There they were.
Eight heroes that had survived the 25th floor.
Their clothes and weapons were soaked in black and crimson blood. Their armors were chipped, dented, and torn. Their expressions were pale with exhaustion and terror.
It was not long for a huge crowd to gather in the first floor square.
This was certainly a surprise to the entire lobby.
Never before scouts returned from the Quintal Trial.
But these heroes accomplished the tremendous feat.
"Forgive me, Your Excellency. I couldn't bring more people back with us."
Celeste told me with a regretting face.
I shook my head at her.
"You've already done wonders just by surviving your first Quintal Trial."
"Right at the end of the mission, we were made to--"
"Save your report. I have a much better way to learn what happened. Alam, would you come here?"
I interrupted Celeste while summoning the warden.
[Yes, Serafina? What is it?]
The fairy appeared while looking cheerful.
She must be happy about the scouts returning as well.
"Put in a recommendation to Master for these heroes to be transferred to the fourth floor."
I told her.
Alam suddenly put on a sly smirk.
[Oh, Master beat you to it. They've already been assigned with a residence on the fourth floor of the lobby!]
She proceeded to fly over to the scouts.
[Good work completing the boss stage! Master is very pleased and has decided to reward each of you heroes generously!]
With her announcement, I opened a portal to Party 1's mansion where Pavarin the Chief Servant was in the middle of instructing the maids and butlers.
"Prepare rooms for these heroes as well as everything they wanted. Treat them as if you're serving me."
I ordered the Chief Servant.
He immediately made a graceful bow.
"Right away, Your Excellency!"
I then turned to Celeste and the others.
"Go rest now. Each of you have certainly earned it."
Without hesitation, the exhausted heroes limped into the portal with relieved expressions.
All they wanted to do now was simply finding a soft bed to lie in.
There was no need to question them about the Quintal Trial.
Like I said to Celeste, there was a much better way to find out what these scouts just went through.
"Will you fetch me a Replay Stone, Alam? I would like Master to show me the 25th floor's record."
[Of course, right away!]
The fairy said before vanishing.
It was then that Jonah walked up to me from the Tactical Post.
"So they really cleared the fifth Quintal Trial?"
He said with amazed expression.
I nodded.
"They certainly did. It speaks a lot for their strength and determination."
"What do you think will happen now? Do we start preparing to climb to the 26th floor?"
He asked.
I shrugged my shoulders as a reply this time.
"It is all up to Master. But I plan to find out what happened on the 25th floor first."
[Here you go, Serafina!]
Alam returned while holding a Replay Stone.
After taking the blue rock from her, I made my way into the rift of space-time.
['Serafina (★★★★)' requests record viewing.]
[Floor - 25th floor]
[Do you want to use the Replay Stone on 'Serafina (★★★★)'?]
[Floor - 25th floor]
[Remaining Replay Stones - 679]
[Yes (Selected)/ No]
Once Master approved my request, the entire mirrored chamber darkened.
Peculiar lights poured out from the mirrors and projected to my surroundings a new environment.
['Serafina (★★★★)' begins viewing!]
My surroundings transformed into a projection of an abandoned stone fortress.
The entire structure was a perfect square.
A large hole gaped wide at each side of the wall where the gates used to stand. The gates themselves were nowhere to be seen.
Vines were all over the barely crumbling walls of the fortress, while the inside was scattered with rubbles.
There was a large circular tower standing at the center of the fortress which soared higher than the walls. That structure provided a view of what lied beyond the fortress.
An ocean of jungle spread from the walls toward the horizon.
I had frequented the 21st to the 24th floor enough to recognize the scenery as part of the deadly Phirdaus.
This must be one of the abandoned fortress built during the Flame's Campaign that the Keeper told about.
We were right in suspecting the mission to take place there.
Of course, since this was a record viewing, I was not physically inside the mission.
What I saw before me was just a projection of what went down during the scouting attempt done by the Third Advanced Scouts.
Shingg!!!
Five pools of bluish-white light manifested all over the fortress.
From within the pools of light, emerged Party 6 to 10.
The mission window appeared at each of the raider upon their arrivals.
[Floor 25]
[Mission Type – Survival]
[Objective – Survive the hordes of enemies!]
All the heroes studied the mission window with sharp calculating gaze.
[Survival, it all make sense now.]
