“Hey, Kax, you alright there, buddy?” Stella asked, flying out of Vur’s chest and landed on the ground by the red-haired man. Despite being stomped on by a dragon’s leg, the man was unharmed; the same couldn’t be said for the ground. There was a person-shaped indent made in it that Kax’s body was currently filling.

Kax grunted and raised his arms, pressing them against the ground, pushing himself up as if he were climbing out of a swimming pool. He looked at Kim Hajun and frowned. “What was that?” the red-haired man asked before spitting on the ground as he climbed to his feet. “You were a summoner?”

Kim Hajun took in a deep breath through his nose. His entire body was trembling, and sweat rolled from his forehead all the way down to his chin before dropping to the ground. He ignored Kax’s question and turned towards Lindyss. “I won,” he said and exhaled out a shaky breath. “Do you think I’m worth investing in now?”

Lindyss rubbed her chin. “A deal’s a deal,” she said and took out the parchment that Kim Hajun had signed. Purple flames engulfed it, turning the sheet into ashes. “Congratulations on keeping your soul.”

Kim Hajun exhaled. As his breath left his body so did his energy. The well-dressed man crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, taking in shaky breaths. A green light washed over him, and his exhaustion and soreness disappeared as if the previous fight had just been a dream. Kim Hajun blinked and sat up, touching his stomach where Kax had struck him. His internal organs had definitely been damaged to the point where he’d be peeing out blood for the next week, but now, he felt perfectly fine. His eyes followed the remaining wisps of green light, and his gaze landed on Vur.

“Was that my leg?” Vur asked, staring straight into Kim Hajun’s eyes.

A chill ran down Kim Hajun’s spine, and he did his best to fix his expression while adjusting his sitting posture. “Yes,” the well-dressed man said and took a blank card out of his pocket. “My innate ability allows me to record and release a being’s mana signature. While you were transferring me from the mountain to your shelter, I used that time to record your leg.”

“Why his leg?” Stella asked, flying away from Kax to hover over the blank card. “Why didn’t you record his head? I’m sure Vur’s head is much more useful than his leg.”

Kim Hajun cleared his throat. “While I was being transported, Vur held me with his claws, and I didn’t have a good view of his face. I can only copy things I have a crystal-clear image of.”

“That’s an interesting ability,” Tafel said, raising an eyebrow. “Did you use it to defeat the ant queen? We saw traces of lightning there, but you haven’t shown anything related to it.”

Kim Hajun nodded. “I recorded Hyeonnam Dogsuli, the eagle guide.” He saw the look on Lindyss’ face and cleared his throat while climbing to his feet. “Innate abilities are granted by the tower when one becomes an explorer, but I unlocked mine a bit earlier by striking a deal with Hyeonnam Dogsuli.”

“A bit?” Kax asked, furrowing his brow. “This is the first floor. Explorers appear on the fiftieth floor.” The red-haired man lowered his head, watching as the silver mist receded from his body before reentering Vur. “What deal did you make to gain such a strong power?”

Kim Hajun took in a deep breath. “Just like as I’ve done now, I proved my worth. I defeated all the competitors who accompanied me to the tower and asked Hyeonnam Dogsuli to invest in me. He gave me an innate ability orb, the reward for clearing the fiftieth floor, and in return, I’ll help him achieve the title of Gaegukja in the future when I’m strong enough.”

Kax exhaled and went back to retrieve his weapon that he had left on the ground. He went up to Lindyss and dropped to his knees. “I’ve failed you. Please, punish me.”

“Alright,” Lindyss said and nodded as if Kax’s words made perfect sense. “As punishment, I want you to answer a question of mine.”

Kax kept his gaze on the ground. “Ask me anything.”

“Sometimes you refer to yourself as Kax. Sometimes you use I.” Lindyss tilted her head to the side. “Why is that?”

“I’m a—.” Kax grimaced, and his face contorted. His teeth ground together for a second before his facial features relaxed. “Kax climb tower. Sometimes, new environment confuses Kax. Words come out in ways Kax don’t mean to say.”

“Right,” Lindyss said, her eyes slightly narrowing. “I figured as much.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Tafel asked.

“Nothing wrong with Kax,” Kax said. “Kax tired, upset over loss to pretty boy.”

Kim Hajun blinked twice. The correct term was handsome, not pretty boy. Never in his life nor in his prophetic dream had he been referred to that way. However, Kim Hajun was relieved to hear Kax had acknowledged his defeat. Without another trump card recorded, Kim Hajun didn’t think he’d be able to defeat the red-haired man if they were to fight again right now. To prevent the group from getting too comfortable to the point where they’d want to see a rematch, Kim Hajun cleared his throat. “Shall we search through the rest of the temples for hidden pieces? Although we just entered the first floor, some regions are still operating from previous exams. If we don’t hurry, someone else might discover the pieces first, and we’ll have to redo the exam if we want another shot at obtaining them.”

“You didn’t even know Diamond Ice was hidden in this temple,” Lindyss said. “How are you so sure there are other pieces hidden away?”

A wry smile appeared on Kim Hajun’s face. “I’m not sure, but doesn’t it seem like a logical conclusion?”

“It does,” Tafel said and nodded. “C’mon, Auntie, we should hurry up.”

Lindyss snorted and rolled her eyes. “But before we go, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.”

“A bridge?” Tafel asked, furrowing her brow. “Why?”

Lindyss shook her head before narrowing her gaze on Kim Hajun. The well-dressed man didn’t hear any words, but he understood her meaning just fine. Trust wasn’t built in a day; he’d have to slowly work his way into her good books.