The absolute silence that settled over the vast underground chamber immediately after the complete disintegration of the corrupted knight was broken only by the rhythmic sound of our labored breathing and the distant dripping of water somewhere hidden within that ruined ancient architecture. The fierce battle against the guardian of the thirty-fifth floor had demanded a supreme effort from every member of the squad, leaving obvious marks of physical and spiritual fatigue on our faces, but the feeling of shared victory renewed our collective spirits in an incomparable way. While Elara and Lyannis finished the last healing chants to completely stabilize the scratches and superficial bruises that some of us had suffered during the confrontation, I approached the center of the arena where the spoils left by the defeated boss lay: the ornate pure-silver key that granted passage to the next instances and another heavy special magical stone, which emitted a rhythmic and magnetic pulse identical to that of the previous gems collected on the lower floors.
I carefully collected both sacred artifacts and safely placed them in the temporal stasis compartment of my magic bag, feeling the harmonious vibration that echoed inside the enchanted fabric as soon as the new gem came into contact with the others. I then approached the runic anchoring panel embedded in the basalt wall at the back of the chamber, whose crystalline display glowed with a stable bluish hue, indicating that the tower's registration system was fully functional and ready to perpetuate our historical progress. Pressing my gloved palm against the engraved surface, I channeled a controlled fraction of my internal energy to permanently record the achievement of the thirty-fifth floor in the dungeon's registry, ensuring that any future attempt to return to this sector could be made directly, without the need to repeat all the arduous previous stages.
I allowed a serene, deep, and analytical thought to occupy my mind as I watched my companions gathered around, exchanging affectionate and mutually supportive looks while checking the condition of their equipment: the true wisdom of a leader on a high-risk expedition is not measured by the recklessness of blindly advancing toward the unknown at any cost, but by the lucidity and courage necessary to recognize the exact moment when the body and mind demand a strategic pause to consolidate victories. More than two weeks had already passed since the moment we crossed the threshold of the first floor, and the exhaustion accumulated from the continuous mana drain in those ancient ruins made it clear that continuing to force the march without adequate resupply and without an official report to the crown would represent an unnecessary risk to the safety and integrity of our entire family.
"The anchoring panel is fully synchronized, and our progress up to the thirty-fifth floor has already been permanently saved in the tower's records," I announced in a calm and firm voice, turning toward the group with a welcoming smile on my lips. "Considering the level of physical exhaustion we have faced in recent days and the suffocating energy density of this sector, I believe the ideal moment has arrived for us to take a strategic break, return to the surface, and share our discoveries before beginning the next phase of our journey."
"You have my full support for this decision, Takumi," Scarlet stated, slightly drawing one of her daggers to check the edge of the steel before sheathing it with a fluid gesture, while sketching a smile of evident relief. "Fighting those hordes of automatons and that corrupted knight in an environment that drains our vital energy was quite a test; a good night's rest at the mansion and a decent meal prepared by our cooks will work wonders to restore our energy."
"The preliminary analysis of the magical stones we have accumulated throughout these floors requires an adequate laboratory and refining equipment that we only have available on the surface," Liriel agreed, adjusting the runic staff on her back and crossing her arms with an expression of intense intellectual curiosity. "If we continue accumulating so many gems with corrupted mana signatures without calmly investigating them, we run the risk of being surprised by some unexpected chain reaction when we least expect it."
"Furthermore, the detailed report on the behavior of the monsters and the drastic change in the tower's difficulty patterns needs to be formally delivered to the king as soon as possible," Elara added, precisely fastening the leather clasps of her alchemical reagent bag. "The crown needs to be aware that the Demon King is moving specific pieces on the intermediate floors, using these mana cores as strategic beacons for some large-scale plan."
With the unanimous approval of all the members and morale extremely high after consolidating that great victory, I activated the direct teleportation channel integrated into the anchoring panel of the thirty-fifth floor. A welcoming silver column of light instantly enveloped our squad, causing the oppressive gloom and heavy air of the basalt ruins to dissipate within a fraction of a second, replaced by the familiar and comforting brightness of the entrance hall on the first floor of the tower, marking the triumphant end of yet another legendary stage of our journey.