I stare at the seven red orbs lying on the ground.

For some reason, I feel a bit disappointed. Is it bad that the fight went so… easy?

The sixth boss. A shapeshifting creature that randomly transformed into a slightly enhanced version of any of the previous five bosses we had faced so far. It wasn't that it wasn't strong—it's just… the thrill I felt while fighting the giant lobster, the jellyfish, or even the dragon—it's no longer there.

Chiara's model, Lukas' enhancements, the daily training, the improved synergy between us. I can't shake the feeling that even if I wasn't here, the others could have taken the boss without me. Sure, maybe it would've taken them longer, maybe they would've had to be more careful, but still…

"You okay?" A firm palm lands on my shoulder. Imani.

"Yeah, just dozing off a bit."

I glance at Chiara, who has already picked up an orb. Nothing looks different at first—oh, her neck… is that—?

I step forward and pick up my own.

Stage 1 - 7.561%

A surge of power floods through me, and in an instant, a cool, black material wraps around my entire body.

I take off my gauntlets, examining the smooth surface now covering my skin. Up close, it's composed of minuscule hexagonal elements, perfectly interlocked. I focus my waves and realize—I can control each individual piece.

Experimenting, I retract them. As I do, the layers stack on top of each other, gradually revealing the skin beneath. But even compressed, the material is so thin, so compact, it feels… almost 1-dimensional.

It's like some futuristic version of a liner or underarmor.

"Looks fancy," Lukas said, testing his own, retracting it all into a single glove on his right arm. "Well, we can test how well it holds up against slashes, cuts, and heat later. For now, all I can say is—great job. Really straightforward fight, no surprises, great teamwork, and yeah, all good."

"So, only the seventh boss left," Wang said, absentmindedly toying with his new gear.

"Yep, the mysterious number seven." Lukas glanced toward the horizon, eyes settling on the Isles. "Let's see what The Tower surprises us with.

"It's unfortunate the Isles got flooded. Not exactly eager to rebuild the arena again, but I don't fancy spending the last seven days in the Swamp either. Any squad up for another fight with the Abyss Maw?"

"This is what, the fifth one already?" Wang chuckled before nodding. "Alright, we'll take it."

"Great. We also need one more jellyfish and dragon to arm the squads. Imani, Arjun?"

"On it."

I watch as they depart, leaving just Ayu, Chiara, Lukas, and me behind.

"Anyone fancy some wine?" Lukas asks with a grin.

"What? Where—did you keep a stock?" Chiara raises an eyebrow.

"Of course. Wasn't about to leave it there for a tsunami to wash away," he says, walking back and grabbing a heavy backpack hidden between some trees. "Not exactly the best place for a catch-up, but hey, might be nice to sit down and have a chat."

Ayu and I exchange a look, shrug, and smile before taking a seat.

Lukas pulls out four cups and a handcrafted wooden wine container, pouring for the three of us. Then, he grabs a coconut, slices it open, and pours the juice into Ayu's cup—since she doesn't drink alcohol.

Lukas raises his cup. "For another boss down!"

We smile and clink our cups before taking a sip. The taste isn't bad. Not that I can afford to be picky.

"Mind if I play around with the links while we talk?"

We all nod. Lukas needs to train his power on others, and since each of us is different, he has no choice but to personally sit with us and 'study' whatever it is he 'sees' when he connects to us through his strange waves and links.

Unfortunately, his progress with me has been the slowest. According to him, my mind is—and I quote—"messed up." And honestly, I don't blame him.

Current numbers stand at a 21% Pillar boost, a 22% physical boost, and a 326% natural healing enhancement. But for others, like Ayu, her physical boost has already reached 32%. Life can be unfair like that sometimes.

"I've been noticing you're a bit off lately. Is it that boring?"

I sigh. "I wouldn't say it's boring… more peaceful, maybe?"

Lukas bursts into laughter. "Yeah, well, isn't that just the step after boring? But I guess that's a good thing. It means our growth curve has finally exceeded the Tower's expectations. Still, we shouldn't get complacent. Challenges will keep getting harder, and we never know when the difficulty might spike again."

"Well, with your cheat-like awakening, I almost feel bad for the bosses at this point," Chiara remarks, finishing the wine in her cup before holding it out for Lukas to pour more.

"Says the one who revolutionized science while nerfed with a shattered brain and scribbling in a cave."

"I guess some of us are just talented like that." Chiara smirks.

Lukas shakes his head, leaning back on his arms. "But I have a hunch the seventh boss will bring us a surprise. You guys remember the white room with the circles on the floor?"

