We kept moving for quite a while, pushing deeper and deeper into the forest. By now, only the crunch of leaves beneath our feet remained, along with that strange tingling in the air—something I couldn't quite explain, but which I felt more clearly with every step.
That was when Perla spoke.
"The mana in this area feels… different," she said, frowning slightly. "More chaotic. From the left… like it's being swallowed by a vortex."
Sam didn't hesitate for long.
"Then that's where we're going."
We changed direction, and as we advanced, the sensation intensified. It was like walking against an invisible current—a constant pressure that didn't tire the body, but weighed heavily on the mind.
And then we saw it.
A door.
Large. Far too large to be standing in the middle of a forest. It was decorated with elegant engravings, like the entrance to an ancient palace. But something about it felt wrong.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
The door…
It looked transparent.
It wasn't glass. Nor was it a simple illusion. It was as if it were there… and not there at the same time. The forest behind it could be seen through it, yet its contours, reliefs, and undeniable sense of presence were unmistakable.
I stared at it, my mouth slightly open.
"What… is that?" I murmured without realizing it.
Perla looked at me, and when she noticed my expression, she let out a small, amused laugh.
"You look stupid," she said without malice. "Relax. It's normal the first time."
She stepped closer to the door and explained calmly.
"That's a metaphysical gate. It doesn't physically exist… but it does exist. It's created by the tower's mana."
I blinked.
"What do you mean… it exists and doesn't exist?"
"That's how the tower works," she continued. "This door can lead to different places within it. But it's not limitless."
She raised a finger, emphasizing an important rule.
"For example, a dungeon or treasure chamber on the first floor can't take you beyond a certain limit. Usually, at most, areas near the twentieth floor. The same applies to those between floors twenty and fifty, and so on."
She paused and smiled a little awkwardly.
"Though I'd be lying if I said I knew that with absolute certainty," she admitted. "I've never gone past floor twenty."
I looked back at the door.
It didn't seem threatening.
But it also didn't feel like something that could be taken lightly.
I swallowed.
If I crossed that threshold, there would be no turning back.
Sam and Perla approached the door almost at the same time.
I stayed a little behind, watching them in silence. Both were completely focused. Sam traced the engravings with his eyes, as if he could read them at a glance, while Perla closed her eyes for a moment, sensing the flow of mana around her.
Several seconds passed.
Then Perla opened her eyes and frowned slightly.
"Wait a moment…"
She reached to her side and pulled out a thick book bound in dark leather. From its appearance and the faint glow running across the letters engraved on the cover, I assumed it was some kind of grimoire.
Perla opened it and began flipping through the pages rapidly. The sound of paper was the only thing breaking the forest's silence. Minutes later, she stopped at a specific section and began reading carefully, murmuring to herself.
Time felt endless.
Finally, Perla looked up and stared directly at Sam. She didn't say anything at first, but her expression said it all.
Sam's eyes lit up.
Even Perla—who usually kept her composure—looked visibly excited.
That's when I knew.
They had hit the jackpot.
Sam turned toward me and suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahahaha!" he laughed heartily. "Without a doubt, Eryon is a lucky charm!"
I froze.
"We've done plenty of missions and expeditions," he continued, still laughing, "but on the very first one with him… we find a treasure room!"
His laughter was so exaggerated it reminded me of a gambler who had lost everything, bet his last coin on number eight—and suddenly won it all back in one go.
Sam finally calmed down and looked at the rest of the group, though the grin was still plastered across his face.
"I assume there are no objections to going in," he said, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Vicky smiled enthusiastically.
Erick nodded, gripping his rosary.
Perla closed her grimoire carefully, clearly satisfied.
I swallowed… and nodded as well.
We had come too far to turn back now.
Perla moved first.
She extended her hand and lightly touched the door.
The instant her fingers made contact, what had previously existed and not existed at the same time became solid. The surface rippled like water before settling—fixed, heavy, real.
"Done," Perla said calmly.
Sam nodded and pushed.
The door opened without resistance.
The moment we crossed the threshold, the world changed.
White lights ignited one after another, as if some invisible mechanism had been activated. No one knew where they came from—they were simply there, illuminating everything. Before us stretched an incredibly long corridor, wide and elegant, with tall columns and walls adorned with ancient reliefs.
It looked more like the interior of a royal palace than something hidden inside the tower.
The group advanced cautiously. The echo of our footsteps resounded through the absolute silence of the place. We walked for a long time—long enough that I began to wonder just how deep it went—until we finally stopped before another door.
This time, there was no doubt.
It was enormous.
Heavy.
And far more luxurious than the previous one.
It was covered in golden engravings, gem inlays, and symbols that seemed to breathe mana. Everything about it screamed one thing:
A treasure awaits here.
Sam and Perla didn't keep the others waiting.
Both pushed the massive door at the same time.
When it opened, a blinding light exploded from within.
"…!"
