Chapter 167: Forty-Sixth Floor, Waiting Room (3)

[Rebirth Elixir] ×30

- Price: 120,000 points

What? 120,000 points? Are they out of their minds?

I had amassed just over 150,000 achievement points. As far as I knew, no other climber’s point total was even close to mine.

Each floor I cleared granted me a massive amount of points, and I had completed countless hidden missions. Plus, since most of my gear came from hidden missions, I rarely needed to spend points at the shop.

In contrast, ordinary climbers faced life-or-death struggles on every floor, forcing them to burn through their points just to survive. Low-grade equipment broke frequently, too, so they had no choice but to keep replacing it.

“120,000 points...”

For most climbers—regardless of whether they were low-ranked or high-ranked—the price was so steep that it seemed practically unattainable.

Sure, the elixir was probably worth the cost, especially if Ha Hee-Jeong insisted I buy it. Considering that unique-grade equipment hovered around 70,000 points, however, the price felt excessive.

I quickly messaged Ha Hee-Jeong.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Hey, isn’t 120,000 points ridiculously overpriced? What makes this thing so expensive?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): It does exactly what its name implies. It completely transforms your body. Trust me, it’s worth every point. Even your potential would skyrocket.

Martial arts novels I had read before mentioned potions similar to the Rebirth Elixir. The books generally described them as an elixir that would reshape the body into the optimal form for training and cultivation.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): I guess the tower wouldn’t slap such a crazy price tag on it without a reason. It’s probably justified.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Wait, you’ve got over 120,000 points, right?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Oh, yeah, plenty more. Why? Were you planning to lend me some if I didn’t?

I had more than enough points. Even after purchasing the elixir, I would still have over 30,000 to spare. Honestly, Ha Hee-Jeong’s constant reminders to avoid wasting points on unnecessary purchases were what had prepared me for moments like this.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Actually... could you lend me some points?

Her request caught me off guard, and I paused momentarily.

Right, of course.

Ha Hee-Jeong probably hadn’t been able to save up 120,000 points herself. Despite being a regressor, that didn’t guarantee she would have as many as I did, especially with how much she supported me.

I had simply assumed she could afford it without issue.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Sure. How much do you need?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Twenty thousand? Maybe more if you can spare it. I’ll need points for other items later.

Fair enough. Ha Hee-Jeong always kept supplies on hand, preparing for worst-case scenarios.

I checked my exact balance—150,051 points. After buying the elixir, I would be left with 30,051 points. Factoring in what I would need for training, I could lend her 25,000 points without worry.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): I’ll send 25,000 (before the transfer fee).

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Awesome. Thanks! I’ll pay you back soon.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Don’t worry about it. Use it for whatever you need.

I never planned on asking for the points back. I didn’t want them, and honestly, we weren’t the type to keep track of debts. Besides, she had done the same for me before.

The one time I had needed to buy the Mana-Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld, she had lent me the points without hesitation and refused repayment later. I figured she probably felt the same way now.

[Would you like to send 25,000 points to climber 'Ha Hee-Jeong'?]

[A ten percent transaction fee will be deducted.]

“Yes.”

After transferring the points, I sent her another message.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Did you get it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Yeah, confirmed. Thanks.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): So, do I just drink the thing after buying it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Yep. But take it in the shower if you can. Or at least in the training room. ALSO, you will want to strip completely.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): What? Why?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Your body gets completely restructured, and in the process, it forces out any impurities, causing an awful smell.

I didn’t doubt her advice.

Still, taking it in the shower felt off. The training room seemed like a better option.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Got it. I’ll drink it and message you once I’m done.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Okay. Good luck.

Ending the chat, I purchased the Rebirth Elixir. That left me with 5,051 points, plenty for post-transformation training.

I picked up the vial from the desk and looked at the clear liquid shimmering faintly inside.

With the elixir in hand, I headed to the training room, but not before leaving a message. “Doppy, I’m taking this elixir in the training room. Don’t mess with anything.”

Doppy nodded from the bed. “Got it!”

Standing in the center of the training room’s sand arena, I removed my climbing gear. Stripped bare, I felt oddly self-conscious, like some kind of exhibitionist.

Maybe I should have just taken it in the shower...?

No. As uncomfortable as it was, this was the smarter choice.

The shower was attached to the bathroom. I had no idea how long I would be unconscious, and Doppy frequently wandered in and out of there.

I swallowed hard, then tilted the vial back. The clear liquid tasted like nothing, just plain water.

Three seconds passed, then a sudden, heavy thud resonated deep within me, radiating outward. A hot feeling started flaring in my chest before spreading rapidly.

I barely managed to steady myself and lie down before the searing sensation overtook me. That was the last thing I remembered.

***

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has consumed the Rebirth Elixir. His body will now undergo a transformation.」

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s identity as a ‘Challenger’ has been confirmed. The restrictions on the Rebirth Elixir have been lifted, significantly increasing its effectiveness.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s body has been reconstructed. It now surpasses the biological limits of the human body.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed his first transcendence! Some of his skills have merged with his body and disappeared.」

***

[15 hours 15 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

When I opened my eyes, the training room’s familiar ceiling greeted me.

I felt completely rejuvenated, like I had awoken from the deepest, most restful sleep. Not even the faintest trace of my fatigue lingered.

Wait. How much time has passed?

Startled, I bolted upright and immediately checked the notification window.

15 hours remaining...

Only roughly six hours had passed. Thankfully, it hadn’t been as long as I had feared.

“Phew.”

As I finished exhaling deeply, the unfamiliar sensations coursing through my transformed body surged in all at once. My awareness—now heightened even more—radiated outward, touching every corner of my surroundings.