Dharma, the Party 10 leader, said with an understanding nod.
[A mission where all the heroes must work together to hold a key position. This fortress has to be that place.]
Sigmund, the leader of Party 9, added.
Shing!!!
Colorful lights danced in the sky.
From there descended Sigyn's signals for the heroes.
[Possessing a map of the stage.]
[Deploying tactical instructions.]
Multiple glowing signs dropped around the fortress, each sign was marked with clear instructions for the heroes to execute.
They were all identical to what Sigyn used in our mock battles.
[Master's orders are here! Everyone, take your Heat Resistance Potion and get ready!]
Celeste announced to all the heroes with a strong voice.
She then turned to the Tsahanam mage-engineer.
[Aludra, open the dimensional portal!]
The large Tsahanam woman nodded and reached for a glowing crystal in her pouch.
She proceeded to smash the rock to the ground where Master had marked, which caused for a shining circular haze to form right above it.
['Aludra (★★★)' has activated the Portal Stone!]
With the dimensional portal created, Master immediately summoned many objects from the main War Storage into the trial.
[Summoning 'Basic Healing Elixir (A+)' x150!]
[Summoning 'Enhanced Mana Potion (A)' x30!]
[Summoning 'Iron Blockade' x32!]
[Summoning 'Serial Ballista' x6!]
[Summoning….]
Crates of potions, quivers of enchanted arrows, and other supplies flowed out of the portal.
Moreover, there were also huge blockades installed with long iron spikes as well as ballistas summoned.
Master ordered the crafters, builders, and engineers to make the heavy equipment after they first scouted the Quintal Trial.
These objects would certainly prove useful for this mission.
[Just as we practiced, everyone! Aludra, set the ballistas on the battlements and the tower! Meifa and Kiran, start digging the moat! The rest of you, set the blockades around the fortress just the way Master ordered!]
Celeste instructed the entire squad.
After hastily taking the Heat Resistance Potion, everyone rushed to work with rehearsed movements.
Aludra used telekinesis to move the heavy ballistas to the battlements atop the fortress walls and on the central tower.
Meifa and Kiran went outside the walls and started displacing a lot of dirt with telekinesis to create a large moat around the fortress.
The rest of the raiders worked together to push the iron blockades around the large holes which served as the fortress entrances.
Thanks to the many simulations back in the lobby, the raiders were able to finish performing the tasks in under a few minutes.
One ballista above each of the entrance. Two on the central tower.
Eight blockades on each side of the wall. Four outside the entrance, with two lined up parallel to each other. And another four just inside, with the same arrangement.
The blockades provided only a small corridor leading into the fortress. A perfect area for the defending side.
Outside the fortress, Kiran raised his silver magic staff to the air.
It was one of the magic artifacts we created for the mages in the lobby.
The Exploration Team had returned two weeks prior and brought back materials necessary for crafting magic artifacts among other things.
Kiran's artifact was a staff which could enhance his ice sub-elemental magic as well as its corresponding elements, which was water and wind.
He also had a magic pendant which served as an additional mana supply as well as helping to suppress mana overflow symptoms. Every mage was given one such artifact.
And as I also ordered for every elemental mage, the Kutub shaman had developed basic proficiency in a second elemental magic which was water.
He began casting a spell.
[Maha Varuna]
The sky blue crystal at the tip of his staff glowed.
Water began rushing through the magic circle Kiran created and started filling in the deep moat he and Meifa had made.
The water-filled moat should add another layer of defense to the fortress.
But the heroes did not stop with that.
Aludra raised her own magic staff and began casting enchantments to the fortress.
Her artifact was a long golden staff which could improve her enchantments.
She was also wearing chained magic rings which could enhance her alchemy sorcery, including golem summoning and control.
Using her artifacts, the mage-engineer casted traps all over the fortress.
A friction-reduction spell all over the outer walls to make the surface more slippery and counter climbers. Paralyzing runes right outside the entrances which could slow down or even freeze enemies. Integrity-enhancement on the blockades to prevent them from breaking down.
Once Aludra casted everything, a series of shrieks echoed from the east.
[Wave 1]
[Beastling Lv.25 x105]
[Blood Crow Lv.22 x115]
[Gatormole Lv.25 x90]
[Killer Spider Lv.22 x110]
[Poison Stinger Lv.22 x120]
[Time Remaining]
[60:00]