Strange noises on the fourth floor

In the battle just now, Agumon should have had a much harder time winning. Or rather, since he had yet to recover to full strength, he probably should not have been able to win at all. At best, he could have managed a draw.

Yet not only had Agumon won, he had won a little more easily than on the second floor. At the very least, he could still stand and talk after the battle.

And the reason behind all of this...

Qingliu raised his head and looked up toward the fourth floor of the Lost Tower, remaining silent for a long time.

Minute after minute passed, but Qingliu kept his head raised.

Until five or six minutes had gone by...

Bang!

Thud!

Bang!!

Clang!!!

Violent crashes and thunderous booms rang out one after another, rising and falling without pause.

After a while, the sounds gradually grew weaker, then disappeared.

It was these strange noises that had left the three Pokémon on the third floor so unsettled. Even during a battle that demanded their full attention, they would occasionally lapse into fear or dread.

Even the first Gastly to be defeated had had a chance to dodge the attack. But just then, the eerie sounds overhead had rung out, distracting it for a moment and allowing Small Explosion to hit and defeat it.

The other two had also been affected to varying degrees, and Agumon had ultimately taken them both down.

"Judging by the first two floors, the Pokémon on the fourth floor should only be one or two levels higher than those on the third. Even if there's a gap in strength, it shouldn't leave them this terrified. And if they're fighting among themselves because they don't get along, the people of Solaceon Town shouldn't allow anything that disrupts the Lost Tower this badly."

Then what made them so afraid that a few noises could seriously interfere with their battle against Agumon?

Some powerful Pokémon?

Or some particularly troublesome presence?

Either possibility would affect his plans.

It might not affect him now, but the next time he came to challenge the tower, he would definitely have to face it.

Gathering some information in advance would certainly help him later, but this clearly was not the time to go straight up and investigate.

Agumon had just been through a major battle and was exhausted. If they really ran into some vicious Pokémon, Qingliu might not be able to escape.

So Qingliu decided to wait until Agumon recovered his stamina before quietly heading up to take a look.

Having gained two levels, Agumon's body was recovering faster. With the undigested Pokéblocks still in his stomach helping as well, his stamina was gradually returning.

Still, to be safe, Qingliu rested for over two full hours this time. Only after Agumon's condition on the panel had nearly returned to normal did he move, proceeding extremely cautiously through the third-floor passage toward the fourth floor.

When his figure appeared in the third-floor passage, the reporters outside the Lost Tower all drew sharp breaths.

"He actually... he actually cleared the third floor too?"

"Two and a half hours. After two and a half whole hours, he really cleared it..."

"The first floor took just under half an hour, the second took over an hour, and the third took over two hours. He's taking longer and longer, yet he's still heading toward the Fourth Stage."

"Unbelievable. Not one of all those trainers before him could clear the first stage, and now someone has come along and cleared three in a row."

The reporters who had waited several days without getting anything were now filled with the joy of finally seeing their patience pay off.

But while some were happy, others were not.

The reporters who had hurried over from elsewhere after hearing that Qingliu had cleared the first stage, only to miss out on firsthand information, watched his figure now. A few voices rose among them.

"He must have brought plenty of Heal Spray, Pokéblocks, and things like that. Otherwise, there's no way he could have lasted this long."

"You make it sound like the other trainers didn't bring any. Does that stuff work instantly? You've still got a lot to learn as a reporter."

"Weren't you the one complaining the loudest during that two-hour wait? Saying he should hurry up and come out if he couldn't do it, instead of wasting everyone's time in there?"

"What the hell are you spouting?"

"Your bullshit."

"Hey, hey, hey! No fighting!"

Compared with the tense atmosphere among the reporters, things were utterly peaceful around the mayor of Solaceon Town.

Ever since Qingliu had cleared the first floor, a broad smile had remained on his face.

He had thought this investment was doomed to be a total loss, only for Qingliu to swoop in and save the day.

Taking any reduction in his losses as a win, he had stopped caring whether Qingliu could clear the second floor. Clearing the first was already a blessing from heaven for Solaceon Town.

What he had never expected was for Qingliu to clear not only the first floor, but the second right afterward-and now, even the third.

The smile on his face grew brighter still.

Even though Qingliu had spent nearly four hours in total clearing the second and third floors, he had not the slightest complaint. He simply stood quietly, without moving, in a spot where anyone arriving at the Lost Tower could see him.

At this moment, Qingliu was the savior heaven had sent to Solaceon Town, his only hope of turning the town into a city before he retired.

What did standing here through a little wind and weather matter? He still had to wait for Qingliu to come out so he could reward him properly.

At that thought, the mayor suddenly seemed to remember something. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?

"Yes, it's me. Are you on your way yet?

"I see. All right, make another trip back and bring the reward for clearing the third floor. Yes, that's right. Make sure you hurry. If you keep that gentleman waiting, don't bother coming back."

At that moment, several kilometers from the Lost Tower, the assistant who had already made four trips and had just been ordered to make a fifth and sixth looked down at the Dodrio beneath him. Its three heads were fighting fiercely over who would take the lead. He sighed helplessly.

Alas, life was hard, and all an assistant could do was sigh.

Not far from the Lost Tower, Candice was eating while sitting on a bench with Snover. When she saw Qingliu's figure appear, a look of shock spread across her face.

"I thought the second floor would be your limit. I never expected you to clear not just the second, but the third too. Could he have been holding back in that one-against-three battle earlier?"

"Woo-ka~ woo-ka-ee!"

Snover stared at the surveillance screen in equal astonishment.

As one of the Pokémon Candice had used to challenge the Lost Tower, it naturally understood just how frightening Qingliu's current ability was.

"He's taking longer and longer, but he still feels steady and methodical. If he keeps going at this pace, he might even clear the fourth floor..."

An idea arose in Candice's mind.

She knew the chances were slim, but perhaps Qingliu really could pull it off.

And once he cleared the fourth floor, he would reach the fifth-the floor only one person had cleared so far!