Chapter 110: Twenty-Eighth Floor, Waiting Room

“You saw through the illusion, so let’s get our reward and set it free.” Ha Hee-Jeong’s confident voice cut through my indecision.

It seemed like she had encountered this type of situation in her previous life. Her words struck a nerve with the fairy, and it fell silent, seeming caught off guard.

Seeing this, Ha Hee-Jeong gave me a subtle nod, which I took as a cue to release the fairy from my grasp. Fluttering irritably, it hovered in midair with its arms crossed, cheeks puffed in an unmistakable sulk. Now that I saw it up close, it had a surprisingly adorable face.

The fairy stared us down for a beat, then gave a firm nod. “Fine! A promise is a promise!"

It ascended above our heads, and with a few flaps of its wings, it scattered a rain of radiant, multicolored powder. The dust drifted down, softly blanketing us from the tops of our heads to our shoulders. Although the powder brushed against my nose, I didn’t feel anything.

The fairy spun gracefully in the air.

“There! You've been blessed! Now, you have to choose one of two options!"

“Two options?"

“Indeed! You may receive boundless luck for a single day, or a steady flow of luck over an entire month!"

After drenching us in fairy dust, it wants us to decide. Ugh. Couldn’t it have asked first?

“Decide quickly! Only thirty seconds left!"

I weighed the options: one day of extraordinary fortune or a month of modest blessings. A single day would likely cover only the twenty-eighth floor. Well, factoring in the waiting room, there was a high probability the boost to our luck would expire before we even reached the twenty-ninth floor.

Rationally, spreading the bonus luck across a month seemed more advantageous.

Then again, if it’s asking us, maybe there’s a luck-dependent element on the twenty-eighth floor.

I couldn’t be certain, though. There weren’t many luck-based elements in any of the Tower of Ordeal’s floors up to this point. Thankfully, I didn’t need to worry as I had Ha Hee-Jeong by my side. Our eyes met, and she broke into a knowing smile, seemingly hiding a secret.

Speaking for the two of us, Ha Hee-Jeong replied, “Alright, we’ll go with the day of extraordinary luck."

“Okay! Your twenty-four hours start now! Farewell, then!"

Before I could talk about this with Ha Hee-Jeong, a notification window popped up.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has received the fairy’s blessing. For the next twenty-four hours, climbers Kwon Su-Hyeok and Ha Hee-Jeong will experience immense luck.]

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the twenty-seventh floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Rotace’s Hospital. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok defeated every test subject and completed the hidden mission ‘The Game Ends Here.’ Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been awarded 5,321 achievement points. Total achievement points: 74,738. He will now enter the waiting room.]

***

[8 hours 58 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

After sending Doppy off to take a shower, I messaged Ha Hee-Jeong. Normally, I would have checked the status window right away, but my curiosity about her decision overpowered my desire to stick to the routine.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-eighth Floor): So, why just one day? Is there something that is luck-based on the next floor?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-eighth Floor): AHAHA, you’ll see when we get there. I only just realized that the twenty-seventh floor is designed to maximize your gains on the twenty-eighth.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-eighth Floor): Geez, what is it, then?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-eighth Floor): Trust me. You’ll appreciate it more when you see it in person.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-eighth Floor): C’mon, are you just trying to build suspense?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-eighth Floor): Maybe just a bit?

She assured me I would find out soon enough, so I decided not to pry further. Still, knowing that immense luck awaited us, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-eighth Floor): By the way, Hee-Jeong, does the shop have any loot boxes? I mean, we only have a day, so we should make the most of it.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-eighth Floor): LOL, are you serious? They would never have something like that.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-eighth Floor): Yeah, I guess if they did, the Community would be in an uproar.

I had heard once that the exhilaration of gambling could be as addictive as any drug. Climbers would have poured their points into loot boxes, and I was confident posts would have circulated of people getting extremely rare or powerful items from them.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Although it was probably best that such temptations didn’t exist, I couldn’t deny I felt a touch of regret given that we had guaranteed incredible luck for the next day.

Loot boxes would be included for sure if they let Koreans design the Tower of Ordeal.

They would have sold out in no time, too. Although this would have probably caused more climbers to be eliminated, it wouldn’t have stopped them.

After exchanging a few appreciative words with Ha Hee-Jeong, I opened the status window.

[Kwon Su-Hyeok (Earthling, C-66432)]

Title: Seeker of the Crossroads

Affiliation: None

Patron Deity: First class, Omniscient Thunder Axe (Share percentage: 0.00%(-?.??%) / 100.00%)

Strength: 149.3

Agility: 146.4

Stamina: 152.3

Mana: 136.6

Skills: Lightning Essence lvl 10, Sixth Sense lvl 11, Axemanship lvl 6, ... Wind’s Route lvl 3, Illusion Resistance lvl 1.

Aside from a minor increase of about two points in all my stats and the addition of Illusion Resistance, not much had changed.

Resistance to illusions, huh...

It was hard to tell if this would be useful. Up until now, I could count on one hand the number of illusion-wielding enemies I had encountered: the Skill Thief Gremlin on the eighth floor, the Great Warlord of Terror, and, just recently, Rotace.

Will Illusion Resistance even make a noticeable difference at level 1?

As I doubted Illusion Resistance’s usefulness, an idea struck me suddenly.

I can check it out with combat training.

Unfortunately, the copy of the warlord the tower summoned couldn’t utilize the Stagnant Terror’s divine power, but perhaps gremlins and fairies could. Thinking about this resistance skill opened up new training possibilities with opponents I hadn’t considered before.

Though entering combat training against these opponents wouldn’t lead to significant stat increases, raising Illusion Resistance’s level seemed wise.

