Chapter 180: Forty-Seventh Floor, Curse and Catastrophe (3)

[Defend. Time remaining: 10 hours 32 minutes.]

The sudden newfound strength didn’t cause a dramatic shift in the battle between us, unfortunately. I still remained on the defensive.

I focused on keeping the distance between us close, knowing all too well that if I allowed him to create space, he would unleash a beam of destruction.

The only significant difference between moments before and now was that every ounce of my focus was locked onto Valsaron and the movements of my axe.

When he thrust his spear, my senses sharpened on how he rotated his wrist, the placement of his lead foot, and the degree to which his torso and pelvis were angled. I had never concentrated this intensely in my life.

Huh?

And somewhere in that process, I realized that Valsaron had a pattern. Whenever I performed action A, he responded with reaction B. Gradually, I began deciphering his rhythm.

Even still, I was forced to abandon my attempts to fully unravel it after a while. While his attacks did follow patterns, there were simply too many of them. There were dozens—no, perhaps even hundreds of variations.

A-B, A-B1, A-B2.

Countless combinations made it nearly impossible to pinpoint a reliable countermeasure. Even when I managed to respond, Valsaron outpaced me, and a new variation of his pattern emerged.

Suddenly, a moment of clarity struck, not while searching for a solution among the patterns, but the moment I gave up trying to follow them.

Every living being ultimately followed a pattern. Despite infinite possibilities, all actions fell within certain parameters.

I was no exception.

Horizontal swings remain horizontal, vertical slashes stay vertical, and diagonal strikes continue diagonally.

In combat, I instinctively favored movements that optimized precision and power. From a broader perspective, this was also a pattern.

Ironically, it could also be considered my greatest vulnerability. After all, it would allow an opponent to anticipate my movements.

Ah.

It felt as though a fog had lifted, leaving my mind sharp and clear. The world around me seemingly shattered, the complex appearing simple, and simplicity abounding with mystery.

An electrifying euphoria coursed through my veins, from head to toe. I felt reborn. Power surged through me.

Like knowledge had been etched into my mind, I instinctively knew how to infuse my axe with Aura.

Order within chaos, chaos within order.

It mirrored the nature of lightning, the very essence of my abilities.

An instant later, lightning flared and crackled around the axe—not a mere coating of mana, but an embodiment of pure energy.

An Aura of lightning.

Beyond the arcs of electricity, Valsaron’s movements came into sharp focus. Though he was still undoubtedly faster than I, I could now track each of his motions. Each trajectory of his spear and every limb movement became clear.

So this is what Ryun feels when he fights.

The gap between those who shattered their limits and those who remained bound by them was insurmountable.

Is this the realm of swordmasters? Or would I be called an "axemaster"?

Amused by the thought, I brought my weapon down in a sweeping arc.

Valsaron’s spear locked against the blade, but with a flick of my wrist, I sent his weapon spinning away. His chest lay exposed.

I didn’t hesitate.

I swung my axe downward, but Valsaron reacted swiftly, folding his six wings to shield himself.

However, the lightning-wreathed blade tore effortlessly through them, leaving his defenses in tatters.

The axe struck his chest and drove him to the ground. His broken wings splayed out like an insect caught in a web.

I pressed the weapon deeper.

“Urgh!”

Valsaron choked and coughed up blood.

At that moment, I knew that I had won without a shadow of a doubt.

Reaching into my pocket, I drew a dagger with my free hand and pressed it against his throat.

“You. You know this world is just a simulation, don’t you?”

Even as he bled, I saw his eyes freeze in realization.

Once I gained clarity, I also understood what Ryun had tried to tell me back in the waiting room. Valsaron, Ryun, and I, despite appearing to fully be here, were hollow. We were like shells or vessels devoid of souls.

“You claim to be an honest existence, but all that means is you only exist within this simulation.”

“I-I...” Valsaron tried to say something, but his voice faltered. Not long after, his movements ceased entirely. From his head down, his body began dissolving into shimmering particles.

This was the same phenomenon that occurred when a climber lied.

However, he hadn’t seemed to have lied.

Someone intervened.

I was certain of it.

This world wasn’t real, it was a simulation. Although I didn’t understand the mechanism behind it, the angels here had likely lost their god and fallen under the influence of some other force.

Judging by the trials so far, perhaps the climbers’ purpose was to liberate them.

A notification appeared.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has accomplished the impossible. The Catastrophe has been defeated.]

[Defend. Time remaining: 10 hours 23 minutes.]

Too bad no one had witnessed my accomplishment.

The moment of awakening, the thrill of realization, the radiant lightning Aura, and the flawless finish had all been quite the spectacle.

Now that the tension had broken, absurd thoughts drifted into my mind. Ryun had seen what I saw, but that left me feeling strangely disappointed since no one else had.

Shaking off the sentiment, I turned away. The timer still ticking meant the corrupted angels outside hadn’t been dealt with yet.

Using Flash Strike had accelerated my senses, explaining the discrepancy between the time I had thought had passed and what had really passed. It was time to finish the fight.

