Chapter 237: Raid Party
The party leaders gathered again.
This time, the discussion was louder. The survivors had settled into a makeshift camp in the silver forest. Near the edge of the trees, the Climbers formed a circle. Twelve team leaders. Six main nations. Six lesser nations. All of them arguing.
"We move separately," Kaito said. His voice was firm. "My team knows how to fight together. Your teams don’t know our patterns. Our synergy will be wasted if we’re forced to coordinate with strangers."
"That’s exactly the problem," Long Wei replied. "If we move separately, we’ll be picked off one by one. This is a Superior-Class Tower. None of us have faced anything like this. We need numbers."
"Numbers mean nothing without coordination," Han Seo-jun said coldly. "A large group is slow. Predictable. We’d be a target."
"A large group is safe," Arthur countered. "We can protect each other. Cover each other’s weaknesses."
"We don’t know each other’s weaknesses," Kaito snapped. "That’s the point. I don’t know if your Paladin can hold a line while my team flanks. I don’t know if your Spirit Hunter can support from range. We’d be guessing. And guessing gets people killed."
The argument continued. Voices rose. Accusations flew. The lesser teams watched in silence, unsure where to stand.
Nathan stayed quiet.
He watched the bickering. He watched the frustration. He watched the fear beneath the anger. They were all scared. They were all trapped. And they were all trying to find a way to feel in control.
But arguing wasn’t control.
Then Arthur spoke.
"Enough."
His voice wasn’t loud. But it cut through the noise like a blade. The circle fell silent.
Arthur turned. He pointed toward the civilians. Thousands of them huddled together in the silver forest. Children. Elderly. Families. People who had come to watch a tournament and were now trapped in a nightmare.
"Look at them," Arthur said. "They’re watching us. They’re listening to us. They’re depending on us."
He looked at each of the team leaders.
"We’re not doing this for individual merit. We’re not doing this for glory. We’re not doing this for pride." He paused. "We’re doing this for them. Every decision we make, every plan we form, every fight we enter now—it’s for them. So stop arguing about whose team is better and start figuring out how we save these people."
Silence.
Kaito looked away. Long Wei nodded slowly. Han Seo-jun’s expression didn’t change, but he didn’t argue.
Then a voice spoke from the edge of the circle.
"I... I have a suggestion."
Everyone turned. A woman stepped forward. She was from one of the lesser nations—Nathan didn’t recognize her team’s colors. She was young. Maybe twenty. Her armor was practical, not flashy. Her expression was steady.
"My name is Mirabel. I lead a team from a smaller nation." She paused. "We’re not the strongest or the fastest. We’re not champions. But we’re Climbers. And we can still fight."
She looked at the main team leaders.
"The smaller... Weaker teams will stay here. We’ll protect the civilians. We’ll guard the camp. We’ll keep them safe while you clear the Tower." She paused. "You’re the strongest. You’re the ones who can reach the last layer... So go. We’ll hold the line here."
The other lesser team leaders nodded. One by one, they stepped forward.
"We’ll stay."
"We’ll protect them."
"Go. We’ll be fine."
Nathan looked past Mirabel. He looked at the civilians. Thousands of faces. Frightened. Hopeful. Determined.
They were cheering. Quietly at first. Then louder. Voices rising in support.
"Go! Clear the Tower!"
"We believe in you!"
"Save us!"
Nathan felt something tighten in his chest.
He looked at his party. Garrett. Dillon. Elise. Smithy. Mirko. Kuro. Shiro. Ororo. They were watching him. Waiting.
He looked at the other main team leaders. Kaito. Arthur. Han Seo-jun. Long Wei. Amara. They were watching him too.
"The six main teams move together," Nathan said. "One raid party to clear the Tower. To make history... for them."
Kaito nodded. "Agreed."
Arthur nodded. "Agreed."
Han Seo-jun nodded. "Agreed."
Long Wei nodded. "Agreed."
Amara nodded. "The spirits will guide us."
The decision was made.
The raid party assembled at the edge of the camp.
Thirty Climbers. Six teams. The strongest fighters from six nations. They stood in formation, facing the silver forest.
Nathan stood with his party. Mirko was in her bunny form on his shoulder. Kuro was in his jacket. Shiro was on his head. Ororo was beside Elise, her staff glowing softly.
Kaito stood with his team. Yuki, Rin, Hiroshi, Aoi. Their weapons were drawn.
Arthur stood with his team. Bjorn, Astrid, Freya, Erik. Their shields were raised.
Han Seo-jun stood with his team. Park Ji-ho, Kim Min-ji, Lee Soo-jin, Choi Yeon, Jung Ho-seok. Their eyes were sharp.
Long Wei stood with his team. Zhang Feng, Liu Mei, Chen Bo, Wang Shu, Zhao Lin. Their stance was calm.
Amara stood with her team. Kwame, Zara, Kofi, Naledi. The spirits swirled around them.
Mirabel and the weaker teams stood behind them. They raised their weapons in salute.
"Good luck," Mirabel said.
Nathan nodded. "Hold the line."
He turned toward the forest.
"Move out."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tower.
The blue-skinned figures moved through a different part of the forest. Their hoods were off. Their black horns caught the faint light.
Shinny, the timid female, walked at the back. Her hands were clasped together. She kept glancing at the trees.
Goliath, the bulky leader, walked at the front. He muttered under his breath.
"Once we have the Lord under control, we will rebuild our world. Our people will rise again. And I will stand supreme among them."
Shinny shuddered. She didn’t speak.
The others followed in silence.
They reached a clearing.
The trees were thicker here. The silver leaves glowed faintly. The air was still.
Then the ground trembled.
From the shadows, shapes emerged. Gigantic arachnids. Their bodies were covered in metal-like armor. Their legs ended in razor-sharp points. Their eyes glowed with pale light.
They spun webs... not silk, but thin metal fibers. Sticky. Sharp. Deadly.
One of the spiders turned toward Goliath. Its mandibles clicked.
Goliath stared at it, then he smiled.
"Finally. Something to kill."