It had been long since the sun sank under the horizon, replaced by the full moon shining brilliantly in the starry sky.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" the man wearing the red suit, Kale, mumbled, looking up at the huge banner which read: The Boar's Hat.

"It surely does," the woman wearing the blue suit, Pearl, replied, entering the inn followed closely by the man.

The restaurant was filled to the brim with customers. Almost all seats were occupied by creatures from almost every fantastical race, including humans, elves, dwarfs, and many other species.

Waiters and waitresses ran around the restaurant, masterfully weaving their way between the clutter of tables and chairs to reach their destination without spilling a drop of the dish they held.

"How may I assist you two?" inquired an elf dressed in a waiter's uniform, appearing in front of the duo.

He possessed a striking appearance with his fair complexion, radiant golden hair, and elongated, pointed ears peeking out from under his stylishly short hairdo. His well-toned physique, slender frame, and captivating smile were enough to arouse envy in anyone who laid eyes on him.

He wore a green waistcoat and pants over a white shirt and dark green tie, which was the usual uniform for the male waiters of the inn.

"We would like to ask a few questions about a particular individual," replied Kale, looking around the bustling, well-lit hall filled with people.

The waiter raised his hand towards the crowd in the inn, "Kind sir, as you are able to see, we are a little overcrowded at the moment. I apologise but I won't be able to assist you in the matter."

The woman wearing the blue suit glanced around. Knowing well what would happen if they even dared to create a scene, she calmly asked, "Will you be able to answer our questions after the crowd lessens a bit?"

"Of course," he replied with a wide, welcoming smile.

"Very well," said Pearl, "We'll wait around till then."

Saying this, she walked deeper into the crowd, closely followed by her brother, who glanced at the waiter one last time before heading into the crowd.

"Are you really going to make those two wait, Kiota?" softly inquired an elderly man with a fit, bulky build, who wore a waiter's uniform, mopping the floor right beside the elf.

The elf-waiter turned towards the elderly man, "Jigo, veterans and newbies are all treated the same inside the inn…"

"Bu–"

"Plus, 'he' will intervene if 'he' deems it necessary," whispered Kiota, walking away.

No matter how much the duo looked around, there wasn't a single vacant chair in the inn. It was like a never-ending game of musical chairs, but without the music or the fun.

As Kale's eyes darted around desperately, he finally spotted a glimmer of hope in the corner of the hall. Two dwarfs had just stood up, likely on a quest to refill their colossal beer mugs.

Seizing the opportunity, the man and woman went into turbo mode, dashing towards the empty seats like chairs were the ultimate treasure. It was like they had superhuman chair-finding powers! They covered the few meters with lightning speed, leaving a trail of tiny, crackling golden sparks in their wake. It was as if they had harnessed the power of the chair gods themselves!

By the time the other inn patrons blinked, the chairs were already occupied, and all that remained were fading sparks in the air. It was a sight to behold, an epic battle for seating supremacy that could only happen in the wacky world of a crowded inn.

Due to the lack of chairs, people had to share a table with strangers, which wasn't a problem for most of the crowd in the inn who had only one goal of getting drunk.

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A man and a woman, leisurely sipping on some wine, sat at the table where the duo had just appeared.

The man wore a black blazer and pants, over a black shirt, with a few buttons unbuttoned, displaying his slightly tanned skin and godly physique.

The gorgeous young woman sitting beside him wore a normal-looking black T-shirt along with skinny black jeans.

"It's rare to see someone wear clothes without enchantments," Kale commented, making himself comfortable on his chair.

The man wearing the black suit looked at him for a few moments before resuming to sip leisurely on his wine.

"Clothes with enchantments?" inquired the woman wearing the black t-shirt, placing down her wine glass.

Wide-eyed, Kale stared at the woman, "You're new to the Tower, aren't you?"

"It's been a little over two weeks now," she replied, blushing.

He let out an irritated sigh, mumbling, "To think that we would be made to sit with utter neophytes…"

Empty silence followed their conversation. The irritated, red-haired man stared at the ceiling, trying his best to bide time while the woman wearing the T-shirt lowered her gaze toward the table, silently drinking her glass of wine.

