Towers are not all the same. They each have different structures and enemies, as well as various designs. Some may be more focused on being intellectually challenging, while others are tests of sheer might.
The one similarity they possess in all cases is settlements: locations heavily occupied by human inhabitants. For lack of a better word, they are safe zones where climbers can rest and recuperate. Most importantly, they are hubs for finding allies to create a party with. Surviving alone is something only fighters like War can accomplish.
'There's no telling how many settlements are on a single floor, but there are 'Prime Settlements.' War's been to practically all of them, so he knows where the largest stronghold is. Well, I sure hope he does…'
Traveling together, the group of five is led by a massive man in chipped armor. If the threats they faced were humans, they wouldn't need to be concerned about someone jumping out at them.
War was too threatening for any man to dare consider drawing a weapon against.
It sucked that none of this mattered in the face of the mindless beasts of the wasteland. Speaking of…
"So, I've been meaning to ask… Earlier, the monsters were coordinating a little, weren't they?" Worthy had noticed it before he beheaded one of the flesh hounds. They were working in unison.
While two attacked, the one he killed lurked behind, waiting for an opportunity to move in and attack its prey. Coordination clearly takes some form of understanding and thought.
Although Cross looked like he had a hypothesis, War — an untimely veteran of this place — knows more crucial details than him.
"Blood Hounds are just one form of flesh beast that can be found in this place. They are the product of animals entering the tower and being assimilated, creating a new kind of monster."
This was news to, well, everyone. Esme is the first person to speak up after an intermission of silence:
"Sir Reaver, I didn't take you for a comedian. You already know that no animals are permitted to accompany humans into towers. It is one of the few rules we've enforced upon towers, especially one like this."
Pets joining someone in the tower was nothing short of abusive. For as far as history goes, at least since the discovery of towers, this has been the case.
War knew this, of course. The confidence he had when explaining that real animals served as a template for the monster's design was off-putting.
"Of course, healer. I am well aware of the guidelines surrounding the towers. They are strictly enforced, but that does not mean rules aren't meant to be broken. In recent years, I've not seen a single animal, but I have a hypothesis of my own. If you'd like to hear it, of course."
Naturally, Esme gives the Holy Knight an astute nod.
"Gateways do not require conscious intention to go through. Anything that makes contact with one will end up being transported, one way or another. In the early years of towers, there were undoubtedly a few carefree minds who thought their hunting pets would be of value during their climbs. That'd explain some of the beasts."
The theory was reasonable, but had a glaring flaw that Esme points out. "Sure, but we're talking about hundreds of years going by. We only ran into a small pack, judging by what you said when they first ambushed us. That means they come in larger quantities. It became commonly known that animals were more akin to deadweight in the towers after the early years of exploration were over. They don't even get Rewards."
Her argument held.
In the early years of the tower, there certainly were those who brought in hunting beasts to try to make their climb less rigorous. Many years later, it was clear that no beast was made to survive in the towers. The environment was too unfavorable, and more were not nearly adaptable enough. Humans receiving Rewards, unlike animals, was a major component in the revelation.
Needless to say, it was shortly following this point in history that animal companions were banned from towers outright.
Bringing your pet with you into a tower was comparable to sending it to die.
"All it takes is for a wild animal to stray into a tower for it to become a victim. However, in the case of this tower, I am confident in my theory. The beasts of the early years of this tower were used as templates."
'...? What the hell is this old man talking about?'
Worthy was listening, but wasn't following the conversation.
"Templates?" The child speaks up, seeking further clarification from the Holy Knight.
"Yes. As I'm certain you've noticed, the monsters of this place only assimilate with the dead. However, it is rare for them to divide on their own and create new numbers. I've long suspected that the source of the endless number of creatures on this floor originates from a nest… Sadly, in all my years of wandering, it's been impossible for me to find any sign of one."
Then, it all makes more sense once he mentions searching for a nest.
"Somewhere on this floor, hidden from our eyes, these monsters are being recreated with the image of their previous victims in mind. I've never seen one that appears too human, but that is likely by the tower's design."
The final piece of his hypothesis was the most concerning. None of them hoped that it was true. "In the case of the varying anatomy of the monsters… It's possible that they came from someplace other than our world altogether. This is the weakest link in my idea, though. So, what are your thoughts, Ms. Esme?"
The olive-skinned woman ponders the possibilities. There are some certainties in what he said.
This impossibly difficult floor had a wide array of enemies they'd not encountered yet. They were unique, with various mysteries lying behind the source of structures like the incomplete building they departed from. There were no signs of lost civilizations on this floor, even though the Second Floor was composed of a city. A wall composed wholly of carnage had to be the creation of one of the carnage monsters occupying the level.
Such recreation, even though it was largely incomplete, could only be done by something capable of recreation itself.
Most importantly, it is impossible to create something from nothing. It was no coincidence that some of the beasts came to resemble things in the outside world, such as animals. Doubts still rest on the edge of Esme's mind, but much of the hypothesis makes sense after careful thought.
"There are some holes… But you make a lot of sense. Humans have only learned the proper methods of climbing the towers and how to operate within them. We hardly have a morsel of a clue how the towers function or where they originate from. I can't say there aren't a lot of unpredictable factors, especially not in Aciago."
