Chapter 139: Thirty-Seventh Floor, Abduction (2)

No one moved. Even though I had deactivated Flash Strike, time had seemingly come to a standstill. The sudden turn of events had left the elves in shock, their minds momentarily paralyzed.

It didn’t last long as confusion erupted only moments later.

Some elves fumbled with their weapons, drawing them a beat too late. Others kept frozen in place, while a few shouted at their comrades to drop their arms.

“Everyone! Lay down your weapons!"

Roxanne’s commanding voice cut through the chaos and echoed across the plains. Only then did the elves reluctantly lower their weapons.

In the uneasy silence that followed, their piercing gazes settled on me, each one brimming with fury. I didn’t mind the hostility, as all that mattered was having the chance to speak.

Just as I opened my mouth, the elven leader in my grasp—trembling violently—managed to stammer out a few words, “P-please... why are you doing this...?"

“Be quiet." I tightened my hold on the leader, then turned my attention to the crowd of elves.

Before I could deliver my prepared speech, Roxanne interjected, “Su-Hyeok!"

She looked at me disbelievingly, barely masking the storm of emotions hidden within her.

“Why are you doing this? You betrayed the humans to save the sky whales! You were supposed to be one of us!"

“That doesn’t mean I condone the consumption of human or indiscriminate acts of terrorism. And I don’t feel like I need to explain why your goal of eradicating humanity is even less acceptable."

“Humans are nothing but a blight on nature—"

“Enough!" I cut Roxanne off firmly, my voice ringing out authoritatively.

To preempt any attempt to summon a spirit, I pressed the dagger closer to the elven leader’s neck. The gesture worked, and Roxanne instinctively stepped back, a flicker of fear crossing her face.

“I’m taking your leader with me. Stay quiet and refrain from making any foolish moves, and she’ll be released in a few days. Don’t attempt to rescue her either."

Feeling the need to drive the message home, I continued, “I will be monitoring you all constantly, so if I detect even the slightest hint of your forces mobilizing, your leader dies."

“Su-Hyeok!" Roxanne called out desperately as I turned away.

Ignoring her, I activated a portal leading to Delrayle. As I stepped through, I cast one last warning over my shoulder.

“Remember this. It’s just for a few days. Stay still, and your leader will live."

Crossing into the portal, I closed it firmly behind me.

“Hah.”

The heavy sigh released my tension, a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding the whole time. My skin still burned with the lingering weight of their hostile glares, their unbridled malice palpable even now.

Never before had I experienced such raw, unfiltered hatred. The intensity of it left my thoughts swirling, a knot of unease settling in my chest.

As I collected myself, one of the climbers on guard duty spotted me.

“Hey! Su-Hyeok is back!"

“What? Really?"

“He’s here! And he brought an elf!"

“He succeeded!"

“Mission accomplished!"

It was still early evening, far from bedtime, so the climbers rushed over in a group. I relaxed my grip on the elf leader, whose trembling form nearly collapsed as soon as my grip loosened. She was definitely powerless, lacking any significant combat abilities.

I finally released her fully, and the leader’s legs gave out beneath her, sending her crumpling to the ground.

Hmm... Should I help her up?

It felt cruel to leave her there, considering she represented an entire race.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I extended my hand to grab her wrist before pulling her upright.

“Your name is... Delina, correct? Don’t worry. I won’t harm you as long as you behave."

She gazed at me intensely, tracking my movements with an expression full of rage and wariness.

Not my problem.

I shifted my focus to the climbers, momentarily taken aback by the presence of unfamiliar faces.

Did new members join in just one day?

Now wasn’t the time to address it, so I greeted them with a faint smile. “How’s everyone holding up? I know camping out here is pretty rough."

“

Haha

, it’s only been a day. You’re the one who’s been through a lot, Su-Hyeok. Is this the leader of the elves?"

One of the climbers nudged Delina’s leg with his foot.

What the hell is he doing?

Immediately, a sharp pang of annoyance flared within me. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He flinched, seemingly confused by my anger. “Pardon?"

“What do you think you’re doing?"

“She’s just a hostage. I only gave her a little nudge."

“Don’t do that. She’s still a living being like us."

“I-I’m sorry.”

The climber stammered, bowing his head hastily.

I hadn’t realized how frustrated I felt, and it seeped into my words and expression, although I didn’t make any effort to control it.

The air grew tense until Cecilia stepped forward and gently pushed the climber out of my sight. “You’ve worked hard. You have to be tired. Let’s return to the camp.”

She wrapped an arm around Delina and gave me a subtle nod, signaling that she would take care of the elf.

I nodded in agreement, but as I turned, my eyes briefly met Delina’s. Her gaze had softened slightly, containing a muddled mix of emotions.

Why is she looking at me like that?

Shaking off the thought, I let my mind wander. The sky whales I had left behind on the Loren Plains crossed my mind.

They are probably dispersing by now.

I had told them to return to their original habitats, but that didn’t stop the guilt from lingering. Despite their invaluable help, I had abandoned them without much thought, which felt wrong.

No, it’s fine.

The Tower of Ordeal likely rewarded the Orb of the Sky Whale so that climbers could command the sky whales to attack the elves. By comparison, I had treated them far better. Even though they lacked intelligence, they would definitely prefer carrying me over being forced to attack elves beside an airship.

The tense atmosphere prompted the climbers to scatter into the camp as soon as we arrived. Cecilia assigned two climbers to guard Delina before approaching me directly. Even before she spoke, I had a sense of what was coming.

“Su-Hyeok, I need to speak with you.”

“It’s about the new climbers, isn’t it?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Yes... you already noticed?"

“I’ve been with you guys for days. Did you really think I wouldn’t pay attention to my compatriots?"

“Sorry? O-of course not,” Cecilia stammered, clearly flustered.

Seriously? She thought I was that ignorant?

The realization stung, but I tried to keep my expression neutral.

Cecilia seemed to sense my disappointment and quickly tried to redirect the conversation. “I-I should apologize first. I accepted additional climbers without consulting you first."

She glanced at the ground, her expression a mixture of regret and guilt. I understood why she could feel that way, but what had happened was unavoidable and not her fault.

“It’s fine. They were neutral climbers, right? I’m sure turning them away would have gone against your conscience."

“That’s true. But the issue is... some of the original crew shared your plans."

My brows furrowed.

Now that’s a problem.

If sensitive information were leaked to the wrong parties, the consequences would be disastrous.

I released a frustrated and heavy sigh. Although I had considered those who joined the neutral to be at least somewhat reasonable, they were just digging their own graves at this point.

She seemed even more nervous after hearing my sigh. “I warned them against spreading information before they joined. But some of the newcomers are in the same party as climbers from our original group, and it spread from there."

“None of them have left the camp, have they?"

“No. I’ve kept a close eye on them, issued warnings, and ensured the night watch consisted only of trustworthy climbers."

“Well, it can’t be helped. Managing everyone perfectly is impossible. Even so, you’ve done a remarkable job.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need for apologies, Cecilia. You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, I appreciate how much effort you’ve put in.”

Her expression softened, a glimmer of emotion crossing her face as if my words had touched her.

Did she really think I was going to reprimand her? What kind of person does she think I am?

No, I couldn’t blame her for that, either. The fault lay with me for giving that impression in the first place.

“We’re almost at the final stage. Keep a close eye on Delina and the new climbers. Of course, I’ll be paying attention as well."

“Understood. I’ll ensure none of the original climbers attempt to leave the camp."

***

The following morning, I infiltrated Delrayle again to gather more intel.

The first piece of news I received left me feeling disappointed. Apparently, the first meeting between the lords had already taken place the previous day. This didn’t mean my plan was ruined, however.

The lords are still in Delrayle.

Rumor had it they hadn’t reached an agreement yet. The lords in the west were pressing for immediate reinforcements, while those in the east were stubbornly dragging their feet.

Even in a crisis, they prioritized self-interest above all else. It was a story as old as time, something often repeated throughout history. This didn’t surprise me as humans would be humans, regardless of the planet.

What is most important is that the second meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

The king—Delrayle’s lord—had barely managed to convince the frustrated western rulers to remain.

Tomorrow, at 11:00 a.m.

Having collected all the necessary information, I was in the midst of preparing to return to camp when my signal device emitted a faint click. The sound seemed almost unfamiliar since it had been so long since it had last activated.

At first, I thought it was Doppy. Alarmed that something could have gone wrong at the camp, I hastily checked the device.

To my surprise, it was Ha Hee-Jeong.

Huh? What is this about all of a sudden?

I sent a response, and she quickly replied in turn.

Unlike before, when she hadn’t followed up, this felt like a request to meet.

Finding a secluded alley, I sent another signal to inform her I was ready to meet. Ha Hee-Jeong arrived shortly thereafter, pouting slightly.

Did something annoy her?

She quipped sharply in a slightly mocking tone, “What’s this? You’re actually waiting for me this time?"

Oh no, she’s upset.

A chill ran down my spine.

“What are you talking about?"

“Last time, I sent you a signal, and you just ignored it.”

“

Huh?

I thought you just wanted to confirm whether I was behind what happened in Delrayle.”