"The one where the circles changed color after each one?" Ayu asks. "Honestly, I think that was the least weird out of all of the white rooms."

"You wanna bring up the purple ring? The last, optional one?"

"Yes. It was quite the challenge at the time. I'm not gonna lie, I almost died in that fight. And while I'm not exactly someone who thrives in combat, I did take a couple of fencing classes back in the day, and still…" Lukas trails off.

"I guess we're lucky you made it," Ayu says.

"Well, thanks," Lukas smiles. "But I feel like there was more to those white rooms than we gave them credit for," he continues. "Take the first orb—the one that cured all lingering diseases and disabilities. Then there were the orbs we got during that duel. They didn't just teach us swordsmanship; they directly installed the knowledge into our brains. The reason is obvious—to promote balance—but it also reveals something else."

"It shows us what the entities behind this are capable of. Which begs the question: what will we find as we continue going up?"

"First, those white humanoids. Then the common beasts. Then giant creatures modeled somewhat after ancient animals." Chiara pauses, frowning. "And their degree of intelligence has been steadily increasing as we've climbed, so…"

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Lukas meets her gaze, finishing the thought.

"Sentient creatures."

We all fall silent for a moment. I swirl the remaining wine in my cup, staring at my reflection.

"We just have to face the challenges as they come, I guess," I say finally. "And while the creatures may be getting more intelligent, so are we. The higher our Stage Progress, the faster we think, the clearer our memories become. I wouldn't be surprised if we start struggling to communicate with normal humans at this point. We're used to each other, and we're all progressing at the same rate, but even the speed we talk—it's probably going to sound incredibly fast to them."

I notice Ayu's expression, her gaze lowered, lost in thought.

We've talked about this before. The harsh reality of how hard it'll be to ever fit in again back on Earth if we stay as we are.

Our weights already push well over 200 kilograms, and it's only going to keep increasing. A tight hug—something simple, something human—could turn a normal person into a pulp of scattered flesh. Sitting on a regular chair might break it. Floors could crack beneath our steps. Right now, it's manageable, but… what about later?

What happens when we reach 100% in Stage Progress?

Lukas suddenly leans back with a grin. "Well, on the bright side, at least Datu has a wide range of songs and lyrics to choose from."

I chuckle. "By the way, Lukas, if it's not a secret, can I ask… how do you know how to do all that stuff? I mean, medicine, crafting, winemaking, all the languages you speak? What did you do back on Earth?"

The question comes out casually, but the moment I say it, I notice a shift—not exactly from Lukas himself, but from Chiara. For once, she sets her wine cup aside, her expression subtly more attentive.

Lukas exhales, swirling the liquid in his cup. "Well, it's no secret, really. I just… had time, money, and a lack of purpose. It's incredible the places that combination takes you. And, well, most of them aren't things I'm particularly proud of. But as time went on, I got older, and I just… did a lot of stuff. Traveled the world, met all sorts of people. Eventually, I got interested in natural medicine. Was even thinking of finally getting a bit serious, starting some small business, settling down a bit. But then—" he snaps his fingers, "poof. White room. Tower. Forced to fast and reconsider my life choices."

Ayu tilts her head. "What about the crafting part? That also from your travels?"

"Partly, yeah," Lukas nods. "But it actually started with engineering. I studied it for a while back home, at Munich—along with medicine—but, well… it wasn't for me. Too much theory, too little hands-on work. I hated how rigid it was. No room for creativity, no practical application, just endless calculations and useless paperwork that lead nowhere. So, I dropped out."

I take another sip, watching him closely.

"So you just… wandered?" I ask.

Lukas smirks. "More or less. I had the money to do whatever I wanted, so I tried everything. Munich's high society, all the playboy nonsense—been there, done that. Then I started traveling, picking up whatever caught my interest. Natural medicine, hiking, camping, hunting, survival skills, philosophy, different ways of thinking."

He twirls his cup absentmindedly, watching the liquid swirl before taking a slow sip.

"Somewhere along the way, I figured I should probably do something with my life. Leave a mark, you know? Started planning a startup—personalized medicine through AI. Seemed like a solid idea. Something useful, something that mattered."

His smirk fades slightly, his tone turning softer, more distant.

"But the truth is, all of that? It's just distraction. Meaning is a rope we weave ourselves, hoping it'll hold under the weight of existence. At the end of the day, we all need something to keep us from staring too long into the abyss. From confronting the unbearable certainty of death. The fragility of life. The terrifying possibility that nothing we do will ever truly matter."

