Replay Stone Part 2

"What do you mean you saw everything that happened on the fifth floor?"

Shanny asked.

"Tell us what happened after you went into the rift, Trudy."

I told her.

"Well, after I walked through the rift, the blue stone the fairy gave me suddenly vanished into light. That was when a notification window appeared before me."

"What did it say?"

"I did not remember the exact wording, but it said it was showing me a record of the fifth floor."

"And then what happened?"

"The three giant mirrors in the room suddenly glowed up and they…um…how should I say this…"

Trudy hesitated to continue.

It was more like she struggled to find the word for what was in her mind.

"Just describe what you saw, Trudy. In your own words."

I asked her.

"Sorry. It's just that I've never seen such magic before. Anyway, the mirrors basically showed you guys in the fifth floor."

I raised my eyebrows upon her statement.

"They showed us? Showed us how?"

"The mirrors showed everything that you did in the fifth floor. As if you were reenacting the trial in front of me."

"Reenactment? How much did the mirrors reenact of the fifth floor?"

"Everything. I've heard the stories from Jonah and Shanny before. So I knew. From when you guys arrived on the big plain, to your battle in the ruined garrison, and your escape through the hills and forests to the statue. I saw each moment unfolded through the mirrors."

Interesting.

So the Replay Stone was used to show a trial that had transpired.

I supposed that was why the name was called 'replay.'

"Why would master showed you what happened in the fifth floor?"

Jonah asked.

"If I had to guess, it's to teach me."

Trudy answered.

"Teach you?"

Shanny repeated with a frown.

"I've heard the stories of the fifth floor numerous times. But they could not compare with seeing the entire trial unfolded with my own eyes. I was able to notice things about the trial that words could not convey. Things that helps me to be prepared for similar situation."

I nodded upon Trudy's words. They could not be truer.

"I agree. Master must had wanted you to see what kind of battle you'll have to face as a member of Party 1."

Trudy then turned to Jonah and Shanny. Her face was full with concerns.

"I'm sorry, but would you guys mind if we continue training after dinner? After seeing what happened in the fifth floor, I couldn't help but feel myself lacking. Very lacking. Very weak."

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth with worry.

"I don't want to end up like Cecily or Gerson."

The recording of the fifth floor must had impacted Trudy greatly.

I had never seen her so disturbed before.

I could see why Jonah and Shanny immediately intensified their training as soon as we returned from the fifth floor.

Knowing we would be plunged to similar near-impossible battle again, how could we not be compelled to desire more strength.

The four of us did not indulge ourselves with long dinner.

We simply ate till we have food in our stomach and resumed with our activities.

Jonah, Shanny, and Trudy quickly returned to the training ground in the lobby's second floor while I made my way to the storage to retrieve the other ingredients for the health potion.

During my trip, I made sure to flip through the pages of the elemental magic book I was carrying. Trying to grasp as much knowledge as I could as time passed by.

After taking the ingredients from the storage, I ascended the stairs on the square to the lobby's second floor.

I stopped midway and took a brief glance to the rift of space time.

Now that master had finished renovating the lobby, we would soon be preparing to resume climbing the tower.

I wondered if the sixth floor would be as hard as the fifth or worse.

Or whether the fifth floor was a special trial.

If the fifth floor was a special trial, then could it be the next one would occur on the tenth floor? With every five floors we would experience a difficult mission.

Or perhaps we would face the next on the fifteenth floor?

The sixth floor trial would determine whether these thoughts were worth considering.

But before we could resume climbing, Party 1 still lacked a member.

We needed to find a replacement for the fifth member, preferably an archer.

We only had two options at the moment.

Select someone from the combatants outside Party 1 or have master summon new heroes to the forged land.

I did not have a hand in summoning new heroes. It was master's prerogative.

The only thing I could control was the former option.

Starting tomorrow we needed to determine the candidates for the final member of Party 1.

But first, I needed to complete the first batch of the health potions.

I rushed back to the magic hall and resumed my alchemy work all through the night.