Only one day left until the next boss.

Good progress has been made this past week. But I still feel like something is missing.

Status Screen

Stage 1 - 6.861%

Wave control

Personal Output:

5.19 SU

Assisted Bonus (Houston):

2.68 SU

Assisted Bonus (Darius):

0.43 SU

Bonus from Helmet

: 44%

Total Output:

11.95 SU

Overdrive

Full-State Output:

104%

Pillar Enhancement: 27%

Physical Combat

Footwork:

1.37 SU

Swordsmanship:

1.38 SU

Physical Condition:

1.819

Notable Equipment

Sword:

Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (1.0)

King Lobster Gauntlets:

Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (2.0)

King Jellyfish Seven-Piece Cape

: Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (2.0)

Lava Dragon Leg Armor

: Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (2.0)

Sea Monster Chest Armor

: Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (2.0)

The wave output has been steadily increasing, mainly due to Darius now being able to contribute and Chiara's refined model. But my swordsmanship is hitting a wall. Improvement is slowing. Maybe I haven't reached a hard limit yet, but I've definitely hit a soft one.

But what is it? What am I missing?

Is it love for the sword? But what does that even mean? I like swordsmanship. I train for hours every day. Sparring with Darius, with Wang. I don't stop at making the right moves—I go until I stop making mistakes at all. But still… each time Darius goes serious… I lose.

And I don't even know how.

He doesn't even tell me.

I sigh, pouring water over my head. I guess I can't force it.

I stand, checking the time.

Lukas mentioned a meeting today. Probably something to do with the next boss fight.

I guess it's about time.

I fly toward the Arena, where the gathering is set to be held.

While some basic structures have been built across the Isles, the recurring boss floods make everything temporary. The tunnels leading to my favorite hot spring were broken somehow, and while I was reluctant to rebuild them at first, Ayu insisted it was a must. Between the two of us, we managed a decent and quick job. Turned out even better than before.

But knowing it could all be lost again in eight days when the boss respawns makes further refinements unnecessary. That's why the Arena became the main gathering point—the only real structure constructed over the past days. It'll probably have to be rebuilt again, but at least for now, it holds and has been very practical.

A couple of minutes later, I land and see most of the others already gathered.

I smile when I spot Imani sitting off to the side.

Most of these guys have their own interesting stories, their struggles. But none of them come close to his. With everything behind him, he still pushes forward with patience and composure. I've truly grown fond of him. Or maybe respect is the better word—for this gym bro of mine.

"How's your shoulder?"

"Recovered. We can stick to the plan and do the rock pulls later today, just… let's keep it to different weights, shall we?"

He chuckles. "I believe you were the one that insisted."

Well, that was Houston and his bright 'ideas,' to be honest.

"Yeah, well…"

Before I can finish, Wang approaches.

"Are we having a spar today?"

"Ehh… I'm a bit packed today. Maybe we can just do a couple of rounds after we finish the meeting. By the way, where's Ayu? I thought she was sparring with you? Or was it with Arjun?"

"Yeah, we did some rounds, but she went for some underwater meditation and wave training. I think she might have lost track of time."

"Yep, sounds like her. But underwater, huh? I heard something about it but haven't tried it myself. What exactly do you do? Use water pressure for resistance training or something?"

Wang shakes his head. "That's part of it, but the real purpose is refining wave control. Water dampens movement, makes it harder to synchronize body movement with wave flow. The resistance also helps with precision—it's harder to make sudden adjustments, so you have to refine your intent instead of relying on brute corrections."

"I see…" I suppose Houston may be taking some notes, or perhaps, for him, water is too easy and lava would sound more 'apt.'

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I focus and send Ayu a long-wave transmission. "How's the training going? We have a meeting with Lukas now, by the way."

"Oh… shit. I'm late? Ok, I'm going."

"Alright, she should be coming soon." I turn back to Wang. "But now that we're here, I have a question. What are your thoughts on swordsmanship? Like… do you love the sword?"

Wang's eyes widen slightly, caught off guard by the question. He stays silent for a few moments before answering. "Yes. I love the sword."

"And what does that mean to you?"

He takes his time again. "I suppose… the sword has always been there. When I struggled, when the weight of expectations bore down on me, when I felt weak, incapable… tired—it was always there. It steadied me. It gave me clarity when I was drowning. And more than that, it was the sword that made the person I love most smile."

His gaze turns distant for a brief second before settling back. "You could say… I owe the sword a great deal. I respect it. And perhaps, in your words… I do love the sword."

Well… that was unexpected. It seems he had a past with the sword long before The Tower.

I had asked him because Darius had briefly mentioned that Wang was closer to making a breakthrough in swordsmanship than I was, which felt odd. During our spars, I could tell my technique was slightly more refined than his—I could spot gaps, mistakes. But maybe… it was this love he spoke of.

"Thanks for sharing."

"It's okay. It was a good question."

I shift my gaze and notice Lukas talking with Arjun and Chiara.

I let them be, then walk over and sit next to Imani.

"Nice shield," I say, eyeing the meter-and-a-half black, scaled surface.

The scales, taken from the Screechers, are layered in an overlapping pattern, giving it a natural, reinforced structure. Faint hints of deep red glisten between the cracks, remnants of the creature's original form. It looks solid, dense, yet somehow still lightweight in his grip.

"It's well made. Lukas is good. A very hardworking man, despite appearances."

I nod, glancing at the man in question.

"Absolutely. I guess we're lucky to have him. I do wonder about his past life on Earth. He's the only one of us I know nothing about."

