Rocky ran his fingers through his hair, as he tried to process Riva’s proposal.

The idea of having her join his team while not a bad one, made him feel slightly uneasy in his heart.

He knew how strong she once was, being hailed as a rising star and someone who could stand among the best.

But her recent struggles had left her fragile, both physically and emotionally.

And while Rocky could see that she was starting to regain her glow, he wasn’t convinced she was ready for the brutal challenges that a climber had to face on a daily basis.

He glanced at Riva, who paced nervously by the dining room table awaiting his response.

She had clearly thought this through, and the determination to join his team was evident in her eyes. Still, Rocky couldn’t shake his unease at the idea of dragging her into the dangerous world he lived in now.

“You know,” he began, choosing his words carefully, “I’m not going to give you an answer right now.” He said, as he saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes, but he continued nonetheless.

“But… I think it’s a good idea for you to start training again, go back to the guild, and build your strength up. See if you can get back to where you were before.” He said, as he did not think that Riva gaining her real strength back was a bad idea.

Currently she was very clumsy and weak, but if she could regain her strength, Rocky felt like it would also help her regain some of her lost confidence, which was why he supported the idea of her rejoining the guild.

Listening to his words, Riva’s eyes brightened slightly, and she stepped closer.

“So you’re saying there’s a chance?” She asked cheerfully, as Rocky nodded, though he felt a knot tighten in his chest.

“If, by the time I reach floor 40, you’re back to your peak, and you can stand toe-to-toe with my team… I’ll consider it.” He paused, knowing he needed to make one thing clear.

“But I’m not promising you a spot, Riva.” He clarified, as Riva nodded in understanding.

Her face fell slightly, but Rocky pressed on. “I don’t want you risking your life just to pay me back or out of some sense of guilt. You mean the world to me, and I can’t— I won’t—endanger your life if I don’t think you’re ready.”

Riva looked down, clearly understanding his concerns, but Rocky could still see the fire of determination in her.

She wanted to do this, not just for him, but for herself and he respected that, but the thought of putting her in harm’s way gnawed at him.

“Just… start training,” Rocky added softly. “We’ll see how things go.”

Riva met his gaze, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you, Rocky. I’ll prove to you that I’m ready.”

Rocky nodded, but even as he watched her leave the room, his mind was far from settled. Letting her join the team was a decision he wasn’t sure he could make, no matter how strong she became.

********

Once alone, Rocky immediately felt the urge to crash on his soft bed and get some much deserved rest. However, as soon as he hit the comfort of his soft mattress, dark thoughts began to cloud his brain.

Not even a minute into him jumping into his bed, Rocky jumped out of it, as he fired up his laptop and began accessing the online library of the True Elites guild and the Climbers Association, trying to scour for information on the next floor of the tower.

Somehow, after facing the challenge on floor22 and 23, Rocky had a strong feeling within him that his team was not ready for the sort of challenges that they were facing now on a daily basis.

To survive they needed a lot more preparation and a lot more knowledge about the dangers they might face in advance, as every little thing could help with their survival.

Hence, although he was utterly tired after his last adventure, with this anxious feeling gripping his body, Rocky knew he could not sleep anymore and had to spend his time pushing himself to his limits.

“There are people whose life depends on me now… Hence, I can’t be happy go lucky no more.

Erin nearly died on the last floor, and we won’t be as lucky and survive every time around” Rocky muttered to himself, as at that moment, he suddenly understood what it really meant to be a team leader.

As he sat there scrolling even if he did not really want to, Rocky realized that his carefree days were now behind him forever.

He had to step-up now and become more dependable than any other climber around, because if he did not, he was sure to lose those he loved, one after another.

The tower was a dangerous place and with every floor that they climbed it became even more dangerous by the day.

Up till now, his team had survived by a hair’s breadth, however, a small misstep could have caused any of them to easily lose their life.

Not wanting such an outcome, Rocky navigated through the guild’s database, and came across a few firsthand accounts of climbers who had faced the challenges of the upcoming floor.

Floor 24, from what he read, was notorious for missions that played mind games.

The floor administrator of floor 24 was a sadist who liked to test the mental fortitude of climbers and found joy in warping their perceptions.

One climber from the True Elites guild had described floor 24 quests as “a living nightmare,” where even the most hardened warriors found themselves trapped in their worst fears.

While another recounted having experienced detailed hallucinations of seeing teammates turn into enemies, causing deadly internal conflicts.

It was chaos, and from what Rocky read, many climbers who lacked mental discipline had failed to ascend any further.

Reading these accounts sent a chill down Rocky’s spine, as although his team had faced monsters, puzzles, and traps before, this floor seemed like a whole new level of danger, one that required a different type of strength than combat power. Read exclusive content at empire

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep