PICK ME UP, ANOTHER LOBBY!

As expected, the three people deployed to the rift never returned.

Furthermore, that evening master ordered the fairy to distribute Replay Stones to Party 3 and made them watch the fifth floor record.

This gesture from master only made us more certain that three parties were needed for the tenth floor.

There was also another sign. An ominous one.

While Party 3 was viewing the record, master built a new building by the first floor square.

It was a large hall with burning incense and rows of pedestals inside. The place reminded me of a mausoleum.

And it was no wonder why I thought that way.

The large hall was called a checkroom, or so the fairy said.

The fairy told us it was a place to store our belongings if we died in the trial. For the sake of remembrance.

In a way, it was like a grave. A place to remind us of fallen heroes.

Trudy managed to keep some of Cecily's and Gerson's belongings before the fairy disposed the rest away after they died.

We now had a place to store those with this checkroom standing.

Though we could not help but think of one particular reason as to why master erected this building just before our climb to the tenth floor.

It was late into the night when Party 3 was done watching the record. Master had already been long gone before they finished.

I waited by the dining hall alone as they were returning to the lodging.

So far they only heard stories of the fifth floor.

Now they had seen how the trial went down, they had no trouble imagining the kind of challenge a Quintal Trial possessed.

A challenge they would soon face as well.

As each of them passed by to head to their rooms, I took notice of their terrified faces.

Even Jyrgil's face was stiff and pale.

"Come here for a moment, Jyrgil. I need to speak to you."

I called him before he went down the hallway following the others.

"What is it?"

He asked indifferently. He made sure he had wiped off the fear on his face before turning to me.

There were only the two of us now. He would not need to worry of prying ears that could catch what I was about to say next.

"You're not strong, Jyrgil. Definitely not strong enough to take on the Quintal Trial alone."

"What did you say?!"

Iron veins bulged on his temples as he slammed his fist on the table.

If the aggressive gesture was supposed to make me take my word back, it did not work.

"Don't delude yourself. Surely you've realized after seeing the events of fifth floor. It is not the kind of trial meant to be handled by one person."

Jyrgil snorted upon my words. He avoided looking into my eyes.

"Heh! You and your friends might had struggled against those monsters on the fifth floor, but I can definitely take them on by myself."

There was doubt in his voice.

He was lying. He knew he was.

But his pride sadly would not let him admit it.

Not in front of me, at least.

"If you don't wish to die on the tenth floor, you better listen to what I'm going to say."

Jyrgil still looked away from me, but he stayed silent for my words.

"Learn to rely on your comrades in Party 3. Excellent teamwork where each member fulfills their role to the best of their ability is what will make you survive the Quintal Trial. I know it saved me on the fifth floor."

He was still silent. Indifference lingered on his face.

"You hear me, Jyrgil? Start working together with your comrades. You will need their help to survive the tenth floor, and so will they to yours."

I saw him twitching with anger as I mentioned him needing his teammates.

"Forget chasing the vain glory of being the strongest. The ones who does only ended up experiencing foolish deaths."

It was then that Jyrgil stormed off without saying a word but a strong grunt.

He had enough of my message and I believed I had told him enough.

Whether he would take heed to it was up to him.

Will he undo himself or rise to become a fine comrade we all could rely on?

It was all up to him.

The choices we made was what will determine our fate and, sometimes, others.

I sighed and stared beyond the window which overlooked the entire lobby.

At the time, I did not realize how much my decision would affect everyone's fate.

Had I known, I would probably try to step down from Party 1 and excluded myself from the climb.

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As expected from our experience preparing to climb the fifth floor, we spent the following week and the next repeating the eighth and the ninth floors.

Both Party 1 and 2 were sent in turns to those two floors to gain experience and level up.

Once Party 3 climbed to the ninth floor, master made them frequenting those two floors as well.

We were getting more certain that three parties would be needed for the second Quintal Trial. Given how much attention master put to Party 1 to 3 at the moment.

During the first week, the remaining 1-stars in Party 2 and 3 had levelled up enough to be promoted.

Tarran and Luan in Party 2. Kori and Tamo in Party 3. Four of them in total.

After Trudy's promotion, we had two promotion stones left.

The gatherer parties managed to collect more elemental stones to create another two promotion stones and then some.

I was particularly more interested to the latter.

Since the materials were available, master wasted no time to create the necessary rainbow-colored rocks and promoted the rest of the 1-stars in Party 2 and 3.

There was no longer a 1-star in our ranks. Everyone was either a 2-star or above.

In the middle of the second week, all of us finally plateaued.

We stopped gaining experience points and levelling up despite visiting the eighth and the ninth floor numerous times more.

Jonah and Shanny were the only 2-stars who reached level 12. The rest stuck on level 11.

For the 3-stars, they all stopped gaining experience on level 8.

While a 4-star such as myself stopped at 7.

It had become an understanding that the growth rate for the 3-stars and above were not as quick as the 2-stars.

Ever since we stopped levelling up, my party focused on developing our skills.

I managed to develop my intermediate wind magic up to level 3 after focusing on that magic for the past week.

My research skill had also gone up to level 3 sometime after the fairy added my research time.

That was before she returned it to one hour once the communication blessing was bestowed.

Although I was not sure how my research skill would prove useful in the Quintal Trial.

As for my comrades, there were some progress. Some.

Jonah, unfortunately, did not manage to level up his skills. His spearmanship was still at level 6 and the others were still the same.

But he was already a great fighter as he was so it was acceptable.

Plus, Jonah managed to teach Shanny and Trudy his Projectile Defense skill.

The two women believed it was a useful skill to possess in case they lost their shield in battle.

Shanny managed to learn it quickly and developed it to level 2.

While Trudy needed a greater effort to barely acquire the skill.

Both Shanny and Trudy, unfortunately, also were not able to improve their skill levels aside the Projectile Defense.

Darius had more luck.

His Basic Dagger Technique had reached level 4. Switching skill to level 3. And Rapid Fire to level 3.

He also managed to acquire the Projectile Defense skill by parrying arrows with his daggers while training with Tarran and Ashta.

We would not have to worry of any arrows coming our way from now on.

After clearing the ninth floor trial for some-teenth time, our party made our way back to the second floor of the lobby.

There I noticed the other parties training hard. They had been doing so each day even after they finished a trial.

Knowing they would be sent to the tenth floor, a Quintal Trial, definitely boosted their motivation.

The presence of the checkroom also did similar job in motivating everyone to train hard. The dread whether they would have their belongings stored in there.

We were making steady progress for the tenth floor.

But it was still not enough.

At least, I thought so.

We still needed something that would give us all an edge in the upcoming battle.

I treaded into the magic hall and made my way to the alchemy lab.

Dozens of weapons emanating with magical energy were spread neatly on a long table.

Pouches of elemental stones, numbering almost dozens, were kept inside a grand cabinet by the wall.

Numerous glistening red vials were sitting on a table by a massive cauldron brewing with liquid of similar hue as the vials.

But I ignored all of those in the lab and strode to the enchantment pedestal.

A shining carved brown stone was placed in the middle of engraved runes on the platform.

I smiled at the stone and hanged my palms over it.

Threads of colorful mana poured out from my fingers and flowed into the runes, making them shine like the evening stars.

All those light pulsed and flowed toward the center, into the carved brown stone.

['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Alchemy has levelled up to level 4!]