Silence.

Ayu shifts uncomfortably. Lukas' usual easy grin isn't there anymore.

Then, he exhales and mutters under his breath, "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."

I blink, then grin. "Twilight of the Idols."

Lukas raises his cup slightly in surprise, his smirk returning.

"I truly hope you're not a nihilist, Lukas," I say with amusement. "Had a good friend back in Melbourne who was obsessed with Nietzsche—gave me headaches on a daily basis."

Lukas chuckles. "Nah. If I was, I'd be a lot less fun."

Ayu just stares at him. "That was the most depressing thing I've ever heard you say."

Lukas shrugs. "Just because I acknowledge the void doesn't mean I let it swallow me."

A pause lingers in the air.

Then, Chiara shifts the conversation.

"And your sister?"

Sister? Lukas has a sister?

I glance at Ayu, and judging by the flicker of surprise on her face, she didn't know either.

Lukas looks at Chiara, and for a split second, there's a shift—something subtle, unreadable.

"She should be fine. And yes, for those who don't know, I have a twin sister—Leonie," he says simply. "Probably even richer than when I left. Business was always more her thing than mine."

Ayu tilts her head. "Wait—business? What kind of business are we talking about?"

Lukas exhales. "Mechanical engineering. Our dad built a company from the ground up back in Munich—mid-sized, nothing flashy, but successful. Specialized in automation and precision manufacturing. Mom handled the HR side of things." He pauses, then adds, almost as an afterthought, "They weren't supposed to leave it to us. Not yet, anyway."

Ayu and I exchange a glance.

"What happened to it?" I ask instead.

Lukas' voice turns quieter, less flippant. "It landed on us whether we wanted it or not. Parents were on a plane that never landed. One day they were there, and the next… they were just gone."

What?!

He also lost his parents?

I don't say anything, but something tightens in my chest. I know that feeling. That kind of loss. Sudden. Unanswered.

Lukas keeps talking, but for a second, I barely hear him. My hand grips the cup a little tighter. I exhale slowly, forcing the memories down, pushing away the ghost of screeching tires and twisted metal.

"Company was left to the two of us. I had no interest in running it, and Leonie… she didn't hesitate. She took control, made the company bigger than ever, pushed for automation, started absorbing competitors. Did whatever she had to do to expand it."

There's no bitterness in his voice. No regret either. Just… facts.

"She made sure I got my cut and didn't ask for my input. Honestly, we both knew it was for the best. Sit in an office and pretend to care about shareholder meetings? No thanks."

Ayu frowns slightly. "And you just left it all to her? Just like that?"

Lukas smirks. "Oh, I did help. By not getting in the way." He gestures vaguely. "Leonie's always been great at doing whatever it takes to get things done. I figured I'd be more useful doing… literally anything else."

Ayu raises a brow. "Like winemaking?"

Lukas laughs. "Hey, man needs his hobbies."

I let out a slow breath, watching him carefully. He's grinning, relaxed—but I know that kind of grin. The kind that hides something. Something left unsaid.

I don't push.

Because I know exactly how that feels.

I guess… we all have a story.

"What… what's that?"

Huh?

I follow Ayu's gaze and notice something brightly shining in the sky. The others turn too.

"It's moving… something is coming," Chiara says.

"What the…"

"A meteorite?"

"Looks like it. Give me a sec." Chiara's gaze sharpens—she's already running the numbers.

Her lips press together, eyes distant as she calculates. "Estimate… mass is roughly 777 tons. Velocity—about 3079 meters per second. Impact force—around 881 tons of TNT equivalent. It won't cause a massive explosion, but it'll flatten anything within a 70-meter radius and send shockwaves well beyond that. It's heading for the new region between the Isles, the Riftflow, and the Molten Crest. Impact in 49 seconds." She exhales. "It's moving very slow for a meteorite, and it doesn't seem to be gaining more speed. Perhaps it's The Tower's way of giving us time to get out of the way."

"So, in layman's terms, how bad is it?" Lukas asks, stretching like she just told him we might be getting a mild storm.

"Not serious at all. For us, even standing 300 meters away should be fine."

"So is this…"

"I guess the seventh boss has quite the entrance," Lukas muses, taking a slow breath. Then, with that same casual tone, his helmet slides into place, sealing over his face as he switches to long-range transmission.

"To all squads, I'm sending the location and radius of an incoming meteorite impact. Avoid proximity and disengage from any boss fight until further notice." He pauses, then grins slightly.

"The final fight of the stage is upon us."

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