Return of the Woodcutter

Aito and his team walked towards the food district, taking care of checking their surroundings for an eventual ambush or whatever treacherous method the sect would use to retaliate against them. 

Arriving in the food district, they did not tarry for long, going around the place to buy the necessary supplies for their journey to the top of the Tower, while leaving enough money for their next shopping stop. 

In the magic district, they bought all the mana cores and recovery beads they could with the money they all shared, barely leaving a few TPs in their own personal wallets that didn't amount to even 10 Tower points. 

Finally done with their shopping, they carefully headed for their third and final stop, where they would remain still until tomorrow. 

The Training Grounds. 

There, as per usual, the half giantess moderator was seated on her bench, monitoring the challengers training on the third floor, albeit with a different look.

A worried look. 

Suddenly, her gaze traveled towards the second floor's staircase where three familiar figures climbed the stairs and stepped on the third floor. 

Gwen's eyes seemed to brighten up when her apprentice showed up safe and sound with gears she had never seen before, well in the Tower, at least. 

A slight smile crept up her lips as relief washed over her. HE, the man she had personally nurtured for an entire month was fine after going into a dangerous, hopeless fight. A fight he had refused to take part in in the first place but changed his mind for some reason at the last minute. 

Not that she complained. In fact, she was glad he had. A gutless man was more worthless than the lowest of criminals. It hadn't been hard to know, or more accurately sense, Aito had headed for the third floor. 

She knew he was still alive, but seeing and sensing were two different things.

Gwen's detection capabilities were far greater than any other moderator in the Tower, well may be a certain moderator was on par with her here, but that was it. She was capable of sensing everything happening from Floor 0 to Floor 8. After that, something was clouding her senses. 

'As expected of my apprentice,' Gwen thought, lying to herself as she saw him. She had been worried all morning, thinking that Aito could die even with his current level.

The trio, holding a few common-looking bags filled with food, progressively walked towards her. Aito noticed Gwen's uncommon glare as he settled his bag on the ground near the bench. 

"Hey, what's those eyes for? Did you miss me that much?" Aito asked playfully. "Or were you looking forward to our spar that much?" 

"Cheeky little man, you won't be so cocky after I kick your ass," Gwen said, appearing happy despite her words. "How did it go? Encountered any troubles?" 

"Let me see, hundreds of men armed to the teeth?" Aito replied, lifting a finger like he was listing the troubles, "A battle surgeon who restrained my movements, a capable archer probably a bowman, two siblings I had to protect and… oh yeah, a fucking pain in the ass baldy whom I had the opportunity to kill in the past but didn't for some stupid reason." 

At those words, Ogoro looked sideways, as if he felt guilty about it. 

"Aye, uprooting a nasty weedy herb before it becomes an even more nasty weedy herb is good thinking. However, a true warrior doesn't necessarily need to uproot the herb. His mere presence is enough for it to cower back into the earth." Gwen said. 

"The fuck… I just came back and you're already teaching something weird again using your peculiar analogies." Aito said, chuckling because he didn't understand the wisdom she was trying to pass. "What does that even mean?" 

Gwen smiled, lifting a brow, "It means that killing isn't the only way to victory." 

Aito wanted to pull out his long, black hair. He hadn't even returned for two minutes that she was already trying to teach him something.

On top of that, it made little sense, at least with the analogy she had used. Also, he already knew that killing wasn't the only way to victory. 

"Anyway, thanks for the lesson, I suppose. Ah, before I forget," Aito said, "Sara asked me to tell you that her debt about an inn or something is now repaid. Whatever that even means." 

Seeing it was a conversation between master and disciple, the siblings left Aito's side for a more peaceful area to chat amongst themselves. 

"Sara?" Gwen said, appearing surprised. "Why would that fiery prostitute say that? Ah yeah, true, I sensed her soul waves mixed with yours. She helped you, didn't she?" 

Aito simply nodded in agreement. 

"So, she took it upon herself to help you? Pfft, if she thinks that's enough to repay what she owes me, she's dead wrong! Gahahaha!" 

"So... you didn't ask her to?" 

"Nay, it was your fight, not mine. But it seems like Sara is really trying to get rid of that debt. Gahahaha! Thing is, I had forgotten about it until you actually told me, Gahahahaa! Serves her right!"

