"It's done!" one of them shouted, way louder than necessary.

I pushed myself up, stretching out the stiffness in my legs, and took a look at what everyone managed to pack.

Most of them could only carry a bag or two—barely anything, really—but it was the best their trembling arms and half-shattered nerves could manage.

As for me, I carried even more, stacking the packs side by side along my make shift shadow pole, letting the base bear the weight.

"Let's move. Stick close and don't wander off too far."

We kept a steady pace, and the man who just lost his wife didn't come with us out of resentment—a big mistake. I flick a coin secretly and struck him on the head once we were far enough.

He punched me. I killed him—fair exchange.

Along the way, we came across more people—stray survivors clutching backpacks, improvised weapons, or nothing at all. Some were hiding behind overturned cars, others peeking from shattered shop doors like startled alley cats.

Most flinched when they saw us.

But once they noticed the size of our group, and probably the very obvious fact that I walked like someone who could fold a monster in half—they fell in line quickly.

A mother with two kids, a college student limping on a twisted ankle, an old man gripping a crowbar like it personally owed him money. They joined us without even asking me.

I could've shooed them off, but I didn't feel like looking like a jerk. I been playing that role for so long that acting a little calmer felt… refreshing.

Besides, showing off to people who had nothing to do with the building acquisition wouldn't fill my meter, so why bother?

"Hurry up!"

We moved block by block until an apartment complex came into view.

"Good enough," I muttered aloud.

Instead of heading up the stairwell like normal human beings, we veered straight toward the underground parking ramp.

Places like that had space, reinforced walls, fewer entry points—and most importantly, room for me to swing a spear if something decided we looked delicious.

Once inside, I told everyone to start setting up a temporary camp while I headed upstairs with Hai‑Min and Amanda.

Leaving the two of them alone in an unfamiliar building full of unknowns? Yeah, no. Not happening. If this place got compromised, I wanted them with me; not screaming somewhere three floors down.

By the time we reached the higher levels, the hallways were a wreck—broken furniture everywhere, glass crunching under our shoes.

Corpses also littered the floor—mangled, half-eaten, burned, some twisted into shapes no human body should've managed. The kind of scene that smelled wrong before it even looked wrong.

Hai-Min took one glance and folded over, gagging. Amanda was beside her in an instant, rubbing slow circles on her back, while trying not to look at the mess herself.

"Boss, you seem… very fine with all this." she commented. "Is this not the first time you've seen this many dead bodies?"

She knew I'd never set foot in a Tower before today, so my lack of reaction landed squarely in the mysterious and mildly concerning category.

I shrugged. "Some people freeze. Some panic. I… adjust."

She let it go, choosing not to poke at whatever unsettling answer she imagined I might give. Instead, she turned her focus back to Hai-Min, keeping close just like I told her to.

"Stay sharp," I said, glancing back at them.

I moved ahead, maintaining my vigilance at all times, scanning the hallway for any signs of danger.

Then, without any polite warning, a high‑pitched screech echoed from outside the building.

A heartbeat later, glass exploded inward from one of the units.

From around the corner, a cluster of Granado Monkeys erupted into view—smaller than the ones we'd faced before, probably younglings, but their fists still throbbed with that same explosive energy.

"Materialized," I muttered, and the spear formed from the shadows, black smoke curling around the shaft. I didn't really need to announce it, but it just looked way cooler this way.

My left leg slid forward while my right foot anchored firmly behind me. I gripped the Moonlight Dragon Spear with both hands, leveling it at my stomach—the most basic stance of the Moon Devouring Spear Art.

The first monkey lunged at me.

I planted my feet, bracing against the floor, and drove the spear forward . The tip punched through its chest with a crack, and the creature's body shot backward like a cannonball, colliding into another monster.

Before they could recover, I stepped forward, the floor groaning under my weight.

"Moon Needle Thrust!"

Qi spiraled along the shaft, the spear spinning like a drill as I charged down the hallway. My feet pounded the floor—each step shaking the tiles.

It didn't just hit—each strike flowed into the next. One monkey caught the point in its side and flew into the wall. Another charged, only to be split midair, its body colliding with a third. I

By the time I skidded to a halt at the other end, the corridor was a blur of twisted bodies and shattered monsters

'Yeah… just the right amount of strength to handle these things.'

With my confidence bolstered, we made our way to the rooftop for a better vantage.

More enemies appeared along the way, but I pierced through them effortlessly.

"Boss, I think I should tell you this, just in case," Amanda broke the silence.

"What is it?" I asked, eyes fixed on the stairway leading up to the rooftop.

"Well… even though we've been seeing Granado Monkeys and their variants, it's not unusual for each floor to have four or more different variants," she explained cautiously.

"And why is that important?"

Amanda hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying. "I don't think the Granado Monkeys are the strongest monsters on this floor."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's just a gut feeling," she admitted, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"You don't have to be so afraid," I reassured her. "Either way, I can handle whatever comes our way."

Soon, we reached the rooftop. From here, I could gauge the Tower's echo range—it wasn't as widespread as I feared.

"Smaller than I thought… but the forest just keeps going past the buildings," I muttered, glancing at Amanda.

"Yes, boss. It's not unusual for a floor to be much bigger than it looks from the outside. In fact, the tallest towers near our city have floors that would take Seekers weeks to traverse. This is also one of the reasons why so few actually try to climb the higher floors."

I nodded in understanding.

"So, how do we locate the stairs that lead down?"

"Boss, are you really thinking of doing that?" Amanda's voice tightened with worry. "If we go down there, we'll have to face the floor boss. Killing one usually takes dozens of teams, and even then, unless an S-Rank leads them, success isn't guaranteed."

I closed my eyes, letting the air vibrate under my fingertips. Then I pointed to several spots.

"There, and there, and there."

Amanda frowned. "What… what are you doing?"

"Listen," I said, straining to catch the faint sounds. "Do you hear that?"

She tilted her head, listening. "Sounds like… fighting?"

"Yes." I nodded slowly. "Seekers are engaging in combat. If we can gather them all, we could form a proper team to take on the boss."

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