Chapter 40: The Floor That Watches Back

The eleventh floor took time.
Not because it was impossible to cross—but because Kael refused to let it remain unfamiliar.
They didn’t rush through it like most climbers. While others chose the fastest visible routes, finishing their tasks and moving forward, Team Snail moved differently. They explored, retraced, marked, and observed. Every turn, every ridge, every narrow passage was noted down in Kael’s rough but effective map. To anyone else, it might have looked like scattered lines and half-written words, but to Kael, it was clear, precise, and alive.
She understood the floor now.
Not completely.
But enough.

They learned its patterns.
Where creatures gathered.
Where the terrain shifted unexpectedly.
Where the safest routes became dangerous after dusk.

Aerin adapted to the rhythm first. His movements became more controlled with each passing day, his strength no longer wasted on unnecessary effort. He fought only when needed, and when he did, he ended it quickly. There was a quiet confidence building inside him now—not loud, not arrogant, but steady.
Mira, on the other hand, filled the silence with her voice, though even that had changed. She spoke less carelessly now, choosing her words more wisely, though her sharp tone remained untouched. She handled herbs, medicine, and supplies with increasing ease, often pointing out things the others would have missed entirely.
Kael watched both of them.
Guided them.
And quietly adjusted everything.

But there was another reason they took their time.
One she never said out loud.

Riven.
And the shard.

She knew there were more pieces.
The one she carried was proof of that.
It reacted.
It guided.
It wanted something.

So she searched.
Not just for paths.
But for signs.

They didn’t find anything on the eleventh floor.
No clue.
No reaction.
No trace.

Still—
It wasn’t wasted time.

When they finally stood before the entrance of the twelfth floor, the atmosphere changed again.
This time—
It wasn’t just the floor.

It was the people.

There were more climbers here than usual.
Not scattered.
Organized.
Watching.

The rumors had already reached this far.

Two climbers had disappeared on this floor.
And not just any climbers.
Experienced ones.

Guild teams had been deployed.
Not small groups either.
C-rank and B-rank climbers, spread across the entire floor, investigating every corner, every possible anomaly. Their presence alone made the twelfth floor feel different—controlled, observed, tense.

Mira crossed her arms as she looked around. “Feels crowded.”

Aerin nodded slightly. “Stronger climbers too.”

Kael didn’t respond immediately.
Her gaze moved across the area, scanning, measuring.

“No restricted zones,” she noted quietly.

Which meant—
They were free to move.

And they did.

Before stepping fully into the twelfth floor, the topic came up again.
The name.

“Snail,” Aerin said, almost proudly.

Mira groaned. “That’s not something to be proud of.”

“It means we’re steady,” Aerin argued. “We don’t rush. We don’t die.”

“It means we’re slow,” Mira shot back.

Aerin grinned. “Still alive though.”

Kael walked ahead.
“Move,” she said.

That was her answer.

They entered the twelfth floor.

It wasn’t dramatically different in appearance—but the pressure was there. Not visible, not loud, but present. The creatures were stronger, more aggressive, and the terrain less forgiving. Even the air felt heavier, as if the floor itself was aware of those walking through it.

They moved carefully.
Not slowly.
Carefully.

For four days, they explored.
Mapped.
Fought.
Observed.

They crossed paths with other teams occasionally—guild members who were clearly on a mission, scanning for signs of the missing climbers. Some glanced at Team Snail with mild curiosity, some ignored them completely.
None stopped them.

Rumors moved faster than people.

“Some teams went up to the thirteenth floor.”
“Nothing confirmed yet.”
“No bodies found.”
“No traces.”

The more Kael heard, the more certain she became of one thing.

This wasn’t normal.

But even after four days—
They found nothing.

No shard.
No trace of Riven.
No sign of struggle.

Just absence.

And that—
Was worse.

On the fourth day, Kael made the decision.
“We move up.”

Mira didn’t argue this time.
Aerin simply nodded.

The entrance to the thirteenth floor stood ahead, guarded not by silence—but by force.

Two massive bear-like creatures blocked the path.
Larger than anything they had faced before, their bodies thick with muscle, their claws heavy enough to tear through armor. Their presence alone was enough to make most climbers hesitate.

Aerin stepped forward instinctively.
Mira moved to the side.
Kael stayed back—
Watching.

But they weren’t alone.

Another team had arrived.

They didn’t interfere.
Didn’t step in.

They watched.

Observing.
Judging.

Kael noticed immediately.

So she adjusted.

“Don’t finish it too fast,” she said quietly.

Aerin understood.
Mira rolled her eyes.

The fight began.

Aerin took the front, clashing directly with one of the bears, his movements strong but slightly delayed—controlled to appear less efficient than he truly was. Mira circled the second, faster but holding back just enough to make her strikes look less precise.
Kael joined in, distracting, supporting, but never showing the full extent of her awareness.

They stretched the fight.
Made mistakes.
Recovered.

To anyone watching—
It looked like effort.
Struggle.

But it wasn’t.

And slowly—
Carefully—

They brought the beasts down.

The watching team remained silent.

Not impressed.
But not dismissive either.

Because even in their “struggle”—
Something didn’t feel right.

Kael wiped the edge of her dagger lightly.
“Move,” she said.

And without waiting—
They stepped toward the thirteenth floor.

Behind them—
Eyes followed.

Because Team Snail—
Wasn’t as slow as they seemed.

End of Chapter 40