'In the end, I only managed to get my hands on one potion.'
Jan examined the bottle carefully before tucking it into his new backpack.
The moment it touched the inner lining—it vanished.
"... I still can't believe this."
He reached back inside, thinking about the potion, and just like magic—there it was in his hand again.
"No, really, how?!" Jan was baffled.
This was what Archevin had brought him after asking him to wait.
A magical backpack—able to store any item, regardless of size. Archevin said it had ten available slots, and duplicates could stack: up to a hundred of the same item in one slot.
"But the price..."
Jan grimaced.
Expensive. Very expensive—especially compared to everything else he'd bought so far. The bag had cost him 200 gold. And that was after a discount.
"I hope he didn't rip me off..."
As for the potion, the seller said it usually sold for 50 gold, but since supply was low, the market price had spiked to 80.
Jan sighed.
All of a sudden, his wallet felt light.
Still, he couldn't complain. He'd made up his mind—he was going into the Tower again. And this time, he needed to be prepared.
*Voom—*
The swirling portal hummed before him, glowing bright and alive.
"Alright… let's do this."
He took a deep breath—and stepped through.
[Floor 1]
When the light faded, Jan found himself once again in the dark.
His eyes adjusted quickly. The stone walls around him were damp and uneven, slick with moss, etched with faint, eerie markings. They seemed to pulse subtly, like veins beneath skin.
Jan started moving immediately. He pushed forward for a while until—
"Same walls… but not the same place."
Last time he was here, this tunnel led to a forked path—but now it seemed to stretch forward endlessly.
'A bit of light would be nice. I wish Maria was here.'
He chuckled nervously and then ventured forward.
No monsters. No forks. Just silence.
Eventually, a faint light appeared ahead.
*Sching—*
He unsheathed his sword, stepping carefully toward the illuminated room.
Leaving his backpack behind, he pressed his back to the stone wall and peeked around the corner.
'What's that?' His brow lifted. 'People...? No, Elves!'
Jan shook his head again.
'No. Not quite.'
They resembled Aeris—same ears, same grace—but their skin was blue, and their hair gray like ash. Their clothes were feathered, tribal. Spears slung on their backs.
Three of them stood at ease.
Above their heads floated the identifiers:
[Dark Elf - LV. 28]
[Dark Elf - LV. 30]
[Dark Elf - LV. 35]
"They're… monsters?!"
They looked too human. It made Jan hesitate.
But then he remembered the bosses from the wave attack—their monstrous strength hidden behind humanoid shapes.
"I shouldn't be fooled."
No names.
That was the rule he'd learned. Regular people had names above their heads. Alongside their level, or sometimes just question marks depending on the level gap.
But monsters?
Only descriptors. Race. Class. Sometimes even adjectives: Lost, Brave, Dumb.
Bosses were different. Some had names next to their types. Like Alpha.
And then there was Saveth—the one and only exception. A boss… with a name and no more.
"What does that mean…"
Jan pondered for a moment and then forced the thought away. He had to stay focused.
He still didn't know his own level—he kept forgetting to ask. But he was fairly certain it was higher than theirs.
Not that it mattered.
'It was foolish of me to think levels should decide whether I fought.'
He'd learned better. Every fight so far had proved it—he'd killed creatures higher in level than him every time.
And if he could kill them—lower level creatures could kill him.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
"I need to be careful."
Two were guarding the exit, one was standing in the middle, but his back was to the entrance.
'Eliminating him should be easy.'
The plan was simple: take out the closest one in a single strike, then deal with the others.
'I wish I had something to throw at him.'
Jan looked at his sword, then shook his head.
Too dangerous. If he misses, he'd be screwed.
There was no other choice.
He took a deep breath and then—
'Go!'
Jan ran as fast as he could, sword in hand, aiming for a single strike to the neck.
But just when he thought his plan would work, the monster's torso suddenly twisted. A cunning grin stretched across its face.
"Fu—"
The elf snatched the spear from his back and hurled it straight at him.
*Whoosh—*
Jan skidded to a halt and raised his longsword just in time.
