Floor 4 felt different when Kael returned.
Not in some dramatic world shaking way, no ominous music, no prophetic whisper. Just quieter. Like the floor itself had been thinned out. Less noise and few distant growls. As if the tower was aware vaguely. lazily that something had already started changing here.
Kael stood at the entrance point stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders.
"Alright, back to work".
The fourth floor was classified as a low mid tier transition floor, which basically meant it existed to humble overconfident rookies. The monsters weren't strong enough to feel impossible but they were annoying, persistent and often came in packs. Enough to slowly grind people down.
Kael checked his status window out of habit.
[Status Window]
[Name: Kael Ardent
Level: 5
Exp: 200/700
HEALTH: 200/200
MANA: 120/150
STAMINA: 120/120
Class: Delimiter (Hidden)
Title: ????? (Sealed)
Talent:
Line Drawer F-
Eraser F-
Sub Skills:
Tap F-
Attributes:
Strength: 7
Agility: 8
Endurance: 6
Mana: 9
Control: 20
Remaining stats points: 12
Proficiency:
Line drawer: 21%
Tap: 25%
Eraser: 5%
Level 5, not impressive but not terrible but nowhere near safe.
Kael Sighed "I need to reach at least level 10 to fight with the boss in floor 5" and what about his remaining stat points where should I distribute, for now I need to survive and get stronger.
Lets distribute +3 to strength, +3 to Agility, +3 to Mana, +3 to Endurance.
[Strength 7 -> 10]
[Agility 8 -> 11]
[Endurance 6 -> 9]
[Mana: 150 -> 175]
Yess I feel the Power is surging inside me. Now I can withstand even higher level monsters without backlash.
Kael stepped forward.
The terrain shifted gradually as he moved deeper. Jagged crystal formations that pulsed faintly with mana. Pools of Stagnant water reflected the glow which was distorted and murky.
Something moved.
Kael Stopped.
Three Carapace Crawlers emerged behind the a cluster of crystals, they are inset like monsters, waist high with thick armored shells and serrated limbs, they are individually weak but when they are together they are annoying.
Kael hadn't seen the Null hounds yet, I wonder where are they, need to have revenge session with them.
Kael raised his hand, a thin white line formed in air horizontal this time.
The first crawler jumped and slammed into the boundary with the dull thunk flipping backward.
The second tried to go around.
Kael adjusted instinctively by drawing another line diagonally narrowing their approach.
"Yeah, yeah queue up" Kael laughed "One at a time, please".
The third crawler leapt.
Kael sidestepped stabbed down with his dagger and crushed the soft joint beneath its shell, Blue blood splattered across the stone.
[You have defeated Carapace Crawler]
[EXP Gained +30]
The remaining two hesitated.
Kael tapped the ground beneath them, data bloomed.
[Cracked Tile - Durability 24%]
[Structural Weakness Detected]
"Oh nice!!" Kael smiled.
He drew a line straight down.
The tile split cleanly along the boundary collapsing inward. One crawler screeched as it fell into the shallow pit below, its legs flailing uselessly.
The last one tried to retreat.
Kael erased but not the monster , just a small portion of the floor behind it.
The stone vanished, it was clean, silent like it never existed.
The crawler stumbled and lost balance and Kael finished it with Stab to the eye.
[EXP Gained +30]
[EXP Gained +30]
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Okay that was clean" but some parts felt still terrifying because his talent Eraser still made his skin crawl. Even when he wasn't actively using it, things around him felt thinner.....As if the world had a faint outline and eraser could rub it away if he wasn't careful.
He shook the thought away and kept moving.
Hours passed, Kael once again met the Null hounds and this time they didn't phase inside the line boundary because he kept his Eraser talent under control.
Kael didn't rush he pulled monsters carefully, isolated them, tested angles, drew line to block, redirect, divide. Tapped walls, floors, ground to find the weak points, hidden mana flows, old construction flaws.
He looted everything and kept inside his inventory.
Monster cores, Null fragments, Crystal shards. Even low grade mana residue scrapped from crystal veins
"All these looted items are sellable in the Awakeners market" stuffing items into his inventory.
At one point he encountered a Stoneback Lurker a bulky beast with a hide thick enough to shrug off his dagger. Kael didn't panic. He kept his distance from the beast and drew lines to redirect its charge, forcing it slam into crystal pillars until cracks formed.
Then he tapped the pillar.