Aito got suddenly curious at what the second-floor moderator had done in the past to owe Gwent a debt that looked quite huge to Sara, but utterly unimportant to Gwen.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." Aito said, his gaze turning serious, "Would you let the siblings pass the staircase to the fourth floor?" 

He knew his request was unreasonable and went against a moderator's job purposes. Aito had first thought about duping Gwen's perception by having the siblings hide in the crowd. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt like it'd be a bad idea. 

First, because Gwen has been good to him until now. It would feel like a betrayal if he were to do something so underhanded. 

Second, he started to doubt the success of this plan. Gwen was capable of many things Aito wasn't aware of yet. Somehow, he could feel she wouldn't be duped by his petty stratagem.

That was why asking her directly seemed like the best idea. 

Gwen stared at him with a poker face, appearing calm, yet impressive. "I did notice the siblings unusual… level up, despite their circumstances as unmarked ones. How did that happen? Even I don't know. My senses tell me you've got something to do with it. You're more and more mysterious by the passing days, you know that, Aito Walker? I won't inquire about your involvement in this particular event, simply because I do not wish to know. Whatever happened, do not speak of it to anyone. Ah, also, to answer your question. The siblings may have reached level 1, nonetheless, I cannot let them pass." 

Aito sighed. Of course, Gwen had noticed the changes in their powers. The fact Aito had been training with Ogoro every day hadn't helped in hiding that. Although he hadn't expected Gwen to refuse his request this way, he felt lucky she wasn't imprisoning him. 

"However, something could be arranged," Gwen said.

"What do you mean?" Aito replied, a glint of hope in his eyes. 

"Tonight, during our spar, if you manage to touch me or even make me move from where I stand," Gwen paused, smirking, "I might feel tired tomorrow because of how taxing our spar was. So tired that I might not notice one or two unmarked ones passing by me." 

Unable to hold it back, a laugh escaped Aito's throat as he heard Gwen's reply. That giantess was truly too good to him. Well, there was that condition of touching or making her move, but…

"If you want a shot at clearing the Tower," Gwen said, "you should at least be winning against me under those conditions. So, what do you say?"

Aito stared at her with a serious expression, "I say, game's on." 

*** 

A few hours later, just after CDs. 

Aito stood in the middle of the large training area, his boots digging into the earth, preparing to move at a moment's notice. 

In front of him stood Gwen in her usual attire, leather bra, and short leather pants. A casual, relaxed vibe surrounded her body. Her huge war hammer was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her hand was holding a wooden rod, or it could also be accurate to call it a stick. 

However, no matter how plain-looking it was, that stick appeared mighty impressive to Aito since someone much stronger than him was holding it. 

Gwen had allowed, no, encouraged him to use every piece of equipment, weapon, or whatever items he had currently gained if it could even boost his fighting prowess by a little. 

As for her, she simply had said a piece of wood would suffice. On top of that, she would restrain her physical abilities, lowering them to a level 2 challenger. 

It had sounded arrogant at first, but somehow, Aito who was now facing Gwen holding a stick felt like he was under-geared. 

'Calm down, no need to panic,' he thought, taking deep breaths. 'Let's first test her abilities from a safe distance.' 

He took out the repeater from its holster, aimed, and shot two times. The bolts flew straight to their target. 

By all means, it should have hit. 

However, using her stick, Gwen barely brushed, no, stroke them aside, deviating the holds from their original trajectory with a flick of the wrist as if she accompanied them, guided them. 

Flawlessly. 

Effortlessly. 

Easily. 

Furthermore, she hadn't even applied Durability to the stick.

The movement looked fast, yet slow, but not beyond a challenger's speed. Aito's speed. It looked just like flowing water. 

Aito blinked multiple times, unable to believe what he had seen. He repeatedly shot bolts after bolts, only for the projectiles to be deviated one after the other with surprising ease until he emptied the magazine. 

"Is that all you got, little man?" Gwen said, taunting, "Because if that is the case, you are nowhere near qualified enough to clear the Tower." 

Aito's grip on the repeater tightened as he reloaded it, unsheathed his morpho ax, and closed his visor with a metallic sound.

CLING.

"I'm just getting started."