Chapter 156: Forty-Fourth Floor, The Abandoned City (4)

A disheveled group of climbers stood between us and the advancing wave of thugs. The sight of another party startled us, and their reaction mirrored our own.

What are climbers doing in a place like this?

Deciding that answers could wait, we dispatched the thugs blocking the path, creating a lull in combat.

Amid the tense stand-off, I sternly questioned the climbers, “Why are you here?”

“Well... the tower spawned us nearby and we stumbled across some people in an alley. They mentioned that the arena offered incredible rewards if we could get first place. We thought it could be a hidden mission, so we joined as gladiators.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake...”

They didn’t seem malicious, at least not at first glance. While it wasn’t foolproof to judge someone’s character based on their appearance, I trusted my intuition.

They clearly hadn’t entered the arena knowing its darker purpose. Instead, the promises of grandeur had lured them in. Even the first two guards had dangled the so-called first-place reward before us.

Every climber is desperate for hidden missions, so I can understand why they would jump at the first opportunity.

Yet, regardless of their intentions, we couldn’t let the arena continue to exist. We had our own mission to accomplish.

Fortunately, the forty-fourth floor had just begun.

“How long have you been here?”

“About two hours. We’ve just been waiting for our turn to fight.”

“So you’re aware that this place trafficks humans, right?” I asked sharply, carefully watching their reactions.

“Yes, we realized that later on. But... how did you know, Su-Hyeok?”

It was a reasonable question, but one I couldn’t answer truthfully.

“Someone approached us. Their daughter had been kidnapped, and they begged us to rescue her.”

“Oh, I see.”

While I conversed with the climbers, the thugs standing behind them erupted angrily, “Hey! How long are you going to stand around chatting? It doesn’t matter if you know these intruders. If you don’t deal with ‘em, you’ll get nothing from us!”

I ignored their outburst and turned back to the climbers.

“We’re here to destroy the arena. If you don’t want to fight, feel free to leave now.”

“Uh... we can’t. We signed a magical contract, so escaping isn’t an option.”

“A magical contract?”

“They said if we tried to leave without permission, we’d be cursed...” The climber averted his gaze awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by their predicament.

I sighed.

These poor fools...

Their desperation for hidden missions had blinded them to common sense, and despite my pity, it was hard not to feel frustrated.

“Fine. I’ll knock you out gently so you don’t get hurt. Just stay down once you fall.”

The climber looked at me, stunned, before finally finding a response. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle the contract, too.”

“Wait, hold o—”

Before he could finish, I swung my dagger-wielding hand at the climber. Of course, I didn’t use the blade; instead, I struck his jaw with my fist.

The climber immediately slammed into the wall and collapsed.

“S-Su-Hyeok!”

The remaining climbers gasped in shock, but I didn’t stop.

“Let’s move! Make sure you don’t kill the climbers!”

***

[Survive. Time remaining: 164 hours and 11 minutes.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has leveled up.]

Only an hour later, I reached level 13. Each level restored my stamina and healed my wounds, yet the sheer number of thugs crammed into this small shopping complex still exhausted me.

Physically, I felt fine, but it had begun to take a toll on my mental state.

Still, the fights had become easier with each level I gained, though my leveling had begun to slow.

I nudged the kneeling arena boss with my foot.

“Hand over the contracts.”

“W-what?”

“The magical contracts those gladiators signed. Bring them here.”

“O-oh, yes!”

[Arena Boss, Hoon (Lvl. 18)]

A long scar crossed his face, and although it had once looked menacing, his swollen and battered appearance now appeared anything but intimidating.

Hoon hurriedly dashed to the desk and frantically rummaged through the drawers.

“And bring everything else you’re hiding.”

He ignored my question, acting as if he hadn’t heard me over the sound of drawers opening.

“Answer me.”

“Y-yes, of course!”

Moments later, Hoon returned with a stack of thick documents and a gold ingot. I handed the papers to Ha Hee-Jeong, trusting her to handle the contracts.

“Anything else you’re keeping hidden?”

“No! Nothing else!”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

“I swear! Everything is in the storage room!”

I scoffed in response, his shamelessly deceitful expression not fooling me.

Seo Ho-Su had already checked the storage room earlier. While it contained various weapons and armor, none of the items Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned were there.

