Chapter 220: Fifty-Ninth Floor, Companion's Sanctuary (1)

[Current applications to disembark: 1.]

[Rank 1 Kwon Su-Hyeok.]

Unsurprisingly, nobody else tried to disembark.

It didn’t matter whether they agreed with me or not. Once my name, as the highest-ranked climber, appeared on the list, the possibility of others following suit was effectively nonexistent.

After all, only those at the very pinnacle would willingly take on the most grueling trial.

Following my declaration, the other top-ranking climbers—Ha Hee-Jeong, Alexei, Hendrick, Seo Ho-Su, Cole, etc.—had also chosen to follow my lead.

Perhaps because of that, the response had been overwhelmingly positive.

- Rank 41,769 Shahrukh Khan: Phew. It’s a relief that the top rankers have settled things. Makes things easier for the rest of us.

- Rank 79,714 Jang Dong-Jun: Ikr? If Su-Hyeok hadn’t decided for us, we’d probably be agonizing over the order until the very last second.

- Rank 412 Park Sang-Hyuk: Kwon Su-Hyeok! He is divine! Kwon Su-Hyeok! He is divine! Kwon Su-Hyeok! He is divine!

- Rank 7,721 Joanna Carey: Low-rank climbers, even if things take a turn for the worse, survive for as long as you can. That way, the top rankers can avenge you.

- Rank 34,984 Tan Guo Chang: In a world where selfishness is inevitable, you have chosen the hardest trial and embraced danger. Kwon Su-Hyeok, I deeply respect you.

- Rank 12,839 Li Dairin: Honestly, I don’t know about the other species, but we definitely lucked out by having him as our top ranker.

- Rank 412 Park Sang-Hyuk: Radiant Su-Hyeok! Supreme Su-Hyeok! Majestic Su-Hyeok! Grand Su-Hyeok! King Su-Hyeok! King-God-General-Emperor Su-Hyeok!

- Rank 18,382 Tangri Pasha: The Shadow Su-Hyeok fan club is going absolutely feral. LOL.

- Rank 3 Alexei Braham: If anyone refuses to disembark when they should and whines about their rank, I’ll be the first to put them down. Consider this a fair warning.

Of course, it was possible that only those who approved of my leadership were speaking up. Fortunately, they numbered in the majority.

Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that conflicts had been the norm in her previous life. Compared to that, this situation seemed relatively stable.

Huh?

Amidst the cascade of messages, Park Sang-Hyuk’s stood out. He seemed to be a member of the infamous Shadow Su-Hyeok fan club—a name I had only heard in passing.

He wasn’t the only one posting absurdly exaggerated praise, of course. Plenty of others were doing the same. Yet, my attention was drawn to him somehow.

Since he was a high-ranking climber, I had seen him in the Zone 1 rest area. Plus, he was also Korean, so I had committed his face to memory.

When we had exchanged greetings, he seemed entirely normal. The stark contrast between his demeanor then and his messages now felt jarring.

Still, I didn’t feel like I needed to dwell on it—it wasn’t as if it bothered me. If he simply admired me, what could I say about it?

[The train will arrive at its first stop in one minute. Climbers have thirty seconds to apply to disembark.]

[Current applications to disembark: 1.]

Park Sang-Hyuk, who had just been on my mind, posted again.

- Rank 412 Park Sang-Hyuk: Everyone, Su-Hyeok is about to disembark. Please take a moment to send him words of encouragement as he bravely accepts the most arduous challenge.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the chat began to shift.

Compared to his earlier, near-delirious fervor, this message seemed entirely reasonable. This was the Park Sang-Hyuk I had met at the rest area.

Despite that, my opinion differed slightly.

No, seriously, what is this? Is he my manager or something?

Even without looking, I could predict how the chat would respond.

Ah, as expected.

- Rank 3 Alexei Braham: You’ve got this, Kwon Su-Hyeok!

- Rank 12,847 Ray Smith: The embodiment of brilliance, Kwon Su-Hyeok! Stay strong! See you at the rest area!

- Rank 7,721 Joanna Carey: Come back safely!

