[Creating Contract…

Contracting Parties: Jose/Namgoong Yun]

[Namgoong Yun's Condition:

1. Jose will be part of Sol Levante for at least until Floor 100.

[Jose's Condition:

1. Namgoong Yun will help subdue and take back Andres.

[Exchanges:

1. Jose will join Sol Levante.]

[Effective Duration: Effective Until Cancelled By Both Parties.]

[Contract Created! Equalizer Contract is now in full effect, failure to adhere to the imposed conditions will be met with DIVINE JUDGEMENT!]

"There, it's done." Yun sighed.

"Why didn't you do that when you've recruited me?" Yuuki spoke.

"Because I don't have to. You seemed like someone who will join anyway."

"Fair enough." He shrugged.

"Anyway? Who is she?" Yun's eyes laid upon Emilia.

"Oh! I'm not a climber!" Emilia scratched her head as she laughed.

"Really? Then why are you with them?"

"Well, I am actually an Ego Weapon. And Jose is my wielder." She smiled.

His eyes widened a little. "Really? Seems like I lucked out on this one. Since Jose is your wielder, that means you are going to be part of Sol Levante as well, won't you?"

Emilia shrugged. "Seems like it."

"Hah! That's nice then... So, all of you should stay for the night. Head Butler over there will provide you anything you need, be it food, clothes, or whatever. I'll be going to sleep first, if you'll excuse me." Yun slowly stood up and began making way towards a nearby door.

"Sure, we don't mind. These two looked like they're starving anyways." Yuuki answered.

"Okay, then. Head Butler, take care of them." Yun opened it and headed inside immediately.

"As you wish, Master." The butler bowed. "So, dear guests, how may I help you?"

Emilia excitedly raised her hand. "Oh! Me! Me! I-I need food!"

"Uh… me too, mister." Jose spoke softly.

"Do you perhaps not want to take a bath or at least change first?"

"We can do that later. Lead us to the food first, please!" Emilia answered with enthusiasm.

"As you wish." The butler replied with a pained expression.

"Yes! I'll have a lot of meat, please!"

"Very well. Mister Samurai? How about you?"

"Oh, me? I'll have what they'll be having." Yuuki smiled slightly.

"Of course… Please follow me to the dining room." He opened the door and walked out first. "Please follow me."

The three then stood up from their seats and promptly followed.

As they walked once again through the lavish corridors, they later arrived at a private dining room, but its space was wide enough that it could easily be called a dining hall. There is only an exquisite banquet table made of wood in the entire room with more than ten seats on the sides and a chair on each ends.

Each of them were awestruck as they entered the room.

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Emilia was ecstatic. "It's beautiful! And even though I've lived as a Gray Wolf for a long time… I never thought I'd be excited seeing something like this, I don't know why…"

Jose then spoke to her. "Did you not said that all Ego Weapons are humanoids in the end? Especially those who had found a wielder?"

"Oh, I did say that…"

"Maybe it's just in your nature…?"

"Nature? That I like what I'm seeing right now? Maybe that's just my humanoid side reacting to this…"

"…"

As the two talked, Yuuki also started a conversation of his own.

"Head Butler."

"Yes, mister Samurai?"

"I saw the VIP mark on Yun's door before entering. Is this one of the benefits?"

"Yes."

"When we've entered, we saw that each and every person here, even the staffs seemed to be quite well-off… Tell me, just how much money did Yun pay for all of this? I can deduce his stay here wouldn't be that very long. But still… for such as short stay and to just pay for excessive things…"

"Hmm? I had thought you were his associate?"

"We kinda are. But we've only met from over a day ago, so I don't know much about him yet, and it's too tiring to look him up in Neural Network."

"Have you at least looked up basic information?"

"Well, I did. Like how he's the direct heir of the Namgoong Clan, how he's a prodigy who've once consistently bested the genius of the Mount Hua Sect, blah blah… All those things."

"Well, you seemed to have answered your question..."

"But I am still curious about the money, though?"

"You should have looked up information about the Namgoong Clan, then."

"Welp, I didn't. Do you mind telling me?"

