It had been four days since they advanced to the 2nd floor, and Neon was met with a scream the moment he awakened. Instinctively, he threw his blanket toward the noise and grabbed his dagger. Without thinking, he lunged at the figure, tackling it to the ground.
Before he could deliver a finishing blow, he yanked the blanket away and revealed the "threat."
"Master, it's too early to get so riled up! At least lower your knife!"
What he thought was a monster ambushing him in his sleep turned out to be his overly energetic disciple, who was somehow always like this in the morning.
"Alex? So it was you that screamed!? You fucking idiot!! Didn't I tell you to keep your voice down!?"
Neon sighed, lowered his knife, and landed a punch on Alex's head.
What a great way to start the day—mood ruined before his eyes even fully opened.
Alex, however, had his reasons. While he was used to Neon's volatility, today was different. Important.
"The day of Ernest Quelt's death? Why are you celebrating that? Have you gone mental or something?"
Neon squinted at the calendar on the system interface and saw the marked occasion: The Alchemist's End.
"Master, that's not it! I've told you before—the great Alchemist is my idol!"
"Your reaction makes sense though... You did say you've been stuck here for as long as you can remember. The Alchemist's End is a day to honor the hero who gave his life. We offer food and pray for his soul. Even his apprentice plays a big part in this day~"
That last line made Neon choke on his food.
'Apprentice...? Since when did I have an apprentice?'
Alex was the first person he taught—mostly combat, monster tactics. Not alchemy. But someone was out there claiming to be his apprentice?
'Could they be connected to my old party? Not all of them had the guts to betray me. There was a traitor among them... But who? Could this apprentice be linked to that betrayal?'
His expression darkened, and an ominous aura leaked from his body. He quickly composed himself before it attracted any monsters.
'It doesn't make sense. I never left behind any inheritance, no documentation of my recipes. And even if this so-called apprentice has talent, they'd need to surpass my intelligence. Which leaves only one possibility...'
They must be someone from my youth. Back when I was naïve... and didn't understand the dangers of stolen knowledge.
He sighed again. His injuries clouded his memory. Public duties and his time with the Guardian Association had buried too many crucial moments. Even if he tried, he couldn't recall anyone he might've unknowingly taught.
"That look on your face... Master, did you meet the legendary hero five years ago?"
Neon didn't answer.
"I'll take that silence as a no. You always avoid topics you're unfamiliar with."
Their meal ended in awkward silence, and soon after, they resumed exploring, heading toward the third floor.
Elsewhere, the world mourned. People of every nation paid respects to their fallen hero—stories of his life and legends passed from lips both young and old.
Yet amidst the prayers and memorials, tension suffocated the halls of global leadership.
"It's been a year and the system still hasn't warned us about the 78th Tower's location," said one official.
"Once the anniversary passes, the public will flood us with complaints again."
"The people are in a panic. Don't tell me you've all forgotten what happened to the Amazon Rainforest—what is now called the Dark Forest?"
Gathered were the world's leaders and the chairman of the Guardian Association.
[Henry Evans
Race: Human
Age: 67
Title: Veteran Guardian, The Association Chief, One of the First Guardians, Serpent of the East
Background: A retired veteran, one of the first awakened Guardians. Now the Association's chief.
Specialty: Azure Spear Arts]
"As my assistant said, we need your cooperation to locate the tower. Because you all rejected the laws proposed by the late Ernest Quelt, our hands are tied. If we don't want another Dark Forest incident, I suggest you reconsider."
The room went cold. Five years of refusal to follow Ernest's system laws had rendered the Association nearly powerless. They could no longer legally operate in hostile territories.
"Fuck!! Now those bastards are begging us to help? Secretary Kim, light my cigar. And while you're at it, bring me the wine..."
Henry muttered to himself in frustration, glancing at a framed photo.
'Old friend... If you were still alive, what would you do?'
Just then, a chilling presence entered.
"Eins...? What brings the underworld's boogeyman to this old man's office?"
Henry poured wine for the unexpected guest. Eins—the most wanted man in the world—stood before him.
"Told you I'd visit. Still nursing that injury? The invincible geezer brought low by a scratch, huh?"
They chuckled, but the atmosphere was heavy with unresolved grief.
"Without him, even we can't have a proper conversation anymore. You're not just here to drink, are you? You're here to see her?"
Eins downed his glass in one gulp.
"I owe him... He helped me overthrow the corrupt assholes in the underworld. I built everything in anticipation of his return. All I got was confirmation of his death. Even the system agrees—he's gone. So I'm here to fulfill my promise."
Known as a conman and criminal, Eins had stolen countless artifacts. Yet the one that haunted him most was the one he feared to use—the All-Seeing Eye.
And now, he would use it.
The vision burned through his mind—an enormous, jagged tower emerging from a toxic wasteland. A single glance revealed the truth:
The 78th Tower was located in the Dark Forest.
"EINS!! Are you okay!?"
Henry rushed to stabilize him, sealing the eye before it could consume him whole.
"Luckily, the artifact didn't trigger its side effects. But... I found it. The 78th Tower—it's inside the Dark Forest. Now, we just need the little apprentice to craft the antidote for the fumes. Speaking of her... where is she?"
"You know her. She's reading the same book over and over, trying to decode more of his recipes. Did I ever tell you how she became his apprentice?"
Henry paused, watching Eins closely.
"Back when Ernest was still a teenager... he found a newly awakened orphan. He gave her the only book he ever wrote in his entire life."