Chapter 181: Forty-Eighth Floor, Escalating Conflicts (1)

[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: 214.0

Agility: 213.4

Stamina: 220.1

Mana: 212.1

Skills: Sixth Sense lvl 13, Axemanship lvl 10, Master of Shadows lvl 10, Indomitability lvl 22(+5), Combat Focus lvl 26(+5), Two-Way Portal lvl 2, Wind’s Route lvl 7, Illusion Resistance lvl 5, Scientist Do’s Composure lvl 5, Ghost Step lvl 3, Demon Slayer lvl 5, Savior lvl 3, Thousand-Pound Mace lvl 3.

My mouth involuntarily fell open as I swept slowly over my status window, and I inhaled sharply.

All my stats had surged by more than 8 points, and every skill—except for Two-Way Portal, Scientist Do’s Composure, and Illusion Resistance—had risen by at least one level. The growth was almost too extraordinary to believe.

However, what shocked me the most was that Savior hadn’t just leveled up once; it had leveled up twice.

What happened?

Something didn’t add up. Based on my discussion with Ha Hee-Jeong, Savior would only level up when I performed an act of salvation. I had performed an act of salvation when I defended the city, but that was only one act, not two.

Does that mean I technically saved the angels? But they all died?

That interpretation didn’t make much sense to me.

Then, I recalled the newly born angels and the radiant particles that had descended from the sky. Maybe defeating the Catastrophe before they appeared was considered an act of salvation.

Wait, no. That can’t be it either.

Another thought crossed my mind.

During the battle against the Catastrophe, an inexplicable surge of strength coursed through me.

Did Savior level up right then?

That seemed plausible. Nothing else could reasonably explain that sudden burst of power.

The skill definitely leveled up mid-battle. But why?

The only thing I had done was worry about Ha Hee-Jeong.

Does having the intent to save someone count as salvation?

If that were true, it made sense. The idea that even the will to protect someone could grant strength felt oddly reassuring.

Not that I ever will complain about leveling up, either.

Curiosity aside, the results spoke for themselves.

Satisfied, I shifted my focus away from the status window. I was still marveling at the boost when a message arrived from Ha Hee-Jeong.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): What did you want to tell me earlier?

Ah, right. I had meant to reach out, but had completely forgotten due to my stat-induced euphoria.

I quickly typed a response.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): It’s about what I mentioned earlier.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): Huh? Oh, the part about the angels’ world being like a game?

Since we had briefly discussed it before, Ha Hee-Jeong picked up on my hint immediately.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): Yeah. Fighting the Catastrophe confirmed it for me. That place is like a virtual reality.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): You realized that while fighting the Catastrophe? Start from the beginning, please. I was going to ask anyway—what was it, how strong was it, and how did you figure out how to beat it?

Fair enough. No one had survived to tell the tale during her previous life, so she had to be burning with curiosity. The Catastrophe had been a complete enigma to Ha Hee-Jeong, too.

Of course, she would want to learn about the previously unsolved mystery.

I began recounting the events, starting with my dash toward the central plaza, the disappearance of the quake-inducing waves of mana, and the Catastrophe’s ascension into the sky. I detailed its overwhelming speed and power, finally finishing with the moment of enlightenment that had turned the tide of battle.

Ha Hee-Jeong chimed in now and then, adding commentary that kept the conversation flowing. By the time I finished, she seemed satisfied with my explanation.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): I think you’re right. That hidden mission wasn’t designed to be completed. It sounds brutal, but still, you pulled it off. Also, I understand what you’re saying now.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): Hey, didn’t you sense it too?

It seemed weird to me. Both Ryun and I, having attained mastery, could perceive the fakeness of the world without difficulty. Even though the path to mastery differed between a mage and a warrior, I assumed Ha Hee-Jeong had become an archmage at some point during her previous life. She had made it to the ninetieth floor, after all.

Moreover, although her physical capabilities wouldn’t have transferred over after her regression, she should have retained any enlightenment.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): I know a lot about magic, not the fundamental truths of the world. I’m more of a hard worker than a genius.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): Huh. But even so, I doubt I’m stronger than you were on the ninetieth floor. Do you think it is because I focused on delving into my specific skills and techniques?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): Maybe. Or maybe you really could have beaten the old me.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): Wait, seriously?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): I’ve told you before. You’re stronger than you think.

I wasn’t sure if she was being serious or just trying to boost my confidence. Defeating a mage who had climbed to the ninetieth floor seemed far-fetched. Then again, with Flash Strike and Master of Shadows, maybe it wasn’t entirely out of the question.

It didn’t matter much, however, so I shifted the conversation.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): Anyway, what’s the plan for the forty-eighth floor?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): Even if we know it’s a virtual reality, we still need to find the liar.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Forty-eighth Floor): True.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Forty-eighth Floor): Hmm, how about this?

***

[5 hours 52 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

After brainstorming strategies for the forty-eighth floor with Ha Hee-Jeong, I headed straight for the training room. With the exception of a few cities, like ours, the last floor hadn’t been exceptionally difficult for the majority of the climbers, which explained the short waiting period.

I needed time to organize the insights I had gained and assess my new abilities. It was a satisfying session, especially since my growth far exceeded my expectations.

Afterward, I followed Ha Hee-Jeong’s advice and browsed through the Community.

[What’s going on? Friends I used to talk to just disappeared.]

[Same here. A lot of people vanished this round. It wasn’t even that hard.]

[Yeah, even a top-ranked party with someone ranked in the two-hundreds was wiped out.]

