Back at the staircase, with another portion of his souls gone.
The lantern's glow dimmed again, visibly this time. Ludwig didn't need to "inspect" it. The loss was obvious, like someone had punched a hole through the reservoir. The mountain wind hit his face, and he tasted thin air and frustration.
"Motherfucker, how does he do that…" Ludwig didn't walk in; he simply stood at the door, thinking.
He didn't even touch the gate. For the first time since entering this floor, he paused not because he was exhausted, but because brute repetition wasn't buying him anything except fewer souls.
'Something about him simply makes it impossible to dodge… like, what the hell am I supposed to do.'
He sat down on the staircase, thinking.
