Argo stood over a man's corpse, a conflicted expression coloring his face. He tried to hide the exhaustion permeating his body from the young girl he had saved, but it was hard to control his ragged breathing and shaking joints.

He had slain any corrupted human he could see on the way to his current location. Delivering meticulous, but lethal strikes with the least amount of effort he could muster. Troy the archer had been the most exhausting fight so far. The other adventurers like Balthus were more focused on killing innocents.

Despite his rapid growth, it was still impossible for him to dispatch the average adventurer with ease. They would use magic spells, or weapon techniques in conjunction with mana.

He was able to capitalize on his speed and the element of surprise to kill them quickly. Every time one fell, Argo felt his heart slowly darken. He tried to ignore the bile rising up from the pit of his stomach. Anymore of this, and he would most likely have a mental break.

He turned his thoughts back to his strength, which had grown exponentially. Nearly all of his stats at the E- range.

A newcomer to the tower would find such growth astonishing, and simply impossible by any normal standard. It would take months for an individual to raise their stats from the likes of G to F. His power now rivaled the average fighters of the First Floor, but he couldn't remain complacent.

He was most likely at the top of his generation in stats and maybe skills as a newcomer to the Tower. But compared to the veterans who had been attempting the quest of the Isles of Endless Night for years, he was a newborn.

He didn't receive any new spells or equipment, which was to be expected. He had only killed maybe five or six Grade F humans at the moment, and the essence gain was negligible. The only formidable opponent he sensed was the man laying at his feet; his aura neared the middle of E.

Unfortunately he had been caught off guard like the others. Argo had capitalized on the built-up momentum from [Gale Drift] to reach extraordinary speeds. Paired with the unrivalled sharpness of Selene's Sword, he cut through his armor with stunning ease.

Argo's original plan was to skirt the outskirts of the city, trying to save any stragglers. He surmised most people would head away from the violent conflicts in the center of the city, and head towards the walls. He would then do his best to kill any corrupted adventurer in sight, and save any civilians.

For some inexplicable reason, he deviated a little bit deeper into the city to save the young girl behind him. He had felt drawn to this place for some vague reason, and he could've sworn he felt the silver blade strapped to his back glowing a little brighter.

'Must be my imagination,' he thought as he observed the girl.

"A hero?"

Shocking him out of his thoughts, his serious disposition crumbled.

"Huh?" He made a slightly pathetic sound, jarred by her inquiry.

He turned to the young girl who lay in a heap behind him. Her eyes were pools of liquid mercury, reflecting the luminous moon that reigned eternal over the night sky. Paired with shoulder-length onyx hair and youthful face, she was an adorable child.

With a frown he pointed at himself. "I'm not a hero."

Argo felt embarrassed being referred to as such. Especially after being called something so grand by Selene's retainer, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Before he could dispute her further, she gripped his leg with stunning force while quietly sobbing.

His expression warmed, reluctantly patting her small head.

He was familiar with adventurers having children within the Tower. But it was a disconcerting topic, as a child was unwillingly exposed to the dangers of Halcyon. They may have gained an Inherent, and the Records, but their life path was forced upon them. They would know nothing of the outside world without clearing the quest.

"What's your name?" He asked, "I'm Argo."

"Elisa."

They shared succinct introductions, much to his own awkwardness. He wasn't really good conversing with other people, much less children. For once he genuinely wished Aria were here. With her lively attitude, he was sure Elisa would warm up to her quickly.

"What happened to your parents?" Argo inquired, noticing their absence. He was slightly disappointed with them for managing to lose their child in this madness.

Argo felt obligated to protect her, but he secretly wanted to keep moving. The more time he spent idling, the more people that would suffer.

He could only use the excuse of replenishing his strength and mana to remain with the girl. But he felt the conflict had slightly died down. Most of the chaos was now concentrated at the center part of the city, where the giant castle was. He wasn't entirely aware of the details of what was happening, but it couldn't be anything good.

"Gone. They died shortly after I was born," the girl replied matter-of-factly. The bluntness of her words caught him off guard.

Argo grimaced managing to quickly recover.. "Ah, you're like me- well sorta. I don't remember anything about my parents, I woke up at a remote village one day without my memory."

Elisa pouted, "At least they may still be alive."

"Yeah, maybe." He still wasn't too sure if they really existed or not. The dream prison had hinted at their existence but for all he knew it was just lies. He'd most likely figure it out once he regained his lost memories.

He felt the young girl before her was more mature then others of her age. Argo thought it was admirable, but felt conflicted about it at the same time. Why should a child be forced to grow up so fast? But he was still considered a kid in many ways himself, so maybe he didn't have much of a say.

He simply felt it was unfair for a child like Elisa to never experience a proper childhood. All she had ever known was the ever present night sky, and the monsters that ran rampant. He wasn't sure if she would ever be able to be a part of completing the quest, but if he could, he would try to bring her out of this place.

