3F

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The 3rd Floor (3F) of the Tower is a location in Ascent: Trials of Vore. It is between the 2nd and 4th Floors, and is an underground complex, centered on an ever-changing combat arena.

It was first mentioned in Floor 1 - The Gateway, and first appeared in Floor 3 - Greed and Glory.

Description
Main area of floor vast basement shop, which exists in a world beyond Tower, somehow fused into floor. Basement contains shop on own as central area, linked to lower lobby with elevator from 2nd Floor, to floor arena via larger gate & to hotel - only partly in Tower - via secret door. Elevator to 4th Floor behind hidden door at far side of arena. Hospital room elsewhere in complex.

Porter hinted 3rd Floor responsible for giving Tower rules, but noted possibly mistaking for 2nd. To access 3rd Floor, climber had to win Royal Key from Mirror on 2nd Floor, as sign of victory.

Shop
Shop large, museum-like room with smooth grey walls & floors, full of glass cases showing equipment & weapons for sale, buyable with coins from arena via slots under cases. Cases staffed by Morcel responsible for holding screens demonstrating items. On buying, buyer pulled into time-dilated "simulation" to practice with purchase for as long as need, to stop accidental misuse.

At room center is counter with cash register - usually manned by Mordium but by "Double G" instead when Ashley Gray on 3rd Floor. Here, can ask questions or pay coins to get upgrades handled by Morcel-operated mechanism.

Arena
Arena vast, circular area akin to colosseum, surrounded by raised seating & space behind for cameras to record from for livestream to overseers on other floors. Though arena look can change based on requirements of round, there's consistently 6 gates aside from shop gate & hidden elevator spread across outer walls, leading to background areas from which foes emerge. Given Growa's leaving via these, presumably link to area of floor outside that shown clearly, albeit not directly to external universe.

Hospital
Hospital single room with several beds. Location in basement complex unclear, though connects to outside via hidden door & can be reached from arena. Manned by Morcel nurses.

Hotel
Hotel hall linked to shop - part of larger building outside of Tower - drastically different to rest of floor. Unlike basement, hall & adjoining rooms luxurious, decorated with high quality carpet, real wood doors & bottom half tan, top half light red walls. Rooms have king sized beds, tables, chairs, televisions (no remotes to operate) & dressers. Each has adjoining bathroom.

Hall in Tower seems to link to rest of hotel outside via staircase at far end of hall going both up & down. There are staff, though have not been seen by known climbers.

Challenge
3rd Floor's trial - set by Mordium - to, as team, brave 5 rounds in arena, followed by final boss. Each round 3 waves of foes - Morcels in mechanical vehicles on odd rounds & over-proportioned, hungry giantesses on even - then round boss. Climbers not allowed to eat foes, measures in place to stop. At end of rounds, spectators throw coins for climbers to spend on equipment/upgrades.

Trial affected by 'greed', leading climbers to blackout with want for equipment/treasures to point of distraction. Strength & severity of greed determined by history & personality, climbers with greater theft in background more prone. Mechanic meant to keep things interesting & weed out those with bad reasons for climbing.

Climbers eliminated when defeated & dragged out via gates - though being hit by vehicle that then exits doesn't count as long as hold on til reenters area - or eaten by foe.

Each round as fought by Ashley Gray & group - could be differences in other trials - as follows:
 * Round 1: Medieval fight pit. Morcels with helments, guns & robots. Bosses trio of hopping, dome vehicles - Monstanks.
 * Round 2: Sand. Giantesses with extreme, disproportionate curves. Bosses tall Lokee & titanic, hungry Little Hon.
 * Round 3: Smooth stone, collapsed underground. Morcels. Bosses train-like Lorry Mk1.5 & worm-like Driller Mk1. Normally, one fought at time. In Ashley's trial, both deployed.
 * Round 4: Smooth stone, blue skull pillars, with waterlogged blue stone floor. Giantesses, now more muscular & likely immobile, sort of 'mini boss rush'. Boss Big Hon, Little Hon's colossal elder sister, unable to fit in arena.
 * Round 5: Cracked black stone, waterlogged prison. Morcels with mortar bots, mini tanks, miniature Lorry & surprise Monstank. Bosses Apache Primes, aka 'Four Horsemen', 4 attack copters: War Rager, Death Harbinger, Famine Caller & Pestilence Gasser.
 * Finale: Battle with Snowcone, though not usual foe. Interrupted in Ashley's trial.

Climbers given offer. Stay in safety of 3rd Floor, instead of progress to dangers in floors beyond, giving up what climbing for. Those who pass trial allowed access to elevator to 4th Floor.

Background

 * Pre-Ashley Gray's arrival, Mordium became Overseer of floor with view to offer relief from Tower cruelty. Made deal with Esther Fuega - 4th Floor Overseer - to have more climbers pass 3rd Floor without Esther complaining. (Floor 3 - Greed and Glory)

Ascent: Trials of Vore

 * Beating 2nd Floor trial, Ashley Gray & Syl awarded Royal Key by Queen Mirror, granting access to 3rd Floor. (Floor 2 - Mirror/Mirror)
 * After night in Chessboard Castle, pair travel to 3rd Floor & alongside Ogborth, Ferra, Nuon, Peridot, Crow, Growa & others, take part in Mordium's trial over ~40 hours, fighting armies of Morcels & giantesses.
 * Growa & Peridot don't reach end, former forfeiting to be safe with crew. Latter seemingly perishes in last round. Crow consumed by giant "Chocolate Girl" interrupting fight with Snowcone, converting to chocolate statue.
 * At 3rd Floorend, Ashley, Syl, Nuon, Ferra & Ogborth - only 5 left - passed by Mordium to go to 4th Floor via elevator. (Floor 3 - Greed and Glory)

Location
The 3rd Floor's label indicates it, logically, sits between the 2nd & 4th Floors.

The 3rd Floor seems to be partly fused into an external universe at Mordium's preference, as much of what exists outside basement - including Double G's store, usually the hotel & the valley beyond - is implied to not be in Tower.

Trivia

 * Like the 1st and 2nd Floors, the 3rd seems to place a certain emphasis on combat based challenges, something that some later ones do not share.