]
[Agility: 30/30]
[Owned Skills: Basic Sword & Shield (Lv.7), True Sight (Lv.4), Flame Resistance (Lv.2), Pain Tolerance (Lv.4), Composure (Lv.4), Berserk Nature (Lv.3), Horsemanship (Lv.1)]
Total stats: 107. Quite respectable stats for a Lv. 15 2-star. Comparable enough to a high-tier 3-star. The result of effort and calculation. About two months since coming here. I hadn't rested a single day.
7 skills owned. Excluding the support-type Horsemanship, 6 directly aid in combat. True Sight is a skill I focused on honing, obtainable when Insight and Throwing Defense properly harmonize. It receives strong bonuses against projectiles, has illusion resistance effects, and allows one to see through an opponent's openings. It was definitely an A-rank skill I planned to acquire from the moment I arrived here.
Additionally, Pain Tolerance, Composure, and Berserk Nature also rose several levels. Going wild while activating Berserk every dawn does this. Mental passives aren't easy to raise, but it seems I found a rather effective training method.
[That's the last one!]
A mana potion was placed in Iolka's hand.
3 potions per person. The storage door opened, and the empty cart moved inside on its own. Iseul wiped the sweat from her forehead, let out a snort ('hmpf'), and said.
[You guys, listen carefully to what Han says. If you want to live, that is.]
"Why the unnecessary words again?"
[I'm enforcing discipline. Sloppy defiance leads to trouble.]
"They'll do fine on their own without you saying anything."
[Really? Anyway, do your best on Floor 15 too. Don't die!]
Iseul scattered stardust and disappeared.
Simultaneously, the door leading to the Rift of Space-Time opened.
"She's always so hyperactive whenever I see her."
Jaina shrugged and went inside. Next, the Party 1 members entered one by one. As I entered last, the door closed.
[Climb the Tower, Save the World!]
[Main Dungeon: Current Ascent Floor – 14]
'Floor 15.'
I have a few guesses, but I don't know exactly what kind of mission it will be. It wasn't a chain quest like Floor 10 either. I opened my mouth.
"Do as we always do. Stay sharp, and we can return alive."
"If we just follow Oppa, right?" Jaina chirped.
"Don't rely on me too much."
"He's worth relying on. His instructions are precise," Edith chuckled softly.
I looked at the system message at the top of my vision. The control window was moving erratically.
[Utilizing the recording function.]
[Using recording allows saving the stage's record as a video. This can be viewed anytime. However, purchasing the function is required.]
'Planning to save a replay?'
Not a bad habit. I myself used to rewatch already cleared stages several times to analyze hero characteristics, performance, and stage types. Because there are many things you can't grasp from just one viewing. Also, it was useful for identifying the causes of stage failures. Analyzing past records greatly helps develop insight and judgment. For now, there's little the Master can contribute during missions, but that changes as the floors get higher. The training done now will shine then.
[Purchase 'Recording Function'? Cost: 300 Gems.]
[Yes (Selected) / No]
Flash!
A momentary flash occurred in the Rift of Space-Time.
[Congratulations, Master!]
[You can now view the heroes' records.]
A triangle indicating the start of recording appeared at the top of my vision. Simultaneously, a faint light leaked from the mirror on the left.
I took a deep breath.
"Listen up."
The party members' gazes focused.
I continued. "This mission has two distinct features. First, it's a special mission. You'll understand if you recall the goddess statue I explained on Floor 10. I said we'd be wiped out if it was destroyed. This Floor 15 has a similar annihilation condition."
"Party 3 entered Floor 15 and was wiped out in 5 minutes. There were no indicators of fear, panic, or near-death status effects that usually precede death. Meaning, they didn't experience combat. They failed the mission without knowing why, and the price was annihilation."
"Then what we need to do upon entering is..." Jaina started.
"Right. Find the target as quickly as possible," I interrupted. "And we have to prevent mission failure. However, we don't have much time. 15 minutes at most."
"15 minutes?" Aaron questioned.
"Those guys went in and died completely within 5 minutes. Understand what that means? If we stand around doing nothing inside, the mission automatically fails. We all die. That's the second feature."
"Time flows differently between the Waiting Room and the stages. Converting this, the time given to us is about 15 minutes. There isn't much time for this mission. In other words, it's a time attack rule where we must satisfy the condition within a limited time."
"Once we enter the mission, gather information and move within 3 minutes."
The four nodded.
[Main Dungeon, current challenge floor is Floor 15.]
[Door opening in 10 seconds. Prepare yourselves!]
The light grew increasingly intense, filling the Rift of Space-Time.
