After Thorian's announcement, the two met up with Vigil before they made their way to Locksley. As they reached the city gates, Oswald approached them, accompanied by two guards whose resolute faces belied their trembling hands.

"Lord Thorian, I presume you've come to challenge the abyss," Oswald inferred as he walked toward Thorian.

"That is correct," Thorian nodded.

"In that case, would you mind following me?" Oswald asked. "We can take a detour to minimize unrest."

"Certainly," Thorian conceded with a smile. As the trio followed Oswald and the two guards, Thorian struck up a conversation with the spearmaster. "You've been clearing dungeons alongside our people for a couple of days now, haven't you?"

"Yes, Lord Thorian. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity," Oswald replied with a smile. "With your people's assistance in the dungeons and my expeditions into the abyss, my growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. I have only you to thank for that."

Hearing those words, Thorian glanced at the two guards. While they pretended not to care, their continuous glances back at Thorian and Oswald revealed their interest in the conversation.

Turning his focus back to Oswald, Thorian shook his head. "Don't mention it. We are now formal allies, and as such, I will spare no expense in supporting your growth." He paused for a second before asking, "Tell me truthfully, how was your experience with my people over these few days? And I'm not talking about your growth in power or levels."

Oswald looked down in thought for a second, prompting even Nox to look at him with interest. Finally, he admitted, "At first, I was certainly uncomfortable. The idea of being on the same team as a monster was something I could never have conceived of before." He then let out a deep breath before smiling. "But that's all in the past now. Your people are no different from our own; they help each other, they care for their comrades' well-being, and even though I was an outsider, they took me in like one of their own."

Hearing those words, Nox laughed. "Well, that's obvious, isn't it? Of course, they will care for you; you're part of the team!"

"I guess you're right, Nox," Oswald chuckled back. "My initial worries were completely unfounded."

With those words, the group continued on their way to the abyss. Taking a significant detour to reach the entrance of the underground tunnels, they shared their challenges and progress rates. Oswald, alongside Tristan and a few others, had already reached the ninth floor of the abyss. As a gesture of goodwill, Thorian shared his knowledge about the subsequent floors with the spearmaster. Engrossed in conversation, they soon reached the entrance of the tunnels.

“Lord Thorian, thank you for all the information you’ve given me. It will certainly prove immensely helpful,” Oswald said with a light bow.

“Think nothing of it,” Thorian shook his head. “Just make good use of it and continue to grow stronger. As allies, your strength benefits us, and our strength benefits you.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Thorian and his group descended into the tunnels, while Oswald and the two guards returned to the gates of Locksley.

“It looks like the integration is proceeding smoothly,” Vigil noted as they traversed the tunnels. “At least with Oswald, he seems ready to embrace the change.”

“You mean living with us?” Nox inquired, surprised. “That would be fantastic. If Oswald, Tristan, and James joined us in the village, it would be a lot of fun.”

“Whether they reside in the village or in Locksley doesn’t matter much,” Thorian countered. “As long as the people of Locksley are willing to mingle with us, you could come and go as you please.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Nox conceded, appearing thoughtful. “It does become tiring to always run on roofs and sneak around whenever I come to Locksley.”

“Soon, that won’t be necessary,” Thorian assured.

The group continued until they reached the portal to the abyss. Joining hands, they stepped through, only to be engulfed by vibrant lights.

However, rather than arriving in a fully formed world as they had on previous floors, they found themselves in a white room.

“What is this?” Nox asked incredulously.

“This is... certainly different,” Vigil added, surveying the room. Aside from the white walls, there were three hovering figures that drew their attention.

The first was a young man with fair skin and brown eyes, dressed in a blue robe befitting a magus. The second, a brown-skinned old man with black eyes, donned a completely black cloak. The last was a middle-aged man with golden hair and fair skin, clad in a white robe and clutching a holy book.

“This marks the beginning of the narrative floors,” Thorian explained. “The previous floors consisted mainly of defeating monsters and solving simple puzzles. That's not the case with these narrative floors. We must unravel the mystery of the world within the tower to clear the quests of each floor.”

“That sounds very intriguing,” Vigil said, turning his attention back to the floating figures. “But what about these entities? What are we supposed to do with them?”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“These are residents of the tower’s world,” Thorian clarified. “We'll inhabit their bodies, and through them, we'll tackle the floor challenges.”

