With that last interaction with Reaver, I set-up a small camp for the night. It was about time to rest once again before continuing to climb even more.

Climb. Climb. Climb. That's all I've been doing and it is the only thing I can think about lately. It makes sense why I would.

It is also impossible not to be like this when I'm constantly dealing with all of this shit on my own. I've kind of gotten used to it a bit, but it still gets to me every so often.

Eventually my thoughts finally settled and I felt like I can finally get some sleep.

The abyss didn't come tonight though, instead I slept through the night like a normal person. Something that didn't seem to happen often for me.

I woke up to the same darkness as before, the nighttime didn't seem to disappear on this floor so it was definitely a different experience.

"So this is what it is like to see you in person." A familiar voice says from behind me.

I didn't really know what to think since I just woke up but the voice is definitely very familiar to what I know. It would be kind of surprising for someone to be here like me though.

I've not run into any other climbers on any of the other floors so it would definitely surprise me.

I turned around to find myself face to face with Rika, she looked exactly like she did the last time I saw her. Long white hair, horns coming out from the top of her head, red eyes, and she seems to be wearing some sort of dress.

Surely my mind is just messing with me for some odd reason. Rika wouldn't just be here out of nowhere... Or perhaps this floor has a way of messing with people's minds.

The possibilities are definitely endless in a place like this.

"Rika you aren't really here, are you?" I question with a bit of a confusion in my voice.

"I am here. I'm just not here for very long, it is hard to be away for so long. Physical bodies take time to get adjusted to in this world." Rika answers.

So my mind isn't just playing tricks on me, this is actually real? I really thought that it might possibly be a trick by the tower.

"I'm just surprised to see you here all of a sudden." I say, a bit of relief in my voice.

"I wanted to help give you a bit of support since the girls disappeared all of a sudden. You look like you've been through a bit of hell lately." Reika replies while observing me.

It made sense that she would say that since most of my clothes were painted with blood that dried up over time. Dry blood, tears in the clothes themselves, and even some damage to some of the scales.

I've maintained my hair and have kept my face pretty clean. But everything else was definitely a wreck.

It is kind of hard not to get this messy when fighting constantly in all these different environments. One day I hope to have the perfect outfit that won't get damaged or dirty like this.

I hate that I'm stuck with these clothes until I'm done in here.

"I'd say that I have just been busy fighting. It definitely looks that way though, but I'm happy to see you." I speak with a genuine tone.

"So the harsh version of you isn't out right now it seems." Rika responds while taking notice of my tone.

The brutal version of myself does seem to be away while she's here, it is quite the change of pace all of a sudden. Maybe an effect of being around the others.

I didn't really have this mindset when the girls were here so I guess it is related to being by myself.

There isn't much to worry about when it it just me.

Exactly why it is so good to travel alone, no worries, no reason to hold back, nothing at all. We can power through everything without any sort of problem.

That's exactly why it is so much better for us to be like this.

I won't let that side show as much when the others are around. I don't think they should see how cruel I can be...

Killing without the slightest bit of care in the world. That would make me look evil in a lot of ways. I already walk in such a thin line to begin with, one that is on the verge of breaking.

"I don't want that to be the version you encounter in person. I don't even want the others to see how merciless I can be." I say with a calm tone.

"Sometimes that version of you will be needed though, it'll just be a matter of when." Rika replies with a calm tone as well.

"You're not wrong, but how long are you here?" I question with a curious tone.

It would be good to know how long she'll be here since it'll determine my stay on this floor. I can't climb until she leaves but I'm not going to send her away when I can use some real company.

Talking to myself is definitely not enough for me to get through everything.

"A couple of hours. I'm working on it but I know you still need me in a lot of ways so I can't work on a permanent solution until then." Rika responds with a bit of sadness in her voice.

She's giving me even more reasons to get stronger and to push through this tower. I don't want her to be stuck within the abyss forever.

That's basically what my mind is anyway, an abyss. A place that she can't really escape from...

I'd like for her to be free as soon as possible so this is definitely even more motivating for me. I'm already getting a lot better with controlling everything, but I haven't figured out where I stand with my rank.

It has been quite some time since I last checked where I stand.

"Well, why don't we lay around for a little while? It is something you don't get to experience in person too often." I suggest with a bit of kindness in my voice.

I gave her a smile and she just gave me a nod. So we went back inside of the makeshift tent I set-up the previous night.

It was definitely nice to have someone in bed with me again, but it was a different experience since Rika never shared a bed with me before.

Feeling the warm embrace of another person is definitely a nice feeling, one that will disappear for a long time after this. I could feel her breathing on me as her head rests on my chest.

"You also have obvious horns now and the scales look like they protect the important parts of your body." Rika says while laying on my chest.

"It is the best way to use my power in combat. The horns were just something I couldn't hide, not if I want to use more of my power." I reply while looking at the ceiling.

Usually I would feel pretty nervous and like my cheeks were blushing but for some reason I didn't feel any of that. Maybe I was already used to being around her from the abyss.

It isn't the same since the abyss is almost like a place within my head. But at the same time... The abyss is said to be a real place that people can go.

I don't think people would really want to go to the abyss though, it isn't that nice of a place for people to go. It took me a long time to get over the idea of what lurks in the darkness there.

Reaver kind of helped me get through that in a lot of different ways.

I never really had any reason to fear anything in there when my power is definitely capable of defending me. The dragon lurks within the shadows there as well.

No monsters will come near me when it is around.

"I can't lie, this is definitely a nice feeling." Rika says, changing the topic.

"Gives you more reasons to figure out a better solution." I reply with a bit of teasing tone.

"The girls still don't even know who I am. I'd have to meet them before getting to experience this a lot more." Rika speaks with a bit of sadness.

"They'll like you. Everyone has gotten along just fine so far." I reply with confidence.

It really does baffle me how much the girls get along with one another. I didn't really expect them to since they are all very different from one another.

Ghost has also improved a lot since I fixed her up in the junkyard. I have hope that she'll remember something at some point.

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