The only item of note had been a crossbow we gave to Cole.

“Strange. I heard this arena had Repel’s War Hammer and the Thousand-Pound Mace Skillbook.”

“H-how do you know about those?!”

“Bring them. Now.”

Hoon froze, clearly reluctant. Although I could tell he was calculating his next move, I just calmly twirled my dagger, silently threatening him to try something. With a resigned sigh, he shuffled to a corner of the room.

Sliding a bookshelf aside, he revealed a hidden compartment that contained a sleek, black war hammer and a skillbook. For a brief moment, his eyes glimmered dangerously.

Is he seriously considering using those?

It was written all over his face.

Unfortunately for him, the idea was laughable at best. No matter what he armed himself with, he wouldn’t stand a chance against us. With only two exchanges and a beating, I had cowed him into submission.

Realizing the futility of resistance, Hoon forced a grotesque smile and handed over the items.

“Here they are.

Heh. Heh

.”

“Good. And...”

I stepped forward and swung my axe.

Although he tried to dodge, he couldn’t escape the blade. The axe sank deep into his collarbone, causing his body to jerk violently.

“Guh—!”

“Goodbye.”

Deep down, he had probably suspected this outcome. Even so, he had clung to the fragile hope that he could negotiate for survival.

I had never intended to spare him, however. Anyone who thrived on human trafficking and exploitation deserved nothing less. At least his surrender had saved me some trouble, as finding the hidden safe would have been annoying.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has leveled up.]

The thugs huddling in the corner fearfully averted their eyes, clearly startled by the scene that had unfolded before them.

“Have you gathered the captured gladiators and slaves?”

“Yes! They’re all in one place!”

“Good. Then you’re of no further use.”

Sensing their impending doom, the thugs darted for the door in a desperate attempt to escape.

My party wasn’t just about to let that happen, however. Cole attacked first, his crossbow launching a bolt that whistled through the air. Seo Ho-Su was quick to follow, swinging several times in quick succession, each strike bringing a thug down.

“Ugh!”

“Ack—!”

The thugs crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

I secured the hammer and skillbook before turning to my party members.

“Alright, let’s wreck the arena.”

***

Ha Hee-Jeong had selected the underground arena as our first destination—and eventual base of operations—for two simple reasons: its proximity to our spawn point and its preexisting defenses.

The forty-fourth and forty-fifth floors would last at least a week, and the monsters would grow progressively more ferocious as time passed.

Reinforced with steel plates and wooden barricades, the arena’s single, narrow entrance made it a highly defensible stronghold.

In addition to its strategic location, the arena offered a wealth of equipment, skillbooks, ample food supplies, and opportunities for growth.

Most importantly, it will be a convenient place to gather the people scattered across this city.

A climber’s actions toward the residents of the abandoned city, regardless of whether those actions were positive or negative, could translate into experience points—once the floor ended. Therefore, the more these people depended on me by the end of the floor, the more additional experience I would earn.

Protecting them yielded far greater rewards than harming them in the long term. This meant we needed to collect the scattered survivors and ensure their safety.

Many of the enslaved individuals in the arena belonged to existing groups. We didn’t plan on forcing everyone to stay, so those survivors who wanted to return to their original group were free to go.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

That was fine by me.

As days passed and monster attacks intensified, they would naturally remember the relative safety of the arena. Few places in the city were as secure, and they would surely tell their fellow members of our actions.

Plan in mind, I surveyed the crowd gathered in the center of the arena. The gladiators and captives wore tattered clothing, their emaciated frames trembling with uncertainty. Their eyes flitted toward me, filled with fear, likely haunted by the nightmares they had endured here.

Doing my best to allay their fears, I spoke gently, “Hello, my name is Kwon Su-Hyeok. The arena is gone. You are free.”

The people stared blankly at me, uncertain and seemingly questioning the meaning of my words.

I gestured toward Ha Hee-Jeong, who stood beside me. “This is the magical contract you guys signed.”

Upon receiving my signal, Ha Hee-Jeong held up the documents and set them ablaze. The crowd gasped, many of them too choked up to speak.

“I’ve killed the arena master and all of his minions. I do not wish for the arena to remain as it was. You truly are free now.”