[Crystal Column - Structural integrity 12%]
Kael erased the base.
The pillar collapsed.
The beast went in with it.
[EXP Gained +45]
Level 6 and 7 came quietly.
[Level 7 -> 8]
His body felt lighter his movements smoother, mana flowed more easily when he drew lines now with less strain when erasing and with more precision.
[Gained attributes +9] (from lv5 to lv8)
Kael flexed his fingers "I think I'm getting stronger and more efficient while using my talents and sills"
But
"I think I'm not supposed to fight like this, there is something into this talents and skills , where I can fight and battle more efficiently, with clean techniques, I need guidance"
By the time he reached the deeper section of Floor 4, the monster density thinned noticeably. He realized while tapping a wall near a narrow passage.
[Monster Population Reduced - 62% Cleared]
He blinked.
"Huh..."
He hadn't been counting, apparently the tower had.
Kael slowed down suddenly more cautious. He remembered what happened when floors where pushed too far, too fast. Stories of premature boss spawns where it would wipe out unprepared parties in seconds, but those were just rumors it never happened in past 50 years. But only once it happened where the origin awakeners 50 years killed it and it never respawned back.
"But those are just rumors, even if its true I'm not ready yet".
So he adapted.
Instead of pushing forward Kael began sweeping systematically moving laterally clearing side area, hidden pockets, forgotten ruins. He tapped everything now walls, floors, trees, plants, ground, monsters, water, ruins, even the air when something felt off.
That was when he noticed it, a faint blur near the edge of his vision.
Not a monster, not a trap, just some absence.
Kael stopped "Don't tell me...."
He focused on Eraser not activating it just feeling it.
The blur sharpened slightly.
A section of the wall where the texture didn't quite line up.
Kael tapped it.
[Hidden Storage Node - Concealed]
[Condition: Access Restricted]
He raised an eyebrow.
"....Restricted huh, can it be erased by any chance?"
Kael used his eraser talent and erased the restriction, not the node but the whole condition.
"Wow, it actually worked !!!".
The wall shinned and opened.
Inside the small storage unit, there were coins which were silver, A reinforced glove, A scroll etched with faded ruins.
[You Have Obtained: Reinforced Mana Glove (Uncommon)
Gives +3 Mana and +2 Strength]
[You Have Obtained: Skill Scroll "Minor Control"]
Kael Stared "I'm never calling eraser trash again"
He equipped the glove immediately, his mana increased and strength increased. Mana circulation improved slightly. Drawing lines felt cleaner and more stable.
Kael tore the skill scroll and learned Minor control , it gave +3 Control and passive more 5% Proficiency to all Talents and skills when Practicing, Training, Battle, Combat]
[Eraser Proficiency: 10%]
"But it feels creepy but its more useful, but definitely not trash"
Kael had been grinding for nearly full day, his status flickered again
[Level UP]
[Level 8 -> 9]
[Gained Attributes +3]
He leaned against a crystal outcrop breathing steadily and tired.
Almost there, but the floor felt tense now.
The ambient mana which was almost non existent had thickened even more. The silence was heavier. Even the monsters that remained were more aggressive and more alert.
Kael tapped the floor.
[Floor Clearance: 93%]
His stomach tightened.
"Should I push more and move onto the next floor??"
He didn't rush the last stretch.
Every fight was careful and controlled. Lines became more precise and eraser kept more minimal. Tap constantly feeding him information.
Finally the last pack fell.
A group of Null hounds faster than the rest but sloppy. Kael baited them into a narrow edge and layered lines like maze, erased footing beneath one and picked them off one by one.
The final monster collapsed with a shrill screech.
[Level Up]
[Level 9 -> 10]
[Gained +3 attribute points]
"Nice finally reached level 10, I have 15 unassigned stat points, I think ill go home take rest and attempt Floor 5 tomorrow"
He opened the status window, staring at the number like it might disappear.
[Floor 4 Clearance: 95%]
The air shifted which was very deep and slow.
Like something massive inhaling.
Kael heart shrank.
"Of course this will happen, damm this author adding plot twists whenever he wants".
The ground trembled, not violently, but deliberately.
A low resonant sound echoed across the floor not a roar but a declaration.
[Floor Condition Met]
[Dormant Entity Awakening]
Kael swallowed.
"Well" he said quietly tightening his grip on the dagger "Guess I worked a little too hard"
The tower did not respond.
But the dormant entity which was never respawned opened its eyes....