We were all summoned to the forged land to save our world, Dunia.
Everything we did here was to save our world.
Every floor, every Quintal Trial we cleared, was to save our world.
All the enemies we fought in the trials were trying to prevent us from saving our world.
I would exterminate anyone who would hinder us from achieving this great mission. No matter who they were.
I spent the next several days with those thoughts lingering in my mind.
[Party 1, come to the first floor square!]
The fairy's voice sounded like a war horn. Calling us for great battle ahead.
Indeed, it was a war call.
The third Quintal Trial was imminent.
Party 1 was about to head out to yet another war.
"Everyone ready?"
I asked my comrades as I met them in our exclusive training ground on the third floor of the lobby.
Each of them was equipped with the best gears and supplies the lobby had to offer. Most importantly, the magic rings which granted them useful abilities.
Darius managed to master the uses of his ring. But the archer still wore his quiver on his back which carried his wind arrows.
Despite having access to all the arrows in the storage, Darius did not want to be completely carefree of his supply.
So he would only use his ring for the explosive projectiles or when he finally ran out of wind arrows in his quiver.
Jonah followed a different approach.
The shepherd no longer carried throwing spears on his back. He only wielded his main spear now.
The throwing spears would only be extra weight on him. Moreover, they also slightly hindered his movement as he wielded his main weapon.
Both Shanny and Devisha had mastered their rings as well.
I saw the two trained for the past couple of days and became certain they would experience no problem using the artifacts.
"We're ready."
Jonah said to me on behalf of everyone.
I nodded back to him and we began descending toward the rift on the first floor.
A huge crowd of people welcomed us once we stepped onto the second floor of the lobby.
The entire lobby supporters and all of the second floor trainees were flooding the entire district's roads.
A pool of open space followed our party as the crowd parted to give way for us.
They all then moved to the second floor square which was above the rift of space time and watched us going down to the first floor.
At the bottommost level of the lobby, an even bigger crowd was awaiting us.
The entire first floor trainees surrounded the first floor square in a massive semi-circle. I noticed Quinda among them already in her trainee outfit.
In front of them stood the third floor servants and cooks. And lining up after the third floor staffs were the supporter chiefs, the herbalist Jansen, the storage managers Harl and Sharine, and the combat instructor Trudy.
At the foremost of the crowd stood the rest of the raid team. Waiting for us in front of the rift.
Everyone had heard the fairy's announcement of Party 1's deployment.
They all knew where we were going. Hence the big sendoff.
Despite our intense and thorough preparation, there was always a chance of Party 1 perishing in the mission we were about to embark to.
So if there was an opportunity to impart our last words, now would be the time.
"The three of you have come a long way."
I spoke to my pupils.
I went on with a proud smile.
"I'm sure you'll be able to improve your magic further on your own. Even without my help."
Yuxia snorted at my words.
"You talk as if you're not coming back."
"A mage has to be prepared for everything, Yuxia. Should I die on the fifteenth floor, you and the others must continue your training without me. Master will surely be counting on you, Yuxia, once I'm gone."
I replied.
I turned to the two mages beside him and continued.
"Vallerynne should be able to guide you to learn dimensional magic. And Matrias will be able to help you with your sub-elemental spells. You too should help them train using your own expertise."
The second 4-star in the lobby clicked his tongue with disgust.
"Stop saying nonsense like that! You're the one who promised to teach me. So I won't accept anyone else's tutelage but your own."
Vallerynne nodded with him.
"I still need you to teach me dimensional magic and other advanced enchantments, Serafina. I can't learn them on my own, let alone teach them to someone else!"
Matrias joined his fellow pupils.
"There're still a lot that I need to learn! You can't abandon me yet!"
I smiled at their lame excuses and spoke again.
"Work together to solve all the formulas on the grimoire. I've left notes on my desk filled with instructions on how to craft weapons and equipment with the subquest crystal. Refer to them to create stronger items."
Yuxia clicked his tongue again and waved his hand impatiently.
"I'm tired of hearing this. Just come back quickly and we'll do all those chores together!"
I could not help but chuckle at his reaction.
With a last respectful nod to my pupils, I left them and turned to Zecht on the other side. Trudy had already joined him.
"Zecht, should Party 1 fail, master will be counting on Party 2 next. You will have to step up and take charge of the climb effort. Work together with the mages to create better equipment and potions since clearly the ones we have right now likely were not enough."
"I understand, Serafina. But you'll be back, yeah? Surely you don't intend to die this early in the climb."
Zecht said with his usual carefree tone.
