New Year

After cashing in our spoils and returning to the inn, Lyle took off his sword belt and collapsed into a chair.

His leather armor creaked, and the gauntlet he tossed onto the table landed with a dull thud.

"Whew... That one really took it out of me. Kai, are you all right?"

"...Noah's healing was perfect."

"Good. That's a relief."

Lyle leaned back in his chair, his tense back finally relaxing.

Still looking up at the ceiling, he scratched his forehead with his fingertips.

"Hey. At this rate, do you think we can challenge the thirtieth floor next month?"

"It'll still be difficult. We should focus on raising our Ranks for a while."

I answered firmly...