Ch. 35 Traveling

( Ashborn Pov )

A new person joined the team, though she was a little unwilling. But over time, she became close to Yui, which caused her to have an emotional connection to the team.

" Seung, are you sure this is the correct way?" I asked Seing, who is guiding us through the mountains

He is using staff as a walking stick. He turned around and nodded.

We had no choice but to trust him as we followed him through the maountains.

I had Yui on my shoulders and Arie behind me to cover the rear. My shoulders felt like they were going to fall off.

' I think I'm already dying...' I thought as I couldn't feel my arms anymore.

" I still don't know why you chose to wear a mask? Are you that insecure of your looks?" Arie opened her mouth.

" Didn't I say it?" I asked, looking at Arie.

" No." She replied.

" Sigh, basically! I'm running from an organization that believes I'm dead... for now. And I want it to stay that way until I manage to regroup with my friends." I replied.

" An organ... Does that mean there's going to be a target on my back!!" She shouted.

" If my identity is revealed, then yes!" I replied.

" Than, what's your real name?" She asked.bl

" It's Ashborn..." I replied.

" So you have traveling with your real name?! Are you an idiot!?" She shouted.

" They don't know my real name! The name they know me by is Zero, he's dead!" I replied.

" Dead?"

" It doesn't matter anymore. For now, I'm just focused on climbing this tower and getting stronger." I replied.

" So you're climbing the tower for power?" She asked.

" No. It's to have the strength to bring my friends to the top of the tower." I replied.

" That doesn't make any sense! If you're climbing for power? But to bring your friends to the top??"

" I want to protect them. They have dreams, and I have mine... what's your reason for climbing th tower?" I asked her.

" I want to surpass my sister! And to achieve that is by climbing the tower just she did!"

" You're sister... is she one of Zahad's princesses?" I asked and looked at her to see her nod.

" But, I changed my mission for now."

" And why's that?" I asked as I climbed over a rock.

" It's to defeat you first. And every strong regular and ranker in the tower to fuel my skills and technique." She replied as she jumped over the rocks.

" Then how about another deal!? If you defeat me in a duel without holding back, you can climb the tower on your own."

" How about a better deal? If I win, I command this team, and you'll have to follow every order I make."

I paused in the middle of our climbing and looked at Arie with a serious face.

" On the 20th floor, that's when we'll have a rematch." I replied.

Arie nodded, and we continued our climb.

" Ah! Yui, stop pulling my hair!"

" But it's too windy!!" She shouted.

Seung managed to make it up first as he took Yui off my back and grabbed my hand, and I grabbed Arie's.

" I hat climbing..." Yui muttered as Seung patted her head.

Screee!! We all looked to see a mountain lion.

Tonight, we had a mountain lion for dinner as we sat in its cave.

" So, how come you barely speak?" Yui asked Seung, who stopped eating.

I raised an eyebrow.

" Seung, you don't have to answer. It won't affect our team."

" Oh, come on! Well we'll climb hundreds of floors! If I'm going to trust this guy, I'll need a reason why he's traveling the tower in case he doesn't backstab me." Arie spoke.

I looked at her, looking at Seung, who opened his mouth.

" I don't fault you for your suspicions..." he paused before continuing.

Seung was from a clan known as the red witches thay birth only woman, these woman become good guides who inherited their ancestors memories.

But the problem with Seung is that he's a boy and when the woman in his clan finds out. He was exiled.

During his time growing up, he became a guide and was offered payment if he could take others up the tower.

" So, the only reason you joined is because you were interested and bored?" I asked.

Seung nodded.

" So you're not a woman?" Yui asked.

Seung shook his head.

" So why climb the tower other than being interested and bored?"

He pointed his finger at me.

" Me?"

" I can't read you." He spoke.

I was a little confused than remembered that some guides have the ability to read others and maybe predict their deaths.

" I see..." I replied.

" It's getting late. We'll continue tomorrow." I said as I grabbed the sleeping bag from Seung's bag along with Yui's.