Chapter 13: The Ascent and the Archive

"I don't know how long I've been walking, but I'm tired of seeing white everywhere," muttered a slightly chubby man, wiping sweat from his round face with his sleeve.

"I'm still asking how someone as unfit as you made it this far," complained a thin, pale man beside him.

"Look at yourself before talking nonsense," the chubby man snapped back.

Hearing their bickering echo from the back, Linus let out a low laugh. "Save your energy," he called out. "We don't know what lies ahead."

The two men quieted down but continued to glare at each other.

"The distance between each floor is widening," observed Velvet, her gaze fixed forward. It had taken noticeably longer to cross from the fourth to the fifth floor.

"A whole day has passed already," Levi added. "That leaves us with four days to reach the tenth floor. At this pace, we won't make it."

Linus and Velvet exchanged glances but didn't respond. They were aware things were moving slowly—but conserving energy was now their top priority.

"It seems we're nearing the end of the fifth floor," a woman announced up front. She was the one who had consistently overtaken everyone—possessing an abnormal level of stamina.

Her scarlet hair was striking, a stark contrast to Velvet's darker brown. Physically, she looked far more mature—like someone in her early thirties—whereas Velvet, lean and fierce, still had the youthful air of someone in her late teens.

But no one cared for appearances anymore. All eyes were fixed ahead.

The fifth floor came to an abrupt end—but what lay before them finally answered a long-standing question.

"I guess it's time to start climbing," Linus said.

The sixth floor rose above them—an open vertical wall with block-like edges that hinted at a makeshift climbing path. The only way was up.

Levi didn't hesitate. He started the ascent immediately, followed by Velvet and the scarlet-haired woman. Linus sighed and began climbing after them.

---

The climb was physically grueling and mentally exhausting. There was no invisible threat here, but the wall itself was dangerous—one slip could mean a fatal fall.

No one dared to take an actual break. Even resting mid-climb was a gamble, especially without proper footing.

It took eight hours to complete the ascent.

Velvet was the first to reach the top. Gasping for air, she stumbled forward and collapsed onto the floor, her limbs trembling from overuse. Sweat rolled down her face as she lay on her back, breathing heavily.

"It's been a long time since I had training like that," she thought, remembering her apprentice days in special ops.

Soon, others reached the summit—Levi, the scarlet-haired woman, and a few more. But Linus was still nowhere in sight.

Velvet sat up and waited, determined.

Levi passed her, glancing briefly. "Why wait for a stranger?" he asked, his tone cool.

"And why did you try to protect a stranger earlier?" Velvet countered, her eyes narrowing as she met his gaze.

Levi's expression turned darker. "I haven't forgotten that you're the one who stabbed her. But I didn't know that girl. We were just... helping each other. So aside from being angry, I've got no real motive for revenge."

He walked away without waiting for a response.

"What a cold man you are," Velvet murmured softly, not turning her gaze from the opening at the edge. "I'm here if you ever decide to talk."

Moments later, Linus finally pulled himself up, exhausted and panting. His hands trembled as he collapsed beside Velvet.

"Stamina's not your strong point, huh?" Velvet teased, arms folded.

"Oh please, just let me catch my breath first," Linus muttered, chuckling as he studied their new surroundings.

The seventh floor.

Unlike the floors before it, this one resembled a massive library—bookshelves stretching across a wide hall, filled with not books, but sleek digital tablets. Tables and chairs were scattered about, and old-school chalkboards stood at various corners.

"Are we supposed to... study?" Velvet asked, blinking. "The further we go, the more absurd this place becomes."

Linus frowned, scanning the room. "It's training, yes. But the method's all over the place. It's like they're cultivating us... prepping us for a specific task."

"You mean this is all preparation for some future mission?" Velvet asked.

Linus shrugged. "Just a theory. But if I'm right—and based on what that rabbit-masked guy said to us—then this could all end with us being dumped in some hellish war zone for the so-called sake of humanity."

He walked over to a nearby shelf and pulled out a tablet.

To his surprise, it lit up with a digital prompt:

> [You have five learning slots available. The resources contain everything necessary for survival in a hostile environment. Choose wisely. These skills may be your key to lasting the longest.]

Everyone received the same message.

Murmurs rose across the room as people picked up tablets, scanning titles and trying to make sense of what they were meant to do. Some panicked, wondering how to learn so much at once—until a second message appeared:

> [The chips implanted behind your ears will download information directly from the notepads. Simply select your desired knowledge and begin the download.]

Linus quickly understood.

He moved from shelf to shelf, skimming through the topics. Meanwhile, Velvet joined him with three tablets in her hands.

"Seen anything useful yet?" she asked.

Linus eyed the ones she held. "You're not going for survival skills?"

Velvet shook her head. "I already know how to survive. But these... I want to know what they mean."

She handed him the tablets. He read the titles:

Parasite Evolution

Terraforming Studies

Environmental Decoding

The titles sounded basic—but the contents were far from normal.

Strange species. Plant-parasite hybrids. Organisms that reshaped the earth itself. The diagrams and data looked like the fever dream of a mad scientist—or the backstory to a sci-fi novel.

Without hesitation, Linus selected and downloaded Parasite Evolution and Terraforming Studies.

Parasite Evolution covered various classifications—symbiotic, parasitic, and weaponized strains. Terraforming Studies explained how to alter an environment to suit a specific species' survival and development.

He grinned.

Without wasting time, he picked up another tablet titled:

> "Building a Civilization from Scratch"

He laughed and downloaded it instantly.

"Why something like that?" Velvet asked, raising an eyebrow.

Linus smirked. "Just in case I decide to start my own little big city someday."

— To be Continued