It didn't feel empty on Floor 6.
It seemed busy.
Not in the sense that a battlefield was occupied by constant movement or noise but rather by presence. It was like strolling through a city long after it had been evacuated with doors still open and signs still flickering, stubbornly refusing to accept being abandoned.
With his boots crunching softly over shattered glass and cracked asphalt Kael walked slowly through the broken streets.
"At first glance this floor doesn't feel dangerous" he muttered as he looked around the tilted buildings. "This typically indicates that it's attempting to deceive you."
The collapsed city extended in all directions. Ramps had become tangled after elevated highways collapsed. Like exhausted giants, skyscrapers leaned against one another. On fractured holographic boards old ads flickered showing warped symbols that were no longer words.
Kael let out a breath.
"Mobs would already be chasing me from every alley if this were a regular floor."
A faint screech sounded far away as if in response to his thought.
Not near.
Not just yet.
He reopened the mission interface and took a closer look at it.
[Main Mission - Floor 6]
[Objective: Reach the Central Signal Spire]
[Reward: Experience, Random Equipment Drop]
[Side Quest: Fractured Survivors]
[Free atleast 3 sealed neutral entities]
[Completed- 0/3]
[Hidden Quest- ????]
[Condition Unmet}
[Status - Locked]
Kael grumbled a little.
He added "Hidden quest available but no conditions listed."This indicates that it is real but the Tower won't tell me how to initiate it."
That explained a lot on its own.
He was familiar with the forums. Floor 6 was a constant source of complaints from players.
layout that is confusing.
low density of monsters.
No clear path of advancement.
Unattainable is the hidden quest.
The majority of teams went directly to the Central Signal Spire and completed the primary mission collected their rewards and departed.
Others wandered aimlessly until they had to leave due to time constraints.
A solution had never been brought up.
Kael realized that they weren't searching for it. "They were waiting for it to be handed to them".
He gently tapped the air to activate Tap.
For a moment information flashed before his eyes.
Structural discrepancies.
Zones based on authority.
Residual echoes that are concentrated along particular routes.
After that
There was a movement.
not through the system.
from his inventory.
Kael froze.
"Don't tell me" he uttered slowly.
The Hidden Map Fragment (Floors 5–7) responded with a gentle vibration that went through his chest.
Suddenly a fragment of pale light emerged from his inventory.
Then one more.
And one more.
A number of translucent pieces each etched with faint incomplete city outlines hovered in midair and rotated slowly.
Kael gazed.
He muttered "Why are the fragments of the maps hovering around and its shining and its oddly similar to the game which I have played during my childhood times, I think it was Thief's Greed ."
The pieces moved.
in alignment.
Then like a compass needle one piece shot forward pointing down a small street between two buildings that had collapsed.
Immediately a system message appeared.
[Hidden Map Fragment Activated]
[Partial City Guidance Enabled]
[Remaining Fragments located all over Floor 6]
[WARNING]
[Time Limit: 2 Hours]
[Failure to collect it results to Map Disintegration]
Kael took in a breath.
"This City looks very big and I don't even know how many fragments are in the city" he explained. "It's a timed collision collision quest from the beginning."
And then the second message arrived.
[Hidden Quest - Condition Partially Met]
[Status - Tracking Initiated]
Kael laughed quietly.
"So this is how it works" he replied his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The Hidden Fragments were the key to the Hidden Quest of floor 6."
The city reacted.
A loud cry broke through the silence closer this time.
Three shapes emerged from the alley toward which the fragment pointed.
Distorted.
Flickering.
Echo Stalkers.
Their figures appeared like distorted reflections of people wearing outdated urban battle gear. Half-phased limbs dragged along the ground as they moved claws scraping the pavement.
Kael traced a small line across the alleyway entrance.
Not activating Delimited Edge.
It's just a barrier.
The first Echo Stalker collided with it and fiercely bounced altering its form.
"They're guarding the fragments" Kael answered quietly. "Which means this floor was never meant to be rushed."
He walked forward with cautious precision.
"Let's clear the way."
The combat was swift yet methodical.
Kael used the line like a blade making slashes precisely where the Echo Stalkers improperly crossed with reality. A single slash split a torso from legs that no longer existed. Another perfect cut separated a head from a body that moved out of sync.
When the final Echo Stalker disintegrated into static fragments a bright shard embedded in a nearby wall fell free.
Kael reached out to grab it.
The fragment transformed into light and merged with the others.
[Hidden Map Fragment Collected]
[Progress 1/?]
The city shifted again.
Additional markers appeared.
There are multiple directions.
Kael's expression darkened.
"…Fragmented Maps are all over the city."
He checked the time.
There is 1 hour and 47 minutes remaining.
"Alright" he murmured, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get quick."
Kael accelerated through the city.
Each component was protected sometimes by Echo Stalkers, sometimes by enclosed structures containing twisted traces of the city's history. Kael liberated neutral entities wherever feasible accomplishing a portion of the side mission without slowing down.
And then.
He sensed it.
A presence.
Different from Echo Stalkers.
Differs from system constructions.
Kael paused in the midst of a large square.
An old guy sat at the far end atop a throne made of broken concrete and twisted steel.
Rugged.
Still.
Watching.
Kael did not approach immediately.
The old man spoke first.
The man replied "This is interesting, most adventurers come and get into the central signal spire and collect the quest rewards and move onto the next foor." His voice was harsh but steady. "What are you doing here scrambling everywhere?"
Kael caught his gaze.
The elderly man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You noticed that huh?"
"You only said it" Kael explained. "And there is something different about this floor."
Silence extended.
Eventually, the old guy spoke again.
"You're the first one in years who didn't ignore this place" he told me. "Didn't rush past it chasing a glowing tower."
Kael shrugged lightly.
"I'm just doing what my role is and what the tower is giving me to do."
The old man laughed with a deep dry sound.
"Good answer" he said. "But do not misinterpret. I do not know who you are. And I'm not concerned about your class and skills."
Kael's eyes blinked.
"But you sensed something."
The elderly man leaned forward.
"I sensed that the city reacted to you" he told me. "And that only happens when someone touches something they weren't meant to see."
Kael did not refute it.
Instead he inquired, "What are you?"
The elderly man smiled slightly.
"Just a victim" he stated. "Nothing more."
A system notification came softly in Kael's vision.
[Hidden Quest - Partial condition Met]
[Status : Monitored]
"I knew it he was part of the Hidden Quest, well lets collect the remaining fragments in time"
The old man didn't attack.
Did not obstruct Kael's progress.
He calmly watched as Kael passed him the flying map fragments guiding him.
"Finish what you started" the old man said Kael as he walked away. "This city has been waiting longer than you think."
Kael didn't glance back.
With minutes to spare the final fragment united with the others.
The flying pieces snapped together to form a whole map with streets aligning, hidden passageways revealed and the metropolis finally making sense.
At the center
The Signal Spire.
Kael stood at the base looking up at the towering complex of broken antennas and flashing conduits.
"This is it" he replied quietly.
The finished map disintegrated into light and became embedded in the spire.
The system reacted.
[Main Mission Completed]
[Hidden Quest Progressed]
The city shuddered.
Something deep inside the Tower acknowledged him.
Not as a hero.
Not as a conqueror.
But as someone who finally realized what Floor 6 was supposed to be.
Kael breathed slowly.
"…Let's see what you've been hiding."
And stepped forward.