[Was there a hidden mission? Something weird happened in my city.]

[What hidden mission? Details, please.]

[I heard something about a curse, or idk, the shackles of truth turning all the angels into corrupted angels, and then the Catastrophe appeared.]

[For real? What kind of nonsense is that?]

[And what’s the 'Catastrophe'?]

[No idea. Apparently, Su-Hyeok took it down.]

[Yeah, Su-Hyeok went into the city alone and defeated the Catastrophe. It was seriously insane.]

[Wait, what? What happened? Can someone explain in detail?]

[Buildings collapsed nonstop, and terrifying black pillars rained down from the sky.]

[We didn’t see it ourselves. Su-Hyeok’s the only one who can explain it properly.]

The Community was in complete disarray, as Ha Hee-Jeong had predicted. The abrupt disappearance of some powerful climbers had sent ripples of panic through the ranks.

Unfortunately, although the majority of climbers in our city had been grouped with Ha Hee-Jeong and my party, those who encountered the Catastrophe or were caught out in the open had died. Moreover, since l was the only one who saw the Catastrophe and survived, it was only natural that rumors had begun to circulate.

Climbers from our city were the first to flood the Community with questions about the Catastrophe, but inquiries quickly poured in from others as well.

Where should I even begin? Will they even believe me if I tell them the truth?

Faced with the need to explain, I felt an unexpected sense of hesitation.

Most climbers already considered my strength borderline supernatural. How would they react if they learned I faced an opponent that completely overwhelmed me? Even still, that wasn’t the craziest part either, as I had overpowered the Catastrophe an instant later—after a moment of enlightenment, of course.

Of course, they wouldn’t say it outright, but I had a feeling they would think I was delusional and make up some heroic story.

I can’t downplay the Catastrophe’s strength, though.

After mulling it over briefly, I decided to lay out the facts as they were. Whether they believed me or not was up to them.

As soon as I posted, responses came flooding in.

[Whoa... That’s insane. Respect.]

[Even for Su-Hyeok, this seems like a bit much.]

[This has to be exaggerated.]

[Are you kidding? Do you think Su-Hyeok is bluffing? LOL.]

[I was in the same city. Nothing he said contradicts what I saw.]

[Confirmed.]

[There were a ton of buildings in the central district that collapsed. It was total chaos.]

[I saw the black beams crashing down from the sky with my own eyes.]

[Buildings crumbled in seconds, just like he said.]

[This checks out.]

Fortunately, there were plenty of climbers willing to vouch for me. After such a fierce battle, it wasn’t surprising that even those at a distance had noticed the aftermath.

Hold on. What the fuck.

Scanning the comments, I noticed some oddities. People who hadn’t even been there had claimed they had witnessed everything firsthand.

Is this the so-called Shadow Su-Hyeok fan club?

Apparently, my rising fame had also attracted a few overly devoted followers. Ironically, their exaggerations would likely fuel others’ skepticism rather than reinforce my story.

Well, if people didn’t want to believe me, so be it. I wasn’t about to waste time worrying about them.

I leaned back against the bed and exhaled slowly.

Now, all that was left was to wait for the forty-eighth floor.

***

[Welcome to the forty-eighth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Escalating Conflicts.]

[Following attacks from corrupted angels, the lords of each city in the angelic realm have gathered for a conference in Lincus, the central city.]

[However, on the day of the conference, bombs were secretly planted throughout Lincus.]

[Protect the city from terrorist threats. Bombs discovered (0/399). Time remaining until detonation: 5 hours 59 minutes.]

[* Warning: Challengers cannot disclose trial-related information to the angels.]

As my vision cleared, I found myself standing on the terrace of a towering building. Spread out before me was an awe-inspiring cityscape.

Lincus was a huge metropolis that no climber had set foot in until now. It was massive, easily the size of twenty of the other sky cities combined. It seemed to stretch endlessly, disappearing into the horizon.

Somewhere within this breathtaking yet sprawling city, we had to uncover and disarm the hidden bombs.

If we fail, we will return to the waiting room while this city is reduced to ashes.

With the city lords gone, the angelic cities would be left defenseless and fall one by one to the corrupted angels. The angelic world would face complete annihilation.

Though this trial didn’t directly threaten the lives of climbers, failing it would transform the forty-ninth floor into a nightmare. I heard it was about an all-out war where angels fought not only the corrupted but also each other.

Searching for the bombs wasn’t my focus, however.

A new notification appeared, confirming my suspicions.

[As the top-ranked climber, you have been appointed as the representative of the climbers and will participate in the council meeting.]

[While other climbers search for bombs, you are tasked with mediating the conflicts between the city lords.]

[Of course, you may search for bombs alongside the other climbers.]

I quickly realized I had been summoned to the angels’ conference hall, a place about to erupt into debate.

The tension in the air was almost palpable.

According to Ha Hee-Jeong, some angels insisted that an immediate war was the only option. Others argued for caution, believing they first needed to investigate the reasons behind the sudden fall of several high-ranking cities.

Honestly, I don’t get why this is even an argument.

I had my suspicions, however. Perhaps the liar had already infiltrated the meeting, sowing lies and discord among the lords. Or maybe, the lords were artificial constructs with predetermined actions, just like Valseron.

I wouldn’t know until I saw them for myself.

Lost in thought as I gazed out the window, I sensed someone approaching. I turned immediately and found a stout angel with a grim expression standing before me.

“So you’re the representative of the outsiders? Perfect timing. Come with me. The conference is about to begin.”