Worthy, who'd been the initiator of the conversation, reenters to ask:
"Then, that means the monsters here are starting to get smarter?"
After a moment of silence shared between Esme and War, both adults nod.
'I pray we don't come across any of those dogs again.' It was clear that even though they were accompanied by a strong warrior, they were not invincible. Two people lost their lives before Worthy found the traveling party. If they're careless, there might be a third or fourth.
Worthy hadn't seen Esme fight, but he was confident that the worst in their group was Robert. In the face of danger, the man cowered on the ground. As a child, Worthy would be scared in front of such deadly enemies, too, but life in Malas Town readied him for the most severe of circumstances.
It's better to fight it out than wait for your death.
Later, it's Robert who inquires about a question that was starting to brew in Worthy's head. The place they find themselves in right now doesn't leave one feeling safer than before.
"I'm confident that you have a keen sense of direction, Holy Knight… but please, do reaffirm that you know where you're leading us."
On either side of them, massive erosions of bleeding flesh make up the walls of a canyon. It was darker than the open, and unusually quiet.
Anything could be staring at them from one of the various holes left in the walls—large enough to fit a few people—and they'd be oblivious.
The worst of it is the positioning. Being ambushed was something that could happen, and if they were pinched in from either side of the canyon, there'd be no place to escape.
Fortunately, the end of the canyon was nowhere in view. The walls stretched on for what a boy of Worthy's size perceived as an eternity.
Cross agrees with Robert's concerns. "You said we were going to a Prime Settlement. This doesn't fit the description of one."
Worthy wasn't familiar with the idea of 'Prime Settlements', so he kept his opinion to himself and listened. Learning more from their conversations would be useful later if he ends up split up from them. He didn't feel anything wrong with the direction they were heading, even though the others looked worried.
"Your skepticism is fair. Right now, we're not heading directly to a Prime Settlement. This settlement is one I found a long time ago. It is the closest haven where you may all rest and recuperate. I'm sure none of you had had the chance to regather your thoughts since you came here. Too much time out there will drain your sanity."
'Speaking from experience, old-timer?' Worthy jokes to himself, but doesn't find his own humor amusing.
The Holy Knight went through a lot, for far longer than anyone else. If Worthy didn't know any better, he'd assumed that the man was the oldest human in the tower. All those years walking through this eerie Hell, watching countless people suffer a fate more painful than a torturous death… the child can't get a clear image of how much torment the Holy Knight went through.
Esme, who'd been walking fairly close to Worthy, speaks with a lackadaisical smile. Truth be told, she was probably more tired than all of them. "Don't stress so much, ladies. You're going to scare our lovely mascot."
Obliviously, Worthy glances at the woman, whose hands are aimed in his direction.
In a confused way, he points at himself. "Me?" He hadn't even known the role he was recruited into until now.
That earned several laughs from the coterie of climbers. Poor Worthy had no clue why he was the butt of the joke.
"We're here." When the leading man of the march stops, so too does everyone behind him. What was most curious was the position they stopped in.
"...There's nothing there, Sir Holy Knight. Maybe my sleep-deprived eyes are playing tricks on me, though." To reinforce her point, Esme approaches one of the walls and slaps her palm against it.
Blood and minuscule viscera fly away from her hand. It was the same for the other side of the canyon. They'd walked between the same walls this entire time.
Eyes piercing holes into the Holy Knight, her voice sours. Obviously, even Esme was now beginning to doubt where they were being led. She trusted the Holy Knight, but trust in a wasteland without laws was a fickle companion. "Unless some lucky guy managed to create a secret passage inside of the guts of these walls, we're in the same, empty canyon we've been in for the past two hours!"
'Oh. It's Ms. Esme who's keeping track of time now. That's pleasant to know.' In reality, it was a testament to how uninteresting the walk was outside of their conversations. It felt like they were burning energy rather than moving towards a fixed destination.
Yet, Worthy still felt nothing wrong. He opens his mouth to give his input, but War speaks first. "There is a secret entrance."
"...Huh?" The sourness in the woman's voice vanished, fluttering off to whatever hole it flew out of. "You're fuckin' with me."
War shakes his head, going to walk beside the woman as she remains near the wall. "You had the correct idea in mind, Ms. Healer. However, unless you are inside…" His gauntlet punches into the wall, diving deep into the tight mass of gore. "...you must be strong enough to pull the lever from outside."
His fingers wrap around a pole, and he pulls his arm back.
A click comes from inside the wall. Seconds later, the wall beside War trembles and then ascends off the ground. In its place, the mouth of a tunnel revealed itself, leading deeper into the earth.
'Bullshit.' The child thought, absolutely baffled, not by the man's strength, but by the discovery of the secret entrance.
What was the situation for him to uncover such a precise detail? As far as Worthy, as well as the others, could tell, nothing was different about this particular spot.
Letting the answer dwell wouldn't get him anywhere, so the slum-dweller asks the Holy Knight. "How? How'd you find the entrance? There was no indicator or anything."
"Instead of counting time, young man, I was counting my steps."