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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Blitzing the First Hierarchy
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In front of the swarm of man-sized rats charging toward them.
Havel drew his sword experimentally.
'Let's test it.'
At that moment, the aura coating his blade shone with a clear, brilliant light.
Whoosh!
Right after, he swung a strike meant only to check the enemies' advance.
Krunch!
"Squeak!"
In that instant, the rats at the front exploded into pieces.
Havel blinked.
It had clearly been a probing attack, yet they'd all been annihilated.
'Is there some kind of follow-up strike after death?'
He braced himself, but as expected, nothing happened.
"Did you do that, Mr. Havel?"
Dante, who hadn't even been able to track the sword with his eyes, gasped in astonishment.
Havel narrowed his eyes.
'The Demonic Palace's first hierarchy killed countless people back then.'
Were the Tower's first hierarchy and the Demonic Palace's first floor hierarchy different?
Or...
'Have I grown overwhelmingly stronger compared to back then?'
He couldn't honestly deny it.
Even back then, he'd been called the Sword Saint, and his name always came up in talks of the strongest.
And after that, he'd toiled endlessly in the Demonic Palace, fighting nonstop.
'It'd be weirder if I hadn't gotten stronger.'
He'd eventually clawed his way through even the Demonic Palace, after all.
'I wonder how strong this makes me in the current era.'
He was a little curious.
'Even accounting for that, though, the Tower's first hierarchy feels way too weak.'
Then again, the time he'd gone through the Demonic Palace's first floor hierarchy was ages ago.
His memories of how tough it had been might have inflated its reputation in his mind.
In that case, he could just compare it starting from the sixth hierarchy, which he remembered clearly.
He'd climb up to the Tower's sixth hierarchy quickly.
"Dante."
Havel stepped forward.
"We're going up fast."
Hearing this, Dante straightened his back.
"Yes, sir!"
He wanted to climb the Tower faster than anyone, after all.
However, Dante would soon come to regret that response.
Slash!
"Giek?!"
Slash!
"Kiek!"
After Havel's declaration, he truly became a storm.
Every path he passed through, the calamity beasts shattered into fragments.
And yet, he never slowed his pace.
From a distance, it looked like he was strolling leisurely with his hands behind his back.
But Dante couldn't close the gap no matter what.
No matter how hard Dante ran, he was slower than Havel casually walking with hands clasped behind.
His mysterious footwork was shattering both eyes and reality.
"Huff, huff!"
Dante panted desperately as he ran.
He hadn't expected even keeping up to be this grueling.
'The floors are definitely still rising.'
The surrounding corridors kept shifting.
The calamity beasts changed accordingly.
But Havel's speed never dropped.
The problem was the calamity beasts that occasionally popped up in the spots Havel had passed.
Dante got tangled fighting them.
"Ngh!"
Each time, the distance between him and Havel grew.
At this rate, he'd just be holding Havel back.
'Maybe I should...'
Dante sheathed his sword.
Instead, he focused solely on running.
He absolutely couldn't lose sight of Havel.
That would mean he could never catch up again.
'I can't fall behind, no matter what!'
Dante chased after Havel's back with everything he had.
His full sprint continued for quite a while.
"Hah, huff, hah!"
Just as Dante neared his limit.
"Hmm, guess this is it."
Havel's steps finally halted abruptly.
It wasn't because he was tired, though.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Achievement 'Breaker of the First Hierarchy' has been registered. As the master of the Demonic Palace's 10th floor hierarchy, your stature rises. The Tower senses your presence even more strongly. The calamities of the 'Tower's First Hierarchy' seep into your body.
— Strength increased by 9.
— Agility increased by 11. — Endurance increased by 10. — Talent increased by 9. — Technique increased by 9. — Calamity increased by 7.
The reason was the text floating before his eyes.
As soon as some energy flowed in from somewhere, the window appeared.
His body was now absorbing even the Tower's calamities.
"Let's see."
Havel clenched and unclenched his fist.
Then he lightly thrust it forward.
The punch sliced through the air too fast to see.
Bam!
The shockwave echoed out belatedly after his fist.
The air warped faintly for a moment from the impact.
'As expected.'
Like with the Fenril, his power had subtly strengthened.
It seemed to be the effect of absorbing the calamity.
"Man, getting stronger like this... is this even allowed?"
As an immortal, he wondered why he needed to grow even more here.
'Well, I've spent my whole life chasing strength, so it's not like I hate it.'
But the fact that it was because he was the master of the Demonic Palace's tenth floor hierarchy nagged at him.
'And the calamity stat.'
Unlike before, it had reached two digits.
The moment the number changed, Havel felt a new presence inside his body.
'...Yeah, it's quantifying the absorbed calamity.'
The energy matched exactly the pitch-black aura the Tower had just released.
Havel subtly channeled it into his arm.
His arm instantly turned jet-black.
It was a small amount, but the emanating power felt extraordinary.
'Similar to aura, but different. So this is calamity.'
Havel narrowed his eyes.
"Hah, kah-hah!"
Thud!
At that moment, the sound of someone collapsing rang out from behind.
Havel dispersed the calamity and quickly turned around.
There lay Dante on the ground.
"Oh, Dante."
Havel realized his mistake.
While climbing the first hierarchy, he'd been lost in thought comparing it to the Demonic Palace's first floor and completely ignored Dante.
'I forgot because I kept comparing it to the Demonic Palace's first floor hierarchy.'
He'd climbed the Demonic Palace almost his entire life alone.
So he'd unconsciously forgotten someone was with him.
He hadn't even given him time to catch his breath midway.