- Rank 412 Park Sang-Hyuk: Su-Hyeok is the best! Let’s go for a flawless breakthrough!

- Rank 44,127 Fedorov Chavidy: Take care!

A deluge of messages filled the chat, an unrelenting wave of support.

I exhaled deeply.

Of course, I appreciated it. Their well-wishes for my safe return weren’t lost on me. Regardless, it simultaneously felt unbelievably embarrassing.

I have entered and cleared so many floors up to this point.

Yet, this was the first time I had received such an outpouring of encouragement.

It left me with a tangle of emotions, but also added a weight that pressed down on me. I considered ignoring their messages altogether, but that felt impolite.

[The application window has closed. Climbers disembarking at this stop: Rank 1 Kwon Su-Hyeok.]

[The train will momentarily arrive at the first stop. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok, please prepare to disembark.]

Even so, responding now would only prolong the flood of reactions. I continued to stare outside the window, waiting for the right moment.

Beyond the panoramic glass, the view blurred like smeared paint, colors shifting rapidly as the landscape transformed. The countdown continued to tick down, and I could feel the train accelerate.

I wondered if it was moving at the speed of light or traversing through a wormhole.

After about ten seconds, the train came to a halt, and I couldn’t see the stars anymore. Replacing them, a glowing white portal shimmered above a train platform just beyond the cabin’s glass.

Hiss—

The window opened, inviting me to enter the portal.

I took this opportunity to respond. I kept my message brief and to the point before shifting my attention elsewhere.

- Rank 1 Kwon Su-Hyeok: Thank you, everyone. I hope you all successfully clear the fifty-ninth floor and that we reunite at the next rest area.

Out of the corner of my eye, the chat scrolled at an alarming speed. I chose to ignore it and raised my axe.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

With Doppy at my side, I stepped out of the train. As soon as my foot touched the ground, the doors slid shut behind me with another hiss, and the train set off once more.

I turned back, taking in the seemingly endless train. Inside, countless climbers watched in silence. Some shouted through the glass, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. They were likely offering encouragement.

As the train accelerated, their figures shifted. Some waved frantically, others raised fists in solidarity, while some simply observed. A sea of faces passed before me.

I smiled faintly. A feeling of warmth spread within me, welling up like a surge of energy.

At some point, the end of the train came into view—it appeared reminiscent of the front of an old steam locomotive. Since the train was running in reverse, the last car featured a large driving wheel and a chimney that released plumes of smoke.

Huh?

Something about it felt off. The smoke wasn’t emerging from the chimney, and was instead forming in the pitch-black void before flowing into the train.

Time appeared to be flowing normally for everything else, though.

So, the train isn’t simply moving backward. It is rewinding in time.

After confirming the departing train’s peculiar nature, I turned away.

The portal leading to the mysterious fifty-ninth stood just five meters ahead of me. I wondered what awaited me on the other side.

With my companions by my side, I strode forward.

***

[Welcome to the fifty-ninth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Companion's Sanctuary.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been sent by a god to serve as an apostle.]

[Listen to the followers’ grievances and resolve their troubles. Time remaining: 5 hours 59 minutes.]

Before my vision had fully adjusted, I became aware of the damp, heavy air surrounding me. The humidity suggested an underground setting, but the lingering heat was unexpected.

As my sight gradually returned, a deafening roar of voices filled the space.

“At last! The gods have answered!”

“Hail the apostle!”

“Welcome, Messenger of Divinity!”

Hundreds of non-human beings stood in a semicircle around me, their arms raised in exultation.

They were much taller than the average human, and I estimated that they were all a towering two-and-a-half meters tall. Their crimson skin stretched over thick, sinewy muscles, making them appear overwhelmingly powerful. What stood out, however, was that every single one of them carried a weapon that gleamed with a bronze-like sheen.

I quickly scanned my surroundings, and as I had suspected, I was in an expansive underground cavern. The source of the persistent heat, however, remained a mystery.

Regardless, I was standing atop a raised stone altar.

So, I am their god’s apostle, and I need to solve whatever issue these beings are facing.

For them to offer such an enthusiastic welcome, something serious had to have occurred.