Realization dawning upon them, their faces brightened elatedly as the suspicious looks slipped away from their faces.

“And I plan to create a new community here.”

My words brought a wave of furrowed brows, the captives’ wariness returning.

I quickly reassured them, explaining that while I would be assuming the position of leader, I wouldn’t enforce unreasonable demands or binding contracts.

“Those who wish to return to their original groups are free to do so. However, those who choose to stay will receive food and equipment.”

Expressions brightened again as relief spread through the crowd.

“If your current group is struggling, you’re welcome to return here later, or even bring your group back with you. You’re free to act as you please from now on.”

The arena erupted with cheers and shouts of joy.

“Hurrah!”

“Kwon Su-Hyeok! Kwon Su-Hyeok!”

“Our savior!”

***

Roughly eighty percent of the captives chose to return to their original groups. Although letting them traverse the outside world would be risky, it was essential if we intended to establish good relations with other groups.

In an effort to improve their chances of survival, we paired up the individuals who wished to return to their groups so that they wouldn’t travel alone.

Most of them returned to their original groups, but...

About thirty people remained, and before we knew it, night had fallen.

Under the cover of night, we began cleaning up the thugs’ fallen bodies. The former slaves seemed to relish the act. Many kicked the corpses or spat on them disdainedly, while others wept openly to release their pent-up anger.

Although it wasn’t a pleasant sight, I couldn’t bring myself to stop them. Their pain wasn’t something I could fully understand.

After piling the bodies in a single area, we set them ablaze. The stench of blood still lingered faintly in the corridors, but it was something we had to endure.

This won’t be a permanent home. We can manage.

Thankfully, the arena’s armory contained more than enough equipment to properly outfit and arm our party. Everyone now held their standard weapons, and although we hadn’t found a holy relic for Seo Ha-Rin, she felt comfortable just wielding a mace.

I was the only exception, however, as I chose a war hammer over a double-headed axe. The axes available were of poor quality, and the hammer was better suited for the Thousand-Pound Mace skill I had obtained.

I glanced toward a group of climbers standing awkwardly nearby. They were lower-ranked climbers who had come to the arena in hopes of achieving something, perhaps chasing the elusive first-place reward.

Although they had acted naively, their intentions hadn’t been inherently bad. Unfortunately, though we had destroyed the magical contracts binding them, they had still wasted an entire day. Releasing them now would only consign them to death.

Well, we can use more people anyway.

Feeling a trace of sympathy, I approached them, intending to invite them to join us for the rest of the floor.

Before I could speak, a loud explosion echoed from outside. Only a climber could use such powerful magic, so something more serious had to be happening.

Grabbing my war hammer from where it leaned against the wall, I sprinted toward the source of the commotion. The rest of my party and the other climbers followed closely behind.

Pushing open the heavy iron door, we emerged onto the street.

“Hakin, hold the door!”

“Yes!”

Flying through the dark sky and between buildings, massive hornets buzzed ominously.

In front of them, a climber party and a small child fled to the best of their abilities. The party’s average level appeared to be 5, but the hornets were level 8. Left alone, they wouldn’t survive.

I shouted from the alley’s entrance, “This way!”

Without Lightning Essence, I didn’t have many options against flying enemies.

I glanced back at Ha Hee-Jeong. Her flames erupted into the night, scattering the hornets and creating a brief window for the climbers to escape.

They scrambled toward us with all their strength, illuminated by Ha Hee-Jeong’s firelight. The bright flash of light would likely attract more attention, but we should be able to retreat in the meantime.

“Cease combat! Fall back to the base!”

More than ten people charged through the narrow alley, with Hakin still holding the door. As soon as everyone entered, he slammed the door shut and bolted it.

The recently saved party gasped for breath.

“Th-thank you... Thank you so much.”

“Wait... Kwon Su-Hyeok?”

They froze in surprise when they saw me. It seemed they hadn’t noticed me earlier, likely due to the chaos. As I was about to respond with a smile, the young boy standing with them shouted.

“My mom was taken by monsters! Please, save her!”

[Kasaan (Lvl. 2)]

I noticed a small horn protruding from his forehead. His presence, along with the words he had spoken, exuded the unmistakable scent of a hidden mission.