Chapter 193: Fifty-First Floor, The Female Warriors of Androctones (2)

[Survive. Time remaining: 71 hours 57 minutes.]

The climbers were visibly unnerved by the terrifying sight of the minotaurs and their shocking declarations.

“What... what the fuck does unbreedables mean?”

“Minotaurs on bulls?”

“They do what to men?”

Seeing that I needed to redirect their focus, I shouted, “Stay focused!”

Roughly fifty minotaurs were charging toward us, but we had nearly double their number. However, against mounted enemies like these, a numerical advantage lost much of its tactical significance. That was, if I weren’t here.

The minotaurs pulled their bowstrings taut, taking careful and deliberate aim as they prepared to fire.

“Now! Deploy the barriers!”

Four layers of barriers materialized in front of us just as the minotaurs released their arrows.

Each arrow's size matched the minotaurs’ massive stature. These monstrous, nearly one-meter-long projectiles streaked through the air, slamming into the barriers with incredible force.

Crash! Crack!

The first two barriers shattered instantly, while the third fractured but managed to hold. Thankfully, none of the arrows reached the climbers.

“Keep summoning barriers when they fire! Mages, don’t create the pit until the time is right!”

“Understood!”

“Got it!”

As always, I didn’t like issuing commands. Leading from the front would always be my preferred tactic, and I was far more effective in the thick of it.

Leaving the climbers and Doppy behind, I dashed toward the female warriors.

One of the minotaurs, seemingly irritated by my boldness, shouted, “That one! Take down that fearless fool first!”

The minotaurs once again drew their bowstrings before releasing dozens of arrows directly at me. Dodging them wasn’t particularly challenging. I didn’t even need to use Flash Strike, as a few quick side steps avoided the majority, while the rest deflected off my axe.

The gap between us was rapidly closing. Only fifteen meters separated me from the minotaur formation when the mages cast earth magic, creating large pits in front of the minotaurs—perfect timing.

As the bulls tried to step where dirt had been moments before, they plunged into the newly formed chasms without a chance to react.

I need to focus on the rear.

The minotaurs trapped in the pits could be dealt with later. Neutralizing the still-mobile enemies was the priority, as the climbers could handle the incapacitated ones more effectively.

As the next line of bulls leapt over the pits, I swung my axe at a precise angle. Lightning crackled from the blade, tearing perfectly through the entire line of bulls. The minotaurs riding them tumbled violently to the ground.

“Flank him! Circle around to the side!”

The minotaurs to the rear attempted to change direction, but their steeds couldn’t escape my arcs of lightning. In less than five seconds, every bull on the plain lay lifeless.

I had targeted the bulls since these minotaurs weren’t even challenging enough to be considered proper opponents for me, but would be good experience for the other climbers. Stronger adversaries could appear later, and conserving energy while training the climbers would be a mutually beneficial strategy.

The minotaurs who had been thrown to the ground now seethed with rage as they struggled to rise. “That damn bastard!”

“Attack!” I roared, my voice cutting through the battlefield as I dashed across it.

***

After the short skirmish, I regrouped with Ha Hee-Jeong. Surprisingly, we hadn’t been summoned too far from one another, and we had even encountered Turen along the way.

It almost felt like the tower had done this on purpose. Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that, during her previous life, top-tier climbers were always summoned near each other. Alexei’s party hadn’t joined us yet, but the top climbers from the Kosharks and humans were now united in one place.

Ha Hee-Jeong scratched the back of her head. “Should we call this fortunate or unfortunate?”

“Well, it’s a bit off from the original plan, isn’t it?”

She nodded slightly. “At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but I am pretty sure it was intentional now.”

The only reason we hadn’t aimed to gather the rest of our party yet was to find as many nearby climbers as possible. While the tower’s message only instructed us to survive, Ha Hee-Jeong knew of a hidden mission that required a larger group.

As I pondered, Turen approached. “I heard you called for me. What’s the situation?”

“We just wanted to discuss our next steps. Although we don’t have everyone yet, since we are the most powerful climbers, we can get started by ourselves.”

“Fair enough. Although, since we’ve only seen our groups so far, does that mean only the Earthlings and Kosharks were summoned to this fifty-first floor?”

Ha Hee-Jeong shook her head with a thoughtful expression. “Not necessarily. We may not have encountered them yet. There could be others summoned in a different area.”

“

Hmm

, I see. So, what’s your plan?”

“Not sure yet. The tower only told us to survive. What about you? Any ideas?” Ha Hee-Jeong added playfully, eliciting a frown from Turen.

“Obviously, if I could, I’d love to kill those despicable bitches. Killing women and assaulting men? They’re insane. Did you see their eyes?” Turen stamped his foot in frustration, his anger palpable. “Survive? Does that mean we’re supposed to run and avoid them? That’s ridiculous. I don’t do that.”

He reacted exactly as we had expected, precisely what we wanted. However, now wasn’t the time to openly agree.

“I feel the same, but we can’t act rashly. Stronger enemies than the ones we just faced are bound to appear, and it’ll be tough to handle them.”

“Even with you here?”

“My magic isn’t limitless. Judging that the challenge is asking us to survive, there’s gotta be an overwhelming number of minotaurs. We won’t have enough manpower.”

“

Hmm

.” Turen fell into silent contemplation, his frustration evident. He had solely focused on fighting the minotaurs since joining us.

After a moment of thought, Turen seemed to have come up with a plan. “Then how about this?”

“What?”

“For now, we scout their movements. If it seems doable, we gather the Kosharks and Earthlings and mount a proper attack—”

“Wait a minute!” Ha Hee-Jeong exclaimed, seemingly out of nowhere.

