Floor 8's Living Vilge presented a stark contrast to the previous environments they had encountered. Instead of wilderness or ruins, they entered a settlement built within and around massive living trees. Structures spiraled around enormous trunks, connected by rope bridges and wooden ptforms. What appeared to be windows were actually thin sections of living wood that had grown transparent, allowing light to filter through.

  Most surprising was the presence of non-hostile NPCs—intelligent inhabitants who responded to the team with varying degrees of curiosity and suspicion. These vilge dwellers resembled humans but with pntlike features—bark-textured skin, hair intertwined with leaves, eyes with pupils shaped like seedpods.

  "This is... unexpected," Alexander commented as they entered the vilge proper. "Intelligence briefings mentioned NPCs, but nothing this sophisticated."

  "The residents appear to be monitoring us," Valeria observed, her scout's keen eyes tracking the subtle movements of vilgers who followed their progress from a distance.

  The team proceeded cautiously, following Alexander's direction to maintain a non-threatening posture while remaining alert. They discovered that the vilge operated on a complex social structure, with various factions and specialized roles. Some NPCs would trade resources or information, while others remained deliberately distant.

  Over the next two days, they navigated the vilge's social challenges—resolving a water distribution dispute between upper and lower tree dwellers, locating a missing child who had wandered into a restricted area, and demonstrating their combat skills by defending the vilge against an incursion of hostile forest creatures.

  These tasks earned them limited trust from the vilge elders, granting access to previously restricted areas and information about the challenges that y ahead—including cryptic warnings about the Vilge Elder Guardian who protected the transition to Floor 9.

  On their third day, while Elijah was cataloging medicinal pnts in his personal library, he noticed an unusual figure moving with purpose through the vilge center. Unlike the NPCs with their pnt-like features, this was clearly another pyer, though with an appearance unlike any they had encountered.

  The stranger wore a modified environmental suit covered with dozens of specimen containers, each holding different biological samples. A complex filtration mask covered the lower half of their face, while specialized goggles with multiple lenses protected their eyes. Various collection tools hung from their belt, alongside what appeared to be scientific instruments rather than traditional weapons.

  Curiosity piqued, Elijah approached, careful to maintain a respectful distance.

  "Those are Whisperwood spores," he commented, gesturing to a container filled with luminescent green particles. "They're quite rare. I've only seen references to them in advanced botanical texts."

  The stranger turned, adjusting one of their goggles lenses to focus on Elijah.

  "Good eye," they responded, voice slightly muffled by the filtration mask. "Most pyers don't recognize half the specimens I collect. They're too busy rushing through to the next floor."

  "You're a collector, then?" Elijah asked.

  A short ugh came from behind the mask. "Some call me the Collector, yes. Though I prefer to think of myself as a field researcher." They extended a gloved hand. "Nera Chen, formerly Servicer-css research apprentice at TerraMin Biological Division."

  "Elijah Voss," he replied, shaking the offered hand. "Healer."

  Chen's posture shifted slightly at the mention of his name. "Voss? Of the VitaCore Vosses?"

  "My brother and I are both in the Game, yes," Elijah confirmed, used to the recognition the family name triggered.

  "Interesting," Chen murmured, adjusting another lens on their goggles. "I've heard rumors about your team. An Unaligned pyer working with Architect-css twins? Quite the unusual configuration."

  Before Elijah could respond, Alexander appeared beside him, having noticed the interaction.

  "Elijah, who's this?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral but stance subtly protective.

  "Nera Chen," Elijah expined. "A collector of biological samples."

  Chen nodded to Alexander. "Your brother has a good eye for rare specimens. A useful skill in the Tower."

  Alexander studied the Collector with measured interest. "You have an unusual equipment configuration for a pyer. Not optimized for combat or advancement."

  "Because advancement isn't my objective," Chen replied matter-of-factly. "I'm here to study the Tower's biodiversity, not conquer it."

  This statement drew the attention of Lyra, who had been examining a nearby structure's integration with the living tree. She approached, curiosity evident in her expression.

