Daytime in Hailfen passed abnormally fast, prompting every resident in the Floor to shelter in their homes.
As the blizzard came, deeply howling through the windows, Jace's squad sat silently in their room inside the inn.
The inn's wooden walls were sturdy enough, built to maintain and handle the pressure from the perilous winter storm. At least no other Climber was careless enough to drop their squad through the middle of the night.
The room consisted of two beds, both comfortable and inviting, but they were automatically reserved for the girls in the squad. It was nothing short of etiquette and mannerism, though Klav argued against that unwritten principle.
As if his barbaric body could fit neatly inside the sheets of that bed.
There was enough space in the front of the room for the rest of them to lay. Using some of the makeshift cloth and blankets, they could easily style a bedding suitable enough for their body.
Though, through this long dreading night of roaring snow, it didn't mean for any respite. Heather continued to talk, urging his squad to listen with open ears.
"We'll ascend the Tower after this night. Our equipment is repaired and tailored, we're more than ready for another expedition."
Erin hugged her knees, sparing a small glance at Jace. Her expression was unreadable but her eyes seemed different.
Jace exchanged the glance with her, unsure what type of telepathy she was trying to pull.
'Does she want her ring back? If so, then maybe I can leave this squad without any regret.'
Heather spoke again, his voice cutting through the tension between them.
"And with some thinking, I decided we don't have to move Floor by Floor. I believe all of our Souls can handle much better adversaries, other than common monsters and fodder."
Klav chuckled loudly with a sense of agreement.
"About damn time! I was beginning to think we were forever picking scraps over and under for bread-boy!"
Brita anxiously fiddled with her cloak, concerned with the sudden change of their gain of experience. She mustered some courage and asked:
"If not the tenth Floor, then how far are we ascending? The twelfth? Thirteenth?"
Heather crossed his legs and hammered his fist to the knee. He spoke again with another sense of authority.
"We will Port to the fifteenth."
A gasp came from Brita's mouth. Erin kicked her legs out, growing attentive with unease. Klav chuckled again, nodding his head in satisfaction.
As for Jace, he only shifted his body slightly.
'He's out of his mind. Did our fight really mess with his head that much? Or…is it some strategy to get rid of me? Goodness, Heather, could you not be any more obvious?'
Erin argued, her voice stinging with protest.
"We're moving up that high already?! Why all of a sudden?! The Third Generation's climb won't even start until half a decade, maybe even more than that!"
But Heather argued back, firmly aligned with his decision.
"I don't see the problem. Our Souls have strengthened enough for the heap of Floors. Would you rather choose to ascend each Floor by itself, just like some mundane Climber?"
"Being mundane is how you stay away from the Void. You're underestimating the Tower, Heather, think about it—"
"I've already done my thinking. The First and Second Generation of Climbers have paved the way for our Souls. You're acting like we have to slay the Gatekeeper."
"For us, that might be equal to the effort of a common mob there."
Then Klav joined the conversation, groaning as he waved away Erin's remarks.
"Quit your fussin', girl, and be real to your Soul. This is exactly what you want. This is exactly what we all want."
Erin scoffed, turning to face the careless barbarian.
"Oh, yeah? And what's that?"
Klav answered with a disturbing grin stretching across his face.
"Power."
The room seemed to fall quiet for a while, setting Klav's words into their minds. Though, even if they wanted to deny it, Climbers entered the tower for the sole reason of becoming something more than human.
With being chosen by the Soul, and the taste of superhuman strength and speed, it was only a matter of time before they wanted more.
Erin retracted her scowl like she was disgusted by the uncomfortable air. She turned her attention back to Heather and continued her remark:
"If we happen to come across an encounter on the fifteenth Floor, which we definitely will, how would you even know what to do? Have you been there before to tell us about what's to come?"
Heather snickered, spreading his arms like he was offended. He said back loudly for everyone to hear:
"Of course I do! There's a reason why I'm the squad leader! If we're going to the fifteenth Floor, then we're going without question!"
Then Jace finally spoke, catching everyone's attention:
"Not me, I'm not going."
Heather slowly turned to him, his nose wrinkling in despicable loathe. It was like he was trying to avoid Jace's presence the entire time, just to be inevitably confronted again.
By the same person who beat him despite being over-leveled.
But Heather refused to show any signs of submission, turning his face stern and keeping the conversation in his authority. He retorted back:
"Of course, Jace, you're complaining. Your Soul is far too weak for our expeditions."
Jace felt his squad's eyes piercing through him, and his Soul, all admittedly agreeing with Heather's judgment.
All except Erin. Her face shows some sign of remorse. She was pitying him again.
'Now that I notice it, she treats me like a lost puppy. Is that what I look like in her mind? Is…that why she gave me a Relic?'
Jace indifferently shrugged, unaffected by the raw insult. He said back, his eyes drifting into the wooden floor.
"You're right. My Soul can't be compared to none of you guys here. It's better if I dwell around a bit in the Whispering Woods before I join you people."
Heather smacked his lips in frustration.
"Did you just hear what I said? We're all going to ascend, and that includes you. You joined this squad to become stronger, right? And I'm giving you that opportunity. Are you trying to smack my hand away?"
'I…really hate how he's trying to forget what happened earlier. Oh, well, whatever, I guess we can all hold grudges to each other. To the fifteenth Floor and my fresh ticket into the Void."
Jace sighed, too bothered in his own resolve to argue any further.
"Fine, I'll go."
Klav clapped his hands like he was celebrating an infant's first steps.
"Good on you, bread-boy! You're growing some hair on your chest!"
Brita struggled to find her words but she seemed to consent with Heather's suicidal plan. Though, his plans had never failed any of them. That was enough to rid any doubt.
Erin never was worried about the dangers of the fifteenth Floor. She was more than capable of challenging the monsters there along with her strengthened Soul.
She was worried about Jace. That was why a seed of unease had sprouted in her heart the moment Heather decided for a greater experience gain.
But Erin sat back on her bed, forcing her eyes to escape from the silent treatment of distress.
Jace knew what Heather intended to do, yet he was willing to step into that trap.
The fifteenth Floor was a risky increase from the ninth, presenting new monsters and environments that none of them were familiar with.
Except for Heather, as he most likely had researched the Tower with his noble lineage of preceding Climbers.
'So be it. The Tower has been pairing me with squads that hate my guts and finds every chance to kill me. This isn't anything new. In retrospect, each of them are a cog of experience. Just like this damned squad."
Heather spared a side glance at him and deviously smiled, almost like he was satisfied with Jace's stubbornness.
'Yeah, have your fun while it lasts. You'll find out how the Void really feels like, you bastard.'