That was his own selfish wish.

"Say, do you know what the sun is?" He prompted curiously.

Elisa frowned, "Like the one the quest is about?"

After watching him nod, she continued. "No, I have no idea what is is."

Argo smirked. "Well you can choose to believe me or not, but-." He pointed at the silver moon that shone in the night sky. An unchanging pool of liquid silver. "The sun is like that, but only orange and yellow. Its like a gigantic lamp that covers the land in bright light."

Elisa replied dubiously, "A gigantic lamp?"

He sheepishly smiled, he wasn't too good with words. Much less making up elaborate descriptions. "On the outside, the sun and moon take turns rising in the sky making day and night."

"Day?"

"Yes, its a time where light replaces darkness."

The young girl seemed confused by his words, she had only ever known the everlasting darkness.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Maybe I'll try to show you one of these days, if I manage to clear the quest."

Argo laughed internally, such an empty promise. Who was he to spout such nonsense? For all he knew, he would be dead within the month. Killed by one of the horrible abominations roaming the isles, or by some other calamity.

Oblivious to his internal strife, Elisa's eyes brightened. "That's a promise, right?"

"Huh, uh, sure."

Before he could follow up, a crimson pillar of light split the skies from the center of the city. An aura of raging fire circled around him, a cloak woven of pure flames. He could barely make out a man standing at the focal point of the incandescent light, a spear tipped with a great sword's blade held high above his head.

With long red hair billowing in the air, Argo felt the mana quake. That man was like a walking natural disaster, and Argo felt like he could wage wars by himself. Was he corrupted as well? Would he have to fight that guy?

'What the?'

The sheer amount of energy and pressure the individual was releasing almost made him drop to one knee. They were separated by a sizable distance, and yet the individual's aura was like a raging ocean.

'How can a Rank 0 release such pressure?'

Argo scooped the young girl in his arms, immediately activating [Gale Drift]. His speed increased trifold as he vaulted onto a nearby roof, speeding across the air like a bullet. He would quickly take the girl to the top of the city wall, the current safest position in the city. Most survivors had already gathered, and some guards had taken up a defensive position there.

If the appearance of such a powerful figure unleashing their full might was a harbinger of bad news. Argo had to investigate what was happening at the center of the city.

The young girl had passed out in his arms, her soft breathing the only sign that she was still alive. It looked like she wasn't able to remain conscious with her injuries. He felt greatly relieved as he held her, flying across the rooftops.

If he had stayed to slay the enigmatic being, Elisa would've died. But, what if he had stayed behind? He would've cut off all loose ends, and ensured such a tragedy wouldn't happen again.

'I wouldn't have been able to kill it, anyway.'

But the moral dilemma still floated around in his mind. What was the right decision? Would a real hero sacrifice the few in order to prevent a bigger catastrophe? Could lives be weighed in quantity?

Argo shoved the nonsensical philosophical questions to the back of his mind, as he arrived at the top of the northern wall. Survivors huddled around oil lanterns in groups, only a dozen guards watching their surroundings with vigilance. Most of the force was concentrating on dealing with the monsters within the city, leaving this small squad behind.

Familiar with Argo from the previous people he had saved, they took Elisa in. He most likely would never see her again, but he hoped their paths would meet again.

He swiftly departed, avoiding the use of [Gale Drift] to conserve his mana as he made his way towards the center of the city. It was a good thing his destination was easy to spot, he was largely unfamiliar with the city's layout.

He had only spent a couple of days walking around before heading to the Catacombs of Yore; and that was limited to one district. His thoughts lingered to the room he shared with Faye.

'I wonder if its still standing.'

Argo crossed over multiple districts, observing the damage to the city. Most of the buildings near the walls were largely undamaged. But as one neared the center it became a whole different story. Most likely as a result of the denser populations concentrated in the center, the corrupted had a field day.

The streets looked like magic artillery had been rained down upon them. With innocents and adventurers alike stuck in the crossfire. He avoided examining the corpses in too much detail, trying to focus on finding the central square.

It wasn't very hard. Paired with the abundance of fire imbued mana flowing through the air, and the giant capital building that represented the City of Selene.

The largest building of the City of Selene was a grand obsidian castle serving as the seat of authority. With its indomitable walls and high towers, it gave off an oppressive elegance.

But its former glory was now cracked, with watchtowers crumbling like dominos. Fires ran rampant throughout the structure, as humans engaged in bloody conflicts. Multicolored light would fly into the air from a variety of spells, and screams would laden the air with sounds of suffering.

He avoided the clashes breaking out around him, in favor of investigating the source of the blazing inferno. Argo placed his faith in the adventurers capable of keeping everyone safe. There were many individuals much stronger then him in the City of Selene after all. Believing his efforts would have a greater impact then theirs was arrogance.

Before Argo could reach the city's plaza he encountered fellow adventurers. Judging from their armaments and disposition, they were an experienced group. Consisting of two women and men, they moved with cohesive teamwork as they dealt with a corrupted human.

