Tower of Paradise

KathyIn broke the silence with a surprisingly direct response:

—Even if we flee, nothing will change. Even if I flee and you two die. I'll end up here in the end anyway. And if I flee, it's more likely that you two will die.

—Good. Then we have to fight together —I concluded—. Because two is better than one, and three is better than two.

KathyIn nodded and smiled, pleased by my words. Beside her, Caria exhaled slowly, as if releasing an invisible weight.

There was no error in my logic. It was an extremely rational and reasonable thought and choice.

But in a life-or-death situation like this, I knew there weren't many people who could think and judge with such clarity. Emotions clouded judgment, and fear often prevailed over reason.

Would our plan work? Because there were only three of us? None of us should leave, we were very few. I wondered what would have happened if ten people had followed this test as originally planned.

A selfish person might have left the town thinking: "It's just me." Someone who felt uncomfortable with the decreasing number of people might run away again. As the number decreased, the risk naturally increased. With each death, the difficulty level would rise exponentially.

The key was that no one should leave the village. This was the essence of this floor, the true test behind the apparent simplicity of the challenge.

—Well, that's good. —Without waiting for a response, I turned around and walked away.

The girls hesitated for a moment before following me. Although I couldn't be completely sure of our mission, I thought that with just three we could hunt more monsters and increase our soul fragments much faster. Efficiency would partially compensate for the numerical disadvantage.

—I think this is the rock.

Upon reaching a huge rock of almost three meters, I touched it, feeling its rough texture.

—Well, we've already taken a look. What now? —Asked Caria impatiently.

I didn't respond. I preferred to observe the rock thoughtfully with my head slightly tilted to one side, analyzing its structure and possible significance in this scenario.

Suddenly, the ground around the rocks where we were standing opened with a dull roar. My body immediately tensed as I looked around, all my senses on high alert. Without hesitation, I invoked my weapon. The spear appeared in my hands, its familiar weight providing a sense of security amid the imminent chaos.

—They don't even let us rest. Get ready! —I warned, positioning myself defensively.

The air around us suddenly changed. A cold wind hit my face as the atmosphere became eerie. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end at the unmistakable sensation of being watched by hostile eyes.

A rotten hand with sharp claws extended from beneath the split ground. A chill ran down my spine when dozens more emerged in unison, like a macabre, perfectly synchronized orchestra.

The beings emerging from beneath the ground were gray zombies with rotten faces, but equipped with thick, sharp teeth. Some had a hole where the nose should be, and others had worms writhing in their putrid mouths. They were repugnant, even for someone like me who had seen many things.

All of them positioned themselves to attack, with their tufts of hair bristling and their teeth exposed. I quickly analyzed their movements: slow but unpredictably dangerous.

—Make sure to defend the rock so it doesn't break. —I ordered— That's what you two are going to do.

I didn't wait for a response. My priority was to protect that mysterious object.

However, Caria had other plans.

I looked with frustration as Caria completely ignored my orders, acting impulsively on her own. I clicked my tongue, dissatisfied. This type of behavior put the entire plan at risk.

Her body moved in an instant, her feet were so fast they could barely be seen. KathyIn and I watched her movements in amazement.

In the blink of an eye, she had already cut off a zombie's head, which went flying while the body fell heavily to the ground.

Dozens of zombies simultaneously recognized Caria as an enemy and ran towards her with terrifying determination. However, some ignored her and headed straight for the rocks.

—Damn it. —I cursed under my breath.

I leaned forward and channeled my energy towards the spear I was holding. My E grade provided me with enough power to shape my stellar energy, wrapping the weapon with a bluish layer that significantly increased its destructive power.

KathyIn and I brandished our weapons as we were surrounded by more than ten zombies that jumped towards us with their claws extended. These monsters were no joke! A single claw from them and any steel could break against their terrifying strength.

I felt sweat soaking my forehead as I noticed how KathyIn paled slightly. The zombies that had just emerged now seemed slightly intimidated, cautiously maintaining their distance while studying us with their eyes devoid of intelligence.

I knew their weakness was in the head. No matter how much damage we inflicted on the rest of the body, they would continue moving as long as their heads remained intact.

Their movements were more complex than expected: slow and predictable until, suddenly, they attacked with alarming speed. This pattern of behavior required a constant level of concentration to anticipate their attacks.

I saw how Caria was momentarily distracted by the growing number of zombies. The claws of one passed grazing her chin as she tilted her head back at the last second to evade the attack that nearly took off her head.

She split the gray zombie's body in two with an upward movement of her dagger. But another zombie was already upon her, its claws cut her back leaving ugly scars as drops of blood flew through the air.

I heard her grunt of pain as she quickly turned to decapitate the zombie with a single slash.

—Ahhhh! —her scream tore through the air.

A zombie head that she had previously cut off bit her ankle with a powerful jaw. Caria plunged her dagger into the gray head, smashing it like a watermelon, but the damage was already done. She couldn't move her left leg, visibly limping, and it was evident that she could no longer move her leg normally.

The situation was more difficult than I had initially calculated. The variables multiplied and the risks increased exponentially with each passing minute.

I moved instinctively, positioning myself in front of Caria with a quick shift. My spear became blurry as I cut off the claws directed at her, which fell harmlessly to the ground.

—T-thanks... —Caria muttered, visibly pale.

—Next time, don't act without thinking and follow orders. —I replied dryly, not looking at her as I finished off the zombie by piercing its head with my spear.

[You have killed a zombie (F)]

I felt no pity for her. Everything that had happened to her were the direct consequences of her own impulsive actions. In situations like this, discipline and teamwork were not optional, but essential for survival.

I looked at KathyIn, who nodded solemnly. Although her face didn't show much expression, I could notice how her knuckles were white from the force with which she gripped her sword. It wasn't just me who was frustrated by the turn of events; she also understood the gravity of our situation.

As dozens of zombies emerged from their underground hiding places, they began to snap their jaws producing low, threatening growls that filled the air with a macabre chorus.

Individually, the zombies didn't represent a great threat. Their strength was mediocre and their movements predictable. However, after a dozen exhausting minutes of incessant combat, the seemingly endless quantity that decreased with agonizing slowness began to take its toll on us.