Volume 2: Rise of the Vessel
Chapter 11: The City of the Sixth Floor
A brilliant light surrounded Lee Hwan as he stepped through the portal. The moment his foot landed on solid ground, he blinked in surprise.
He wasn't in a dungeon.
He wasn't in a forest.
He was standing… in a city.
Massive stone towers rose on either side of a wide, cobblestone street. People bustled about—vendors shouting, children laughing, players boasting about their conquests. And yet, the air held tension. Hidden under the surface was a sense of danger, like something heavy lingered in the atmosphere.
"This… this is the sixth floor?" Lee Hwan muttered.
A group of players walked past him, all in matching armor. Their levels floated above their heads—Level 65, Level 70, Level 73…
Just then, a man in a silver uniform stepped in front of him. His presence was strong, and the aura he emitted forced nearby players to step aside.
[Guard Captain – Level 43]
"You. Stop right there," the guard said firmly.
Lee Hwan stood calmly, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"
The guard narrowed his eyes. "You're a new arrival. What floor did you come from?"
Lee hesitated. "...Fifth."
The guard's expression didn't change, but his next words shocked Lee.
"You do realize you can return to lower floors now, right? From the sixth floor onward, backtracking becomes available."
"What?" Lee's eyes widened. "You mean I can go back? Like… to the first floor?"
The guard nodded. "Correct. But there are conditions. It's a recent system update. You can only return to previous floors through the Return Gates stationed here in the city. But be warned—those who cause trouble in this city are dealt with severely. This is not just a floor… it's a civilization. There are laws."
Lee Hwan nodded slowly, still digesting the information.
The guard studied him for a moment longer, then his brow furrowed. "Wait a second…"
He pulled out a crystal orb from his waist and held it up. A small flicker of light passed over Lee's body. Then the guard's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Level 61… over 1,000 mana… and you have 50 unused attribute points?"
Lee just stood silently, unsure what to say.
"That's not all," the guard muttered. "Your Strength stat… it's already comparable to a Level 76 player. Maybe even stronger."
Lee's lips twitched. "I trained hard."
The guard gave him a hard look. "There's only one person on this floor with stats like that—and he came down from the eighth floor. He's Level 127."
Lee's interest piqued. "Who is he?"
"An elite," the guard replied. "He came to scout for rare players. If he notices someone like you…"
"I'll be careful," Lee said simply, walking past him into the city.
Behind him, the guard watched in silence. "What kind of monster did the Tower let in this time…?"
As Lee walked deeper into the sixth floor city, his eyes scanned the people, the buildings, and the distant plaza glowing with portals. His fingers twitched slightly.
'A Level 127 player from the eighth floor, huh?' he thought.
'I'll find him. I need to see just how wide the gap is…'