Chapter 152: Forty-Fourth Floor, Waiting Room

Community of the Dead.

[Breaking News!! Seo Ho-Su died.]

[??? Is this for real??]

[What the heck? He was doing fine when I checked earlier!]

[That's fake news. I'm watching him right now.]

[Ugh, I want to kill these trolls. I was just watching Seo Ha-Rin absolutely wreck with her mace a moment ago.]

[Alexei is as stunning as ever today.]

[Actual breaking news: Su-Hyeok is struggling against the boss.]

[Yeah, right. Stop spouting nonsense. I’m not falling for it. I’m watching Seo Ha-Rin.]

[Stop doubting everything.]

[Kwon Su-Hyeok struggling? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.]

[Not fake. Kwon Su-Hyeok’s attacks aren’t dealing any damage.]

[Whoa, it’s true! Kwon Su-Hyeok got blown away by a spell.]

[... Is this real?]

...

[lol knew it would come to this.]

[I told you not to doubt him.]

[Wait, but Su-Hyeok mimicked Aura on the spot. Is reality fucking with me?!]

[His talent is absolutely insane, just insane.]

[If my weapon had been a swordmaster in disguise, I could’ve summoned Aura too...]

[Nope.]

***

[The forty-fourth floor of the Tower of Ordeal requires climbers to enter in a party.]

[Other climbers have not yet cleared the forty-third floor.]

[There is no time limit. Please take a rest.]

I returned to the waiting room, but my mind was still reeling.

46,900 points?

The only time I had received a similar number of points was when a series of floors had collapsed, but I hadn’t been notified of that in this instance. The tower had granted this reward for a single hidden mission, toppling my previous record for most achievement points from a single floor.

What in the world is happening?

Only one explanation came to mind: the entity encased within the cocoon.

Just as I was about to message Ha Hee-Jeong for her thoughts, Ryun spoke up, “How... did... you... manage... that...?”

My usage of Aura still amazed him.

“I sensed the flow of mana you channeled into the axe. It seemed replicable, so I gave it a try.”

“A genius... truly... but... incomplete...” Ryun regarded me with a serious, almost scrutinizing gaze. “Do not... settle... for this...”

I nodded slightly. “I know.”

Ryun had a point. I had only imitated his Aura, not developed my own.

It hadn’t come through enlightenment, and I hadn’t learned it through my own efforts and techniques. Compared to Ryun’s Aura, mine lacked refinement, density, and stability. It was still leagues behind.

“You... will... strive... for more...”

I requested his patience. “Ryun, just a moment. Let’s discuss this later.”

“Very well...”

Conversations about Aura could wait until our next training session. At the moment, I had other priorities.

First among those was ensuring Doppy was clean.

“Doppy, let’s get you cleaned up first. You’ve worked hard today.”

“Got it!”

Once Doppy headed off, I opened the Leaderboard to check whether Ha Hee-Jeong had returned to the waiting room. Although some climbers were still clearing the forty-second floor, Ha Hee-Jeong’s name stood out near the very top of the leaderboard, marked with "forty-third floor" beside it.

She was available to chat.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I quickly sent her a message.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Hey, Hee-Jeong.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Huh?? Why are you on the forty-fourth floor already? Did you get an optional hidden mission?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Yeah. But that’s beside the point. I earned 46,900 achievement points. Why do you think that happened?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): ???? 46,900 points? What the hell have you been doing?

I explained everything, starting from my entrance into the forty-second floor. Though I had exterminated an ant’s nest just like the other climbers, my experience had been markedly different.

The queen ant, the cocoon, the demons, and finally Shogal.

Ha Hee-Jeong didn’t reply immediately. After a moment of silence, her response arrived.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Fiends usually show up on floors in the sixties... but I’m not entirely sure. There are many similar-looking ones. Do you remember what the creature inside the cocoon looked like?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Huh? Well, it looked like the stereotypical demon. Horns, a tail, etc. Oh, and it had four wings.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Four wings?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Yeah, why?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): That sounds suspiciously like a boss about ten floors from now...

As if spurred on by Ha Hee-Jeong’s revelation, a notification message popped up.

[Attention, all climbers. Climber Kwon Su-Hyeok completed the hidden mission ‘Secrets of the Ant Nest’ on the forty-second floor, deviating the Tower of Ordeal from its original path.]

[The sixty-sixth, sixty-seventh, sixty-eighth, and sixty-ninth floors have collapsed. Rewards for the collapsed floors will be granted upon clearing the sixty-fifth floor.]

Four entire floors collapsed?

Wait a second. Does this mean Ha Hee-Jeong’s theory was accurate?

[As a reward for completing the Hidden Mission ‘Secrets of the Ant Nest,’ Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been granted the boots, Footsteps of the Abyss, and the Demon Slayer skill.]

Pop!

A pair of black shoes materialized on the table in the waiting room. However, my thoughts were spinning so much that I barely registered them.

Coming slightly back to my senses, I rapidly messaged Ha Hee-Jeong again.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): It really was the boss you were talking about, wasn’t it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Wow. Even if it hadn’t fully hatched, I can’t believe Hrusan appeared on the forty-second floor...

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Hrusan?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): That’s its name. It was supposed to be unbeatable...

She shared what had happened during her previous life.

Hrusan had been an invincible menace, a harbinger of destruction. It appeared in a crumbling world, and climbers weren’t even expected to defeat it. No, the tower instead assigned them the mission of hiding and surviving. Yet, here I stood, having defeated it on the forty-second floor.

Even though it had already happened, I could hardly believe it.

In hindsight, the optional hidden mission was nigh on impossible.

