Chapter 155: Forty-Fourth Floor, The Abandoned City (3)

[U.S. President: ‘Considering War with Iran’]

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated recently due to events on the thirty-fifth floor of the Tower of Ordeal.

The uproar stems from an incident where Milad, a climber from Iran (33 years old, ranked 1,331), brutally murdered Derina, a climber from the U.S. (24 years old, ranked 7,321). This act of violence has sparked widespread outrage among American citizens.

Perhaps responding to the public sentiment, the U.S. President delivered a national address earlier today at 7:34 AM...

- Poporo: Wow, does this mean war?

- hunter0319: Wars don’t start that easily.

- Akaps: I heard the U.S. Pacific Fleet is on the move.

- Johnber_is_key: What U.S. stocks should I buy right now?

- DonJellai: Forget stocks. Just stock up on canned food.

***

Trozen. I wasn’t familiar with the name, but his face rang a distant bell. Perhaps we had crossed paths briefly during our climb through the tower. Something about his sneaky, venomous appearance reminded me of a viper.

He let out an unnerving and erratic chuckle, like someone teetering on the edge of sanity. Considering he had slaughtered teammates who had accompanied him for dozens of floors, it wasn’t surprising his mental state wasn’t entirely stable.

“I thought the top-ranked climber would be different, maybe extraordinary. But you’re just like the rest.”

“Oh? And what exactly makes me the same as everyone else?”

“You’re only level five. I’m level seventeen. You didn’t make it to rank one because you’re talented. You’re just lucky.”

The sheer absurdity of his claim made me laugh, not just out of amusement but out of genuine disbelief at his arrogance.

I had expected climbers would stoop to killing their own party members, but one brazen enough to dismiss me so casually? That was new.

“Pfft.”

Ha Hee-Jeong also failed to restrain a laugh, likely thinking the same thing I had. When our gazes met, her expression practically shouted, “Is this guy completely insane?”

Trozen’s expression soured, clearly irritated by our reactions.

“What’s so funny? Do you think having more people gives you an edge? You clearly don’t understand how things work here. On this floor, level is king.”

Our mocking had clearly struck a nerve.

“Seven level three climbers couldn’t even lay a hand on me. Your pitiful combination of seven level threes and one level five won’t be any different. Do you think Kwon Su-Hyeok’s presence will change anything?”

Why is this guy so talkative?

He talked arrogantly, but his hesitation to attack betrayed his lingering fear. My past accomplishments across the tower’s floors were likely etched in his mind, leaving him wary.

Taking a step forward, I noticed him flinch. He quickly stepped forward, as if to mask his hesitation.

Looks like I will have to handle a twelve-level gap.

Despite the disparity, I wasn’t acting recklessly.

My stats had grown at more than double the usual rate with each level. Considering my performance against the spiders earlier, my stats likely rivaled those of a level 12 or 13 climber.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

A four-level difference wasn’t insurmountable, especially with strategy and technique on my side.

As an opening ploy, I asked him, “Why are you running your mouth so much?”

Before he could utter a single word, I launched myself forward. Like usual, I held an axe in my right hand and a dagger in my left, although the axe was significantly smaller than my normal one. Even though I wasn’t accustomed to wielding a small hand axe, it felt surprisingly natural.

I was concerned about the sturdiness of its wooden handle, however. Trozen had a proper sword, a sword skill, and superior stats. If his blade managed to cut through the axe handle or his strike managed to shatter it, things could go downhill fast.

He may be faster than me, but...

One-on-one combat came down to experience, patience, and anticipation. As soon as he swung, I could tell that his attack patterns weren’t well-developed. Predicting his sword’s trajectory, I deflected it with my dagger.

Clang!

The crude dagger vibrated violently and numbed my hand. I couldn’t afford to drag out this fight.

I activated Body Reinforcement, using the boost to my strength to press the dagger downward and lock his sword in place. I only needed one opening.