Pearl reclined back on her chair, massaging her eyes, "Do you know anything about this 'Menace' fellow?"

The woman raised her eyebrows at the sudden question.

"Nothing more than what the masses know about him…" she replied, "Apparently he's one among a million and is recording his name among the top ten on every floor he challenges."

Pearl gave her a disappointed look, frustrated that she couldn't tell her anything she already wasn't aware of.

"What about you?" she bluntly asked, turning her head towards the man quietly minding his own business.

He looked at her for a few moments before keeping down his glass of wine and making himself comfortable on his chair.

"The last time I checked, it was bad manners to not introduce yourself first, before asking a question," he calmly commented, staring at the stunning woman with his sapphire-like eyes.

"You!" angrily exclaimed the red-haired man launching up from his seat, glaring at the man in front of him, who had dared to talk so bluntly to him.

The blonde woman beside him swiftly grabbed his wrist, shaking her head, signaling him to not cause a scene and sit back down.

Reluctantly he plopped down on his chair, but only after an irritated and angry scoff.

"My name is Pearl," she replied in a calm and soothing voice, "This is my brother, Kale."

The man wearing the black suit nodded, "Very well… I'm called Nox and this is my friend, Elizabeth."

"Now Nox," said Kale in a gruff tone, "Do you know anything about 'Menace'?"

Nox smiled, keeping one leg over the other, "Incidentally, I do."

The eyes of the siblings sparkled on hearing the much-awaited news, and they leaned closer to him, eagerly waiting for him to continue.

"I once met him on the fifth floor," he said, raising his finger toward the ceiling.

"Is it true that he wears a tracksuit and a furry cape on top, along with a black mask?" inquired Pearl.

He nodded, "Indeed… He even saved my life even though we had just met for the first time."

"Saved your life? What, did he kill a group of ten goblins who attacked you?" Kale scoffed, staring at Nox, who was smiling at him.

"That's correct," he said, extending his arms, "But, I heard that he went on to kill four thousand goblins after that."

The siblings straightened their backs, alarmed at the sudden news. It was impossible to slaughter that many monsters under the time limit unless a Ranker had hidden his level and participated in the challenge. But the Tower didn't allow such things.

Back when they were climbing the lower floors of the Tower, they were considered geniuses just because they had been able to slay just under a thousand goblins, that too while working together. Yet, the newbie Menace was able to slaughter more than four times the same monster.

"D-did you see him do it?" asked Kale in a startled and confused tone.

"Unfortunately," Nox replied, "I was unconscious after he saved me. It was only through other people that I got to know of that information myself."

Kale nodded slightly before getting lost in deep thought, trying to take in what he had been told.

The siblings stared at each other as if having a deep conversation with their gem-like eyes.

Pearl slightly nodded at her brother before turning towards Nox, who had resumed sipping on his glass of wine.

"You have helped us a great deal," she said, "But, that was your duty all along, as a player who just entered the Tower."

Kale handed him a piece of white parchment with a few numbers and letters scribbled on it, "This is my teleball ID… Keep me informed about anything related to Menace."

"Are you asking me to," said Nox, facing the red-haired man, "to become a spy for you?"

"As a newbie, it is your greatest honour to serve someone such as myself," he gruffly replied.

Nox's lips curved imperceptibly upwards as he placed his wine glass on the table and picked up the piece of parchment with both his hands.

"Very well," he mumbled respectfully, sliding the paper into his blazer's pocket.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the blonde-haired elf waiter called out, appearing behind her, "kindly follow me."

The siblings gracefully got up from their seats before quietly following behind the waiter, headed towards the elevator.

Nox glanced at the siblings one last time before getting up from his seat.

"Hey," Elizabeth called out, getting up, "Are you sure you need to resume your climb in just a week?"

"Try not to get yourself in trouble while I'm away," he replied, offering her a charming but natural smile, "Also... take care on your climb too. Don't rush it."