We navigated our way through the seventh floor, just another cave system that we would have gotten lost in if we didn’t have the map feature.

Unlike the previous floor, the cave system there was much different. Instead of elaborate tunnels and pathways we were introduced to large caverns and running streams of water.

“When are we going to sleep, I’m exhausted~”

“I’m not sure…”

“Shouldn’t there be something up ahead, what does your map thingy say?”

It wasn’t just Arga, Alice was pretty exhausted too. The only difference was that she wouldn’t complain even if I had asked, she was putting on a brave face. Maybe for my sake.

“It only records places we’ve been…so—”

“So in other words, we’re running around blind?”

I wanted to help them, I was exhausted too but we still had no idea where the next room would be. Finding a place without monsters spawning was next to impossible but essential if we wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

We had been lucky enough to avoid any fights by just walking around large rooms but things were starting to drag out. We had been walking well over an hour and still no closer to finding a place to sleep than before.

There has to be something right? I want to help them but I don’t know how. Uriel, any thoughts?

{No immediate answers can be generated at this time}

My shoulders sulked down and a large sigh followed behind it.

“I don’t know what to do~”

Wait a minute! The system has helped me every time things looked bad, could I use it again for this?

I opened my skill tree and a web of icons appeared in front of me. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, so I sort of hoped something would pop out at me.

Scrolling through them frantically, my eyes darted back and forth which caused the icons to shift around and move.

Alice must have noticed that I was standing still and froze to look back at me.

“Rei?”

I hadn’t found it yet but I was sure there was something that could help me. It started with the simple thought, where do the monsters rest?

It’s something we would seldom think of since we only ever see them when they are about to rip us apart but some monsters do rest in downtime. Thinking hard about it I was reminded about the first monster we encountered in these areas.

A creature that resided in the walls, out of sight from us and other creatures.

My eyes caught a glimpse of the icon and locked onto it, causing the bubble to focus at the centre of the web. I had found what I was looking for, the Lockjaw’s skill tree.

An array of skills I unlocked from our first dive into the sixth floor was laid out, connected by thin strings between each icon. Since then I had levelled it up quite a bit, adding a few icons to the web.

It was really easy to unlock this monster's skill, I almost had the complete set just from our fights on the previous floor. I was searching for one in particular though, a skill that could help us at that moment.

My eyes lit up at the sight of it and the skill activated a moment later.

My hand was enveloped in a vibrant blue aura, it was a bright colour that matched that of the illuminating stones on the walls.

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I extended my hand out to the solid wall in front of us and stared at it with a desperate look. My mouth was dry, I felt a heavy weight of responsibility riding on that moment.

“Please work…” I closed my eyes and called out the skill. “Munch!!”

A second later, the aura on my hand spread out into the air in front of me. A large ball was formed from it and a large jaw with jagged crystal teeth took shape.

None of us had seen anything like this before, I’m sure of it. It was something I would never have believed if I hadn’t been doing it myself.

A lockjaw made from aura floated in the air in front of me, so real that I had the urge to reach out and touch it—I restrained myself. I still had a mission to complete after all.

The teeth were about half the size of my body and responded to my thoughts. They carried out the task that centered my mind—EAT!

Without any delay, the set of teeth crashed into the wall opposite us and began to chow through it like bread. The hard purple stone was no match for its bite, in a matter of seconds a large crater in the wall had formed.

The Muncher's body was hazy, it resembled the same shape and size as a Muncher's but it was made of something else completely. It almost didn’t seem alive, even with it munching away at the wall. Sort of like a ghost, focused on only one task and one alone.

I kept my arm out and focused on the wall, letting the skill work further and further into hollowing out the wall.

My control of the skill had started to slip and soon after, it disappeared from the air. It managed to carve out quite a bit from the wall, enough to return hope to my face—all our faces.

“Right! This shouldn’t take too long, so just wait for me guys. Munch!”

I repeated the skill, over and over again.

A large tunnel had been carved out of the wall, with a small room at the end of it. All together it took me nearly thirty minutes for something that probably would have taken days by hand.

I looked down at my hand and grinned. I couldn't help but feel proud of what I was able to achieve.

“I did it~”

Arga walked up to my side and placed her hand against her forehead. The look of dismay in her eyes said it all.

I knew exactly how she felt, I was feeling just as shocked as her. I had somewhat of a better idea of how to use my skills and what they were capable of now.

“We won’t have to worry about any monsters 'spawnin in there. I still can’t believe you could summon that little critter from that skill of yours… you're even stronger than I thought.”

“I’m just glad we have somewhere to sleep tonight, he-he~”

We made our little base at the centre of the small room with all three of us against the walls. We did have a massive hole in the wall that anyone could walk into but we weren't worried about that. The Tower repairs itself by the hour so it wouldn’t be long before that hole closed back up again. As for the cave we were hiding inside, that wouldn’t be affected.

I figured that if those Munchers managed to sleep in the walls then there must be something keeping them from being trapped inside during the night, right?

It got pretty cold later in the evening so we had to stick quite close together, huddled below the large blue stones sticking out of the walls. Arga had already long since fallen asleep, the cold rough surface of the wall didn’t seem to stop her from closing her eyes and drifting off…really quickly I might add.

I couldn't sleep as easily I wasn’t sure I would be getting any sleep at all. It was way too uncomfortable, I wasn’t the biggest fan of sleeping with my head up. This must be something most adventurers learn to live with, since most excursions to the higher floors end up like this.

“You’re awake too, Rei?”

Alice’s red cheeks stretched out as a cute yawn escaped her mouth. The room had become extremely cold in the last hour or two so white clouds escaped our mouths as we spoke.

“Yeah I couldn't sleep, it feels pretty bad compared to my bed.”

“I miss my bed as well…”

Both of us yawned in unison, then looked at each other and giggled.

She has a bed too huh, well I suppose all royalty is the same everywhere. Being a monster or a human doesn’t really matter then.

A slight chill ran across my neck and my body tightened up. My legs began to shiver more aggressively as my shoulders danced in rhythm to my chattering teeth.

“So…cold…”

“Really, it is?”

“What, aren’t you?”

Now that I mention it, she isn't even shivering—not even so much as a shake! How could she not be cold…

“Mmm…I wouldn’t say it’s cold but I do feel a little slower. It’s much warmer at home, so maybe you should come live with us there!”

“I’d love to be there right now…”

There was no reply. I looked over at Alice and saw the despairing stare leaving her eyes. At that moment I realised what I had said and winced.

Shoot! I messed up! I thought.

“I uh—I didn’t mean to say—Guh! I didn’t mean to make you sad Alice.”

She shook her head with her eyes looking blankly down to the ground.

“I’m not sad, Rei. I just hope my brothers are safe and warm like I am right now.”

The golden jewels which could light up a room, had faded. The colour in her eyes was reduced to a dim shade, one of which nearly brought me to tears.

I raised my hand to her shoulder but ultimately hesitated. I cleared away the doubt and my hand rested on her head, causing her eyes to jolt wide open. She was snapped out of it and the amber glow returned to her eyes.

Her innocent stare looked up to me and I could see my own smile reflecting out from her eyes.

“They must be really good brothers since they raised you to be so caring.”

“…”

“We will find them. I give you my word.”