December 26, 2023. 4:55 p.m. — Silent Tundra, Floor 46

  The Silent Tundra stretched out like an endless sheet of dull white; a place where the world seemed to have stopped mid-breath. Snow covered the ground in a flawless layer, no clear tracks, no obvious unevenness, as if every mark had been patiently erased. No snow fell from the sky. The sun didn’t shine either. The light was diffuse, blue-gray, suspended in a perpetual twilight.

  The air was too clean, so dry that breathing felt strange, like something essential was missing. Each exhale became a brief cloud that vanished without leaving a trace.

  There were few landmarks. Soft hills rose far away, barely distinguishable from the horizon, and jagged ice formations pushed up like translucent teeth, worn down by an ancient cold. Sometimes long shadows crossed their view, cast by high clouds that never fully took shape. The map showed routes, but they all seemed to lead to the same destination: more white, more silence.

  Here and there, the ice was webbed with thin cracks; dark veins under the surface that warned of unstable ground. They weren’t obvious traps. They were invitations to get careless.

  Akari and Silver moved across the ice. Even with Silver’s high vitality, the cold bit at his face and every patch of skin the Queen’s Warden left exposed. Akari, meanwhile, wore a thick cloak that covered her head to toe.

  —Are you cold? —Akari asked.

  —I’m fine —he replied, trying to convince himself. —More importantly… remind me why we’re here?

  Akari glanced at him for a few seconds before answering.

  —We’re here to get your fighting instincts back.

  Silver looked at her, not understanding.

  —You told me you spent almost two months wandering the lower floors. You haven’t had a hard fight in a long time. And against red players, that’s deadly.

  —Then wouldn’t it be better to go to Floor 50?

  Akari smiled.

  —No.

  —No?

  —What you need isn’t stronger enemies, Silver —she said, those hypnotic eyes holding his—. You need enemies that give you trouble.

  —And the monsters here are supposed to do that? —he asked, skeptical.

  —You’ll see.

  They went a few more steps, nearing an ice formation. Silver turned his head… and Akari blurred for an instant.

  When he blinked, she was several meters behind him.

  —Blurred Step… —he murmured, startled, recognizing the movement skill Ryuho had mastered.

  Akari flashed him a bright smile and waved, tilting her head.

  —Good luck —she said, winking.

  Before Silver could react, the tundra’s silence was sliced apart by the hiss of arrows.

  He raised the Aegis on pure reflex, blocking the ones aimed at his head. The next volley came for his legs. Several thudded into armor, but two found exposed skin.

  —Nice trick —he said with a crooked smile. —But it won’t work again.

  When the next wave came, he was ready.

  He lifted the shield to cover high—then dropped it to protect his legs.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  But this time the arrows came high again.

  —Damn it!

  One arrow passed centimeters from his right eye. Another grazed his neck.

  He’d never seen monsters change their attack pattern.

  Then he saw them.

  Tall figures emerged between blocks of ice, wrapped in dark hide cloaks stiffened by cold. Their angular bodies looked built for efficient movement: long strides that barely sank into the snow. The exposed skin was dull, weathered by frost. Their faces were narrow and severe, showing no emotion. Pale eyes didn’t stare at a target; they measured distance, slope, wind direction.

  Nothing about them glittered. Their armor was matte and segmented, reinforced with blackened metal and polished bone worn smooth by use. Every piece sat exactly where it needed to: preserve heat, allow movement, absorb blows without getting in the way. Their weapons were long and plain, designed to keep an opponent at range. No decorative flourish; only old nicks that spoke of campaigns long past.

  They didn’t charge.

  They shifted.

  One took a small rise. Another drifted to the flank. A third vanished from sight like the snow had swallowed it. When they attacked, they did so from impossible angles, forcing him to retreat, forcing mistakes. They didn’t pursue with rage. They waited.

  The weather fought for them.

  Minutes passed, and for the first time since receiving the Queen’s Warden, Silver was breathing hard. The figures kept him boxed in, moving with him. He could never keep more than one in his view at a time. Sweat ran down his forehead despite the cold.

  His HP had dropped fifteen percent. He wasn’t in immediate danger, but the situation was clearly bad. Their damage output was lower than what he’d faced on higher floors; yet the way they fought made them far more dangerous.

  Every time he attacked the one in front, it weathered the blow while the other two punished him from behind.

  He couldn’t keep this up. Eventually fatigue would turn against him. Akari was right; staying away from the front line for so long had dulled him more than he wanted to admit.

  He made the logical call: ignore the other two, and delete the one in front as fast as possible.

  He charged a six-hit sword skill.

  The enemy blocked the first strike and used the impact to roll away, slipping under the rest of the combo. The animation continued through empty air, useless, while the other two hammered his back. On the final motion, something hit his leg with a sharp, blunt jolt.

  He stared down, stunned, and saw a shard of metal embedded in his flesh: a crude dagger-like spike. He yanked it free with a growl.

  The poison began to drain his HP slowly. His bar had dropped to half, and he hadn’t defeated a single one.

  A blur appeared between him and his opponent.

  —Raging Storm.

  The monster didn’t even have time to react. It disintegrated under the rapid storm of thrusts. The other two stepped back, reassessing the intruder instead of pressing the attack.

  Akari looked at Silver with a playful smile.

  —Relax. I didn’t bring you here to watch you die… even if you said you wouldn’t mind.

  Before he could answer, she used a healing crystal. The poison vanished and his HP snapped back to green.

  —That wasn’t necessary —he said. —I’ve got potions.

  —I dragged you into this. It’s the least I can do.

  Together, they faced the two remaining enemies. After a few minutes, raw stats and coordination won out.

  * * * * *

  December 26, 2023. 8:08 p.m. — Tympoil, Floor 7

  Tympoil was almost empty, like most cities on the lower floors. Only NPCs moved through the streets, tending shops and inns.

  Akari and Silver ate dinner at an inn tucked away from the center. The fight had left him completely drained. Akari toyed idly with her fork while Silver watched her with a serious expression.

  —What were those things? —he asked at last.

  —Tundra Hobgoblins —Akari replied. —The most intelligent monsters in the tower so far.

  —They were unbelievably annoying.

  She nodded.

  —They’re the closest thing to PvP. They don’t follow rigid patterns. They adapt. They use simple tactics. That’s why you need to fight them.

  Silver nodded slowly. His mind flashed back to the ambush on Floor 39. The failed escape. The huge knife moving faster than anything had a right to.

  He slammed his fist into the table.

  —I always refused PvP, thinking I was morally above it. And in the end… my inexperience got Yuiha killed.

  Tears of rage spilled down his face.

  Akari covered his hand with both of hers.

  —I told you not to say that. Yuiha didn’t die because of you. She died because murderers chose to kill her. They’re the only ones responsible.

  Silver looked at her like she was the only thing keeping him afloat.

  Akari’s gaze softened.

  —Since I lost my party, I haven’t been able to sleep peacefully —she admitted. —I feel… unsafe.

  Her fingers tightened gently around his hand.

  —Will you stay in my room tonight? If you’re there… maybe I can finally rest.