Jun stepped onto the floor with a relaxed demeanor, yet remained alert.
To move more efficiently, he activated Tà Kōng Xíng—a high-level movement technique that allowed him to run through the air or float freely, as if gravity were merely a suggestion rather than an absolute law.
This technique was not something that could be used carelessly. Only practitioners who had reached the Soul Ascension realm were able to use it stably. Jun himself had only reached that stage after absorbing the Red Core he obtained from conquering the previous floor—a leap in power he was still adjusting to even now.
From above, his field of vision widened.
A vast forest stretched as far as the eye could see, but amid the greenery, something stood out sharply. Massive stone structures, tall walls, and watchtowers rose with an ancient architectural style.
A human settlement.
More precisely—a medieval fortress.
Jun slowed his pace, hovering motionless in the air as he observed.
"Hm…," he murmured. "This floor has a settlement?"
He had not yet fully processed that oddity when his senses caught something else. A faint vibration—not from the environment, but from the quest given by the Tower.
Not merely a target.
There was context behind it.
"I see," he said softly, as if speaking to himself.
In his mind, the pieces began to fall into place.
Up until now, the Tower's floors had always felt like testing grounds: isolated, artificial, and designed for a narrow purpose. But the 41st floor felt different. Too… alive.
'I knew it,' Jun thought. 'This Tower holds mysteries far greater than mere challenges.'
He looked once more at the fortress below.
'Is this another world…?'
If that was truly the case, then Orc Champion Karokan was not just a monster to be defeated—but part of an ecosystem, a story already in motion.
...
Jun entered the city in a way that did not draw attention.
He vaulted over the fortress wall, whose security was lax—more due to negligence than strategy—and landed lightly on the inside of the city. The moment his feet touched the ground, he immediately changed his attire. His armor and practical clothing were stored away, replaced by a dark cloak that covered nearly his entire body, complete with a hood that shaded his face.
Not because he wanted to look cool.
Rather, because he did not want to look too different.
The fortress city felt… alive.
Jun walked along the stone streets at an unhurried pace, his eyes taking in his surroundings. Merchants shouted to advertise their goods, children ran through street corners, mercenaries in half-open armor laughed loudly while carrying their weapons. The smells of baked bread, smoked meat, and alcohol mingled in the air.
This was not a silent tower floor filled with traps.
This was a breathing city.
"Interesting…" Jun murmured softly.
The first place he headed to was a bar—a large wooden building with a weathered signboard swaying gently in the wind. From inside came rough laughter and the clinking of glasses.
The moment Jun stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted slightly.
Several pairs of eyes glanced his way. Not hostile stares, but wary ones. Newcomers always drew attention, especially one who arrived cloaked like him.
Jun ignored it. He walked up to the bar counter and sat down.
"Ale," he said shortly. "One."
The bar owner—a burly old man with a thick mustache and the hardened face of a veteran soldier—looked at him for a moment before breaking into a thin grin.
"Oh? A new face," he said as he poured the drink. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"You could say that," Jun replied calmly. "I'm just passing through this fortress city."
"Hah… traveler, mercenary, or hunter?" the old man asked as he slid over a wooden mug filled with foaming ale. "Doesn't matter. Ten silver."
Jun looked at the mug… then paused.
He did not have silver coins.
However, he had an alternative.
Jun reached into his pocket and took out a faintly gleaming crystal stone—a mana stone—and placed it on the bar counter.
"I don't have the local currency," he said flatly. "Will this do?"
The bar owner froze.
His eyes widened slightly as he stared at the stone, then he picked it up and examined it more closely.
"Oho… a mana stone," he muttered. "And the quality's fairly high." He narrowed his eyes. "From a goblin?"
Jun nodded lightly. "More precisely—a Goblin King."
Silence.
The laughter, the chatter, even the clinking of glasses in the bar slowly faded away. Several mercenaries turned their heads, their expressions tightening.
"Bro…" the bar owner's voice grew far more serious. "This is a Goblin King mana stone!?"
Jun blinked slowly beneath his hood.
'Huh?Since when was a Goblin King such a big deal? ' he thought. 'Isn't that just a floor ten monster…?'