As the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake. That signal hadn’t been for confirmation; it had been an invitation to meet.

“Of fucking course it was you. I figured we’d talk since you were in Delrayle, but when I got there, you were gone."

“Well, you could’ve sent another signal. I would’ve come back."

“Do I really have to spell it out? I should hope not,” Ha Hee-Jeong muttered to herself, answering her own question.

The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I wasn’t entirely at fault. If she had wanted to talk, she could have just sent another signal.

I met her gaze squarely and stood my ground.

Seeing my lack of guilt, she sighed and changed the subject. “Whatever. I was going to tell you about the meeting, but you’ve probably already heard, seeing as you’re still here."

“Yeah, tomorrow morning at eleven.”

“And you’ve secured the elven council’s leader, right?"

I nodded. “She’s resting comfortably at the camp near Delrayle."

“You know where the conference room is, right?" Ha Hee-Jeong asked, her tone implying it was a given.

I paused, reluctant to admit I didn’t know. “Not exactly.”

“What? Didn’t you find it last time?"

“The keep was larger than I expected. I ran into a master before I could locate it."

“And what’s your plan for tomorrow?"

“I’ll just sneak in and look for it.”

“You already ran into a master last time. This time, there’ll be even more guarding the meeting room."

She was right. I recalled overhearing that Ha Hee-Jeong had attended the last meeting—and would attend the next one—as a representative of the climbers.

“Tell me about your last attempt. Let’s see how far you got.”

I recounted the details of my previous infiltration.

Partway through, she interrupted me, “Wait. Tell me more about the room you jumped out of."

“

Huh?

Tell you about how I got there?"

“No, the room itself. You had to have seen something before you jumped."

I hadn’t spent much time there, so my memory was hazy. Still, I tried to recall the details.

“Uh... there was a large, round table in the center and paintings of a brazier on the walls. That’s all I remember."

“Hmm, I see."

She had spoken oddly, not obviously different, but subtle enough that only someone who knew her well would notice.

Wait... was that room the meeting room?

The realization struck me like lightning.

Did I instinctively find it without even knowing?

It was almost absurd.

As I pondered, Ha Hee-Jeong tapped my shoulder lightly.

“Well, it is what it is. You know I can’t tell you outright because of the penalties, right?"

“Of course."

“Good luck tomorrow. See you later.”

“See you later? I’ll see you tomorrow when I enter the meeting room," I replied, matching her grin.

Her smile deepened slightly, carrying a knowing look.

I wanted to thank her, but given the subtle cues she had dropped, I kept the words to myself. Instead, I sent her a bright, grateful smile, hoping it conveyed everything I couldn’t say aloud.

***

“There's approximately six minutes and thirty-seven seconds left until ten past eleven,” the pilot announced as his eyes flicked to his watch.

I had considered checking the time myself, but the way time was measured in this world differed greatly from Earth, making it hard to interpret. Terms like “hour of the furnace" and “time of tempering" didn’t exactly help either.

Thankfully, the tower’s translation allowed the pilot’s words to register in Earth-standard time, sparing me the confusion.

The meeting was already underway, but I had no intention of entering just yet. There was always a chance that a lord or two would arrive slightly behind schedule, and I wanted to make my move after the initial tension had settled.

Six minutes remained until go time. I turned to the climbers and reiterated the plan as clearly and precisely as possible, “Let’s go over this one more time. I’ll be the first to enter. Cecilia, you’ll follow immediately, bringing Delina with you."

“Okay!"

“After that, as agreed, groups of three will work together to restrain each lord. The rest of you will focus on keeping the guards at bay."

“Yes, sir."

“Check your weapons one last time."

I made a mental note to give Cecilia specific instructions.

“Keep a vigilant eye on Delina. She could try to pull something unexpected."

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

This entire fate of the entire planet rested on our shoulders.

Two minutes passed, then three, then four...

Despite the mounting tension, the minutes seemed to slip away too quickly.

“One minute and twenty-five seconds left," the pilot reported.

“In one minute, we move. Everyone, get into position."

“Fifty-three seconds remaining."

“Priests. Cast the buffs on your assigned climbers now.”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

At my command, the priests began their chants, filling the air with the hum of arcane energy. Most of the buffs were directed toward me, a precautionary measure against the masters.

While the lords would be alone inside the meeting room, the masters stationed outside would undoubtedly sense the surge of mana emanating from the portal. Even with Flash Strike, I needed to ensure I could move faster than they could react.

“Five seconds to go.”

“Everyone, prepare yourselves!"

I silently counted down in my mind.

Three... two... one...

Activating Flash Strike, I opened the portal, ready to step in.