Sailor slowly rose to his feet.
His legs were trembling, but not from fear anymore—from exhaustion. His chest still burned, his breathing was ragged, and a dull roar filled his head, as if someone was slowly turning stones inside it.
He took a few steps forward, looking around.
The monster was gone. Only dark stains on the stone and a pungent smell that made him want to grimace.
"So… that was the 37th floor."
"Bravo," the dragon responded lazily. "You figured it out. Amazing."
Sailor snorted.
"Can you say something normally for once?"
"I could," it answered. "But why ruin tradition."
He reached the edge of the hall. Ahead began a staircase leading upwards, as if carved directly from the darkness.
FLOOR: 38
Sailor froze.
"Wait… I'm actually going further up?"
"Did you plan to lie down and die again?" the dragon asked with interest. "Believe me, I won't try as hard the third time."
Sailor swallowed and took a step.
Every floor was different.
Some had narrow corridors where he had to walk sideways. Others were vast halls where he felt like a speck of dust. Monsters appeared often, and each time he was on the brink.
He fell.
Got back up.
Made mistakes.
Survived by a miracle.
Sometimes the dragon gave hints. Other times, it just watched in silence.
"Why don't you help constantly?" Sailor finally snapped after another fight, wiping blood from his chin.
"Because you'd get too used to it," the dragon replied calmly. "And habit is death. Especially for someone like you."
Sailor grimaced.
"Someone like me?"
"Weak," the dragon said without a hint of mockery. "But tenacious."
He didn't even notice how he had climbed higher.
40th.
42nd.
44th.
His body ached constantly. Sometimes he couldn't feel his fingers. Sometimes his vision swam so badly he had to walk almost by touch.
"I'm… progressing too slowly, aren't I?"
The answer came immediately.
"Yes," said the dragon. "Honestly—painfully slow."
Sailor gritted his teeth.
"I'm F-rank, for your information. I shouldn't be here at all."
"Exactly," the dragon chuckled. "Yet here you are. Which means no excuses."
On the 46th floor, he almost died.
The monster was fast. Too fast. One wrong move and its claws would have gone through his throat.
Sailor collapsed to his knees after the fight, breathing heavily.
"I… can't keep going like this."
A pause hung in his mind.
"You can," the dragon finally said. "But not like this."
A familiar window appeared before his eyes.
[System Store - Available]
Sailor blinked.
"A store?.. I thought it was unavailable to me because of… well, everything."
"It's available to you," the dragon said. "You're just too dense to use it."
Sailor opened the interface.
Weapons. Armor. Consumables.
The prices were… humiliating. Almost everything was beyond his means.
"I have almost nothing."
"I know," the dragon replied calmly. "So, get what I tell you."
An item lit up before his eyes.
[Rusty Novice's Blade]
[Quality: Low]
[Effect: Reduces stamina consumption]
Sailor stared at the description.
"…Seriously?"
"Seriously," the dragon confirmed. "You're not a fighter. You don't need damage; you need survival."
Sailor bought the blade.
The weapon appeared in his hand. Light. Unattractive. Almost pitiful.
"Suits me perfectly."
"Get used to it," the dragon chuckled. "As long as you're alive, it's enough."
They moved on.
A few floors later, Sailor suddenly slowed down.
The thought came unexpectedly.
"I… I need to go home."
The dragon fell silent.
"I have a family," Sailor continued quietly. "Parents. A sister. A brother. If I disappear…"
"You haven't disappeared," the dragon interrupted. "Yet."
Sailor frowned.
"How do you know about them?"
The pause was short.
"When we made the contract," the dragon said, "I gained access to your past. To all your memories."
Sailor stopped.
"…All of them?"
"All of them," it confirmed. "I know your sister's name. I know how you lied to your mother about not being afraid of the Tower. I know why you went there in the first place."
Sailor clenched his fists.
"And you… you just rummage through them like that?"
"It's not rummaging," the dragon replied calmly. "It's the price."
Sailor exhaled.
"…I need to get back."
A soft chuckle echoed in his head.
"Then," said the dragon, "stop being a weakling and climb faster."
The staircase ahead led upwards.
FLOOR: 47
Sailor stepped forward.