With my right hand free, I swung the axe toward him.

Partway through my swing, however, a sharp instinct stopped me cold.

On my right!

I reacted instantly, redirecting the axe upward.

Clang!

The sound of clashing metal reverberated as I deflected an invisible blade. Adjusting my grip, I brought the axe down in a vertical strike, forcing Trozen to stumble backward to evade.

Shadow Swordsmanship, huh.

He had lost the element of surprise, as I now knew how the skill worked. It launched unseen strikes alongside the user’s attacks.

Trozen’s face contorted in disbelief as he stared at me.

“How... how did you see that?”

“Only an idiot would stand there and take a hit when it’s obvious.”

“You... you gotta have a skill too!”

“This isn’t about skills. It’s about experience. Although you may have the advantage in levels, your abilities can’t even compare to mine.”

I grinned at him, my confidence rattling him further. “But seriously, what’s your endgame here? You wanted to kill us all. Are you confident you can follow through with that plan?”

“Damn it!” Leaving those two words lingering in the air, Trozen turned and bolted.

Huh? Seriously?

Ha Hee-Jeong quickly began chanting a spell while I gave chase, but his higher stats gave him a clear speed advantage.

By the time I reached the entrance, he had already disappeared into a nearby alley. Even if I continued to pursue him, catching him seemed unlikely. Reluctantly, I turned back toward the party, frustrated.

“Thank you so much!”

“You saved our lives, Kwon Su-Hyeok. We’re truly grateful!”

The two climbers repeatedly bowed their heads in gratitude.

What am I supposed to do with them now?

“What’s your plan? Looks like you’ve lost your weapons. Can you manage on your own?”

“Well...”

“We can’t take you with us permanently, but you can stick with us until you’re armed again.”

“That would be more than enough. Thank you.”

I had been worried they would insist on joining our party, but thankfully, they understood the situation. After all, anyone who had made it to the forty-fourth floor would know the protocol for survival.

I waved dismissively. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oppa, are you okay?”

“Yeah, nothing major.”

“I’m relieved. But honestly, I was intimidated by his level. Why did he suddenly run off?”

“He probably realized after the first exchange with Su-Hyeok that he was in over his head,” Seo Ho-Su answered in my place, his voice filled with pride.

The way he looked at me, like I was someone to admire, made me slightly uncomfortable. Genuine praise like this always caught me off guard, and it left me feeling awkward.

“Well, his stats were higher than mine, but it wasn’t by a wide margin. Plus, he wouldn’t want to take on the rest of you, so he backed off.”

“Even so, it feels unsettling,” Cole muttered, his eyes scanning the department store’s shattered entrance.

I nodded. “You’re right.”

I couldn’t shake the same feeling. Though Trozen hadn’t left with the stereotypical, “I will get you next time,” his retreat still left an ominous impression.

It was a classic cliche—villains who escape only to resurface as greater threats later on. We would inevitably cross paths again in the future.

Although the tower didn’t explicitly state it, killing climbers who weren’t part of one’s party also awarded bonus experience points.

That bastard Trozen will probably use his level advantage to hunt other climbers.

While I had managed to corner him this time, the dynamic could shift entirely if he grew even stronger.

This was one of the inherent pitfalls of the forty-fourth floor. No matter how skilled I was, encountering someone who had either stumbled upon a hidden mission or gained a plethora of levels by killing others could end badly for me.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I found myself glancing at Ha Hee-Jeong. Yet, she didn’t appear the least bit concerned, which calmed my nerves somewhat. If she wasn’t worried, I shouldn’t be either.

I pushed aside my apprehension. Ha Hee-Jeong knew the locations of several powerful skillbooks and equipment.

We had just visited the department store to acquire basic gear and gain a couple of levels. She had mentioned having multiple routes mapped out depending on our spawn point. We just needed to follow her lead.

As the lingering unease hung in the air, Ha Hee-Jeong broke the silence. “Let’s move.”