Who knows when I will run into another illusionist?

Preemptively honing my senses and skills would be far better than relying on brute force to dispel illusions.

Just then, Doppy emerged from the bathroom. Since it hadn’t actually entered the last floor, I had only told it to wash its face.

“What’s this? You’ve still got sleep gunk in your eyes."

“Kriee?”

Doppy rubbed its eyes hurriedly, only to end up looking baffled. I had teased it with a harmless fib. Doppy shot me a slightly reproachful look. “

Kriee!

Su-Yeok, liar!”

“

Haha,

guilty as charged. Head to the training room and start warming up. I’ll join you right after a quick shower.”

“

Kriee!

Will do!”

***

「Invisible message: Combat training has raised Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s skill levels. Illusion Resistance is now lvl 2.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok currently possesses immense luck. An unknown force elevates Illusion Resistance to level 3.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has rested at a training hot spring. All stats slightly increased.」

***

[3 hours 24 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

The combat session proved worthwhile. Though I hadn’t exerted myself enough to increase my stats, leveling up Illusion Resistance twice more than satisfied me.

While lying in bed afterward, I felt restless and couldn’t sleep, so I started browsing the Community instead.

[Efficient Mana Usage Tips for Mages]

[Dang, climbers who had to escape the hospital scenario probably freaked out.]

[Nah, from what I heard, the cultist village was wayyyy scarier. Those climbers woulda pissed their pants.]

[Selling a sword I obtained during a hidden mission on the twenty-second floor.]

[To be honest, aren’t priests a bit useless in combat?]

[Rank 4,892 and looking to borrow 4,000 achievement points. No worries, I’ll repay it.]

Nothing particularly interesting caught my eye, so I continued scrolling absentmindedly. Perhaps I had finally grown accustomed to life within the tower, to the extent that I felt an unexpected tinge of boredom.

During previous floors, I had been on edge even in the waiting room. Now, monotony settled where anxiety had once thrived.

Part of me wanted to scale the tower at full speed, to conquer it as quickly as possible.

I really have changed.

Each time I recognized myself changing, I was struck by mixed feelings. Though it hadn’t been that long, life on Earth already felt like a distant dream slipping away. The sensation wasn’t pleasant, and it was eerily similar to the detachment I had felt during my time in the army.

It made sense, as the trials in the tower came at regular intervals, creating a rhythm that dulled the senses.

Hmm, I shouldn’t be wasting my time on this.

Reminding myself of the vow I had made during the tutorial, I resolved to stay vigilant. I had to keep growing so that I could climb with all my might.

Unfortunately, my motivation seemed to have dissipated. Of the available opponents for combat training, the Overseer was still the strongest. Even on the highest difficulty, I could defeat it without much effort. My stat gains from training were also diminishing.

I need a stronger opponent.

I needed an adversary capable of pushing me further. I didn’t know when I would encounter such an opponent, though, as Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that reaching the rest area on the thirtieth floor wouldn’t be too difficult. Perhaps I would find a new opponent to challenge me on the thirty-first floor.

Still, I can’t just idle around.

With newfound determination, I rose from my seat. If fighting the Overseer was too easy, I could impose my own handicap.

Hmm, how should I limit myself? Only use one hand? Or maybe only use a dagger?

I suddenly recalled the unarmed moves I had employed against the test subjects.

That seems doable.

No, I was getting ahead of myself. I should start by practicing with the axe one-handed.

***

[Welcome to the twenty-eighth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Treasure Hunt.]

[Hundreds of treasure chests are hidden on this island. Choose one.]

[Note: Each chest’s contents are predetermined and will either benefit or harm the finder. Only one of the two climbers can claim the treasure.]

[Search for a treasure chest. Time remaining: 1 hour 59 minutes.]

Before I could fully process my surroundings, the tangy scent of seawater slammed into my nose. Now fully alert, I found myself on a stretch of white sand that lay before an expansive blue ocean. The waves rolled in and out, leaving foamy trails along the shore.

I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I had last seen the sea. A wave of exhilaration washed over me, and I couldn’t help but smile as I turned my attention to the tower’s message.

A treasure hunt, huh...

The sheer thrill of it brought a grin to my face. “So, this is why you wanted it to be a surprise?”

Ha Hee-Jeong laughed and stretched her arms wide. “It’s nicer to experience it firsthand, right?”

Her hair caught in the ocean breeze, revealing her graceful neckline as she extended her arms.

I cleared my throat and turned back to the sea. “Looks like Doppy isn’t here, again.”

“Well, it is a treasure-hunting floor.”

“True. So, we are insanely lucky right now, should we just open with the first chest we find?”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll just have an instinct or a gut feeling.”

“Two hours, hmm... Not a ton of time. Guess we had better start searching.”

“Oh, come on. With this kind of luck, there’s no need to rush.”

Ha Hee-Jeong suddenly shrugged off her robe. I quickly looked away, only to realize she was fully dressed underneath. She had come prepared to relax, having swapped her usual climbing attire for a black T-shirt and athletic pants.

Turning to me with a refreshed smile, she added, “Floors like this are rare. No enemies, just the sea. Why not take a break for a bit?”

She waved her hand over the sand and a pair of makeshift chairs formed from the grains. For something made of sand, they looked surprisingly comfortable.

Ha Hee-Jeong walked over, lay down, and looked back at me. “Well? Aren’t you going to take off your armor and join me? Let’s enjoy the beach for an hour.”

This kind of relaxation was a first since entering the tower, leaving me slightly disoriented.

Well, with Ha Hee-Jeong’s experience as a regressor and our immense luck, I figured we should be okay. Finally acquiescing, I set down the axe I was holding.