I steadied myself first, then opened up to the waves of information that battered me, trying to grasp the extent of my physical changes.

The first thing that hit me was the stench. Black, viscous fluid pooled around me and soaked into the sand beneath my feet.

Next came an overwhelming feeling of strength, and I almost tripped from a slight twitch of a leg muscle. Beneath my skin, raw power churned, ready to explode at a moment’s notice. It felt as if I could crush a steel plate with my bare hands.

Finally, everything seemed zoomed in due to my stunningly clear vision. I could make out individual grains of sand scattered across the floor.

I can sense everything in this training room.

I rose to my feet and swept my gaze across the chamber. Weapons lined the corners of the room, and my senses picked them up as vividly as if I were holding them.

The sheer flood of information was dizzying. Keeping my perception this wide open would only exhaust me, so I reined it in, deliberately narrowing my focus.

Once the overload subsided, I gathered mana at my fingertips to test my enhanced strength.

Crackle—

What the...?

Even without activating Lightning Essence, sparks of electricity danced through my mana.

What the hell has happened to me?

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

I immediately pulled up 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: 202.3

Agility: 201.8

Stamina: 208.7

Mana: 200.1

Skills: Sixth Sense lvl 12, Axemanship lvl 9, Master of Shadows lvl 9, Indomitability lvl 21 (+5), Combat Focus lvl 25 (+5), ... Two-Way Portal lvl 2, Wind’s Route lvl 5, Illusion Resistance lvl 5, Scientist Do’s Composure lvl 3, Ghost Step lvl 1, Demon Slayer lvl 1, Savior lvl 1, Thousand-Pound Mace lvl 1.

Damn.

All my stats had surged past 200, each increasing by at least 20 points—almost 30 in fact.

Is my newfound perception a result of the stat growth?

I finally understood why it had been priced at 120,000 points, and it definitely seemed worth the price.

Then I noticed something absurd: my skill list looked much shorter. I quickly scrolled down, and my breath caught in my throat.

“What the hell? Where did they all go?”

The sheer number of missing skills was staggering, and nearly half were gone. For a moment, I completely forgot about the stat increases.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, this—”

I almost cursed, but paused and recalled the crackling mana from earlier.

“Wait. What’s going on here?”

I summoned my mana again. Even though Lightning Essence no longer appeared in my status window, lightning remained embedded in my mana.

Testing further, I activated Flash Strike, and it seemed unchanged, accelerating my perception of my surroundings like normal.

It all felt strange. The skills were no longer listed, yet I could still use them. I was about to message Ha Hee-Jeong when it struck me.

Wait! Did the skills merge with my body?

I reviewed the skill list again, this time combing through it carefully.

Apart from Illusion Resistance, which had leveled up twice, every skill that appeared in my status window remained unchanged.

The ones that had vanished, however? They were primarily body-related—Lightning Essence, Dragon’s Blood, Bear’s Blood, Awareness, Iron Skin, Natural Healing, and various resistances.

Maybe mental skills like Illusion Resistance didn’t get absorbed?

I wasn’t entirely sure yet, but judging by the emerging pattern, my physical skills had merged with my body.

I pressed my fingers against my arm. My skin felt soft, but beneath it, I could sense an underlying toughness. I hadn’t tested it yet, but I was fairly certain poison, fire, and ice wouldn’t harm me easily.

I took a deep breath and observed my body once more. The reinforced structure and heightened senses confirmed my theory that the physical skills had become an innate part of me.

Shit. I can’t level them up anymore, can I?

Take Dragon’s Blood and Bear’s Blood, for example. Both leveled as I battled, becoming more resilient over time. Even if my body had grown stronger overall, it still felt like I had lost out.

Just then, a message popped up.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): You up?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Yeah. Why’d you tell me to take the elixir? Isn’t it a huge loss overall?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): What are you talking about?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): All my body-related skills disappeared.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Wait, what? Why would your skills vanish?

I had expected her to have an explanation, but her response only left me more confused.

How should I explain it then?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Well, they didn’t vanish. They merged with my body.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): What? That makes no sense. Explain everything.

Properly.

Right. If she had experienced the same thing, she would have understood my meaning immediately.

I quickly explained everything, from the missing skills to the lightning-infused mana and finally my enhanced physical state. After hearing the full story, she dismissed my worries outright.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Sounds like it happened because you didn’t choose a specialization. Don’t worry. It’s not a loss, though.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): But I can’t level them up anymore. Doesn’t that make it a loss?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): You still can, it just won’t be displayed in your status window. Your fire resistance will increase if you take fire damage, just like before.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): You sure?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): Positive. Even though the tower will play with words and trick climbers, it stays honest with its rewards. If anything, those abilities probably grew even stronger now that they’re part of your body.

I trusted her since she had far more experience in the tower than I did. Plus, she did have a point. I hadn’t ever seen the tower shortchange anyone with its rewards.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Got it. So it’s an upgrade after all. Still gave me a scare, though.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): By the way, do you remember what I told you about the next floor?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): The general layout? Yeah, more or less.

I didn’t remember every tiny detail, but I knew the basics.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): That’s not good enough.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): I figured you’d go over it again anyway.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): What if something happens to me? Memorize everything next time.

Her scolding tone left me with no choice but to back down slightly. She was right, after all.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Got it... But isn’t knowing every little detail pointless anyway? It’s not like clearing the trial is our main goal.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): You can’t know for sure. What if the lie detector doesn’t catch what we want it to?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-sixth Floor): Fine. I get it.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-sixth Floor): I’ll just explain from the beginning, then. The forty-sixth floor is set in a city in the sky. The angels—