Chapter 64 (LXIV) The Next Floor

[Modified Challenge Completed!]

[The gauntlet of La Sexta Isla is complete! You have survived the allotted time and come out alive! Focus on increasing your techniques further; you will be a natural blade master climbing these floors in no time! Good luck!]

[Reward: 6/10 Modified Challenges Completed! Complete all ten to receive the reward!]

Jackson sighed as he fell to the ground, lying in the sand as the green orbs appeared in the air and began leading away. He felt exhausted beyond belief after spending three whole days fighting off wave after wave of monsters every four hours. Now here he was, entirely spent.

He couldn't help feeling disappointed, though—he had wanted to see Sera again and get more information about Khione and Umbra. That was why he had pushed himself hard these past few days. Yet now that he had achieved victory over the island, he felt conflicted regarding climbing the tower.

'What if I can't ever find her again? What if she isn't on the higher floors?' Those questions kept running through his mind, making it difficult for him. So he focused on training instead, hoping to clear his mind.

After resting for a short time, he gathered his weapons, armor, and supplies, packed up his campsite neatly, returned the cartridge to the case and walked toward the portal to the next floor.

Ultimately, he decided if Sera could leave on her own, he should be able to find her on other floors. And so, he stepped through the gate, leaving behind the sixth level of the tower.

The sky was bright blue, dotted by only a few white clouds. The sun shone brightly overhead, warming the land pleasantly as he walked down an empty path leading from the island's center.

Considering how dangerous everything else seemed, the scenery was much more peaceful than he had expected. No matter where he went in The Tower, he always encountered danger; even across Terra, outside of God's Tower was filled with traps explicitly set for players.

But there were no such dangers here, which in and of itself felt like a trap to Jackson. He was sure there was something wrong with this place, so he tried to keep alert at all times. He held his swords firmly in their sheaths and scanned his surroundings constantly.

Similarly, with all the previous floors, there was a short cooldown before the seventh floor trial occurred and the sixth floor trial ended; the portal remains open temporarily.

During this time period, Jackson wandered aimlessly through the forest. He found no sign of anyone living there; the area was eerily quiet. Eventually, he grew tired of walking around without an idea of where he needed to go and returned to the small clearing where the portal to the sixth island was located in the center.

The spot was marked by a large stone pillar, and he decided to set up his new campsite here. He established the tent close to the pillar with the large campfire and cooking tools, then gathered wood and water to make dinner. He also ensured he had plenty of supplies for the upcoming days.

Once he was done preparing, he laid out his bedroll and sat down on it, placing his two swords on either side of him. He ate food and drank water before setting out on another training session.

This time, he meditated, focused on improving his swordsmanship even further,  imaging various techniques against the same pack of wolves he'd been facing since yesterday afternoon. His movements became smoother and faster as he practiced, gradually becoming better at dealing with multiple opponents at once and learning when to dodge rather than blocking attacks outright.

His skills improved steadily as he continued to practice. His image training helped him visualize each move in detail and allowed him to perform them perfectly. He could feel his mind growing sharper and stronger as he continued.

After a while, he stopped to rest, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes. He breathed slowly and deeply, focusing on relaxing every muscle in his body. His heart rate slowed, and he began breathing normally again.

He continued practicing his meditation technique, repeating the cycle many times. Eventually, his body began to relax fully. His heartbeat calmed down, and his muscles relaxed.

As his body began to sink deeper into relaxation, he began to hear faint sounds coming from somewhere nearby. At first, they sounded distant, but soon, he realized it wasn't just his imagination. Someone was approaching him from afar.

He opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He waited patiently for several minutes, but nothing happened.

"Is someone there...?" he asked aloud. "I don't think it's my imagination..."

There it was again...the sound of footsteps. He could tell it was definitely not his imagination. He stood up and looked around. He could still see the light from his campfire, but he could not see anything moving.

He took a step forward, trying to get a look at who was out there. He thought he could see a shadowy figure standing in the darkness of the trees, but he couldn't be sure.

He rushed over, but he couldn't find anything or anyone when he arrived. He stared into the shadows, searching carefully, and then he heard the sound again.

"Whoever you are, come out!" he shouted.

The shadowy form had yet to respond. Instead, the sound of footfalls approached from behind him. He spun quickly, raising his sword and pointing the tip forward, but he was once again met with emptiness.

"Show yourself, damn it! Who the hell do you—"

The voice came from directly above him. It was a woman speaking in a low whisper.

"About time you showed up!" Jackson froze as he raised his head, watching the hooded figure fall through the skies, and took a step back.

The speaker landed in front of him, standing as he finally got a good look. She wore a black cloak with a hood covering most of her face.