The Tower of Tarlos.

According to legend, the tower was built to seal the undefeatable Ancient Dragon Tarlos.

The immense power of this great dragon transformed the tower's interior into a complex labyrinth.

It's a legendary tower where monsters imbued with the dragon's magic are made continuously.

Another story within that legend states that if someone ascends the tower and defeats the Ancient Dragon Tarlos, they will gain the power to change the past of this world as they desire.

This legend transformed the tower into a place of dreams, where countless adventurers challenge it to fulfill their own aspirations.

Even now, many adventurers continue to strive to reach the top of the tower, leading to the formation of a city around it due to the gathering of these adventurers.

This is the city of Tarlos.

“Huff, huff, hey, Klein. How's your condition?”

“No problem. Just a scratch on my arm.”

“Let me take a look.

…I think I can heal this with my magic.”

“Ha ha, sorry for the trouble as always, Triana.”

Currently, these three, a swordsman named Pedro, a spearman named Klein, and a priestess named Triana.

Are another party of adventurers who have teamed up to pursue their dreams on the first floor of the tower.

“By the way, isn’t the number of monsters unusually low today?”

“For saying that, you sure look tired, Pedro.”

“No, seriously, I'm not joking around.”

Pedro has been an adventurer for a little longer than the other two.

It's been quite a while since Pedro first challenged the tower, captivated by the legend of Tarlos. Based on his experience, the number of monsters attacking today was noticeably lower.

While Pedro was pondering the cause of this peculiarity, Triana, who was inspecting their gear, called out to the others while looking down.

"Uh, guys, there's another party down there... and it seems like there are far too many monsters around them, don’t you think?"

Currently, the first floor of the tower, where they stood, was an area filled with towering ancient ruins.

Pedro’s party was positioned on the rooftop of one of these ruins, embedded in the cliffside.

Below them was the lowest part of this ruins area, a zone adventurers generally avoid since it's prone to monster attacks.

Thus, Pedro’s party opted to stick to the higher ground, defeating any monsters that appeared along their path.

However, the other party that Triana pointed out was in the lower area, swarmed by an unprecedented number of monsters.

"I’ve never seen such a number before..."

"W-What rank are those adventurers, anyway?"

The astonished party members, including the less experienced Klein and Triana, couldn’t close their gaping mouths. Even Pedro, who was familiar with the Tower of Tarlos, was taken aback by the sight.

A countless horde of monsters was rushing towards the party below, who seemed to deal with them effortlessly.

The number of monster encounters in the Tower of Tarlos varies depending on the party's overall strength.

Adventurers of higher rank attract more monsters even on the lower floors.

Judging by the sheer number of monsters attacking that party, it was evident that they were far from average adventurers.

“…Such incredible spear skills.”

Klein, a spearman, couldn't hide his astonishment as he watched the red-haired woman slaughtering monsters at the front of the party.

A luxurious spear that shone with a golden light. She wielded it as if it were an extension of her own body, sweeping through the monsters rushing in from the front, ensuring none of them reached her comrades behind her.

“Hey, Klein. Have you ever seen a spear like that? How is she doing that?”

“…I-I don’t know. But I’m sure you can’t find such a weapon in any ordinary armoury.”

Above all, the most unusual thing was the spear she held.

It extended and retracted like a whip, striking the heads of goblins outside its usual range.

They had never heard of a spear that could change its form like that.

“Not just her, even the black-haired man next to her and the blond guy using fire are something else.”

“Good heavens, that ice magic isn’t even using incantations. She’s just releasing magic power and casting spells.”

“An Innate Skill? That’s astounding. Every once in a while, you hear about people with such god-like talents.”

Pedro, who was resting and looking down, clicked his tongue.

There was a reason why there were fewer monsters today.

With a party like that on the same floor, all the monsters could only converge there.

"Still, the ones at the rear don't seem particularly noteworthy. Is it because the frontliners leave such a strong impression?”

“Even so, that blonde girl is quite adept at using healing magic.”

“Isn’t she around your age, Triana?.”

“Hmm, really? She doesn’t seem like a priestess though.”

“Ha ha, look at the back. That guy must be their porter.”

Klein pointed at the overweight blond man lagging behind the advancing party.

“Seems like he’s doing nothing and just trailing at the back. Must be nice to be part of such a high-ranking party.”

As he chuckled and mocked the scene, Klein couldn't help but scoff.

In the world of adventurers, where only the strong are acknowledged, the weak are often ignored.