  "You're deliberately staying on lower floors?" she asked.

  "I rotate between Floors 1 through 15, depending on what I'm studying," Chen confirmed. "Been doing so for over three years now."

  "Three years?" Alexander's surprise was evident. "Most pyers either advance or..." He left the alternative unspoken.

  "Or die trying," Chen finished bluntly. "Yes, I'm well aware. I've cataloged over two thousand pyer deaths in my time here. Most unnecessary, caused by ignorance or recklessness."

  By now, the entire team had gathered, intrigued by this unusual encounter. Even Valeria seemed genuinely interested rather than suspicious.

  "How have you survived so long without advancing?" Marcus Tullian asked, the military man in him recognizing an achievement worthy of respect.

  Chen tapped one of the containers on their suit. "Knowledge. While most pyers see only obstacles to overcome, I see systems to understand. The Tower operates on rules—complex, sometimes counterintuitive rules, but rules nonetheless." They paused, studying the team more thoroughly. "You've made it to Floor 8 with your full team intact. That suggests you understand this better than most."

  "We believe in thorough preparation," Alexander acknowledged.

  "A good start," Chen nodded. "But preparation based on corporate intelligence has its limitations. The Game is designed to surprise even the best-prepared pyers."

  "You sound like you've studied the Game itself, not just its biological components," Lyra observed.

  The Collector turned toward her, adjusting their goggle lenses again. "You must be the Unaligned technician I've heard about. Yes, everything is connected in the Tower. Biology, technology, architecture—all parts of a single system."

  "Would you be willing to share some of your observations?" Elijah asked. "Three years of study must have yielded significant insights."

  Chen seemed to consider this request carefully, looking from one team member to another. "I don't usually share my research with transient pyers. Most don't stay alive long enough to make the exchange worthwhile."

  "We're not most pyers," Alexander stated with quiet confidence.

  "No," Chen agreed after a moment. "You're not. Very well."

  The Collector led them to a small structure built into the joint of a massive branch, what appeared to be their temporary boratory. Inside, specimen containers lined the walls, and several modified interfaces projected data dispys.

  "First rule of long-term survival," Chen began, removing their filtration mask to reveal the face of a middle-aged woman with intricate scarification patterns on her cheeks—markings that identified her as originally from the Eastern Resource Region's Servicer css. "The quota system is the primary killer, not the monsters or Guardians."

  "We've managed our quota requirements efficiently so far," Alexander noted.

  "For now," Chen agreed. "But the requirements increase exponentially with time and floor level. By Year 3, the weekly kill requirement becomes nearly impossible to fulfill through normal py."

  "What's your solution?" Elijah asked.

  "Alternative contributions," the Collector replied, gesturing to her specimens. "The system recognizes certain research activities as equivalent to combat contributions, though this pathway is neither obvious nor widely known."

  Lyra's eyes widened slightly. "You've found a loophole in the quota system?"

  "Not a loophole. An intended alternative path that most pyers never discover because they're too focused on combat and advancement." Chen activated one of her interfaces, dispying complex data patterns. "The Tower incentivizes certain behaviors beyond simple progression. Biological cataloging is one. There are others."

  For the next hour, Chen shared specific observations about the Game's systems—patterns in Guardian behavior that indicated programmable weaknesses, environmental cues that predicted resource avaibility, and subtle interface signals that warned of special events.

  "The Vilge Elder Guardian you'll face soon has a transformation trigger based on perceived threat," she expined. "Most teams attack aggressively once it reveals its monstrous form, but that only accelerates its power growth. Restraint and defensive positioning are more effective."

  "This is information we haven't seen in any official briefing materials," Valeria noted, her tone suggesting both suspicion and reluctant respect.

  "Official materials are designed to guide pyers along expected paths," Chen replied with a slight shrug. "Corporations prefer predictable outcomes."

  "Why are you sharing this with us?" Alexander asked directly. "What do you gain?"

  The Collector studied him for a moment. "Data exchange. Your team has achieved something statistically improbable—multiple floor advancements without casualties, including integration of cross-css members. You're an anomaly worth investigating."

