Kim Hajun stared at the purple-eyed woman who was manipulating ice through the use of magic. Diamond Ice, the Frost Lord’s signature skill, why in the world would it be available as a hidden piece on the first floor of the tower? It was no wonder why he had never heard about it being discovered before he was sent back by Keulonoseu; someone would have to be strong enough to break a structure crafted by the skill in order to obtain it, and finding a non-explorer capable of dishing out that kind of damage was nearly impossible.

Crunch, munch, crunch.

Kim Hajun turned his head towards Vur, the humanoid dragon eating the hardened ice as if it were a piece of cooked spaghetti. Kim Hajun couldn’t help but grimace upon seeing the sight; after all, it was almost like watching someone eat shards of glass. “Doesn’t that hurt your teeth?”

“No,” Vur said. His voice sounded garbled. It probably had to do with the fact he had multiple rows of teeth, each one sharp and pointed, similar to a shark’s mouth. Kim Hajun was pretty sure dragons weren’t supposed to have that many teeth, but then again, he didn’t even know an overpowered skill was hidden on the first floor of the tower; he might as well have not known anything at all.

“Do you think the other temples have skills inside of them?” Stella asked. “We should check all of them just in case.”

“Well,” Lindyss said, putting the last piece of rubble away into her pocket. “Seeing as we can’t complete this temple’s trial anymore, we’ll have to go to another temple anyway to advance to the second floor.” She looked around at her companions. “Unless you want to wait ninety days.”

“We didn’t check to see if the temple’s interior would reset if we left and entered again,” Tafel said, raising her head. The piece of ice she was manipulating fell to the ground and melted into water.

“What?” Lindyss asked, raising an eyebrow. “One Diamond Ice skill wasn’t enough for you? I knew you were ambitious, but I didn’t think you’d be so greedy.”

Tafel’s cheeks turned pink, and she shook her head. “That’s not it. I mean, I wouldn’t mind having more skills, but, err, what if someone comes to the temple after we leave, and they waste their food on entering because they can’t proceed?”

“Tough luck,” Lindyss said and shrugged. “I doubt anyone other than us can find thirty days’ worth of food in a frozen wasteland like this, and if they’re able to, then they’ll be able to do it again.”

“Don’t you manage several kingdoms?” Tafel asked, her brow furrowing. “Shouldn’t you be a little more considerate of others?”

“Oh, sure,” Lindyss said and rolled her eyes. “Why don’t I wait here and hold people’s hands as they attempt the trial and pick them up when they fall too? People know what they’re getting into when they enter the tower. You think no one dies here? Do you not remember the size of those ants in the entrance exam?”

“Ah, I don’t want to get into a debate with you,” Tafel said and shook her head. “Let’s just see if Kim Hajun’s right about the temples resetting or not.”

***

The sun shone through a large window made from multiple pieces of stained glass. A woman with red hair and wearing black armor sat on a throne with her legs crossed, her gaze focused on a strip of wood wrapped around her gauntlet. There was a frown plastered on her face, and her green eyes were narrowed into near slits.

“Is something the matter, my liege?”

Mary raised her head. Kneeling before her, there was a man with the head of a jackal. He was shirtless, but because of the blocky tattoos inked on his body, it almost looked as if he were wearing a striped t-shirt. He had baggy white pants, and golden accessories adorning his neck and wrist along with two massive sapphire earrings hanging from the tips of his ears. Despite how large they were and how flimsy his ears seemed, they remained in an upright position.

“Didn’t you say if I sent someone an invitation, I would be notified if they accepted or rejected it?” Mary asked, glaring at the jackal-headed man.

“That’s correct, my liege,” the jackal-headed man said, keeping his eyes glued on the ground in front of Mary’s feet, the tips of her black greaves barely in his vision.

“Then why haven’t I been notified?” Mary asked, raising an eyebrow. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her red, metal throne. “Certainly, enough time has passed for the invitation to be delivered.”

“Perhaps … they haven’t responded to the invitation yet?” the jackal-headed man asked. “If they have tasks they haven’t wrapped up, they might not want to enter the tower until they’re done.”

Mary snorted, and her facial features relaxed. Although Vur and Tafel weren’t the busiest individuals she knew—in fact, they were probably the most carefree—they had more things to consider before going on an adventure unlike herself. “Who accepted the mission to deliver the invitation?”

“A guide named Hyeonnam Tokki, my liege,” the jackal-headed man said. “If you’d like, I can check to see if he’s still located within the tower. If he hasn’t left yet, that could also explain why you haven’t received a notification.”

Mary nodded. “Find him.” Her eyes narrowed, and she placed her left hand on the hilt of the sword resting against the throne. “If you do, bring him to me. Go.”

“As you wish, my liege,” the jackal-headed man said and rose to his feet, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. “Your loyal servant shall not fail you.”