However, Pedro sighed at Klein's attitude.

“Are your eyes just for show, Klein?”

“Huh? What do you mean? That guy's just a porter, isn't he?”

“Look closely.”

Though irritated, Klein begrudgingly gave the young man at the back a closer look, as instructed by his leader.

And then.

“What…

What was that?”

“Did you see it?”

Klein initially thought the overweight young man was just waddling behind the party.

But he was wrong.

The young man was actually dealing with the monsters ambushing from behind all by himself.

Protecting the girl who was using healing magic.

And above all, what really caught Klein’s attention was the boy’s hand.

“Where does he get all those weapons from?"

"I'm wondering the same thing. His hands were clearly empty before."

"And just how many of those high-quality knives does he carry? If they're magic-imbued weapons, they must cost a fortune..."

The boy was sharply detecting the monsters approaching from the rear and throwing his knives with precision.

The knives he threw clearly had a magical aura.

Judging by the way the monsters reacted, they were definitely magic-imbued weapons.

And he was using them without hesitation.

"Honestly, he's really hard to figure out."

"Anyway, it just goes to show that appearances can be deceiving. If we tangled with someone like him, even by accident, it wouldn't end well."

Klein couldn't find anything to say in response to Pedro's advice.

He just sighed and watched the party as they swept through the monsters.

"Phew! It's finally over."

Emily wiped the sweat off her face and plopped down on the floor.

After finishing the battle on the first floor of the Tower of Tarlos, we settled into a safe zone to rest.

Fighting in the dungeon is quite different from fighting in the wild.

Especially in the Tower of Tarlos, where the balance is adjusted so that more monsters attack the higher your level is.

Since it was our first time fighting such large numbers of monsters, our party was challenging the first floor to get used to it.

"By the way, Ken! You were amazing! It's your first time in a party battle, but you seem like a seasoned adventurer!"

Emily, who was checking her equipment during the break, said this with sparkling eyes.

Adrian, who seemed intrigued, added with a smile.

"I was surprised too. Your instructions during the battle, the positioning of our team, and the reconnaissance of traps... They aren't things you learn at the Academy, are they?"

Feeling uncomfortable under his suspicious gaze, I awkwardly smiled and looked away.

How could I explain that I had challenged the Tower of Tarlos countless times in a game?

In a game where party play is fundamental, learning about team positioning and giving instructions comes naturally.

But to those who don't know this, it must seem unusual.

As I was pondering how to explain, Siegfried, who was polishing his sword nearby, spoke up on my behalf.

"Ken often shows impressive skills. There's still more to his abilities that you haven't seen yet, Adrian."

He smiled faintly as he said this.

He looked proud, as though he was pleased with the praise his student received.

"Oh, is there still something I haven't seen?"

"Haha, well, sort of."

I scratched my head and mumbled. Siegfried was probably referring to Calorie Burn, but there was no need to bring that up.

I didn't want to drag the conversation about me any longer.

"But you were all really amazing. Especially Adrian and Mary, your long-range support was incredible!"

To shift the topic, I decided to praise the rest of the party.

And the truth is, they truly were remarkable. In moments like this, changing the focus of compliments is the best strategy.

And indeed, Mary perked up at my praise and swiftly moved closer to me.

Despite her expressionless face, her cheeks were flushed.

"I did well? Please praise me more, Ken."

"Ah, yes, yes, Mary, you were amazing. Especially with your wide-area magic that prevented monsters from getting close to us, it made things much easier."

"...Hehehe."

Mary finally smiled softly after hearing the additional compliment.

"Aah! I did well too! I took down so many enemies at the front!"

"Me too! I used so much healing magic, can't you see how exhausted I am?"

Then the other two glared at me and approached.

...Yikes.

"Haha, um, yes, you both did great. Raphne, you did really well, and Emily, you were a huge help too."

"Sheesh, it feels like it's not enough because it's after Mary."

"Ken, are you just doing this half-heartedly? Be more sincere."

Mary shrugged proudly at their reactions while the two continued to glare at me.

What else can I possibly do?

In the end, even with continued praise, the two of them weren't satisfied.

After taking a brief rest, we checked our individual equipment and I then informed everyone about the upcoming plan.

“First, we'll familiarize ourselves with combat on the first floor today and then return.”

Today will be dedicated to training.

We must get used to coordinating as a party in battles with a large number of monsters.

