Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Seventh Stratum: The Crow Era
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The seventh stratum of the Tower.
The Crow Era.
Having returned here once more, Havel looked around.
"Over here! Cheap flight magic for sale—line up if you want it!"
"This isn't something you get every day! Flight magic at half price! Once today ends, it's gone for good!"
"Exclusive pilots ready. Negotiate a price, sign the contract, and we'll climb to the 71st floor together."
The clamor hit him the moment he entered.
It was a world away from the desolate emptiness of before, when not a soul could be found.
The mages, in particular, were in a frenzy.
Flight magic wasn't mainstream for mages.
They could handle solo flight on their own, sure.
But casting it on multiple people at once? That was squarely in the domain of wind mages.
Wind magic had the advantage of invisible attacks.
But it fell short against the massive Calamity breeds.
That's why the Tower favored spells like fire, ice, and lightning—
ones with proven killing power.
And that was why a sudden shortage of flight mages had thrown the seventh stratum into chaos.
The Crow Era was a realm where the sky stretched endlessly in every direction.
Wind mages who could grant flight were essential.
What a mess, Havel thought.
Thanks to that, wind mages were earning more by slinging flight spells than risking the climb.
Lately, everyone and their brother was trying to learn wind magic.
The result? A bunch of inexperienced mages plummeting to their deaths.
Magic wasn't something you picked up in a snap, after all.
"Hey, buddy, need some flight magic?"
Just then, a mage sidled up to Havel with a hawker's grin, beaming like he'd already made a killing today.
"Nah, I'm good. I can fly."
"Huh. Guess you're a mage after all, looks or no."
Assuming Havel was one of their own, the man backed off.
Not that Havel had much to do with mages.
Need to fish for some info without drawing attention, he thought, scanning the crowd.
A few folks were haggling with mages.
But no one stood out.
Might as well pump the one who'd approached him. Havel turned back.
"Hey, mage. Mind if I ask you something?"
"Looking to buy?"
"Nah, info. You must know plenty about the seventh stratum. Anyone around here who's got the real dirt?"
As he spoke, Havel fished a gold coin from his pouch and held it out.
The mage's eyes widened, then he flashed a toothy grin.
"Jackpot! You came to the right guy. My crew's all about the seventh stratum."
His gaze locked onto the coin, gleaming with greed.
People were most honest in exactly one moment.
When money was staring them in the face.
Havel smiled.
"Lead the way, and it's yours."
"Haha, VIP treatment it is!"
The mage packed up in a flash.
Then, bundle slung over his shoulder, he headed for the cliff edge of the entry island.
"You said you could fly?"
"Yeah."
"Haha, let's go then. My climbers' guild is a ways off."
With that, he whipped up a gust of wind magic like a pro.
He might look like a jolly uncle, but he'd made it to the seventh stratum.
His flight skills were top-notch, naturally.
And strolling casually beside him was Havel, hands clasped behind his back, walking on air.
The sight struck the mage as odd.
"Weird magic you've got. Or is it some artifact?"
"Something like that."
No mana fluctuation when Havel "flew," so the mage was puzzled.
But prying into a climber's gear was against the unwritten rules.
He dropped it.
"Your name?"
"Balop."
"Balop, one question. How far's the seventh stratum been cleared?"
Balop glanced upward.
"Heard it's up to the 76th floor."
Fast progress.
"Been a while since you climbed the Tower, huh?"
"Yeah, about three months."
"Makes sense. The Five Great Families threw in their full forces, and the rest followed suit. Pace is nothing like before."
Havel mulled it over.
Does throwing more bodies actually lower the difficulty?
He had no clue how deep the Five Great Families' real strength ran.
But factoring in the Calamity breeds from my time...
Even they shouldn't be clearing this quick.
Still, I'm curious.
How strong are they, really?
He'd cross paths soon enough on the climb.
"There it is."
Havel tabled the thought and landed on the floating island Balop pointed out.
Covered in crow feathers, the island was eerily quiet.
"Our guild took down the island's boss crow. That's why it's so peaceful."
He jabbed a thumb at a mountainside.
Sure enough, a mountain-sized crow corpse lay there.
"Crows on the 70th floor are territorial as hell. Once the alpha's dead, the rest won't touch the body till it rots to bits."
"Hm."
Havel nodded, unimpressed.
