The Swamp of Hope
The fog showed no signs of lifting.
I tested the tactical light on my rifle.
Besides the suppressor and dot sight, it had a laser designator and such...
One of those.
Not much effect.
The fog was so thick it just scattered the light everywhere.
I switched it off and kept walking.
Trash kept snagging my feet, which was annoying as hell.
Plus, the fog was shrinking the range of my Perfect Sense skill big time.
This damn fog was the core of the 4th Floor.
It was a massive visibility blocker, but also a shield that hid hunters from view.
The monsters here couldn't see through it perfectly either.
But mapping the terrain was still a pain.
I'd expected it before coming, but finding your way here was the real grind.
For now, I just pushed forward blindly...
And gradually, the fog started to thin.
The 4th Floor fog cycled like that—thickening and thinning over time.
The real danger was when it thinned out.
Ssssss...
Where to hide? No, at least I need to know where I am before holing up...
I was debating internally when I felt something odd from behind.
Whoosh!
I spun around, and the first thing I saw was a huge scythe-like foreleg.
A mantis-spider hybrid monster.
It had crept up without a sound.
Pew! Pew!
I squeezed the trigger without hesitation, and it dropped with a headshot.
Not even a squeak as it died.
These things had decent eyesight—they'd spot hunters and charge when the fog cleared.
Fog thick? Headache. No fog? Still a headache.
And the loot sucked too.
Classic Tower Escape bullshit all around.
Hoo...
Crunch.
I let out a quiet sigh and noticed the ground was extra soggy.
The footfalls sounded different.
The lake!
The massive lake at the center of the 4th Floor.
If I'd made it this far, navigation got easy.
I adjusted my heading straight for it.
From here on, it was farming territory—had to move carefully.
The lake shore itself was surprisingly barren, though, so relatively safe.
To score big on the 4th Floor, you had to hit the thickest fog spots: villages or the lighthouse.
Good loot came with big risks.
An unbreakable rule in Tower Escape.
Lake shore... there! Pension complex!
A resupply spot for food and consumables.
Thankfully, no other hunters around.
But my high hopes crashed—inside was stripped bare.
Someone had looted it recently, no doubt.
The only "food" left was a single can of fish.
You guys skip this crap too, huh...
Still, I pocketed the can.
Grilled up, it was halfway decent.
Took a quick breather, then headed for the nearest descent exit before the fog thickened again...
Bang! Baaang!
Gunshots rang out exactly that way.
Timing said it was the hunters who'd beaten me to the pensions.
They were heading down too.
Or hunkering nearby...
Better steer clear of that.
Hearing shots from that far? Bad sign.
No suppressors on their guns.
Every monster nearby would swarm them by now.
Then east it is...
East had one direct exit and one descent exit.
A bit spread out, but doable.
I hit a serious dilemma.
The direct exit meant skipping the hellish 3rd Floor.
If it opened, that is.
The 4th Floor direct exit didn't need items or preconditions—just pure RNG.
Hence its nickname: Swamp of Hope.
Naturally, the hottest spot on the floor.
Check it out at least? Nah, might run into other hunters...
Normally, I'd beeline for descent.
But the complete escape reward was too tempting to ignore.
Scout from afar, decide later—not a bad play.
Plus, if the map fidelity was high like in Tower Escape...
There was a solid hideout near the direct exit.
I kept Stealth up as I moved.
Perfect Sense was due for a level-up soon, but no dice.
Upper skills didn't level easy.
Passed a flooded church mid-way but ignored it.
Decent loot, but monster density was nuts.
Hunters gunning for the direct exit often used it as a hideout too.
Should be thinning soon.
Luckily, the fog stayed light.
Good omen.
Maybe the direct exit really would pop.
Edgy, I pressed on, then paused somewhere decent and extended my senses forward.
Picked up multiple hunters in the distance.
Fog lightening had boosted Perfect Sense range again.
They were all hunkered down silently—would've missed 'em without prior suspicion.
Every usable building nearby had hunters.
I slipped off to the side, away from them.
Spotted an abandoned cargo container.
My target hideout.
Way too small for five people—max 2-3 if crammed.
Any full team would pass it up.
I ducked in, hung snowfield troll hide over the entrance.
White fur, fog would obscure it fine.
Door clanged when shut, and you couldn't scout outside.
"Hoo."
Starving and tense in the fog—needed fuel.
Pulled out my stashed chocolate bar.
Showered and ate in the inter-floor zone earlier, but...
This was the Tower.
Eat when you can, forget meal times.
Filled my gut, and drowsiness hit.
Mental and physical fatigue way worse than expected.
Constant skill use, probably.
Baaang! Baaang!
Loud shots from afar.
Fight breaking out at a ruin near the direct exit.
Prime hideout—hunters often scrapped over it.
Just stay quiet and wait.
Shhhh...
Fog thickening again.
Direct exit wasn't opening, looks like.
Figures, my luck.
Sun setting, so rest here, head to descent exit at dawn.
3rd Floor escape would suck.