"Not at all..." The butler smiled. "Firstly, the Namgoong Clan was originally a family of merchants almost two thousand years ago who resided in Floor 190. However, the then young master of the clan decided learn martial arts from a sage in the mountains and taught him swordsmanship. As the time goes on, he learned more and eventually added his own interpretation to their teachings, and eventually formulated the Clan's signature technique: the Thunder Fang Sword, which was then continuously improved upon by prodigies from the Clan's main branch."

"Oh, such a rich history…" Yuuki caressed his chin.

"Indeed. But the reason for their wealth is their monopoly of ThunderCore ores in Floor 191; the only source of it."

"I see... What's this ThunderCore ore, though?"

"A magical ore that is best suited for lightning magic, I am not very sure... but I heard it also has additional unique effects that can be harnessed..."

"Hmm... I see, I see... Thank you for that."

As their conversation goes on, the two are already being served by numerous guests.

Yuuki then saw Emilia waving while she's seated on one end of the table. "Hey! Food's ready! We have a lot of meat here!"

"Very well, mister Samurai, it seems food is ready."

"Yeah…" Yuuki smiled and made way towards the table, joining the two as they joyously ate.

…

As Yun remained still on the bed, unable to sleep. Voices crept out around him followed by a heavy atmosphere. "Until when? Until when will you keep up this insanity? Yun?!" Said a masculine voice, followed by a Feminine one.

"That's right, Yun! We gave our lives all so you could life comfortably! Why won't you just stay still in the clan that we've all build!?"

Another voice spoke, this time a little younger. "Why must you follow this wretched path!? We are cursed! Cursed to never reach the top! But you disregards that despite the numerous failures and deaths we've endured!?"

"Do you want to follow us on this path?! There's nothing but death and failure! In the end where you'll be heading is to where our lives ended!"

Despite the noise happening all around him in the dark room, Yun was simply there, staring blankly on the ceiling with not a single care about the tens of voices bickering all around him.

"Just give up, Yun! Look at us! Your predecessors! We've all died! We were given a new chance! Don't waste this another opportunity by following us to our graves! We do not know if there will ever be a another chance for this!"

"You must stop this madness at once! You don't need to lead these kids to their deaths!"

Finally, Yun snapped at their noises and sat up. "Shut the fuck up! Can't you incompetent scums shut up!? I'm tired of all of you..."

"You…! You dare talk back to us like that?! Who do you think are we?!"

"Who I think you are? You are the scums who couldn't fulfill a simple goal, that's why I will be doing it for you, trash."

"You!!!"

"What? Huh?!"

Finally, the voices stopped as he continued.

"I'm sick and tired of you all following me ever since I was a kid. You're concerned for the direction I'm going? I don't give a single damn about that. I'm on this path because none of you incompetent scums could do it."

"It's not worth it, Yun…"

"You think that way because you failed. I'm unlike you all, I will become the clan's first High-Ranker. That was the clan's goal from the start... We were left out! Amongst the Five Clans, Nine Sects, we're the only lineage without a High-Ranker! My pride as a martial artist would not let that be. Even if I die, I will come back to life to continue, I don't care."

"We were never clan of martial artists anyway... Just forget it, Yun."

"But we are now, aren't we?"

From the darkness, an imposing man materialized and neared Yun to tap his shoulder from the side. "It's fine now, Yun. Just enjoy your life. You still have a few hundred years to enjoy it to the fullest. Don't waste it by dying in less than a decade. Let's just give up on this goal, please."

"Founder…" Yun then shrugged away his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. But this time, it would be different. I will be a High-Ranker this time. I will achieve what none of you could. Once my preparation is complete, once all the pieces fell into place, I will steadily climb this Tower after that. This time, I will find comrades who I could fully trust with my everything. It will be different this time."

"Yun…" The founder looked at him in pity.

As Yun cleared his mind, the chatter began dying down until they finally disappeared altogether. He looked down onto his fist and mumbled.

"It will be different this time, it must be different… I will succeed in this life… I won't allow the past events to happen again. I need to succeed… for my people, for my pride, and for the comrades I have and will have later on..."