When Arjun finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying on his own bed, the familiar ceiling coming slowly into focus. For a moment, everything felt distant and hazy—like he had surfaced from the depths of a dark ocean.
A sharp sting suddenly shot through his body as he tried to move.
"Hissss—"
The pain was immediate and unforgiving, forcing him to clench his teeth.
Across the room, Rohit was crouched near a small wooden table, grinding thick greenish paste with a stone mortar. The rhythmic sound stopped the instant he heard Arjun.
Rohit turned around, one eyebrow raised, a teasing smirk on his face. "Oh? Sleeping beauty finally decided to wake up?"
Arjun tried to push himself up again, but the pain flared even worse this time, spreading across his ribs and shoulders like fire.
"Don't," Rohit said quickly, setting the mortar aside and walking over. His playful tone softened. "Seriously, don't try to move. You look like you fought a war and lost half of it."
He gently pressed Arjun back onto the bed. "I've applied medicinal pastes to your wounds. Took me hours to clean and bandage everything. The herbs should speed up the healing, but only if you stay still."
Arjun blinked, his mind slowly piecing things together. His body felt heavy, wrapped in layers of cloth and the faint scent of crushed leaves.
"How long… was I out?" he muttered weakly.
Rohit crossed his arms, exhaling. "You were out for at least half a day".
Arjun let out a slow breath of relief, his chest rising carefully to avoid the dull ache that still lingered beneath the bandages.
Seeing this, Rohit crossed his arms and said, "Don't look so relaxed yet. You need at least one more full day of rest to properly recover. The herbs can only do so much if you keep pushing yourself."
Arjun gave a small nod. He knew Rohit was right.
But then—
His eyes widened slightly.
"The symbol…"
He quickly raised his trembling hand and looked at his palm. The faint mark carved into his skin pulsed softly with a green glow.
[Wood Core Fragments – 27%]
His expression fell.
"…Damn it."
In the chaos and panic earlier, he had forgotten to seal the symbol properly. Without containment, some of the condensed fragments must have dissipated into the air. What could have been over thirty percent… was now stuck at twenty-seven.
He clenched his jaw in frustration.
Rohit noticed the shift in his expression. "Hey," he said firmly. "Don't start sulking. Be happy you're alive. You were half-dead when we brought you back."
Arjun didn't respond immediately.
Rohit shook his head. "I'll go inform the others that you're awake. If they hear it from someone else, they'll barge in and reopen your wounds with their excitement."
With that, he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Silence filled the space.
Arjun slowly exhaled and focused inward.
"Status."
A translucent blue window shimmered into existence before his eyes.
[Name: Arjun]
Level: 5
His eyes froze on one line.
Level: 5.
For a second, he simply stared.
"…It increased."
A slow smile spread across his face.
His level had gone up by one.
Despite the loss of fragments… despite the near-death experience… he had still grown stronger.
Only then did he allow himself to show genuine joy.
The pain in his body didn't matter.
The fragments could be gathered again.
But a level—
A level meant proof.
Proof that he was climbing.
And proof that he was still in the game.
The door burst open without warning.
"Arjun!"
Divya rushed inside, her footsteps uneven, breath trembling. The moment her eyes landed on him lying on the bed—bandaged, pale, but conscious—her composure shattered.
She hurried to his side.
"You idiot…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Tears pooled in her eyes as she gently held his shoulder, careful not to hurt him. Relief and fear mixed on her face, emotions battling for control.
"Are you alright? Does it hurt? Why didn't you think properly before—"
"It's fine now," Arjun interrupted softly, managing a faint smile. "I'm alive, aren't I?"
Divya wiped her tears angrily. "That's not funny."
From behind her, Rohit leaned against the wall. "He'll need at least one more day to fully recover. The wounds were deep. If he moves too much, they'll reopen."
Divya shot Arjun a warning look. "You're not stepping outside this room."
Arjun raised both hands slightly in surrender. "Okay. Okay."
Within minutes, the rest of the group crowded into the room. The air became heavier—not with panic this time, but with unspoken realization.
Tim stepped forward, arms crossed, his usually relaxed expression serious. "We heard you nearly died."
Arjun didn't deny it.
"What happened?" Tim asked. "Those injuries weren't from a normal fight."
The room fell silent.
Arjun exhaled slowly before speaking. "It was a wolf. Not an ordinary one. Its level was higher than mine… much higher."
A ripple of tension passed through the group.
"I underestimated it," Arjun continued. "At first, I thought it was just another monster. But its speed… its strength… it was on a different level."
He paused briefly, remembering the suffocating killing intent, the glowing eyes in the dark.
"I had no choice. I took the Berserk Pill."
Divya's fingers tightened around the bedsheet. "You what?"
Rohit's expression darkened. "That drug boosts your stats temporarily… but the backlash—"
"—nearly killed me," Arjun finished calmly.
The room went completely still.
Tim stared at him. "You're telling me… you fought a higher-level monster alone… used a forbidden enhancement item… and survived?"
"Barely," Arjun admitted.
Everyone looked stunned.
Until now, the Tower had felt dangerous—but manageable. They had fought small monsters, cleared minor threats, and gained levels steadily. It felt like a harsh training ground.
But this…
This was different.
A high-level predator could appear anytime.
There were no warnings.
No safety nets.
Divya lowered her gaze. "So even if we're careful… we could run into something far stronger than us?"
"Yes," Arjun said quietly.
The weight of that truth settled over them.
The Tower wasn't a game.
It didn't scale gently.
It didn't guarantee fair fights