Their enemy was a summoner, a women clad in a dark navy robe and round glasses. With long brown hair and similarly colored eyes. Manipulating four large ghostly wolves that were about the size of a big wagon. With their distinct three eyes he quickly deduced they were the Pale Riders mentioned by Faye. Grade F creatures that lurked on the plains of Blackrock Island. The intricacies of summoning magic eluded him, but being able to summon four projections of such fearsome creatures were commendable.

Pale Riders weren't usually that dangerous to experienced fighters. But with four of them under the thrall of a mage that would be a whole different story. Argo quickly gauged the skills of the small party engaged in combat.

One women was their tank, plated in heavy armor and wielding a large shield. the other was an archer sticking to the roofs of buildings taking shots. The latter two men wielded a longsword and battle axe respectively serving as the main offense. From a quick glance he could tell they were around the F range.

They were currently stuck in a stalemate. The summoner stood at the far back of the street, allowing her wolves to maintain a close-knit barrier. She would occasionally fire off magic missiles to ward off the archer while assisting her summons. Her control was fluid, manipulating the wolves with experience. And no matter how many lethal blows they took- they would regenerate in accordance with their summoner's mana.

"Dammit, these damn things won't die!" The axe-wielding man shouted, slashing his axe with feverish intensity. "Dori, can you get a good shot?"

"I can't get a shot!" The women referred to as Dori responded, dodging another magic spell. "She won't let me!"

The sword-wielder yelled, "I'll give you an opening!" He quickly dodged the wolf, creating an opening between himself and the witch in the distance. Argo wasn't entirely sure what he was hoping to achieve with getting a better look at her.

Without warning, the summoner in the distance buckled. She convulsed like she was being electrocuted. An Inherent? Argo quickly guessed. He didn't sense any fluctuations with mana in the air. An ability based on paralyzing an opponent through eyesight?

Dori quickly jumped at the opening. She released three arrows in one string. Tinged in wind particles, they blurred through the air with extraordinary speed. The summoner recovered faster then they thought- constructing a familiar green barrier in the shape of a hex.

'Hex Barrier," Argo mused from a nearby vantage point. It was a Grade F defensive spell that he used to possess himself. Which also meant the witch below had a formidable defensive measure.

The arrows bounced off the glowing barrier- only managing to create slight ripples. The opening created previously was quickly filled in as the wolves mounted an aggressive counterattack. The women serving as the tank yelled in defiance, nearly collapsing under the vigorous push.

The sword-wielder's free hand manifested a glowing blue sword- most likely the result of an Inherent in an attempt to dual-wield. His swords flashed in a storm of energy but it was clear his attacks weren't doing much. The wolves continued to heal from their injuries and continue their attacks.

The axe-wielder bellowed, the ground beneath him quaking. His muscles bulged and his frame slightly grew. Like a miniature giant, he swung his axe with devastating power. The closest wolf was slammed into a wall while another had it's head beat into the ground.

'That man is strong,' Argo observed. This was the first time he was able to observe fellow Exalted engage in battle. The many different Inherents used piqued his interest. It also showed how much he had grown from his brief time in the Tower. Mayne because of [Hero of Finality] or he trained under monsters allowed him to grow by leaps and bounds.

Argo couldn't tell how much mana the summoner had remaining, but it wouldn't take long for the party to get overwhelmed. The burst of strength the axe-wielded had gained seemed like a temporary measure. Their opponent had decided to send a series of fireballs to keep him occupied while her summons recovered.

He weighed the decision to intervene in his mind. Argo felt he had watched long enough, opting for a more discrete method of intervention. He felt slightly inclined to use [Inferno Ballista] and pulverize the witch with sheer firepower. He was confident it was more then capable of ending her even with [Hex Barrier]. But that was mana draining, and he still had to inspect all the commotion in the plaza.

He stood up, narrowing his eyes as he gauged the distance. Roughly thirty meters give or take, well enough in his range. Argo readied the austere blade in his grip simultaneously hoisting it over his shoulder. Like he was throwing a lance. Argo's muscles bulged as he filled himself with mana.

With a sonic boom, the blade left his hands fueled by his strength infused with mana reinforcement. A silver gleam cut through the air before arriving before the witch in seconds. Her split second reaction to create a barrier was futile. The sword's cutting edge was unrivaled- skewering her heart effortlessly.

[You have slain Rona, a mundane-level human]

He quickly retrieved his sword from her corpse before moving on. Argo didn't bother waiting around to watch their reactions.

Argo arrived at the city's main square, which usually hosted a large open-air market and could accommodate an entire army within its confines. Debris now littered the pristine grounds, scars and deep grooves marring the obsidian stones.

But the conditions of the once opulent space didn't catch his eye. Argo's eyes froze, the situation unfolding before him slightly exceeding his expectations. He might've lied, they severely exceeded his expectations.