I reacted on pure reflex and raised my forearm to shield my eyes. The brightness was so intense it felt like it was burning my vision. Several seconds passed before I dared to part my fingers.
When I finally saw—
I was left speechless.
The space before us was enormous, a treasure hall straight out of legend. Mountains of gold coins spread across the floor, reflecting the light in thousands of dazzling flashes. There were gems of every imaginable color, fine decorations, statues, goblets, ornamental weapons, and chests overflowing with unknown items.
And at the far end…
A massive mountain of crystals.
A chill ran down my spine.
I vaguely remembered them from the pamphlet.
Crystals used as energy sources, special currency, and high-value materials within the tower.
I swallowed.
This wasn't just a stroke of luck.
It was a treasure capable of changing entire lives.
For several seconds, no one moved.
The entire group stood completely stunned, as if their minds refused to accept what their eyes were seeing. The gleam of gold, gems, and chests felt unreal—almost offensive in its excess.
The first to regain his senses—or rather, to lose them completely—was Sam.
"WOOOOOO!!" he shouted in pure excitement.
Without thinking twice, he ran toward one of the piles of gold and plunged both hands into the coins, scooping up a massive handful and letting them fall again and again, laughing like a child.
That was the signal.
Vicky burst out laughing and followed suit.
Perla let out a restrained chuckle, but soon approached as well.
Erick murmured a quick prayer… and then joined them.
I hesitated for just a second.
Then the excitement caught up to me.
I walked over to a pile of coins and let them slip through my fingers. The metallic sound, the real weight of the gold… it all confirmed that I wasn't dreaming.
For quite some time, the hall was filled with laughter, exclamations, and the constant clinking of metal.
After a long while, when exhaustion and reality began to settle in, Sam was the first to calm down. He took several deep breaths and raised a hand.
"Alright, alright!" he said. "Easy, easy."
He gathered the group near the entrance and pointed toward the back of the hall, where the enormous mountain of crystals stood.
"As much as I'd love to take all of this," he continued, "we need to think clearly."
His eyes shone with a mix of excitement and clarity.
"Those are mana crystals. And not just any kind… they look like high-grade quality. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that pile alone is worth more than all the gold and gems in this hall combined."
The group held its breath.
Sam grinned, euphoric.
"So let's fill our bags to the limit. If we do this right… we won't have to worry about money in this life—or the next."
There wasn't a single objection.
Everyone moved toward the back of the hall and began stuffing as many crystals as they could. They emptied whatever they needed to:
I discarded the goblin parts I had stored without hesitation.
Erick set his rations aside.
Perla quickly reorganized her pockets.
And Vicky, after a moment of hesitation, dumped all her bolts onto the floor to make space.
The sound of crystals clashing filled the hall.
As I filled my backpack until it could barely close, I thought of my sister…
And for the first time in a long while, the future didn't seem so dark.
The exhaustion hit all at once.
Everyone was sitting or leaning against chests and columns, breathing heavily, but smiling wider than their faces should allow. Backpacks and bags overflowed with mana crystals; some could barely be closed, others were simply tied shut with improvised rope.
"Never…" Sam said between laughs and gasps, "have I carried something so heavy… and so beautiful at the same time."
Vicky dropped down to sit, her arms hanging loosely.
"If I die right here… at least I'll die rich."
Even Perla, usually so composed, had slightly disheveled hair and a look of genuine satisfaction. Erick remained standing, leaning on his rosary, murmuring something that sounded like gratitude.
I watched them in silence.
I had met them only a few hours ago.
And yet… it felt strange.
I couldn't explain it properly, but there was something warm about that moment. About that group. Different people, different lives, who without realizing it had ended up sharing something enormous.
For the first time, I thought that maybe having company wasn't so bad.
That perhaps having companions wasn't a weakness.
That maybe… they could even become friends.
My mind drifted further, toward a future that had always seemed unreachable:
My sister healed, walking freely, living a life without debt, without injustice, without pain.
For the first time, that future didn't seem like a foolish fantasy.
"Alright," Sam finally said, standing up with effort. "Time to leave before the tower decides to charge us interest."
One by one, everyone stood up, adjusted their backpack straps, and headed toward the exit of the treasure hall. Each step was heavy, but no one complained.
They moved through the grand hall, the echo of their footsteps mingling with the soft clinking of crystals.
And then…
Something changed.
A chill ran down my spine, as if the air had suddenly grown denser. The hall's lights flickered for just an instant.
"…Did you feel that?" I murmured.
There was no sound and no warning.
It was like a cruel joke—one that arrived far too late to laugh at.
The light in the hall dimmed, not all at once, but as if someone were slowly turning it down. My brain took a second to react…
"There's something with us—!" Vicky shouted.
She was beside me. Literally right beside me.
I didn't have time to turn my head.
A disgusting, wet sound—like a balloon filled with flesh bursting—echoed through the air.
And Vicky…
Was gone.