And as the light dimmed, we found ourselves in an unfamiliar place.
I looked around. The sky was clear. Daytime.
'Floor 15 is also a city.'
I scanned the surroundings again, this time more carefully. If the city on Floor 10 featured mostly rough stone buildings and a chaotic layout, this city was neatly organized. Multi-story wooden buildings and grid-patterned roads stood out.
"Really?"
"How many times have I been tricked? I told you, He came! That person!"
"We absolutely have to go!"
Two pot-bellied middle-aged men brushed past us.
Besides them, there were many people. Citizens were going about their daily lives everywhere on the street. A housewife haggling with a shop owner at a fruit stall. Children playing in an alleyway. Well-dressed pedestrians heading somewhere.
However, these people showed no interest in us, who had suddenly appeared. They were NPCs who couldn't see us.
My eyes met with a stooped old woman. The old woman ignored us as if she couldn't see us and walked off somewhere.
'...'
The atmosphere is different from Floor 10. Back then, I could immediately tell things weren't right. But this time, there are no warning signs. The peaceful daily life of the city unfolded before us.
And above the scenery, the mission window appeared.
[Floor 15.]
[Mission Type - Escort]
[Objective - Protect the designated individual.]
The four members' focus shifted to one place: they were looking at the objective window.
There were no warning messages, nor messages displaying enemy status and numbers. Only the objective window was displayed. I glanced around at the citizens passing by on the street and then spoke.
"Gather."
The four came closer.
I continued. "The mission, as you can see, is Escort. I already mentioned we don't have time. We need to find the designated individual. Presumably, they're about to die."
"Who are we supposed to protect? I don't see any monsters, just lots of people," Jaina asked.
Who needs protecting? And where are they? This was the core of this mission.
"Does anyone know anything about this place?"
"I do, Hyungnim. I've come here before to sell goods," Aaron answered.
"Really?"
"Yes. This place is called Adilt. It's a city where trade flourishes, with roads stretching in all directions. Though I don't know why we've come to such a place..." Aaron's voice trailed off.
'As expected, the mission stage is set in Taonier.'
I closed my eyes briefly, then continued. "Any characteristic places in this city?"
"Characteristic places, you ask?" Aaron repeated.
"Landmarks or historical sites. Anything. If there are any, tell me."
"There's a grand temple dedicated to the Goddess in the central plaza of the city. It's famous as one of the Order's holy sites. It's called the Hall of Silver. Excluding the Holy Capital, it's one of the top three temples on the continent."
"Ah, the Hall of Silver! I've heard of it. Supposedly it's huge," Jaina added.
"Then are these people heading to that temple?" I asked, indicating the crowds.
Most of the residents on the street were moving in one direction. Aaron watched them carefully, then nodded.
"It seems so. Looks like some kind of event is happening."
'An event location?'
"Moving out. Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Iolka asked.
"To the city center."
If we had time, I'd gather more information, but now was the time to move. I started walking. The party members followed.
I turned my gaze to Edith walking beside me.
"Edith. We're heading straight to the temple. Requesting support."
"Got it."
Edith ducked into an alley beside the main road and started climbing the wall onto the rooftops. Edith, the nimblest among us and capable of using both daggers and bow, was suited for such a role. She would follow nearby, gathering information and providing support.
"There are so many people," Jaina observed, looking at the passersby. She was right. The closer we got to the city center, the more crowded it became. Furthermore, anticipation could be seen on their faces. I quickened my pace.
After walking for about 3 minutes? The shape of a massive building emerged beyond the street. After walking a bit further, the street scenery changed completely.
A vast plaza opened up, flooded with a diverse crowd of all ages and genders. The entire city's population seemed to be gathering here.
Two soldiers were standing guard at the plaza entrance, checking people. The ornate armor worn by the soldiers gleamed silver. Their helmets bore an embossed winged cross emblem.
Aaron said curtly, "They are temple guards."
The soldiers' gaze, which had been on the passersby, turned towards us. As I approached, they placed their hands on the hilts of their swords at their waists.
"Halt. You cannot enter..." one soldier began.
I grabbed the soldier's head, pulled him down, and smashed his nose bridge with my knee. With the sound of bone crunching, blood spurted. The soldier collapsed without even screaming.
"You bas...!" the second soldier started. The one next to him tried to blow a whistle hanging from his necklace. I struck the soldier's side face with my shield, then grabbed his head and slammed it against the wall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three times. When I let go, the soldier slid down the wall.
"H-Hyungnim? Why suddenly..." Aaron asked, shocked.
"Don't you get it?" I nudged the soldier's side with the tip of my boot.
"These bastards can see us."
"Which means."
"They're enemies."