We strolled along the suspended street, surrounded by these anthropomorphic rats or mice going about their lives. The houses were mainly metal sheet sheds that connected to the main skywalk. My fear of heights was driving me insane, as it was impossible for me to look down. Not only that, but the entire place was swaying slowly.

"This is quite different from Enki's place," Carol remarked.

"Yes," I replied. "Their clothing also looks more advanced, less leather and more synthetic."

"And most of them have guns," she pointed out.

I hadn't realized it, but she was right. Most of the inhabitants had guns on their belts or in holsters on their legs. The whole place felt a bit more sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and less fantasy than when we were below.

I used FOCUS on a random mouse person.

"Tati Mati, Level 12, NPC,

Species: Watoo.

Watoos are rodent-like species, famous for their engineering skills matched only by their amazing drinking resistance.

Watoos drink... A LOT. They are also prone to fist fights.

They usually live in clans that are at war with each other."

"These are Watoos," I said.

"Yes, I just saw that. They are forbidden in the inn at Green Tree. I wonder why," Carol replied.

"It could be because they drink a lot and get into fights?" I shrugged.

We walked towards the motel and entered. The entrance opened into a wide hallway with doors on each side. At the end was a larger room with some tables and a front desk of sorts. A female Watoo was standing there, chatting with a male who was drinking what looked like a beer.

As we approached the front desk, the female Watoo waved the male away. He looked us up and down before sighing and leaving.

"Hey there," the receptionist said. "Welcome to Gear Head, the best motel in Sky Landing!"

"Hi," I replied.

"How can I help you today?"

"We would like to book a room, please."

"A big bed?" she said, smiling.

"Two rooms," Carol interjected.

"Sorry, yes, two rooms," I confirmed.

The Watoo looked at us, confused.

"Oh, trouble in paradise?" she said, still smiling.

We didn't respond, and the receptionist turned around, handing us two keys.

"25 gold each. Breakfast included," she added.

We paid and moved away. As soon as we did, the male came back to chat with the girl.

"I could use some rest, but I'm kind of hungry," Carol said.

I nodded.

"Maybe a quick shower, and we meet back here in 30 minutes?"

Carol looked at her armor, holes from Bunglin's punches, covered with dirt and dried blood.

"Yeah, good idea," she replied.

We headed to our rooms. Mine was number 7, and Carol's was number 9.

The room was small but had a bed and a shower. I took off my gear, which was dirty, covered in dry blood, and broken in many places. I stepped into the shower, and it felt so good.

We had finally made it to the Tower, the first actual floor. If the floors increased in difficulty as I expected, we needed to level up more and acquire better gear.

Suddenly, I thought about Cleo, wondering if she had made it this far and what level she might be. All those elevators we saw, how many Revivals found their way to the Tower?

The water was warm, and I felt my muscles - for the first time since arriving in this world - finally relaxing. Moving my fingers over my body, I could see scars and marks. While food and health patches fixed the wounds, they always left a trace behind. It was more like quick healing than a complete erasure.

My hair was filled with dirt, dark water going down the drain.

"I can't believe we made it," I said out loud.

I thought back to everything once more, the first encounter with the two goblins, the wolf, the three bears. I was so scared. I still am.

The battle with Bunglin, we should have lost. We were unprepared and too overconfident. We couldn't even harm him with a direct attack. We are so far behind in terms of level.

I stepped out of the shower and picked up a towel.

For a brief moment, I looked for my medication - but I didn't have any. I had stopped taking them since I arrived here. And I suddenly realized that I didn't need them. I didn't experience difficult anxiety or panic attacks anymore. I didn't use Clonazepam, and I was fine.

Was it the game doing that? The new world? Or the fact that I didn't have a second to think about it? I smiled out of nowhere, just happy.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

I quickly dressed and headed out. Carol was already there, chatting with an older Watoo couple. I joined the conversation.

"Oh yeah, he would have everything you need. And he's a good boy," the old lady said.

"Oh, is that your friend?" the old Watoo interjected when he saw me.

"Correct," Carol replied.

"Well, we'll be on our way then. Enjoy Sky Landing," the old woman said as they left.

"Did I miss anything?" I asked.

"I was talking with this Watoo couple. They recommended a gear shop in this city, said it's the best for Revivals," Carol explained.

"Food first?"

"Yeah, I'm starving."

We decided to grab some food at a place near the motel. It was a kind of fish burger with dark blue potato chips. It was the closest thing to Earth food I had since we arrived. This time, I let Carol order first and I chose exactly the same. It turned out to be a good move.

After our meal, we made our way to the shop mentioned by the old couple. As we climbed the main "street," we passed through an archway that led to a floating plaza with multi-level buildings housing shops and restaurants.

"This feels much closer to the Earth era than Green Tree village," Carol remarked.

"Yes, it's like they have more advanced technology, and their civilization is more relatable to us," I added.

"There," Carol pointed.

On the second floor of the plaza, there was a shop with a big wrench sign attached to it, named "Ati's Gear Shop."