Rest when you can.
But right before full dark...
Strange presence approaching the container.
Who's that? Solo.
One presence, for sure.
Too cramped for five—folks usually ignored it.
Straggler hunter?
The presence circled cautiously, then tried entering.
Fog messing with vision—miracle they found intact shelter.
I grabbed my rifle from the corner.
Finger on trigger, sighted in, ready to fire.
Hunter shoved aside the troll hide, spotted me, and froze.
"Eek...!"
Her silhouette in the dark was distinctly feminine.
I raised a finger to my lips—shh—then sized her up.
Hardly armed?
Her gear was shockingly light.
Just a pistol on her hip.
No suppressor even.
Hasn't drawn during my scan? Total noob.
Thought trap at first, but no backup arrived.
"P-please... spare me..."
Voice squeezed out like it hurt.
Tears streaming already.
Up close, definitely East Asian.
Couldn't peg the country—hadn't seen many foreigners.
"Hand over the gun. Or just stay put."
I confiscated her pistol, stood her by the troll hide.
Outside still quiet.
Wild.
Never thought I'd meet someone reasonable like this.
Been so lonely since entering the Tower, going nuts.
Talking with that goblin merchant nonstop for the same reason.
Anyway, no need to waste her yet.
I grilled her for info.
"Who... wait, who are you?"
Almost polite, but switched to casual—don't want her getting cocky.
She stammered her story.
"I-I'm Yuki, a Japanese hunter... well, hunter hopeful."
First-timer confirmed.
Moves and vibe screamed rookie.
Honestly, even I moved more pro than that.
"Hopeful, why solo?"
"Entered on 5th Floor, got separated from team during fog village scout on 4th."
5th Floor entry?
Aiming for A-rank basic skills, then.
Team had vets, from the sound.
"Fog village? Hot zone. Why drag a noob there?"
"To loot, obviously..."
"That's why take a rookie? Just bail to exit."
She winced, eyes shut.
Face getting familiar now—straight-up beauty.
"I said that, but team lead said Tower's once-a-month limit, gotta grab expedition fees at least... Japan's gold reserves are tapped out. No gold, monsters spawn nationwide..."
Heard hunters blocked monsters.
By buying "vetoes" with gold, huh.
Tower had re-entry cooldowns too.
Once monthly? Game didn't have that.
"How'd you split from team?"
"Fight broke out inside. Battling monsters during scout, noise drew other hunters..."
Familiar script.
No shock.
Escaped fog village solo, then.
4th Floor—rejoining unlikely.
"No rally point?"
"Flooded church was it, waited ages—no one showed."
Solid call heading to exits.
Even if team lived...
What use was a noob like her?
Lost her main even.
No need to kill her, right?
Actual convo after so long? Way too welcome.
She seemed to trust me quick, made a bold ask.
"Um... if you're solo too, could you take me with? I'll pay big..."
"Nah."
Decision instant.
Dead weight.
My edge as hunter: top-tier stealth.
Solo meant rarely detected.
Could use this tiny container as hideout.
Teaming her? Toss that advantage.
Her Stealth max 3-4 levels.
Party averages down to that.
"Can't team with you."
"B-but I..."
She grabbed at me, teary.
Five-man entry—straggler shock hitting hard.
Heart softened a bit; I dropped tips.
"Direct exit's right there anyway. Know the 4th Floor one?"
"...Yeah."
Swamp of Hope.
4th Floor fog cycles thick-thin...
Sometimes, at peak thin, direct exit opens.
No one knows exactly when.
But it does eventually.
I pointed outside.
"That way. Opens super brief. Like a minute tops."
"Th-then..."
"Fog thinned hard earlier. My bet: soon."
Lie, actually.
But better with hope and guts.
"For real?"
"Fog fully clears? Sprint, no looking back. Hands up high—no threat."
Her pistol was trash anyway.
Direct exit window tiny...
Others would rush too.
No one shoots at an open exit unless psycho.
"Grenade, bullet—keep running. Stop, you're trapped forever."
"Eek..."
No guarantee it'd work.
No open? Supplies dwindle.
Why call it Swamp of Hope otherwise.
"Food stock?"
"Four days... sell me some? I'll buy."
"Cash?"
Unlike me, had emergency gold.
Jealous—loaded support.
"500 gold."
"Deal. Trade."
Left her three days' worth, dumped the rest.
Offload fish cans at premium? Sweet.
No goblin merchant bashing after this.
Trade done, reclaimed troll hide, headed to descent exit.
Couldn't rest easy with her there.
Last, sincere send-off.
"Good luck."
"Th-thanks... you too! Oh, your name...?"
"Don't need it."
No refunds on canned fish later.
Left her, hit descent exit, reached inter-floor zone.
"Human! 3rd Floor now! Spend all hidden gold!"
Dumped every coin at goblin merchant's words.
"Mags and ammo for this rifle. All of it."
3rd Floor: zombie poison hell.
No more details needed.
Goblin grinned, hauled stacks of mags and rounds.