"And we must respect that. If he ever wants to talk, he will. I'd dare say Lukas hides more than most of us. One doesn't reach that emotional state by living an easy life. Quite the opposite. The way he understands people, the way he carries uncertainties alone, the way he turns burdens into laughter, troubled times into light moments, brings people from entirely different backgrounds together. Lukas is by no means your average person."

"I've never thought about it that deeply, but… makes sense, I guess. Though in that sense, he's not too different from you, Imani. By the way, how old are you exactly?"

"Thirty-six," he answers calmly.

"What?! Just thirty-six? I mean… eh, yeah, you look… younger…"

He laughs. "I look older, don't I? Don't worry, most think the same thing. I'm not even sure if I'm exactly thirty-five—could be thirty-six. Not sure. I never had a birthday before meeting my wife. She just picked a random day, and that was it."

That is… hard. But, perhaps… "Well, now that we're in here, I guess time and dates are all messed up. We can all give each other birthdays. What do you think?"

Imani smiles, shaking his head. "That sounds like something Lukas would like to do."

I sense Ayu approaching. A few seconds later, she dashes into the arena, barely out of breath.

"Sorry I'm late, guys."

"No worries, there's no rush," Lukas says, stepping forward. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's get to it. Tomorrow is the fifth boss fight, and only two regions remain: the Swamp and the Barren Lands. Let's not waste time guessing which one it'll be. We'll meet at the usual spot and wait for it to arrive."

His tone shifts slightly as he continues. "You've all noticed how the landmasses have been shifting, right? Over the last few weeks, they've been moving at an accelerated rate. Right now, the Barren Lands are cut off from the Riftflow—you can only reach them by crossing the Swamp. Meanwhile, the Molten Crest is rising, and the Isles are drifting east. If our estimates are right, in just over two weeks, all of these three regions will converge at the north of the Riftflow. And at that point… we believe the final challenge of this stage will reveal itself—the mysterious seventh boss."

A brief pause.

"Now, first off, let me say this: we've made incredible progress in the last two weeks. Alonso's Overdrive is being used by most, Chiara's Pillar Enhancement Model has been refined, our teamwork and individual techniques have sharpened. Even physical conditioning has improved for those who willingly suffer through hellish training routines." He smirks slightly, but his tone remains serious. "We're stronger than before. But strength means nothing if we get careless."

His eyes scan the group.

"One mistake is all it takes. A single lapse in judgment. A moment of arrogance. That's why I want everyone to avoid unnecessary risks. No reckless moves, no solo heroics, no rushing to end the fight for the sake of spectacle. There's no one here to celebrate our victories. We fight, we survive, and we move forward. That's all that matters."

He exhales, rolling his shoulders. "And yes, I know I say this a lot. Hopefully, this is the last time I have to. Work with me, and let's make short work of these remaining bosses."

Why do I feel like some of that was directed at me? I smirk slightly but keep my expression neutral. He's got a point. While going all out is thrilling, survival comes first. The Tower isn't about to start showing us mercy anytime soon.

"But that's not the main reason I called you here," Lukas continues. "That was just the warm-up speech." His usual easy-going demeanor shifts as he moves to the next point. "Now, let's talk battle strategy and a few adjustments I've made.

"First off, every single one of you has awakened now. That means you've each started specializing. Imani is a strong tank, Ayu is great at keeping bosses distracted and doubling as a damage dealer if necessary, Chiara is a mobile artillery unit, Arjun is more of a sniper, Wang is a speed-based melee fighter, and Alonso… well, Alonso is just really good at fighting in general."

"So the roles are pretty much clear, even if there should be some flexibility and adaptability, as that is key in any fight with an unknown creature. And for that, I would start assuming a more direct leadership role in the battles. And with that, I mean—if you all agree—I would like to have full command over the battlefield."

I raise an eyebrow. Full command? Isn't that too rigid? …Well, not necessarily. Lukas has proven himself capable, time and again. Perhaps…

"Alright. I think that's something we've been lacking," Chiara says without hesitation.

"I agree. We lack proper organization. We need to centralize the command chain so we can each focus on our tasks within the bigger picture," Wang adds.

"I approve," Imani states simply.

"You really have changed, Lukas," Ayu says with a grin. "Proposing more work for yourself? But sure. I think it'd be cool."

"Alright," Arjun says, nodding.

Well… I guess he's earned it.

"Count me in," I add.

"Thank you, everyone." Lukas gives a slight bow. "And following Ayu's comment on me developing my masochist trait, there's something I need to ask of you to make this commander role feasible in our fast-paced battles." He pauses. "Information exchange. I need an active update on each of your conditions and visuals. Of course, while the amount of information I can process is high, especially with Chiara's Pillar enhancement, there's still a limit. And for that—"

"Wait, Lukas," Chiara interrupts. "I think I know where you're going, but it's impractical for you to process all that information in real-time, even if you're idle in battle. Even if we manage to make it a conditional reflex to send periodic wave signals containing our conditions and visual frames every fraction of a second, it's too much to go through. At least for you."

She crosses her arms. "Leave the processing part to me. I can go through all of that much faster and more efficiently. I can act as an intermediary, pre-processing the results into a cleaner format before sending them to you. And don't worry about me getting distracted. I can do it in parallel with ease thanks to my condition. You just focus on assessing the situation, making decisions, and giving the commands. That'll be more effective."

Lukas' eyes widen slightly, his mouth parting before he slowly closes it into a smile. "Well… thank you. That will certainly make things easier."

He turns to face the rest of us. "So, I guess you'll take the lead on this training session, Chiara. Coordinate with the others on what would make it most efficient. The information I need is details on the boss and status updates on everyone."

"Alright," she nods.

A drop of sweat rolls down my brow.

Oh boy… not another Chiara session.

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