"Ric, what is wrong with you?"
Jitto came jogging after Fenric the moment they cleared the school gate, wearing the expression of a brother whose teammate just sold a purple drop for copper. "You really turned down that opportunity? Are you… not into girls?"
He even side‑stepped a few paces, theatrically putting space between them.
"Get lost." Fenric gave him a side‑eye. "I just don't want to deal with that right now. The Samsara Tower is my real pursuit."
No outsiders were nearby, so he didn't bother pretending.
"…Alright then." Jitto believed him— mostly because the strength Fenric showed last time was way beyond 'safe-zone casual.' That wasn't an ordinary grind-run kid.
"By the way," Jitto lowered his voice, leaning in, "can you tell me how you cleared the First Stage of the Samsara Tower?"
"It's simple." Fenric kept his tone light. "You get half an hour of prep after entering, right? Use that window. Hit an archery club, grab the owner, strip the racks — bows, arrows, all of it. Then find a tall building, go to the roof, stay quiet, and pick zombies off from range. Don't make noise. They can climb stairs."
He left it there.
He wasn't about to hand out the optimal route. Not because he was stingy, but because exposing his real strategy was dangerous. On top of that, his previous trade with Aurora was enforced under the Samsara System's fairness protocols; sharing a "best clear" elsewhere could risk system penalties.
What he'd given Jitto could clear the floor — just not with a great rating.
Jitto's eyes lit up. "So that's how you did it? What evaluation?"
"A‑grade. Took out a few hundred zombies." Fenric lied without blinking.
"F**k! Brutal!"
But Jitto was visibly tempted.
Fenric added, "Think carefully before stepping into the Tower. Once you enter, there's no going back. Safe‑zone instance lock out after you clear the first stage. You can only push forward. And another thing: don't trust 'alliances' people shout about in the Tower. Nine out of ten are pits."
Jitto's expression turned serious. "Ric… thanks. No matter what happens later, you're my brother."
"Enough with the mother‑in‑law nonsense. Which way are you headed? Go already." Fenric swatted at him.
"One last thing! That beauty Isla really isn't bad. Not shallow, either. Don't waste it…"
With that parting bit of life advice, Jitto trotted off.
Arriving at his house, Fenric ate a simple supper, showered, and grabbed some sleep. At midnight sharp, he re‑entered the Samsara Space.
Aurora was already online — punctual as ever. Fenric sent a video request at once. She connected quickly.
"Shura?" Her tone held mild surprise. "Rare to see you reach out first. What's wrong?"
"Need to pick the old boss's brain." He smiled. "Drinks on me?"
She snorted. "Drop the 'boss'—or at least stop adding 'old.' Same teahouse as last night. Book a room and ping me."
Fenric reserved a private room for 100 points (rooms can't be number‑selected; his came up 1376, meaning 1,375 boxes had already been booked), then sent her the code.
The Samsara Space had become a second habitat for most Samsara players. Even on cooldown nights, people logged in out of habit.
Fenric was starting to do the same.
Private Room 1376
"Good evening," Aurora said as she entered.
"Please." Fenric gestured. "What'll you have?"
"Calm Tea."
She sat — composed but visibly tense. Her brows hadn't relaxed since she arrived.
Fenric ordered two cups, then studied her. "Your expression doesn't look great. Something happened?"
She nodded. "I'm pushing for the 28th floor tonight."
"..."
Fenric paused. No wonder.
For any Samsara, every Tower run was a walk across a knife edge. The higher you climbed, the thinner the blade.
"You confident?" he asked.
Aurora smiled wryly. "Who dares say they're confident in the Samsara Tower?"
Fair point. No run was guaranteed. Unless you knew the plot in advance — like him.
She waved the topic aside. "Enough about me. What did you want to ask?"
"I'm going into the Third Stage dungeon tonight," Fenric said. "I wanted to confirm some things. If you're willing to share?"
"You got another dungeon cooldown refresh card?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah."
"You're pushing too hard," she sighed. "There's a reason the Tower gives us a week between runs — physical recovery, mental reset. Going back in tired is how people die."
"I'm fine," he said with a shrug.
"..."
She held his gaze a beat, then gave in. "Alright. Since you bought tea, ask."
He hesitated, then went straight to it. "Ms. Morwyn, how did you clear it?"
"I chose the Navy camp," she said. "Participated in the Headquarters assessment. Finished fifth overall."
Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Adam took Navy too. He placed third."
Fenric's eyes narrowed slightly. "What did fifth place pay out?"
"A‑grade evaluation," she said. "8,000 points. And one Zoan‑type Devil Fruit."a