A while had passed since Kyle had first appeared, and a few minutes later more people began arriving one after another. Some of them he recognized, while others he had never seen before.
Every single one of them appeared wearing the same rough sackcloth clothing he had on.
This was the default attire given to anyone entering the Tower for the very first time.
As the world around Kyle gradually became more crowded, he remained exactly where he was.
Silent and Watching as the young woman who had earlier asked him to form an alliance was now walking around, carefully searching for other candidates to recruit into her team.
She moved with remarkable precision, carefully observing who seemed capable and who did not. There was an unusual confidence in every step she took, almost as though she had done something like this dozens upon dozens of times before.
Kyle watched the entire process unfold.
Wondering whether she truly chose people at random...
Or whether there was a far more elaborate selection process hidden behind those seemingly casual conversations.
Still...
He waited.
And watched.
Studying the enigmatic woman.
’Something about her seems strange...’
That was all he had.
A feeling.
Nothing more to justify his suspicion.
So, for the time being, he pushed the thought aside.
Soon enough, the young woman returned.
This time, accompanied by two other candidates.
One was a hefty young man who looked about two years older than Kyle, broad-shouldered and naturally intimidating. His rough facial features and thick build made him look more like a seasoned mercenary than a first-time Tower challenger.
The other was considerably slimmer.
He had short crimson-red hair, ocean-blue eyes, and a permanently mischievous smile that made him look like someone constantly plotting something.
"Kyle, this is Reed, this is Thors, and my name is Rita," the young woman introduced, pointing toward each person as she spoke.
The skinny young man, Reed, immediately stretched out a hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Kyle didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, he quietly stared into the delighted boy’s eyes.
Several awkward seconds passed before he finally accepted the handshake.
The instant their hands met—
[Killing Intent has been sensed.]
[Approach with caution.]
’Killing intent...?’
Kyle’s eyes subtly narrowed as he looked back into Reed’s smiling face.
Not a single trace of hostility could be seen.
Only that same cheerful grin.
’i didn’t know the system could do that, but I’m thankfully...’ Kyle thought and then Slowly, smiled as well.
"We should hurry and get some equipment if we don’t want to fall behind in earning gold and monster cores," Thors suddenly bellowed, unknowingly cutting through the invisible tension between the two.
Rita nodded.
"So should we," Reed agreed, as though nothing unusual had happened.
"I know a great shop where we can get quality equipment for a fair price."
Without waiting for anyone’s opinion, Reed casually threw an arm around Rita’s shoulder before pulling her along as he confidently led the group forward.
Thors silently followed after them.
As he passed by Kyle, however, he briefly threw him a glance before facing forward once again.
Kyle merely raised an eyebrow.
’I see...’
The group eventually entered a large, ancient-looking store.
Immediately, they were greeted by an interior that looked as though it had stood for centuries.
The walls were constructed from rough black stone, uneven and cracked in numerous places. Some sections had even begun collapsing with age.
Above them, old wooden beams supported a ceiling that groaned every now and then, releasing slow, unsettling creaks that echoed throughout the building.
Even the wooden floorboards beneath their feet complained with every step they took.
Yet none of them paid any attention.
Because surrounding them...
Was the true spectacle.
Shelf after shelf was packed with weapons.
Crude iron swords.
Heavy battle axes.
Long spears.
Round shields.
Rows of armor.
Glittering Arcane charms.
Even beautifully crafted weapons that looked more suited for kings than ordinary adventurers.
Kyle couldn’t help but stare in admiration.
Though he quickly stopped himself.
Seeing the quality of everything around him...
He suddenly became far more worried about the condition of his wallet.
And unfortunately...
His fears were justified.
"Welcome to the First Floor."
"This is my Material Shop."
"Please, take your time looking around. Bring whatever catches your eye, and I’ll gladly sell it to you."
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Sitting behind an old wooden counter that looked ready to collapse at any moment was...
A half-man.
More specifically...
A dwarf.
He wore nothing more than a heavily stained dark singlet, while the lower half of his body remained hidden behind the counter.
"Welcome again," he repeated with a surprisingly cheerful yet naturally gruff voice.
Kyle awkwardly rubbed the back of his head after realizing the dwarf was looking directly at him.
’...Is he expecting me to answer?’
Before the awkward silence could continue any longer, Rita lightly tugged on his sleeve.
She leaned closer before whispering.
"He’s not real..."
"At least... not human."
"Like an NPC?" Kyle bluntly asked.
She nodded then immediately walked away to continue searching for equipment.
Left alone, Kyle eventually did the same.
He first wandered toward the weapon shelves.
The moment his eyes landed on the price tags...
His throat immediately went dry.
A simple crude iron sword...
Cost one hundred Tower Credits.
Kyle silently summoned his system.
[Credits: 200]
His frown deepened.
Credits were the common currency used on both Earth and inside the Tower.
Although they shared the same name...
They were completely different.
Earth Credits held almost no value inside the Tower.
Tower Credits, however, could easily be exchanged back on Earth for almost anything, making them vastly more valuable.
Every Awakener received two hundred Tower Credits upon entering the First Floor.
"Usually..." Kyle quietly muttered before lifting his gaze toward the rest of his group.
Thors was already fitting himself into a full suit of crude plate armor.
Although rough in appearance, Kyle could already tell it had cost the large man a considerable amount of money.
Rita wasn’t much different.
She purchased lightweight upper-body armor alongside a sturdy pair of reinforced boots.
Reed...
Only bought the best.
Everything he touched looked expensive, the things he bought seemed to be worth more than Kyle’s two kidneys combined.
Kyle swallowed before once again looking back toward the simple iron shortsword that threatened to consume half of his savings.
Eventually...
He sighed.
Turning away from it, he instead reached toward a modest dagger that cost exactly half as much.
[Are you sure you wish to purchase this material?]
He hesitated.
Then selected Yes.
The dagger briefly shimmered before turning pitch-black the instant it entered his grasp.
Without wasting time, kyle strapped it securely to his waist before making his way toward the armor section.
’Taking a hit is just as important as landing one.’
He approached the first full suit of armor he found.
Then immediately went pale.
’...Of course it’s expensive.’
It cost five hundred Tower credits, which were far more than Kyle initially had.
With a heavy heart, he sighed before continuing through the shop until he finally located the cheapest armor he could reasonably afford.
A pair of cheap chest plates.
Simple gauntlets.
Nothing more.
They barely protected much of his body.
But they would have to do.
Unlike the others, who were beginning to resemble walking fortresses, Kyle still retained most of his speed and flexibility.
Surprisingly...
The armor felt almost completely weightless.
A benefit, no doubt, of devouring those disgusting cockroaches earlier.
’Just how much stronger am I compared to everyone else...?’
Soon enough, the group had finished purchasing everything they needed.
Rita now held an elegant wooden staff topped with a massive crystal orb.
Within that orb...
An endless miniature galaxy swirled.
Pink stars drifted through an infinite darkness, slowly revolving around one another like a tiny universe trapped inside glass.
Thors rested an enormous battle mace across one shoulder.
The heavy armor completely concealed his body, while deep, monstrous breaths escaped from behind the helmet’s visor.
He looked less like a human...
And more like a walking beast.
Reed, meanwhile...
Had equipped himself with only the finest equipment available.
Bright silver armor polished to perfection.
Twin katanas rested comfortably at his waist.
Everything about him screamed wealth.
Standing beside them...
Kyle quietly paled.
’Who are these bastards trying to show off their wealth in front of...?’
He tiredly looked away.
At least...
Now that everyone was finally prepared...
It was time to begin exploring the First Floor.