I simply smiled to him as a reply.
Having told my messages to the party leader, I turned my gaze to the combat instructor.
"In the extreme case that both Party 1 and 2, as well as the remaining 3-stars were wiped out on the fifteenth floor, master will be counting on you to prepare our replacements. Master probably will summon more high-ranked heroes should that happen. But you still need to do your best developing both the first and the second floor trainees."
"Honestly, Serafina, given how much preparation you and the others in Party 1 did till now, I believe this will be the raid team's most successful Quintal Trial yet. But I will keep your words in mind."
Trudy said with confident tone.
I too replied her words with just a smile.
Now that I had said what I intended to say to those whom will remain in the lobby, I joined my comrades standing at the center of the square.
The fairy suddenly appeared in front of us.
[Are you guys ready?]
She asked.
Seeing the steel-like eyes and confident nods from my comrades, I replied the fairy.
"Send us to battle, warden."
[Okay then! Here we go!]
The fairy shouted gleefully.
She assumed her exaggerated pose once more and proclaimed in that booming voice of hers.
[Open the rift of space and time!]
The giant stone gate in front of us was suddenly split by a shining bluish-white line.
The line grew wider, ripping the gate apart.
Eventually a large shining maw was gaping in front of us.
With the rift formed, the fairy flew back to me.
[Alright! Good luck, Serafina! Win the boss stage again and make master proud! I'm rooting for you!]
At the fairy's encouraging words that my comrades and I started walking toward the blinding rift.
It was then the entire lobby began showering us with spirited cheers. Shaking the entire forged land with their overwhelming roars.
"Fortune to the Raiders!"
"Victory to the Raiders!"
In the midst of the shouts and cheers I stepped into the rift of space time.
The roar of the crowd immediately silenced upon my entering the mirrored chamber.
Once my comrades joined me inside, I turned to the shining mirror on the furthest left.
[Climb the tower and save the world!]
[Main Dungeon]
[Floor conquered - 14 -]
The time had come for us to try yet another Quintal Trial.
The previous two missions turned out to be the biggest battles we ever faced in our lives.
I was certain the third one would offer no less of a challenge.
I could not help but wonder why only one party was needed for the fifteenth floor.
It was a shame we could not view the record of the scout who went to this floor earlier.
Apparently we could only watch the record of completed trials. Not failed ones.
The memory of the fifth floor was still fresh in my mind. It was when the Quintal Trial was also tried by one party only.
Back then we lost two people in our ranks.
I would definitely make certain we do not repeat that outcome.
Not after all the preparations we had done. Not after everything we did to make use of the subquest rewards. Not after all the sacrifices.
The familiar bluish-white light soon engulfed us.
My comrades immediately readied their battle stances.
I imparted them last-minute instructions as our environment was shifting.
"Remember, our first priority is to learn the mission's objective. And should we be separated at the beginning and the mission is still unknown, we need to immediately regroup. Don't forget to rely on the communication blessing."
When I saw my comrades nodding back to me, I then readied myself for battle. Setting a quick spell ready in case of an ambush.
The bluish-white light soon diminished and revealed us the stage for our third Quintal Trial.
The moon and the stars were shining brightly in the clear evening sky above us.
Four and five-storied buildings flanked the wide paved street my comrades and I found ourselves in.
An ocean of people cladded in white robe streamed around us, toward the west. Each of them was carrying a burning white candle and singing merrily.
"We're in Tsuchi. In the Ladian Street of the Second Wall district."
I immediately announced to my comrades, who were fortunately standing around me.
We were not separated at the beginning of the Quintal Trial.
A good start.
"I don't see any guard yet."
Darius said, eyeing the entire length of the street.
"There's no one suspicious in the buildings and the roofs as well."
Devisha added.
"These people in white, they could not see nor hear us like the ones in Loro."
Jonah stated.
"But unlike on the tenth floor, these people don't seem afraid. They seem happy."
Shanny commented.
She made a frown and went on.
"These white robes they're wearing, and all those candles…are they celebrating the Serpent Festival?"
I nodded to her.
"Something terrible is going to happen in this festival. And we're likely here to stop it."
Suddenly a barrage of notification windows appeared around us.
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
Three alarming warning signs at the beginning of the mission. That would be a first even in a Quintal Trial.
Once the ominous warning signs disappeared, the mission window appeared before my party.
My comrades and I all leaned our heads down to see what we were supposed to achieve in this third Quintal Trial.
[Floor 15]
[Mission Type – Guard]
[Objective – Protect a certain individual!]