Two people sat in a high place, looking down at three people who were standing on a warp gate. A blue-colored circular platform around ten meters in diameter with a big blue round crystal inserted in the middle.

They continue to watch over their backs until they vanished in a bright light as they were teleported to the higher floor. After they were gone, the horned Ranker turned toward the white-haired Ranker and spoke casually.

"So, how strong she truly is?" Asked Locke.

The white-haired Ranker looked ahead with blank eyes. "Hmm… she is very strong. She could easily contend and beat the top C-ranked regulars. She has around the same physical strength as you."

"Really? That's some serious talent and physical strength she got there. I know she is a Princess of Zahard but my physical strength isn't that shabby even compared to you guys, members of the ten great families." Said Locke with his brows scrunched.

"Indeed, but that isn't the most important. What's amazing is that she could use the sword even far better than me, an Arie, when I was at her age." The Arie spoke solemnly.

"Are you serious? Didn't you say that only the Arie family members are able to use the sword to its maximum potential?" The horned Ranker spoke with an incredulous tone.

"I don't know. Maybe only the family head knows, he is the pinnacle of the sword, after all." His tone immediately changed as he spoke proudly when he talked about the Arie family head.

"What about those two, are they truly worthy to go up with the princess?" The white-haired Ranker asked back.

"Hahaha, she is a prodigy for sure but they are certainly more than worthy! Probably she knew that they were different from the rest from the beginning. That's why she took them as her teammates and climb the tower together." Locke laughed loudly as he answered him.

The white-haired Ranker scrunched up his brows in wonder as he said in a skeptical voice. "I knew that they performed very well in the floor test three years ago, especially that black-haired kid. But their enemies were nothing special and she took more than half of them anyway. I am skeptical about your claim."

"Ohhh, really? Why don't you look at this to see yourself whether they are worthy or not." The horned Ranker smiled as he teased him.

He raised his arms, one of them was bandaged. The bandage was stained with blood as it was painted red, most likely the wound was still bleeding.

He unrolled the bandage, showing what was behind it. It was a spiral wound as the muscles contorted in a shape similar to a whirlpool.

Seeing the wound, the white-haired Ranker's eyes almost pooped out. "What… did they really do this to you!? How did they manage to do it!?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, I taught them my favorite shinsu technique and apparently they managed to pierce my Shinsu resistance with it. I am a genius teacher, aren't I?" Locke smirked.

"Impossible, I know very well how much power regulars like them can put in a single bang. Those with amazing tension are extremely rare, after all, and I bet they are no different. Plus, it's not like they could create ten bangs each and combine them together to inflict that damage."

"Well, it's that black-haired kid who did it." He said calmly.

"Hmm? Now you make me interested… care to explain?" Said the Arie inquisitively.

"Unlike the usual usage of the Amplification Shinsu Control Style, he didn't attack from a distance but from close range. He executed it beautifully with his martial arts. He is the best martial artist I have seen, even those Rankers that we met might not be better than him in pure martial skill."

"Damn! It's another monster then. I am really excited about what they will become, it's been a long time since I felt it. Maybe we should get out of this job and go adventuring again? We work hard for nine hours and five days a week and our wages are only that much." The Arie grumbled when he talked about the wages.

"Damn, man! It's barely a few decades and you want to quit the job?" He exclaimed.

However, Locke became silent as he quickly pondered about it for a while.

"….. You are right about the wages tho. Maybe we should ask for a pay raise to the ruler and if we are rejected, we will just quit the job. Let that miser ruler do his job if he wants to keep his money."

"Okay, that's good but you are the one who's gonna ask him, not me."

"That's not fair, damn it! You want me to take the risk and enjoy the result!?"

"Hey, don't judge me like that! Nobody doesn't fear a High Ranker's wrath unless they are a High Ranker themselves."

They continued to bicker and joke around for a while before they stopped and got serious.

"Hey, let's just go and face it together like we always do." Said the Arie with a determined face.

"Alright, let's do it. We should set lighthouses somewhere first so we can easily escape if he decides to kill us and not pay our wages. He is a prick after all."

"Heh, you are right. Fortunately, I have you as the brain, maybe I would have long been dead as a nameless regular if I didn't meet you."

"Okay, stop being sentimental about the past!"

"Alright, sorry… I just can't help to look back after seeing those three."

"Well… it's the same, mate, seeing them having a bright future makes me think about my life decisions."

"Yea, right? Let's forget about asking for a pay raise and just quit instead. I want to go roaming around the tower again. If that lazy prick can become an above-average High Ranker just because he was talented and fated to be so, I want to see if we can do it as well."

"Yea, alright… let's go. The tower is vast, there are still so many places we haven't visited yet. Maybe we can find the answers somewhere among those."

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Everyone has their own will and desires. Although Locke and his friend aren't in any way, big figures in the tower, they have their own dream. Seeing the young and talented three, it rekindles the fire within their body to reach that dream again.