"Follow me. Info brokering's not my main gig."
Balop led him inside.
Through a black timber forest, a building soon came into view.
A large structure named Greenroad.
Guild hall, probably.
"Heh, we're pros at building. Slapped this up the second we hit the seventh."
Balop grinned proudly.
Then he pushed open the door and stepped in.
The black-log building had an antique charm.
"Hey, everyone! Customer! Big spender!"
He bellowed excitedly as he entered.
Havel followed—and the door slammed shut behind him.
Two men lunged from the shadows, swords swinging.
Balop's eyes gleamed with greed as he met Havel's gaze.
Havel just watched, unmoving.
The moment Balop took it for surrender—
Clang!
The blades stabbing at Havel's throat and back snapped clean.
The attackers' eyes bulged.
That's when Balop's spell finished casting.
"Take this!"
Blades of wind surged at Havel—but he slapped them aside with his hand.
Crack!
The deflected wind blades smashed into one man's head as he fumbled for a backup weapon.
Thud!
Half his skull gone, the body crumpled.
"Wh-what."
Balop's face twisted in shock.
Havel blocking swords? Fine, he was a seventh-stratum solo climber—had to be tough.
But that wind spell was optimized for PvP.
A high-circle cutting gale that could sever auras.
Deflected barehanded? Impossible.
Havel had no interest in explanations.
He'd sensed presences across the whole island the moment he arrived.
This place was a trap from the start.
"H-ha, looks like we hooked a big one."
Balop masked his panic with a smug grin.
"Sorry, pal. The second you stepped onto Greenroad's island, escape was off the table. Barrier spells and men everywhere."
He leered at Havel, urging surrender.
"Hand over your stuff nice and easy, and we'll let you go."
Seventh-stratum climbers were loaded.
Greenroad mugged the rich ones like this.
Given how their crimes stayed hidden...
Their victims' fates were obvious.
Havel lightly rubbed his nape.
Tilted his head.
"So, the info?"
Balop swallowed a dry laugh.
"Still on about info?"
His words barely ended when figures appeared on the second-floor balcony.
Ranged attackers, weapons primed, all aimed at Havel.
"We'd rather not waste effort."
Balop chuckled, hand in pocket, belly jiggling.
"Oh, right—one thing I forgot to ask."
He beamed at Havel.
"Your name?"
Havel answered readily.
He needed info too—fair trade.
"Havel, of Banpellyon."
Balop's face froze.
A slick smile crept across Havel's lips.
Chills!
Sensing the sincerity, Balop bellowed.
"Unload!"
A barrage rained down on Havel.
Arrows, sword beams, spells.
The onslaught birthed thick black smoke.
Armed thugs charged into it.
Balop held his breath, watching.
Banpellyon... Havel.
The name of that infamous climber.
Witnesses called him a monster.
But against this many...
Fast in the Tower, maybe.
But people? Our specialty.
Jackpot.
His corpse could fetch even more.
Clang! Clang! Thud!
A body dropped inside the smoke.
Balop smirked.
Thud!
Another—
Thud! Thud!
The sounds didn't stop.
Balop sensed something wrong.
"M-mages! Second volley—"
Then—
Whoosh!
Something erupted from the smoke.
The thugs' own weapons.
They arced through the air, slamming into the mages.
"Agh!"
"Gaaah!"
Like living things.
The weapons danced freely, carving through the mages.
Balop's jaw dropped.
No magic on them.
Meaning...
All aura-controlled.
"Wh-what!?"
He stared into the smoke, clueless.
Had to see to know.
Wind magic dispersed it.
What he saw made him stagger back.
Bodies piled high.
All one-shotted, pulverized.
Not one left standing.
At the center stood a man.
He picked up a dagger from the floor, spun it deftly.
Released it.
It flew straight at Balop.
Defense spell up—useless.
Crunch!
Shattered the barrier, straight for Balop.
Slash!
It sliced tendons in his legs and arms mid-flight.
Thud! Embedded in his back before he could scream.
"Khek."
He convulsed on the floor.
A shadow fell over his head.
Terrified, Balop looked up.
Havel.
The white-haired reaper.
He pissed himself.
The rumors were true.
This guy was a monster.
"So."
Havel ground the dagger in Balop's back underfoot.
"The info?"
Hand it over.