Without Aura, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat Shogal. And to unlock Aura, one would normally have to dedicate their entire life to their weapon of choice. For me, it had only been possible because Ryun had lent me his power.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): You really went through hell this time. Great work. But I’m not sure if killing Hrusan was a good thing...

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Why not? It was a disaster waiting to happen. Isn’t it better to deal with it now?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): For everyone else, sure, it’s a blessing. But for us? It means we’ve lost the opportunity to face, and maybe defeat, one of the strongest beings in the tower.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Hmm...

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): I had to run away from it during my previous life, but I’m confident that by the time we reach the sixty-sixth floor this time around, you will be stronger than it ever was.

Ah, now I understood what she meant.

Although the tower had given me a lucrative reward up front, we likely would have received much grander rewards for defeating it later on. She was reminding me that we needed to always look forward and not get obsessed with short-term benefits if they affected our future.

Although, in this case, I truly hadn’t known.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): The rewards you get are important. Did the tower give you anything besides achievement points?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): A pair of shoes and a skill...

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Shoes and a skill? Spill.

I decided to inspect the shoes first.

[Footsteps of the Abyss] [Unique]

- Footwear worn by the Demon Realm’s legendary thief, the White Ghost.

- Enables the wearer to step on lava, water, and air without sustaining any harm.

- Agility +5, Stamina +2.

- Grants the skill Ghost Step lvl 1 while equipped.

I unconsciously swore, “Holy fuck.”

Kashatum's Sky Shoes, which I had been wearing, only boosted my Agility by 3 and Stamina by 2. These new shoes not only offered better stats and an upgraded ability but also came with an additional skill.

I had been considering replacing my current pair of shoes, but since I used the double-jump ability so frequently, I had been worried that a new pair wouldn’t have the same ability. Thankfully, not only did the new pair share that ability, but they also allowed me to step on other surfaces. This was the perfect upgrade.

Next, I turned my attention to my 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: 166.2

Agility: 165.4

Stamina: 166.8

Mana: 156.2

Skills: Lightning Essence lvl 12, ... Indomitability lvl 21(+5), Dragon’s Blood lvl 5, ... Scientist Do’s Composure lvl 3, Ghost Step lvl 1, Demon Slayer lvl 1.

Facing such a formidable enemy and completing an optional hidden mission had significantly boosted my stats.

Lightning Essence, Dragon Blood, Indomitability, and Scientist Do’s Composure had each leveled up once. Moreover, I had acquired two new skills—Ghost Step and Demon Slayer.

While I generally understood what the shoes granted me, I hadn’t gauged either of my new skills’ effectiveness.

I sent a detailed summary of the shoes and skills to Ha Hee-Jeong.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): What? Demon Slayer? I don’t know much about Ghost Step, but Demon Slayer is ridiculously overpowered.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Huh? Why? What makes it so special?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): It’s a skill that enhances your abilities when facing any beings associated with the Demon Realm.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Eh? What do you mean?

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): It’s a bit complicated. Let me explain. You know how there are humans like us on other planets...

She went into greater detail, and it was only then that I fully grasped why she had called it overpowered.

In the vast universe, there were countless worlds inhabited by intelligent beings, each with its own unique species. Among them, certain interdimensional species resembled others, just as there were alien races that bore similarities to humans. The gods categorized these worlds and beings much like humans classified animals.

Demon Slayer was a skill specifically designed to grant significant advantages against worlds designated as part of the "Demon Realm" and species classified as "Demons."

In essence, it was a passive buff that grew stronger as the skill leveled up.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Those rewards aren’t bad at all. However, losing four floors worth of growth means you’ll have to put in a little more effort to compensate.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): As I mentioned earlier, I struggled a bit this time. But I’ve grown from the experience, and I’ll push myself harder. Don’t worry about me.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): I’ve always believed in you. Plus, I’m not worried that you won’t do your best. I’m just concerned for your health. Take it as me looking out for you.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. Her words carried a warmth that showed she genuinely cared.

After the conversation, I decided to immediately head toward the training room. Her encouragement had only strengthened my resolve.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Oh, and you should post in the Community soon.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): About the floor collapse? Got it.

Following her advice, I closed the chat and opened the Community while I walked to the training room.

As soon as the window appeared, a chaotic blur of activity greeted me. Posts would barely have a chance to appear before new ones replaced them, the old ones instantly flying downwards off the page. As expected, the sudden collapse of the four floors had thrown everyone into turmoil.

[???? What’s going on?]

[Kwon Su-Hyeok is on the forty-fourth floor? Looks like he’s done something again.]

[Doesn’t the floor collapse hurt the top-rank climbers?]

[Lol, free clear for four floors~]

[Shining Su-Hyeok! King Su-Hyeok!]

[What’s happening??]

[Su-Hyeok, what have you done?!]

[OH MY GOSHHHHHHH]

I had prepared myself for some exaggerated reactions, but they truly were all over the place. Some praised me, others expressed their annoyance, and even more seemed to enjoy the chaos just for the sake of chaos.

It felt like every climber in the waiting room was posting simultaneously, and the pace was so frenetic that most posts didn’t even display on the front page for long enough to gather comments.

Should I wait for things to settle before posting something myself?

Posting now seemed pointless.

Who would even see it? Besides, I don’t have much to say anyway.

All I could explain was that the collapse hadn’t been intentional—I had simply completed an optional hidden mission.

While I pondered this conundrum, another message from Ha Hee-Jeong popped up.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): Oh, by the way, you should join a party for the forty-fourth floor. I’ll invite you to ours later.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-fourth Floor): Why? What’s so special about the forty-fourth floor?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-third Floor): It’s nearly impossible to accomplish anything on that floor alone.