She clutched her head dramatically and closed her eyes.

Startled, Turen confusedly turned to me. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Ah, Ha Hee-Jeong has a precognition skill.”

“A precognition skill?”

“Yeah, it lets her glimpse the future. I’m only telling you because it’s you, Turen.”

Turen’s eyes widened in surprise, and his expression grew conflicted—a completely understandable reaction.

I quickly added, “Just so we’re clear, this is a secret. Most Earthlings don’t know. As the most powerful Koshark, you won’t go around blabbing, right?”

Turen met my gaze and pounded his chest confidently. “What do you take me for? Of course not!”

At that moment, Ha Hee-Jeong opened her eyes, appearing to be in an entranced state. Her acting was impeccable; she could have been a professional actress. I hadn’t realized it before, but she had a real talent for drama.

Ha Hee-Jeong slowly opened her mouth, each action measured and deliberate. “At the center of the continent lies the minotaurs’ stronghold. Beyond it, you’ll find Subren and Turina.”

We had discussed this part of the performance in advance. According to Ha Hee-Jeong, the minotaurs lived much like Mongolian nomads, moving and thriving in the vast plains at the heart of Androctones.

Furthermore, if everything followed her previous life, the Subrens and Turinas were situated beyond this central settlement.

Reacting anticipatively, Turen asked, “What do you think? Can we take them on ourselves?”

“No, their power is far beyond what you’d expect. Just the Kosharks and us won’t be enough.”

Ha Hee-Jeong had established this pretense due to her previous experience on the fifty-first floor. The Earthlings and Kosharks, not knowing the Turinas and Subrens had been located on the opposite side of the plains, had launched an assault on the minotaurs but ultimately failed.

The minotaurs’ overwhelming numbers, coupled with some incredibly powerful warriors near the central stronghold, had been too much to handle.

Due to that, the climbers had ended up relying on the survival objective to pass the floor, as the relentless attacks from the minotaurs hadn’t allowed them any time to regroup.

This time, however, would be different. With Ha Hee-Jeong and me, the help of the Subrens and Turinas, and no reckless attacks, success seemed within reach.

I bet the tower split the climbers on either side of the central plains for a reason.

Simply put, this clue led me to believe that if the four races united their strength, conquering the central settlement would be feasible. That left convincing the Kosharks not to rush in recklessly, which Ha Hee-Jeong had just settled.

She continued. “If Subren and Turina join forces with us, I think we’d stand a real chance.”

Turen nodded thoughtfully. “Then someone needs to speak with Subren and Turina.”

“I’ll go,” I offered.

He turned to me, doubtful. “You? Shouldn’t we move as quickly as possible, right? Since I’m the fastest, it makes sense for me to go.”

“No, your speed is better utilized gathering the Earthlings and Kosharks on this side of the plains.”

Regardless of who went between the two of us, they would face unique challenges. Unlike us, the Subrens and Turinas wouldn’t have had the time to gather their forces with a clear objective in mind, potentially leading their side to be weaker.

With me supporting the Subrens and Turinas, that wouldn’t be an issue. Moreover, this side would be in capable hands with Ha Hee-Jeong, Turen, and Alexei remaining here.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to lead the assault over there since I am the strongest?”

Turen mulled it over before nodding. “

Hmm

. That does make sense. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re stronger than I.”

Turen wasn’t the type to overanalyze or second-guess deeply. Besides, Ha Hee-Jeong and I had meticulously prepared our arguments, so convincing him hadn’t been difficult.

I turned to Ha Hee-Jeong. “Which direction should I head?”

“Northeast,” she replied, pointing almost directly ahead of her.

I nodded. “Then it’s best to move quickly.”

“Agreed.”

“When should we strike?”

“It’ll take us time to reach them, plus the Subren and Turina will also need time to gather their forces. Let’s aim for an attack when there are twenty-four hours left on the timer.”

“Got it.”

I turned toward the northeast and began my journey.

Some climbers called out, asking where I was heading, but I couldn’t reveal the truth. Ha Hee-Jeong’s precognition skill was a closely guarded secret.

I explained that I was scouting the minotaurs’ main camp to assess the situation. Ha Hee-Jeong would handle convincing them about the attack.

***

[Survive. Time remaining: 66 hours 23 minutes.]

Thankfully, my journey passed uneventfully. Whenever I encountered climbers, I simply relayed Ha Hee-Jeong’s location if they were lost, or lent aid to those in peril.

When I crossed paths with minotaurs, I used Master of Shadows to cloak myself and move undetected. Interestingly, that allowed me to overhear a particularly peculiar conversation.

“It’s remarkable how prey always arrives just in time for collection day.”

“Even though She cannot be seen, this has to be a blessing from Camadenu.”

“

Hehe

, I’ll make sure to conceive a robust offspring and give birth to a Camadenus this time.”

From their chatter, I inferred that Camadenu was the deity who oversaw this planet. The other phrases they mentioned baffled me, however. The idea of naming offspring after their deity seemed odd to me.

“Why? Don’t you want to drink Amrita and be chosen?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you?”

“You’re dreaming. It’ll be my turn to give birth to a Camadenus this time.”

“Hey, you selfish wench. Let me have it this time. I’m older!”

I listened further, but their words remained cryptic. Ha Hee-Jeong had never mentioned anything about this before, likely because the attack had failed in her previous life.

Perhaps entering their settlement would provide some clarity.

I planned to directly locate the other non-human climbers, but...

A brief reconnaissance of their settlement could be worthwhile.

I committed the names Camadenu, Camadenus, and Amrita to memory and continued eastward.

***

「Invisible message: The hidden mission ‘The Breeding of the Camadeni’ has now commenced.」