"Your reaction seems excessive," Jun said. "Is it something special?"
The bar owner snorted, then let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Special?" he said. "It's a nightmare."
He carefully set the stone back down, as if afraid of damaging it.
"A Goblin King isn't just a big goblin," he continued. "It's an ordinary goblin that evolved. Its appearance is rare, but every time one shows up—villages burn, caravans are wiped out, and countless people die. Many horror stories begin with that monster."
He fixed Jun with a sharp stare. "So… where did you get this?"
The situation grew slightly sensitive.
Jun quickly assembled an answer.
"I'm a hunter from a guild in another region," he said calmly. "I obtained it with my party. They said my contribution was the greatest, so this stone was entrusted to me."
The bar owner studied Jun for a long moment, then finally nodded slowly.
"Hmph… I see." He grinned. "Then you must be quite famous in your region. What's your alias?"
"An alias?" Jun thought briefly. "Ah… Cheon Ma."
"Cheon Ma…" the old man repeated, tasting the words. "A strange name. Not from around here, huh?"
"More or less."
The bar owner chuckled softly, then pushed the mug of ale toward Jun.
"In that case, I can't accept this mana stone."
Jun was startled. "You can't?"
"Not that I don't want to," he corrected. "It's just far too valuable for a mug of ale." He pointed at Jun. "Take it to the Hunter's Guild. You'll get a lot of money there."
He smiled broadly—a smile that, strangely enough, felt sincere.
"Is this really okay?" Jun asked.
"Hahaha! Of course!" the old man replied loudly. "I'm actually glad to see that stone."
His laughter faded, replaced by a heavier tone.
"My son… died because of a Goblin King."
Jun fell silent for a moment.
"I see…" he said softly.
The bar owner nodded. "So just consider this my treat." He patted the table. "Drink. And welcome to the fortress city of Astra, Cheon Ma."
Jun slowly raised the mug of ale. "Fortress city Astra, huh…" he murmured.
...
Jun walked along the stone roads of the fortress city with an unhurried pace, like an ordinary traveler enjoying the atmosphere.
He deliberately did not rush.
For him, understanding this floor was far more important than immediately hunting down the quest target. From his past experience, the Tower rarely—if ever—presented challenges as simple as "arrive, kill, done."
"If it were really that easy," Jun muttered softly beneath his hood, "then the forty-first floor would be far too kind."
He observed his surroundings.
Sturdy stone buildings with tattered banners, chainmail-clad soldiers standing guard at intersections, notice boards plastered with monster subjugation requests, and young priests leading prayers at the corners of the plaza. Everything felt… real.
Far too real to be nothing more than an illusion of a tower floor.
"This really feels like a fantasy world," he thought as he paused briefly at the roadside.
Then he snorted softly.
"Ahem… though then again, the DxD world is also a fantasy world." He scratched his cheek. "The difference is, that one's a modern fantasy with school uniforms and teenage problems."
Jun resumed walking, passing through a small market and rows of residential houses. Yet the longer he walked, the clearer one thing became—
He wasn't getting any important information at all.
This quest was… far too ambiguous.
"Usually the Tower at least gives some direction," he muttered. "Or throws me straight into a life-or-death arena."
After thinking it over for a moment, Jun finally let out a long breath.
"All right… in that case, I'll pull back for now."
He planned to retreat temporarily and prepare more thoroughly. After all, time continued to flow in the outside world. The three-race conference in Kuoh was drawing closer, and he had no intention of missing it.
On the contrary—
Jun wanted to make an impressive entrance.
An epic appearance, full of pressure, but not one that immediately triggers war…
Yes, that would be interesting, he thought, nodding in satisfaction.
He activated his intent to leave the floor.
And that was when—
A system panel appeared directly before his vision, glowing with bold text.
[You cannot leave this floor before the Quest is completed.]
Jun froze.
"…Huh?"
He stared at the words for several seconds, hoping it was just a misreading.
But no.
The text remained. Firm. Cruel. Unfeeling.
"You've got to be kidding!!" he shouted reflexively.
//--//
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