Where her body had been, only remnants remained. Warm blood splattered across my face, fragments of flesh and bone hitting the ground with dull sounds.
My mouth opened.
But no sound came out.
Then I saw something flying through the air.
A body.
Or what was left of it.
It was Erick.
His torso was horribly mangled, spinning unnaturally before slamming into the ground. In that instant, I felt the air leave my lungs.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.
My body froze.
I heard screams.
Sam's voice.
Perla's.
"Run!"
"What the hell—?!"
I don't know exactly what they said. My mind was in shock. The words didn't make sense.
Then—
BOOM.
A deafening explosion.
I felt the impact before I understood it. My body was thrown slightly through the air, as if something invisible had struck me. I hit the ground rolling, the world spinning out of control.
I struggled to get up, shaking violently.
And I saw it.
A pair of legs on the floor.
Nothing else.
Stockings.
Shoes.
The upper half of the body was gone.
My mind took a second…
Then the thought struck like a knife.
Perla.
That was when I simply… stopped thinking.
In the distance, blurred, I saw Sam.
He was running toward me, desperate, shouting something I couldn't hear. His mouth moved, his face twisted in terror.
But everything sounded far away.
As if I wasn't fully there anymore.
As if the world had broken…
And I had been trapped among the fragments.
Sam running toward me.
For an instant, I saw him clearly—his distorted face, his mouth open, shouting something I would never hear. Then… he looked to the side.
His expression changed.
Pure horror.
I followed his gaze for just a fraction of a second…
And I saw claws.
They were enormous, twisted, impossible. They didn't resemble anything I had ever seen before—not even in illustrations. They moved with absurd speed.
Sam didn't have time to react.
The claws tore him apart.
It wasn't a clean blow. It was as if something pierced him and ripped him apart at the same time. His body split into several pieces midair, the image burning itself into my eyes like a curse.
My mind went blank.
I tried to move.
I tried to run.
But my body didn't respond.
By some cruel joke of fate—or maybe fear—I tripped over my own feet and fell to the ground pathetically.
In that instant, I heard a horrible tearing sound, like it had been ripped from the very fabric of the world.
I didn't feel pain at first.
I only felt myself being launched.
My body flew uncontrollably and slammed violently into one of the hall's walls. The impact knocked the air out of me, and I collapsed onto a pile of gold coins that clinked beneath my weight.
Everything spun.
The ceiling.
The lights.
The gold.
As I lay there, stunned, a cold certainty pushed through the chaos.
I'm going to die.
Strangely, I didn't feel panic.
Only a heavy, exhausting resignation.
Then…
A face appeared in my mind.
My little sister.
Her fragile body in a hospital bed.
Her weak breathing.
Her small hand gripping mine.
Without me…
She would die alone.
Something inside me refused to accept that.
I gathered what little strength I had left and tried to stand. My arms trembled, my back screamed in pain… but my legs…
Didn't respond.
Nothing.
As if they didn't exist.
My heart lurched.
Several eternal seconds passed before I could move my neck. I swallowed, fear finally catching up to me, and slowly lowered my gaze.
I looked to where my legs should have been.
There were no legs.
There was nothing.
From the waist down…
I didn't exist.
For a moment, my mind simply refused to accept it. As if the world was wrong, and blinking would be enough to put everything back where it belonged. But the pain, the cold, and the sticky sensation beneath my body were far too real.
The shock hit me late.
The fear came afterward—crushing.
And even so…
I didn't want to die like this.
I didn't want to vanish like the others—torn apart, meaningless, unjust.
So I did something pathetic.
Something disgusting.
I started crawling.
I dug my fingers into the coins and dragged my body forward. Every movement left a warm trail behind me. I knew I looked horrific. I knew it was pointless.
But I kept going.
Centimeter by centimeter, toward the exit of the hall.
I didn't scream.
I didn't ask for help.
At some point, tears began to fall without my control. They slid down my face and mixed with the blood.
But I wasn't crying from fear.
I was crying from hatred.
Hatred toward my own weakness.
Hatred toward the injustice of this world.
Hatred toward this damned tower that had devoured—without reason—the first people who had walked beside me as comrades.
Vicky.
Erick.
Perla.
Sam.
Undeserved deaths. Ridiculous. Cruel.
As I crawled, the air changed.
I felt something.
Something big.
Something approaching from behind.
I didn't need to see it. I could feel its presence crushing me, like a shadow covering everything. Every instinct screamed danger, even though I no longer had the strength to react.
My vision began to blur.
Strength drained from me with every passing second.
So… this is it, I thought.
But then…
Her face appeared again.
My sister.
Alone.
Waiting for me.
Trusting that I would come back.
"No…" I murmured with the last of my voice. "Not… yet…"
In one final, desperate attempt, I activated my skill.
The status window appeared in front of me, shaking, distorted.
My eyes could barely focus.
But I managed to read one final line, just before the shadow fell over me:
Skill: ??? activated
And then…
Everything turned white.