No matter how strong an individual is, it's hard to withstand endlessly swarming monsters alone.

Moreover, in the strategy to beat this tower, mastering the response to an endless flood of monsters is essential.

So today we'll solely focus on practice by staying on the first floor.

The rest of the group understood this as well.

And most importantly, clearing the first floor serves as good practice for my skill grinding.

Lately, I've been throwing knives made through rapid crafting often, and I've managed to gain a throwing skill.

Given the amount of monster combat today, I can definitely aim for Level 2 in throwing skills.

“And tomorrow, we'll head straight to the third floor. So, after we return today, we need to restock supplies thoroughly.”

“Are we only going to the third floor?” Mary asked, tilting her head at my added comment.

“I’ll explain the details once we reach the third floor.

...Before that.”

I paused to choose my words carefully.

What I was about to say was important for everyone here to know.

Everyone here has come to help me.

Except for Raphne and Adrian, they didn't even know why I'm challenging the tower.

During our journey, I was careful for fear that someone might overhear, but now that we’ve reached the first floor of the tower, it’s time to tell them.

"From now on, I'm going to talk about why I came to this tower."

As I began to speak in a slightly serious tone, everyone focused and listened to me attentively.

Seeing the group's reaction, I slowly opened my mouth to speak.

"First, what I need to explain is... about Raphne."

So, I continued to explain.

That Raphne is the Child of Prophecy.

And what would happen if she fell into the hands of the Demon King.

That I am challenging this tower to nullify that prophecy, and ultimately, about the Ancient Dragon Tarlos that we must defeat.

I shared everything that the group needed to know.

"R-Raphne was also the Child of Prophecy?"

Emily was the most surprised.

After all, she is another Child of Prophecy and, during the previous Demon King's Army attack, she was the most curious about the Child of Prophecy they were looking for.

For now, I have finished explaining the necessary background information.

Why I am challenging the tower and ultimately clearing it.

So, now the most important question remains.

"...Now that you know how dangerous the upcoming battles might be, I have to ask."

I looked around the group.

Everyone met my eyes with determined expressions.

"If anyone wants to back out, now is the time. Things can get really dangerous. I'm extremely grateful for you all coming this far with me. No one will criticize you if you decide to leave."

If things go wrong, you could lose your life.

It would be absurd to challenge such a battle without knowing anything.

And even though they are helping me, risking their lives is not an easy thing to do.

That's why I explained everything and gave them the choice.

Even if most of them decided to leave at this point, it couldn't be helped.

If something terrible were to happen without proper explanation, I would regret it even more.

So, even with fewer people, I would try my best and face the challenge.

With that resolve, I gave those who didn't know the full story a choice.

I gave them a chance to escape.

And then, "What are you talking about! If it's that dangerous, of course, we can't just let Ken go alone!"

"Even if you were going to face the Demon King, I would follow you. Please let me stay by your side."

"I have sworn by my sword. If you challenge the Ancient Dragon, I will become your sword."

As I expected, they all expressed their determination in their own ways to stay with me.

Emily, Mary, and Siegfried.

All three showed strong resolve as they looked at me.

"...Thank you."

Though I felt bad for dragging them into this dangerous place, what I felt most was joy.

Their willingness to take such risks for me and for Raphne.

"Then, shall we finish and head back to our lodgings?"

With that we prepared to move and soon found more monsters to practise with.

"Sigh, battles are exhausting."

"There are also so many monsters..."

As I finished my preparations, Emily patted me on the shoulder and said that.

Mary, who was sitting nearby, reached out her hand and smiled.

"It's okay if you want to sit this one out. I'll protect Ken."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Emily laughed as she took Mary's hand and stood up.

Afterward, we continued our training sessions, battling numerous monsters and becoming more adept at fighting large groups.

After finishing our battle in the tower, we exited and returned to the inn we'd booked in advance.

Facing so many monsters in the tower had exhausted everyone.

After a simple meal, we each went to our rooms and quickly fell asleep.

However, I couldn't sleep yet.

While lying in bed and organizing my thoughts, I sat up.

I spoke to the two people who were likely still awake, just like me.

"You two, are you still awake?"

My voice echoed in the quiet room.

Then, I heard rustling sounds as the others sat up in their beds.

"...What's going on?"

With his usual indifferent expression, but sensing the unusual atmosphere, Siegfried asked.

I locked eyes with the two who were looking at me. I deliberated for a moment.

Then, I spoke up.

"I have a favour to ask of you two."

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