Chapter 189: Anonymous
"It’s not even close to the cycle," the first said, continuing, his tone dipping further into annoyance. "We’ve got, what, twenty days before the floor opens properly?"
"Something like that," the other replied, scratching idly at his neck. "No one’s supposed to come through. Whole thing’s a waste of time."
They fell quiet after that, the kind of silence born from shared disinterest rather than thought. There was no vigilance in them, no expectation of change. To them, this was an assignment with no purpose, a post where nothing happened.
Kael walked past them without a sound.
Neither of them reacted. Their eyes remained fixed in their general directions, their bodies unmoving, completely unaware that someone had already passed between them. [Presence] held firmly, masking him not only from sight but from notice itself. It was not just invisibility, it was irrelevance.
He crossed the intake zone at a steady pace, observing everything as he went. The gates ahead were open wide, large enough to allow a constant flow of people and goods, yet entirely unguarded in any meaningful way.
There were no inspections, no checks, no preparations for incoming climbers. The absence of structure where there should have been some told him more than any explanation could.
They were not ready.
The floor had not been meant to end yet, and whatever system governed this place had forced a change faster than those responsible could react to it.
Kael stepped beyond the threshold and into the space outside.
The environment opened up immediately, expanding into a network of structured roads that led deeper into what was unmistakably a city.
Buildings rose in organized rows, their construction intact and maintained, lit by a steady, unnatural glow embedded into the surroundings themselves. This looked like those cities from the middle ages. Where inns and taverns mixed in with tiled roofs of decently kept houses. No skyscrapers, no cities of steel and concrete. A city from a tale or a story about princess and dragons instead. A city to inspire adventure. A city that would make death feel like the reward for being evil while honor for the victor always.
At least, it was not the chaotic ruin of the first floor, but something controlled, something stable. There was life here, though sparse this close to the gate. Figures moved in the distance, unconcerned, unaware of the shift that had just taken place behind them.
He slowed slightly, allowing himself a moment to take it in while remaining concealed. This was not a place built for survival alone. It was a place people stayed in.
That realization had barely settled when the world shifted again, not physically but systemically. A faint pulse passed through the air, subtle yet undeniable, resonating in a way that felt tied directly to the Tower itself. Kael’s gaze lifted instinctively, and that was when he saw it.
A massive translucent board stretched across the sky above the city, its presence impossible to ignore. Names filled its surface, arranged in precise order, some marked with symbols or identifiers that suggested affiliation or status. It was not static. It moved, adjusted, updated in real time.
Then a new entry appeared.
Clean, immediate, placed at the very top.
It carried no embellishment, no flourish, only information.
First Floor – Fastest Clear.
Leon Pixar
---
And then a notification appeared in front of Kael immediately afterward.
[You have achieved the fastest clear of the first floor so far. Would you like to have your name forever remembered in the Hall of Honor?]
Kael immediately refused.
The large board immediately shifted.
First Floor – Fastest Clear.
Updated!
Anonymous!
Solo Clear, Full contribution!
---
For a moment, Kael simply looked at it. There was no confusion in his expression, only recognition of what it meant.
"...Of course," he muttered quietly.
The Tower did not allow achievements like that to go unnoticed. There would be no ambiguity in what had happened, no room for interpretation. Anyone who looked at that board would understand it clearly.
The entire floor had been cleared by a single individual, and that individual was almost marked for everyone to see.
His jaw tightened slightly as the implications settled in.
Recognition here was not a reward. It was exposure.
And exposure meant attention.
If there were clans in the normal tower, there had to be clans here. It’s obvious from all the different banners propped up all over the city. And these clans would respond to this change. Someone capable of clearing a floor alone was not something they would ignore, not in a place built around control and accumulation of strength.
Worse than that, the possibility he had already considered began to solidify. If any members of the Sun Clan had survived the collapse of the first floor and made it here ahead of him, then they already knew enough to make things complicated. The Basilisk, the hidden boss, the loot, none of that would stay quiet if it benefited them to speak.
Kael exhaled slowly, forcing the thought aside before it could grow into something distracting. Thankfully, he chose right. Thankfully, he used [Presence] before entering, and thankfully, he didn’t choose immediate attention and fame.
Fame this early was not useful. It was dangerous.
He needed time, and time required distance from attention.
Movement behind him broke his focus.
It was sudden and sharp, carrying a sense of urgency that had been entirely absent moments ago. Kael turned his head just enough to observe without exposing himself, his attention returning to the intake zone.
Figures were entering rapidly, far more than the two that had been stationed there before. Their movements were purposeful, coordinated, and immediate. Armor gleamed under the ambient light, far more refined than anything he had seen on the first floor. Weapons carried a presence of their own, heavy with power even without being drawn.
These were not guards.
They were representatives.
Clan members.
Climbers.
Different insignias marked them, different styles of equipment and posture setting them apart, but their intent was the same. They had received the notification, and they had come running.
The first floor had ended.
And now they were here to claim whatever had come out of it.
Kael watched for only a moment longer as the previously idle guards straightened awkwardly, their earlier indifference replaced by a rushed attempt at composure. It was already too late for that to matter. The situation had moved beyond them.
He turned away from the scene without hesitation.
Remaining there held no value. Being seen held risk.
With [Presence] still wrapped around him, Kael stepped further into the city, blending into its structure without leaving a trace. The noise behind him grew as more clan members arrived, voices rising, orders being given, confusion turning into controlled response.
None of it touched him.
For now, he remained unseen, unclaimed, and unbound by whatever expectations this place imposed on others.
For now that is...