'If he'd said he needed a break, I would've stopped.'
He hadn't expected him to stubbornly chase all the way.
Havel scratched the back of his head.
'He must've pushed himself not to hold me back.'
Was this foolishness, or...?
'No, maybe I should praise him for lasting this long.'
He felt sorry for Dante.
So Havel hoisted him onto his back.
He couldn't just leave him like this.
He needed to find a place to rest.
"Still, this place is..."
Havel looked around.
He'd definitely just ascended the tenth floor, the last of the first hierarchy.
Yet strangely, a village came into view.
As Havel walked closer, a sign at the village entrance appeared.
[Deia: Safe Zone at the End of the First Hierarchy]
"Whoa, they even have safe zones?"
Unlike the Demonic Palace, the Tower let you go outside, and apparently it had all sorts of features.
'Perfect timing.'
With Dante passed out.
Havel found a suitable inn and checked in.
He laid Dante down in the room.
'Gonna have to wait.'
He'd wanted to head straight to the next floor.
But he decided to wait for Dante to wake.
He needed him to rebuild Banpellyon, after all.
Havel ordered food in the first-floor dining area and sank into thought.
'How do I rebuild Banpellyon?'
A family couldn't be rebuilt alone.
It required all sorts of elements.
From those handling finances to the knight order protecting it.
Banpellyon had none of that left.
'Part of me wants to beat down the Glasis bastards and steal theirs.'
But that would just lead to betrayal later.
Banpellyon needed people loyal to Banpellyon itself.
People who would swear true allegiance.
"Ha, I wonder if the day will ever come when I conquer the Tower."
"Heh, I don't know about anything else, but it won't be you."
Voices drifted over from nearby.
"Shut up, not you either, man."
"Well, someone will. One of the Five Great Families, right?"
"Should we join one of their knight orders now? Grab a spot early."
"Pfft, as if you'd make it."
Overhearing them, Havel confirmed it solidly.
'Climbing higher in the Tower really does boost a family's prestige.'
Put Banpellyon at the top, and retainers would flock naturally.
'Simple enough.'
Just conquer the Tower.
'More than that, this has to be the Five Great Families pulling strings.'
The reason the Tower was so hyped was public opinion.
And the Five Great Families were definitely behind shaping that opinion.
'They've spun it so conquering the Tower brings immense honor.'
Heroes who vanquish one of the Primordial Three Calamities.
The best way to swallow that glory was for the Five Great Families themselves.
So they'd worked hard to manipulate the masses.
'But.'
Havel's eyes gleamed coldly.
'Banpellyon will devour it all.'
Banpellyon would conquer the Tower.
"Conquer the Tower, and next is the Labyrinth Island?"
"Yeah, then the Demonic Palace."
Right then, the two men spoke again.
The man who'd conquered the Demonic Palace was already here.
No one in the world could know that.
"Pathetic."
Havel just let out a short, bitter smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I'm sorry!"
Havel wore a troubled expression.
Dante had apologized the moment he woke up.
"It was my inadequacy that held you back, Mr. Havel."
Did a guy who'd collapsed usually worry about that?
Typical stubborn fool.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I moved without considering you at all."
Havel had heard various stories while eating.
Including how it normally took about two weeks to break through the first hierarchy.
'We did it in two hours.'
Dante deserved praise for even keeping up.
"No, sir. It's my own shortcoming."
Was struggling just to follow weighing on him that much?
He didn't need to fret over it.
"Anyway, Mr. Havel. Could I ask one earnest favor?"
Dante now treated Havel fully as his superior.
Bowing his head to the strong.
Havel had already guessed what it meant.
"You want me to teach you footwork and swordsmanship?"
Dante flinched.
Spot on.
"I'm sorry. I know it's shameless."
Dante had always practiced swordsmanship alone.
There was no one in Banpellyon to teach him.
So he'd honed only what he'd learned at knight school and from his father.
Thus, he knew his own limits well.
He couldn't climb the Tower like this.
He'd just hold Havel back.
"Sure, fine."
To his surprise, the response was readily agreeable.
'It's what I wanted anyway.'
Dante was a Banpellyon knight.
What good was a Banpellyon knight living in disgrace?
"Really?"
"Yeah. Climbing the Tower isn't just me alone."
Besides, Havel highly valued Dante's mindset.
Dante's desire to grow wasn't personal.
One reason was his loyalty to Banpellyon.
'Plus, I'm technically a mercenary by status, while he's a Banpellyon knight.'
He was just a ghost from a century ago.
Even if he was helping to atone for the family's past mistakes.
Ultimately, those living in the present would lead Banpellyon forward.
'It's Arthur's role.'
Not Havel's path.
'And Dante would make a fine knight order captain.'
In Havel's eyes, Dante had the caliber for it.
He could lead the reborn Dawn Knights well.
"Mr. Havel."
Realizing Havel's sincerity, Dante clenched his fists.
He knew how rude it was to ask a superior for instruction.
And how great a matter it was to receive it.
"I'll live up to your expectations."
"Just devote that to Banpellyon."
Havel said that and stood up.
Dante felt Havel's genuine heart toward Banpellyon.
He didn't know why Havel cherished it so much.
But he was certain this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Learning from the strong was an opportunity even vast wealth couldn't buy.
"One thing in advance: it'll be tough. I don't go easy when teaching."
"Yes, sir! I'll grow and make sure I never hold you back again."
That mindset was enough.
"On to the second hierarchy."
"Yes, sir."
And that day.
A record utterly unlike any before was etched into the Tower's second hierarchy.