  "We're not research specimens," Valeria said stiffly.

  "Everything in the Tower is a research specimen, including me," Chen responded without offense. "But if you prefer a more practical answer—I share information with pyers who might actually use it to challenge assumptions about the Game. Pyers who might survive long enough to make my investment worthwhile."

  As they prepared to leave, Chen handed Elijah a small data crystal. "This contains my observations on the medicinal properties of pnt life through Floor 15. Information your corporate databases won't have."

  "Thank you," Elijah said, genuinely touched by the unexpected gift.

  "One final observation," the Collector added, looking at the team collectively. "The Tower doesn't reward those who follow expected paths. It was designed to identify exceptional configurations—the rare systems that function beyond predicted parameters." Her gaze lingered briefly on Lyra. "Your team's unusual composition might be your greatest strength, not a liability as some might believe."

  After they departed the Collector's boratory, the team processed what they had learned.

  "Can we trust her information?" Marcus asked pragmatically.

  "The data on guardian behavior patterns matches my observations," Lyra noted. "And her equipment modifications were sophisticated—not something an unreliable source would likely possess."

  "Her perspective challenges our operational assumptions," Alexander acknowledged. "The idea that there are intended alternatives to direct advancement contradicts our briefing materials."

  "Maybe that's precisely why it's valuable," Elijah suggested. "If everyone follows the same path, they'll face the same bottlenecks and failure points."

  Alexander nodded slowly. "We'll incorporate her tactical suggestions for the Vilge Elder Guardian but verify independently where possible."

  Two days ter, they faced the Vilge Elder Guardian—a seemingly benevolent elder that transformed into a monstrous entity composed of smaller forest spirits. Following Dr. Chen's advice, they maintained a defensive posture during its transformation rather than attacking immediately, allowing them to observe the pattern of its power accumution.

  The battle proved challenging but manageable with their prepared strategy. When the Guardian summoned vilger spirits to defend it, they used the specific sound frequencies Dr. Chen had mentioned to disrupt the control pattern rather than attacking the spirits directly.

  Victory came more efficiently than previous guardian encounters, with minimal resource expenditure and no significant injuries. As the Guardian dissolved, the system confirmed their completion of Floor 8 and granted access to Floor 9.

  "The Collector's information proved accurate," Alexander acknowledged as they gathered the Guardian drops—including specialized weapons with unique properties against forest entities. "Her approach to the Game is... unorthodox but effective."

  "She's survived three years by questioning standard assumptions," Elijah pointed out. "That alone validates her methods."

  "I'm more interested in what she said about alternative quota fulfillment," Lyra added. "If there are multiple ways to satisfy the Game's requirements beyond combat, that changes our long-term strategy calcutions."

  "It also suggests the Game's purpose might be more complex than we've been led to believe," Elijah said thoughtfully. "If it's designed to identify exceptional configurations, as she put it, rather than just advance the strongest pyers..."

  "Let's not overthink it," Valeria interrupted. "Survival and advancement remain our primary objectives. Alternative methods are just means to those ends."

  "Perhaps," Alexander said, his tone suggesting he wasn't entirely convinced. "But the Collector has demonstrated that advancement isn't the only viable goal within the Game. That's worth considering as we progress."

  As they prepared to ascend to Floor 9, Elijah found himself returning to the data crystal Dr. Chen had given him. During a quiet moment, he transferred its contents to his personal library, discovering not just medicinal information but extensive notes on the Game's design philosophy—observations that hinted at purposes and possibilities beyond what any official source had suggested.

  The notion that some pyers chose different paths—deliberately remaining on lower floors to pursue knowledge rather than advancement—challenged their fundamental understanding of the Game. If Nera Chen could survive for years by following her own objectives rather than those prescribed by the system, what other assumptions might prove flexible?

  This encounter had pnted a seed in Elijah's mind, one that would continue to grow as they faced the increasingly dangerous challenges ahead. The Tower might be designed as much to test adaptability and unconventional thinking as raw combat prowess—a test their unusual team might be uniquely equipped to pass.