***

[Survive. Time remaining: 164 hours and 56 minutes.]

The first place Ha Hee-Jeong wanted to head was an underground arena.

She shared this plan discreetly with our core party members, keeping the information from the two climbers who had recently joined us. Her “precognition” was a closely guarded secret, known only to the members within our group. Everyone acted carefully to guard this knowledge.

On our way, we fought monsters to gain valuable experience points. By the time we reached the arena, I was level 7, while the rest of the party had climbed to level 4.

The two climbers who had joined us earlier parted ways after securing weapons, expressing their gratitude before leaving.

Finally, we arrived at a dilapidated, three-story shopping complex.

Hmm... it definitely looks foreboding.

The building’s shattered windows and broken doors were patched up with rusty metal sheets and wooden planks. A rancid smell emanated from the building, growing stronger as we drew closer.

Guided by Ha Hee-Jeong, we made our way down a narrow alley adjacent to the complex. A heavy metal door guarded by two burly figures stood at the end of the alley.

[Arena Guard, Ron (Lvl. 5)]

[Arena Guard, Mork (Lvl. 6)]

The tower had described these beings as “inhabitants” of the abandoned city. Like NPCs in a game, they served as sentient entities instead of set objects. I wondered if they had been taken from another world to populate this artificial space.

As we approached, the guards noticed us and stepped forward, blocking our path.

“Don’t recognize your faces. Only registered participants can enter the arena. Registration fee is one can of food per person.”

“Weapons or other items are acceptable, too. People can be used as payment as well. Women count as three, men as two.”

“Or are you here to sign up as gladiators?”

Their words made my expression darken in disgust. Although they were technically living beings, they were unambiguously vile.

The arena treated life and death as entertainment and engaged in human trafficking. Anyone running it was the lowest kind of scum.

I glanced at my party, silently agreeing and confirming that everyone was ready. Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the guards moved to draw their weapons.

They were already too late, however.

Before Ron and Mork could react, my dagger pierced Mork’s neck, and Seo Ho-Su’s sword drove into Ron’s abdomen.

“Guh!”

Mork crumpled without a sound, his throat cleanly severed.

Ron, however, wasn’t so lucky. Ron had let out a strangled gasp before Seo Ho-Su clamped a hand over his mouth, silencing him as he slumped against the wall.

We hadn’t killed them on impulse; this was all a part of Ha Hee-Jeong’s plan.

“All set?” I asked, glancing back at the team.

“Yep!”

“Ready!”

“Cole, keep an eye on the rear, just in case. Hee-Jeong is here, but better safe than sorry.”

The underground arena promised an abundance of enemies, as well as a trove of weapons and skillbooks. Its narrow corridors worked to our advantage, allowing Seo Ho-Su and me to hold off the waves efficiently.

Even if they swarm us...

The experience gained from clearing the arena would naturally level us up, mitigating any fatigue or minor injuries. If anyone sustained significant damage, we could rotate roles until they recovered upon leveling up.

Plus, in open areas, Ha Hee-Jeong and Hakin’s magic would turn the tide.

The arena’s rumored ruler was said to be formidable, but by the time we encountered them, we would have gained plenty of levels.

The plan was simple: destroy the arena, gather better equipment, and grow stronger.

“Let’s go. Prepare for combat.”

I swung open the heavy metal door.

Inside the dim corridor, several rough-looking thugs turned toward us. Their gazes quickly dropped to the corpses of the guards at our feet. Upon seeing the bodies, their faces twisted with rage, and they drew their weapons.

“Damn it! Intruders!”

“Report this to the higher-ups!”

Just like Ha Hee-Jeong had explained, the hallway was barely three meters wide. I took the right side, while Seo Ho-Su covered the left. It was time to take out the trash.

Over the next fifteen minutes, we methodically pushed through the corridor, not facing much resistance, when we encountered another party of climbers inside.

Their startled voices broke the tension, “Wait... Kwon Su-Hyeok?”