Chapter 63

The cape and vest did not look special.
That was the point.
Kael had spent hours in the quiet of the night shaping the fabric, adjusting the stitching, dulling the edges of perfection until they looked like something any decent crafter could make. Mira’s cape flowed lightly but not unnaturally, and Aerin’s vest sat firm against his shoulders, giving just enough support without drawing attention. There was nothing about them that would make someone stop and question.
And yet, when Mira wore the cape the next morning, she paused mid-step and turned her shoulders slightly, her eyes lighting up. “It feels… lighter,” she said, almost confused. “Like I can move easier.”
Aerin adjusted his vest, rolling his shoulders back before throwing a few practice punches into the air. “This is good,” he said with a grin. “Really good.”
Kael only nodded once, already turning away. “It fits. That’s enough.”
They didn’t question further. That was something Kael had come to rely on. They trusted her work without digging too deep, and she preferred it that way.
The rest of the day passed in routine. They mapped the remaining parts of the 25th floor, carefully marking resource points, creature patterns, and safe resting areas. By now, their map was no longer just rough lines and guesses—it had structure, memory, and understanding behind it. Even Mira had started adding her own small notes about herbs and their effects, while Aerin marked combat zones and monster movements.
When they finally stood before the entrance to the 26th floor, there was no hesitation.
The test came quickly.
Unlike earlier floors, it didn’t rely on a single creature or puzzle. Instead, it forced them into a sequence—waves of smaller enemies, each faster and slightly stronger than the last. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it demanded consistency. Focus. Endurance.
Aerin took the lead without being told, stepping forward with a steadier confidence than before. His movements were sharper now, less wasted motion, more intent. Mira stayed behind him, faster than ever, supporting and adjusting, her timing improving with each passing second. Kael didn’t stay back this time. She moved with them, not ahead, not behind—within.
They cleared it with only a few scratches.
Nothing serious.
Nothing worth stopping for.
The 26th floor welcomed them quietly.
It was wider than the previous ones, with uneven terrain and scattered formations of stone rising from the ground like broken teeth. The air felt heavier, not suffocating, but dense enough to slow careless movement. There were fewer creatures at first, but the silence itself felt like something to be careful around.
They spent the first two days exploring as usual, keeping distance from any unknown areas, mapping slowly, adjusting their routine to the terrain. It was on the third day that they saw them.
Another team.
Five climbers.
They weren’t loud or chaotic like the lower floor teams Kael had seen before. Their movements were controlled, their spacing deliberate. Weapons were drawn, but not unnecessarily. They noticed Team Snail almost immediately.
The distance between them closed slowly, neither side rushing.
Aerin was the first to speak, as usual. “You guys exploring too?”
One of them, a man slightly older than Aerin, gave a short nod. “Same as you.”
There was no mockery. No laughter. No mention of ‘Snail.’
Mira tilted her head, studying them openly. “You’re not from lower floors,” she said bluntly.
A woman in their group smirked slightly. “And you’re too young to be here.”
Mira puffed a little at that but didn’t snap back this time. “Still here though.”
That earned a faint chuckle.
Kael watched all of it silently, her eyes moving from one to another, measuring. Their stance, their breathing, the way they held their weapons even when relaxed. They were experienced. Not reckless. Not arrogant.
Useful, if needed.
But not necessary.
They ended up camping in the same general area that night, not together but close enough to be aware of each other. The firelight from both sides flickered against the uneven stone, shadows stretching and shrinking with every movement.
Aerin drifted toward them first.
It was natural for him.
By the time Mira followed, they were already talking—sharing small things, mostly about routes and creatures, nothing too revealing. Mira blended in easily after that, her sharp tongue softened just enough to sound more curious than confrontational.
“Do monsters here always move like that?” she asked at one point, sitting cross-legged near their fire.
“Sometimes,” one of them replied. “Sometimes they don’t.”
Mira frowned. “That’s not helpful.”
“It’s not supposed to be,” the woman said, smirking again.
Aerin laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah… we figured that out the hard way too.”
Kael didn’t join them.
She stayed at their own fire, quietly sharpening a blade that didn’t need sharpening, her attention drifting between the sounds of conversation and the silence of the floor itself. She listened more than she appeared to, picking up fragments—routes, timings, reactions—but she didn’t insert herself.
She never did unless needed.
The second day passed similarly.
They moved together for a short stretch, not as one team, but not entirely separate either. There were moments where they crossed paths, where Aerin exchanged a few words, where Mira asked something blunt and got a half-answer in return. There was no hostility.
Just distance.
At one point, they faced a group of creatures near a narrow ridge. Without planning it, both teams fought alongside each other—not coordinating, but not interfering either. Movements adjusted instinctively. Space shared without words.
It ended quickly.
Afterward, one of the climbers glanced toward Kael. “You don’t talk much.”
Kael met his gaze for a brief second. “Not needed.”
He didn’t push further.
By the evening of the second day, the distance returned.
The other team packed first.
“Stay alive,” the older man said casually as they prepared to leave.
Aerin grinned. “You too.”
Mira waved lightly, already turning back toward their own camp. “If we meet again, I’ll have better questions.”
The woman smirked. “Then I’ll have worse answers.”
They left without another word.
Silence returned to the floor, heavier than before.
Aerin stretched his arms behind his head, looking in the direction they had gone. “They weren’t bad.”
Mira nodded. “Better than most.”
Kael said nothing.
But as she looked down at the rough map in her hands, her fingers paused slightly over a path they hadn’t taken yet.
Different teams.
Different paths.
Same tower.
And still—
Something about it didn’t feel the same for her as it did for others.
She folded the map quietly.
“Move,” she said.
And they did.