*Clang—*
The spear bounced off just inches from his head. But before it could hit the ground, the dark elf caught it with one hand—and followed with a flying kick to Jan's stomach.
[-10]
His guard absorbed most of the damage, but the blow pushed him back several meters.
Jan's eyes snapped wide behind his arm.
'That was so smooth!'
The elf stood there, smirking, head tilted mockingly.
From the corner of his eye, Jan noticed one of the two guards moving. But instead of joining the fight, it retreated into the tunnel behind them.
'What are they hiding...?'
He didn't have time to wonder. The cocky elf in front of him was waving him forward.
Slowly, Jan approached.
Just half a meter away from being able to strike, the dark elf's spear flicked out—brushing his cheek.
[-5]
A bleeding cut appeared across Jan's face. He immediately fell back with a grunt.
'I knew this would be troublesome.'
The spear's range was much longer than the sword's, allowing its wielder to strike before an opponent could get close. That was why it dominated the battlefield, even in Jan's old world.
'Maybe I should learn how to use it.'
Jan thought as he dodged a barrage of stabs.
*Whoosh—* *Whoosh—* *Whoosh—*
The elf stabbed relentlessly, forcing Jan back again and again. The strikes were precise, controlled. He wasn't swinging at all—he was using the range advantage perfectly.
'He knows exactly what he's doing. But…'
Jan suddenly stepped sideways—and then pushed forward with all his strength.
Before the dark elf could react—
*Shunk—*
His head was rolling in the air.
*Thud—*
The body collapsed to the ground.
'That only makes you too predictable. I'm also way faster.'
Jan took a deep breath and turned to the remaining guard.
"You're next."
He aimed the tip of his sword toward him.
But before he could even take a step, the other guard returned—bringing dozens more with him.
Jan blinked.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The army of dark elves didn't waste a second. The moment they exited the tunnel, they charged.
Jan didn't waste time either. The instant he saw them, he turned and bolted through the tunnel he'd come from.
They chased relentlessly behind him—until more than thirty of them had packed into the tight stone corridor.
When they finally caught up, Jan was waiting, standing in place.
They skidded to a halt at the sight of him. But before they could make a move—
Jan ran straight at them.
Holding his sword horizontally like a shield, he barreled forward—pushing directly into the mass of dark elves. The move caught them completely off guard.
By the time they tried to react, Jan was already in the middle of the pack.
He slashed.
Two fell immediately—blood spraying their nearby allies.
The sight triggered their instincts. With snarls, they raised their spears and attacked all at once.
*Clang—* *Cling—* *Clang—*
Jan didn't even try to block. The walls and even the dark elves themselves were doing it for him.
Spears aren't built for tight quarters.
You can't stab when your opponent's chest is against yours. You can't swing if your weapon keeps entangling your comrades'. In cramped spaces, spears become liabilities. You're better off punching.
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Insight Lv.3"]
But that wasn't the only factor.
Even as their numbers shrank and there was more space, Jan's raw strength and speed were overwhelming.
At one point, he grabbed one by the arm and threw him into the others—then lunged at two more and cut them down in a single breath.
[You've leveled up!]
When only four were left, they broke ranks and ran—fear in their eyes.
Jan didn't let them get far.
He scooped up one of their fallen spears, then another—launching them like javelins.
*Thud—*
The last dark elf dropped like a sack of rocks.
Jan stood still for a moment, breathing hard. Then he looked around.
The entire ground was glowing.
A grin crept onto his face.
"Loot!"
He shouted gleefully and rushed to start gathering the items.
The harvest wasn't bad—nine silver coins, five spears, earrings, and a necklace.
'A book would've been great. But I guess the odds of a monster dropping one are really low... It's only happened once so far.'
He sighed, slung the loot into his backpack, and made his way back to the room.
Without hesitation, he headed straight toward the tunnel the dark elves had been guarding.
It was long, but from the start, he could see a faint glow at the far end.
There should be another room in there.
As he approached the light, Jan instinctively hid his presence and moved with caution.
When he finally reached the end, he leaned against the wall and peeked inside.
His eyes widened.
"What the hell is that?!"