We climbed the stairs and headed in that direction, taking in the scenery around us. Kids were playing in the courtyard, while adults sat at small tables, drinking and chatting. If you ignored the fact that the whole place was floating in the air and that everyone looked like mice, it could easily resemble a scene from anywhere on Earth.

We entered Ati's shop, which felt like a garage. In the center stood an incredible vehicle - a buggy-type shape with metallic plates covering the sides and a cage all around. It had a large exhaust pipe at the back, and the hood was open, revealing the visible engine block that extended tall at the front.

Multiple suits of armor and weapons adorned the walls. This was definitely a departure from fantasy and closer to something like Mad Max or Waterworld.

At the back of the shop, a Watoo was murmuring to himself. He wore a reinforced suit and an aviator helmet made of leather, metal, and black glasses.

"Hi!" I said, trying to get his attention.

He turned around, his nose twitching as if he were trying to catch our scent.

"Hoo hello," he said as he walked toward us. "Welcome to Ati's!"

He looked us up and down for a moment, then continued:

"You need better gear."

"Yes," I smiled.

"If you like your weapons, I can also upgrade them for you."

"Is there an advantage in upgrading versus buying a better one?" I asked.

"Well, it depends on whether you like what you already have," he replied, examining our gear closely.

"Hermes, not bad," he said, pointing at my orange Gem.

"Thanks. Do you sell Gems?" I inquired.

"I don't have any at this time, sorry."

"No problem," I replied.

We browsed his inventory and purchased new gear. I also upgraded my sword, as I really liked it. Carol chose to upgrade and repair her armor and war hammer, opting to stick with the same gear but of higher quality.

My newly updated gear included :

"Steel Survivor Suit :

+55 Vitality

+8 Dexterity

+5 Engineering

The Steel Survivor Suit is a robust and flexible leather outfit with belts and pockets for storing items. It features metallic shoulder and chest pieces and offers additional protection for my fists, elbows, and knees. It feels comfortable, almost like a second skin, and is reminiscent of the basic Survivor Suit. The helmet that came with this suit is made of strong leather and reinforced with metal. It can also cover the face, providing some protection against toxic fumes or spells.

Sword of Tamius Category II :

+8 Strength when equipped

65% chance to trigger an electric effect on the target

The upgraded version of the sword replaced the low chance of a shockwave impact with a higher chance of an electric elemental attack and provided extra Strength to the wearer.

Mechanical Watoo Crossbow :

Allows for two bolts to be loaded and shot either separately or together.

Allows for loading explosive bolts. "

With my new gear, my stats were elevated to this :

BASE Iron Ring of Strength Chrome Survivor suit Ring of Blood Wall Sword Of Tamius Cat II TOTAL Strength 15 2 10 8 35 Vitality 145 55 5 205 Intelligence 20 20 Engineering 30 5 35 Dexterity 45 8 53 Charisma 5 5 Luck 5 5 Chaos 5 5 Mana 20 20

We also restocked on health patches, and I purchased a dozen explosive bolts. Feeling curious, I decided to engage in more conversation with Ati and asked some questions.

"Do you know how to reach the next floor from here?" I inquired.

"Your best chance is to reach Sky City, the main HUB. It's probably around 20 or 30 miles south of here. You can't miss it; there are many signs pointing the way," Ati replied.

"That's quite a long distance to walk," I remarked.

"Walk?! Are you insane? Take the train, or perhaps ask a fisherman for a ride," Ati suggested.

"Fisherman?" I asked, exchanging glances with Carol.

"Yes, there's a fisherman village about 3 to 4 miles from here. Just follow the road south," Ati explained.

"Where do they find fish?" I inquired further.

"Oh, that," Ati chuckled. "Flying fish. They're everywhere around here and the main source of food for us."

"Could we ask the fishermen to fly us to a higher level?" Carol proposed.

I looked at her, realizing it was a brilliant idea.

"If you're suicidal, you can give it a try," Ati responded. "The Emerrits control the next few floors, and they don't allow anyone to enter from outside the tower walls. Even crossing their airspace is considered a violation. They'll shoot on sight. No Watoo would take that risk."

There must be a way around that, I thought to myself.

"Thank you," I said, expressing our gratitude before we left the shop.

As we walked around the plaza, making our way back to our motel, the idea of flying to a higher floor kept lingering in my mind.

"I think we should explore the possibility of flying to a higher floor," I suggested to Carol.

"But you heard what Ati said, it's suicide," she replied.

"Maybe, but I'm wondering if there's a way we can sneak in and bypass the floors controlled by the Emerrits, landing us higher up," I explained.

Carol pondered my words for a moment before responding, "We could ask around and gather more information."

I nodded in agreement.

Returning to our motel, we noticed that the countdown clock indicated there were still 5 hours and 18 minutes until nightfall.

"An early night?" Carol asked.

"I could use more hours of sleep, and we can wake up early to head toward the fisherman's village," I suggested.

"That sounds good to me!" Carol replied.

We exchanged goodnight waves and made our way to our respective rooms.