Denzel stared at the ruins, a strange sense of déjà vu creeping over him. His instincts kicked in as he realized that Ryan was no longer by his side. He searched the area in vain, but the stone walls and eerie silence gave no clue to Ryan's whereabouts. With a resigned sigh, Denzel did what seemed the most logical: he explored the ruins.
As he moved deeper into the ancient structure, an eerie pull settled in his chest. The feeling reminded him of the time when the Psycho Mask had called to him in the Goblin's Den. This time, however, it was the ruins themselves that beckoned him forward. Denzel's grin widened, his eyes glowing a faint red as a black aura began to swirl around him.
The moment he stepped further into the heart of the ruins, the ground shook violently. An earthquake rocked the place, but to his surprise, the old stone remained intact. Denzel pressed on, walking down a narrow passage where the skeletons of long-dead beings lay scattered across the floor. It was clear that a great battle had once taken place here.
Soon, Denzel entered a large room. A throne room, by all appearances. Four thrones sat atop a raised altar, empty but commanding. As his gaze swept over the room, the weight of realization hit him. His face grew pale.
"F**k… this place… how does it exist on the 20th Floor, and why is it in such a state?" He froze. "This is the Elven…"
Before he could finish his thought, a deep, commanding voice interrupted him, sending a chill down his spine.
"Indeed, it is the Alpha Elven Kingdom's Palace. But do not worry… it belongs to another timeline."
Denzel's heart skipped a beat. The voice sounded eerily familiar, but it was much clearer than the last time he'd heard it—back in the dungeon.
"I guess this is my lucky day... You're the same person as the Goblin King, aren't you?" Denzel said, his grin returning.
"You're as quick-witted as ever, Denzel De Renter… We finally meet again."
"I don't remember giving you my name…" Denzel's tone shifted, his senses on high alert.
"Hahaha… I know a lot about you. I even know about your past life…" The voice chuckled ominously.
---
Meanwhile...
[Location: Unknown, The Tower]
In a colossal library with shelves that stretched into infinity, four beings sat around a round table. The first was a male dark elf, his expression sharp and calculating. The second, a short, grumpy dwarf, gripped a hammer tightly in his hand. The third, a calm and composed elemental spirit, sipped tea as if the meeting were nothing more than an inconvenience. Lastly, the pale-skinned woman in a red and black gown, the vampire, sat at the head of the table, her piercing red eyes giving off an almost hypnotic pull.
The vampire's voice broke the silence.
"I trust you all have finished your tea? Let's begin the meeting. I sent you all a message with the details of the situation. I hope you've read it."
The others nodded silently. After all, no one dared to go against the vampire—Issabella.
"These events have unfolded on the lower levels of the Tower. Two players have been clearing the floors at a rate never seen before. Their actions are defying all the tower's limits. I did some research, and found something in the 'Tower Records'." She gestured, and two books flew from the shelves into her hands. "The blonde one is S-ranked—Ryan—and the dark-haired one is Denzel. Their threat level is Beta. They were kept under wraps until they reached the 20th Floor, after which they simply… disappeared."
Issabella's eyes glinted darkly. "Lola reported to me that they vanished from the floor, leaving no trace behind. Such manipulation of the Tower is unheard of. These beginners did it with ease. Lola, please show them the footage."
The elemental spirit, Lola, raised her hand. A screen flickered into existence, showing the footage from the cave. It played out in real-time, until it suddenly cut out the moment Denzel and Ryan entered the forest.
"As you can see, these two caused a rift in the Tower that even we, the administrators, cannot access," Issabella continued. "Ryan's records are fine, but Denzel's…" She handed the book detailing Denzel's records to the others, but no one could open it. The shock was palpable. "His records are locked."
"This is why I called this emergency meeting," Issabella said, her voice tinged with seriousness. "We have a rogue amongst us."
A heavy silence followed. The dark elf, Teel, grinned. "A rogue? That's… rare. Almost unheard of. But if you say so, we can't question your decision. But let me handle this rogue."
"Sorry, Teel, but I think it's better if the administrator of the lower floors handles this. Right, Lola?" Issabella's gaze shifted to the elemental spirit.
Lola gave a calm nod. "I'm fine with it. Just give me some time to deal with him."
"What about you, Bulzak?" Issabella turned to the dwarf.
Bulzak grunted. "None," he muttered, clearly uninterested.
The meeting continued, with plans being made to handle the rogue situation. The administrators—powerful beings who controlled each floor of the Tower—had all agreed that Denzel was a rogue player, a threat whose existence couldn't be traced by their systems.
Each administrator controlled 25 floors:
Floors 1–25: Lola (Elemental Spirit)
Floors 26–50: Bulzak (Dwarf)
Floors 51–75: Teel (Dark Elf)
Floors 76–99: Issabella (Vampire)
Denzel's fate had just taken a dramatic turn. His enemies were now the very beings who controlled the Tower itself. How could he possibly survive against such power? Only time would tell…
END OF CHAPTER