As I took off, Ryun’s voice trailed behind me. “Well... done.”

“Thanks,” I responded sincerely, and the genuineness made Ryun’s eye curve into a faint half-moon.

I turned toward the walls. While their numbers had thinned, the corrupted angels still filled the skies.

Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, I leaped onto the fortress wall before ascending into the air. Above me, the sky teemed with enemies.

I swung my axe downward. Lightning arced out in a sweeping crescent, scattering the corrupted angels like a raging storm.

As blackened bodies fell from the sky, the cheers of climbers rang out like thunder.

“It-it’s Kwon Su-Hyeok!”

“Woooaaah—!”

***

Rivers of blood soaked the fields of clouds beyond the walls. They were blanketed with angel corpses, most in some state of half-transformation. While many white feathers lay scattered about, the dark far outnumbered them.

I noticed smoldering embers clung to many remains, releasing trails of black smoke into the sky. Sensing an approaching presence, I turned my head to see Ha Hee-Jeong nearing.

In that brief moment of eye contact, countless unspoken words passed between us. Formalities felt unnecessary since we both knew how much we had endured.

One glance at Ha Hee-Jeong’s exhausted expression and the scorched corpses littered around her was enough to reveal the extent of her struggles.

“You’ve had a breakthrough, haven’t you? You feel different, similar to the you in my previous life.”

I nodded. Becoming a master had changed the way I perceived the world. “I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

I paused, glancing around. Our party members were approaching, and other climbers were stealing glances our way.

This wasn’t the right setting for a private conversation. “

Mmm

. Let’s wait until we’re back in the waiting room.”

Ha Hee-Jeong understood and nodded without further question.

Suddenly, a surge of mana rippled from the city’s central plaza once again.

What is that?

Come to think of it, the notification announcing the floor’s completion hadn’t appeared yet.

Don’t tell me we have to do more, ugh.

I tensed, gripping my axe for comfort. I wasn’t the only one, either. The other climbers readied themselves for combat, eyes fixed on the city.

However, we soon realized that there was no need for an alarm.

From the empty skies above the city, white-winged angels rose gracefully into the air. Shimmering particles cascaded beneath them, twinkling like scattered stardust. The angel creation ceremony had finally finished. They were newly born angels.

At that moment, the notification appeared. The waiting room awaited.

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the forty-seventh floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Siege Defense. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has accomplished a nearly impossible feat! He has successfully defended the city. He has completed the hidden missions ‘Curse, Shackles of Truth,’ ‘Catastrophe,’ and ‘Angel Creation Ceremony.’]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been awarded 31,982 achievement points. Total Achievement Points: 82,716. He will now enter the waiting room.]

***

「Invisible message: The Catastrophe infused with the Essence of Corruption has been defeated, completing the hidden mission 'Catastrophe'! All stats increased by 3. Demon Slayer is now lvl 5.」

「Invisible message: Incredible Insight! Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has forged his own path. He has attained the rank of master. All stats increased by 5. Axemanship is now lvl 10.」

「Invisible message: The city was saved! Savior is now lvl 3.」

***

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

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

As soon as I entered the waiting room, Doppy began following the usual routine, removing my armor.

Before it got too far, however, I had a question to ask. “Doppy, when did you unlock that wide-area buff?”

“It’s been a while!”

“Since you transformed?”

“Probably!”

I knew it. It felt a bit frustrating.

“So why didn’t you use it when we were together?”

“Su-Hyeok doesn’t need buffs!”

“The one you cast during my fight with Ryun felt different, though.”

“I couldn’t use it back then! I had to grow stronger first!”

I let out a sigh. “

Haaaa

, I see.”

To be fair, I had always left the buffs up to Doppy’s judgment. It wasn’t his fault. In truth, buffs hadn’t been that necessary before. If anything, I was to blame for not asking about them earlier.

Honestly, even if Doppy had used it during my fight with Ryun, I probably wouldn’t have won anyway.

“Alright. But let me know if you unlock something new next time.”

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

“Got it!”

“Now go clean up.”

Doppy nodded eagerly and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once he was out of sight, I pulled up my status window. This time, I felt a thrill I hadn’t experienced in ages. After all, I had just defeated a formidable enemy and completed a near-impossible hidden mission.

Time to see the results.

***

The Community of the Dead, on the forty-eighth floor.

[What the... Seriously insane. This is legendary.]

[That lightning Aura, holy crap. It was incredible.]

[Where are all the people who said Su-Hyeok was done for? 😂]

[This is straight out of a manga. Awakening at the brink of death! Defeating the villain in a single strike.]

[But the fact that he actually pulled it off is the crazy part. I have no words except ‘unbelievable.’]

[Ah, damn. I was so sure he’d die this time, and now I’m just annoyed.]

[I’m noting down that guy above and tattling to Su-Hyeok later.]

[Su-Hyeok really is ridiculously strong. I didn’t realize it when he was fighting weaklings.]

[There’s a reason everyone calls him Su-Hyeok the Conqueror. Honestly, I wasn’t much of a fan before, but this time? I’m seriously impressed.]