Three days blurred into four. The ambient gloom of the fourth floor became their entire world. They carved their way through packs of the multi-jointed wolf beasts. The violent encounters grew progressively smoother with every passing hour. Ran favored his healing leg but never allowed the injury to slow their momentum. Novick dispatched threats with brutal and silent efficiency. Kai relied entirely on instinct. His dagger moved to sever tendons and pierce skulls before his conscious mind even registered the threats.

  They discovered several weathered chests tucked within ruined archways. Ran claimed a perfectly balanced short blade from the spoils. Novick strapped on a set of reinforced leather armor that deflected glancing blows. Kai inspected a heavier hunting knife but ultimately returned it to the dust. His current weapon felt like a natural extension of his arm.

  They communicated through sharp nods and quick hand signals during combat. Words became entirely unnecessary. They rested in rotating shifts on the cold stone. One evening Ran opened his mouth to deliver a familiar quip. He paused and slowly closed it again. He simply shook his head and muttered never mind. Kai understood the shift immediately. The desperate need to force a bond had vanished. They simply existed as a cohesive unit.

  The blue text of the System occasionally flashed in the periphery of Kai's vision.

  [Dagger Proficiency Level 6]

  Damage increased by 22 percent.

  [Party Combat Level 5]

  Coordination bonus increased.

  The stairs to the fifth floor introduced a biting chill. The shadows deepened significantly. Three towering creatures blocked the narrow entrance choke point. The party eliminated them in a matter of seconds.

  The new environment twisted into a labyrinth of claustrophobic corridors and dead ends. They learned to hug the walls and listen for the faintest scrape of claws. A wrong turn trapped them in a sealed chamber. Ten pairs of glowing green eyes ignited in the darkness. The beasts swarmed them instantly.

  Ran suffered a glancing slash across his shoulder. The rusted metal of Novick's sword snapped against thick bone. The veteran did not hesitate. He drove his armored fists into the nearest creature and crushed its windpipe. Kai flowed through the chaotic melee like rushing water. His blade flashed in the dim light. Six monsters fell before the pack could properly react.

  They survived the ambush by the narrowest of margins. Novick pried a pristine broadsword from the grip of an ancient skeletal corpse near the back wall. The grip aligned perfectly with his calloused hands. Ran remarked that the weapon looked practically forged for him. Novick offered a noncommittal grunt.

  [Dagger Proficiency Level 7]

  Damage increased by 24 percent.

  [Situational Awareness Level 3]

  You notice tactical details faster in combat.

  They pushed forward until a wide stone staircase finally appeared. Ran let out a heavy breath and declared they had reached a safe zone. Kai pointed out that the safety depended entirely on whether Ran's old man was telling the truth. Ran corrected him sharply. He clarified the man was just another desperate climber heading downward. They ascended the steps together.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Kai pushed the heavy door open. Actual warm light spilled over the threshold. The harsh luminescent glare of glim moss was replaced by the flickering glow of genuine torches and oil lanterns. A sprawling village filled the massive cavern below. Wooden buildings lined packed dirt streets. People walked openly without gripping weapons.

  Ran stared down in absolute shock and muttered a quiet curse. Novick remained silent but the rigid tension visibly drained from his shoulders. Kai scanned the impossible settlement. A blacksmith struck an anvil near a bustling inn. Small figures chased each other through an alleyway. Kai froze. He pointed out the running children to his companions. Ran whispered that they were looking at actual kids. Kai realized that some climbers simply stopped ascending. They built lives and settled in the safety of the lower floors.

  The trio descended the winding path into the town square. Heads turned to track their progress. A woman near a storefront shouted that fresh climbers had arrived. She yelled for someone named Thorne. A local resident guided them toward the large inn. The interior radiated heat and smelled overwhelmingly of roasted meat.

  An older man stood behind the polished wooden counter. His eyes were sharp and missed absolutely nothing. He introduced himself as Elder Thorne and welcomed the new blood. He gestured toward three empty stools and announced that the first meal was entirely free for anyone who survived the climb. They sat down heavily. Servers placed wooden bowls filled with real vegetables and thick cuts of meat in front of them. Ran groaned in pure appreciation after the first bite.

  Thorne leaned against the bar and watched them eat. He asked if they had been climbing together since the first floor. Kai answered that they mostly had. Thorne nodded in approval. He stated that staying together was the only way to last in the Spire. He poured them a warm spiced drink and advised them to rest thoroughly. He warned that the difficulty scaled dramatically the higher they went. Ran spoke around a mouthful of bread and dryly noted they already figured that out. A faint smile touched Thorne's weathered face. He called the boy a smart one.

  Kai stepped out of the bustling inn after finishing his meal. Ran and Novick opted to stay inside and appreciate the promise of actual beds. The village square was quiet under the evening torchlight. Kai wandered aimlessly until a prominent stone statue caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks.

  The life-sized carving depicted a woman wearing modern clothing. A detailed jacket and denim jeans were rendered perfectly in the gray rock. She held a flat rectangular object that closely resembled a digital tablet. The craftsmanship was breathtakingly precise. Kai stared up at her face. A profound and inexplicable sensation gripped his chest. He felt a desperate tug of recognition. He could not place her features but the familiarity was undeniable.

  A raspy voice broke his concentration. The old man who originally pointed them to the inn stepped out of the shadows. He leaned heavily on a wooden cane. He noted that everyone stopped to stare at her during their first visit. Kai asked for her identity. The old man spat into the dirt and explained that nobody knew her name. She stood in this exact spot long before the village was ever founded. He added that scholars and religious types simply called her The First.

  Kai asked what she was the first to accomplish. The elder shrugged his frail shoulders. He listed the possibilities of her being the first to climb or the first to die. He let out a dry and humorless laugh. He decided she was simply the first to make new arrivals stare in complete confusion. Kai looked back at the serene and sorrowful expression captured in the stone. The old man asked if Kai felt the strange pull of recognition. Kai refused to answer. The elder stated that every single person felt the exact same way. He called it a cruel trick of the Spire and limped away into the darkness.

  Kai remained rooted to the spot for several long minutes. Ran eventually called out from the doorway of the inn. He happily announced that Thorne provided a room with actual mattresses. Ran walked over and looked up at the carving. He casually noted her weird clothing. Kai agreed quietly and turned away. They walked back to the warm tavern. Kai forced himself to keep his eyes forward. The woman's carved face remained burned into his mind.

  The three of them lay in total darkness inside their rented room. The heavy wooden shutters blocked out all the village torchlight. Ran stretched his legs and whispered that he completely forgot what a soft surface felt like. Novick commanded him to go to sleep. Ran argued that he was entirely too comfortable to lose consciousness. Kai stared up at the unseen ceiling. His thoughts kept drifting back to the mysterious statue.

  Ran softly asked if Kai thought more settlements existed higher up in the Spire. Kai answered honestly that he had no idea. Ran sighed and hoped there were more safe havens. He admitted it would make the brutal climb feel slightly more worthwhile.

  The room fell quiet. The steady and rhythmic breathing of Novick confirmed the veteran had already fallen asleep. Ran whispered Kai's name into the dark. Kai asked what the boy wanted. Ran hesitated for a moment. He offered a quiet and completely sincere thank you for not abandoning him back in the caves. Kai let the gratitude hang in the air without offering a deflection or a response.

  Several minutes passed before Ran finally drifted off to sleep. Kai lay awake listening to the muffled sounds of the village. The sad and familiar face of the stone woman floated behind his closed eyelids. He did not understand why her image mattered so much. He eventually let the exhaustion take him.