“How exciting,” Nox beamed, approaching the figures. “Which one should I choose? They all seem quite interesting.”

“That's an easy decision,” Thorian said, halting Nox before he could randomly choose a character. “I'll inhabit the body of the magi, Vigil will take the priest's, and you will inhabit the assassin's. This way, we can continue to utilize our usual skills without the confusion of explaining why a master assassin is employing only magical abilities.”

Nox chuckled at the idea, "Honestly, I just want to do it because it would be funny."

Thorian rolled his eyes at his friend's nonchalant attitude, but continued to share all the critical information he could recall. "Narrative floors are challenging because each visit offers a vastly different experience. Even I'm navigating blindly here. However, it's crucial that you play your role convincingly. If the inhabitants start suspecting that something is off, our task will become significantly harder."

"Don't worry about that," Nox assured him with a chuckle. "I won't make things difficult for us."

Nodding in response to Nox's assurance, Thorian then said, "Let's choose our characters then. Should we end up separated, just follow the quest's instructions. As long as we do that, we'll eventually regroup."

With that, Thorian moved his hand over the figure in the blue robe. As he did, a notification materialized before him.

Character Information Character Name Alan Smith Description Alan Smith is an intermediate mage who graduated second in his class from the Arzak Magical Academy. After two years at the adventurers' guild, he has been invited to the capital to continue his magical training at the royal magical court. Restrictions

All your stats, except for mana, will be capped under 100.

All skills remain unlocked.

Restrictions will gradually lift as you progress through the floors.

Do you wish to enter the twenty-first floor?

Reviewing the character description and the restrictions, Thorian's brow furrowed. So, I lose most of my physical abilities, but my mana and skills stay intact? That's manageable. Compared to other restrictions I've encountered, these are minor.'

After considering the last notification, Thorian confirmed internally, Yes, I wish to enter.

The moment Thorian formed the thought, he was instantly transported from the white room, finding himself on the outskirts of a village. As people passed by, his attention was drawn to the floor quest that appeared before him:

Welcome to the twenty-first floor of the abyss.

To clear this floor, complete the floor quest

Floor Quest Escort the noble, Elian Valtor, through the treacherous woodlands where both monsters and bandits roam. Rewards

200,000 Experience Points.

100,000 Arcane Coins.

An escort quest to start with, huh? Thorian pondered. Based on my past experiences, there must be some underlying mystery. Narrative floors are infamous for their hidden complexities.

Despite reaching this conclusion, Thorian lacked any concrete leads. His best course of action was to focus on the main quest before exploring further.

I need to find this Elian Valtor.

With a clear objective, Thorian examined his new body. Gone was the familiar fur, replaced by a smooth blue robe that perfectly fit his smaller stature.

After adjusting to his appearance, Thorian discovered a yellow parchment in his pocket. It featured a detailed drawing of a noble's face, identified below as "Elian Valtor."

So, in this world, Alan Smith accepted the escort quest from the adventurer's guild, likely as a way to earn some travel money on his way to the capital.

Returning the parchment to his pocket, Thorian made his way to the village's outskirts. Upon reaching the main road, he spotted a lavish cart befitting a noble.

It's worth investigating.

Circling the cart, Thorian encountered the noble standing alongside a middle-aged man in a white robe. It took him a moment, but he soon recognized the man as Vigil, albeit in a new body.

"Seems like one of the escorts finally decided to show up," Elian remarked disdainfully, eyeing Thorian with scorn. "Now, we just need to wait for that old man. Who knows where he is? He might have even forgotten about his escort mission."

Thorian maintained his composure in the face of the noble's rudeness, while Vigil seemed on the verge of retaliating before Thorian diffused the situation with a surge of mana.

“What was that?!” Elian exclaimed as he looked around, searching for the source of the disruption.

"I'm not sure, Lord Elian. Perhaps it was just a gust of wind?" Vigil feigned ignorance.

Elian's face twisted in frustration before he stormed back into the cart. Once the noble was inside, Thorian approached Vigil. "I didn't peg you for someone who lets emotions dictate their actions."

"I apologize, my lord," Vigil responded, bowing slightly. "I could not stand by idly while insults hurled your way."

“Never mind that,” Thorian shook his head. “We need to find Nox as soon as possible, or else this noble will have us go to the capital without him.”