I turned my attention to the figure standing at the forefront. Clad in an elegant white robe, they exuded an air of authority, likely the leader of this group.

I was just about to ask what needed to be done when—

Boom—

A tremor shook the entire cavern, causing me to wonder if an earthquake had struck.

Instinctively, I gripped my axe tightly as my muscles tensed. Fine grains of sand rained down from above.

What the hell? Is this related to the trial?

Unlike me, the non-humans only flinched slightly, not seeming particularly alarmed.

Judging by their reactions, the tremors were a normal part of their life.

“Excuse me.”

At the sound of my voice, they immediately chastised one another.

“Silence! The apostle speaks!”

“Everyone, be quiet!”

Within moments, the cavern was engulfed in an eerie stillness.

Hmm.

First things first.

I needed information about their predicament. “I arrived in a hurry and haven’t been briefed on the situation. What worries plague you, and how can I help?”

“A monster has appeared in the Companion's Sanctuary. Please, defeat it.”

“The Companion's Sanctuary?”

“Yes.” The robed figure nodded, seemingly assuming I was already familiar with the term.

Unfortunately, I had no idea what they were talking about.

A sanctuary? Are they referring to a tomb? If so, is the monster a necromancer?

“Where exactly is the sanctuary? To be honest, I was sent here with no knowledge of your people.”

“Ah.” The leader’s expression turned cloudy for a moment.

Thankfully, they soon nodded and began to explain, “Our people are born alongside a soul-bound weapon, forged from spirit-infused iron. From birth until death, we remain bonded to it.”

“And then?”

“When one of us dies, their weapon is melted down in the Companion's Sanctuary and reforged into arms for the newborns.”

“I see.”

Boom—

Another tremor rumbled through the cavern.

“However, two days ago, a monster suddenly appeared within the sanctuary. Because of it, we can neither melt down the old weapons nor forge new ones. If we fail to create spirit weapons, the recently born children will not survive for long.”

“Wait, you’re saying that without these weapons, they’ll die?”

“Our kind is born with unstable souls. To sustain our existence, we require weapons forged from spirit-infused iron.”

I was beginning to grasp the situation, and the name Companion's Sanctuary made sense now. Since these people were tied to their weapons from birth, the term “companion” likely referred to that lifelong connection.

“But it’s not just the infants at risk. If the monster continues its rampage, the ground beneath us will eventually collapse and put our entire race in jeopardy.”

Hearing all this, it didn’t seem like an overly complex trial.

“I see. So, in short, I just need to eliminate the monster occupying the sanctuary?”

The leader nodded fervently. “Precisely!”

“Once the matter is resolved, we shall present you with a spirit-forged weapon as tribute, Apostle!”

That was probably the trial’s reward. I recalled that the more difficult the trial, the greater the compensation. Since this was supposedly the most difficult trial on the fifty-ninth floor, I expected it would be a powerful weapon. Not that I was lacking one, but it was still a welcome opportunity.

The Wrath of Yagmur had traveled with me through many battles and was beginning to show signs of wear and tear. In fact, my training against Kalain had caused numerous minute fractures to appear on the blade.

I had managed to compensate with Lightning Aura, but still, I planned to acquire a new weapon by the end of the next rest area anyway, so this timing was perfect.

The tremors persisted, shaking the ground beneath us. I turned to the leader. “Let’s get this over with quickly. Lead the way.”

“Thank you! Please, follow me!” Evidently relieved, they turned and set off.

I followed.

As we proceeded, the vibrations in the earth grew more intense, and the air thickened from the heat.

However, I didn’t feel the slightest bit worried. Ever since battling Kalain, my fear of the tower’s trials had somewhat diminished.

Yet, when we finally reached the sanctuary, that thought completely changed.

“What the fuck.”

“Kraaaahhh!”

A vast, cylindrical cavern stretched before me, nearly a hundred meters high. That wasn’t the problem, however. Instead of a nice, earthen floor, the cavern featured a seething pool of lava that spanned its entirety. Within it, a monstrous, thirty-meter-tall lava behemoth pounded its massive fists against the cavern walls.