Chapter 232: Sixty-Second Floor, Waiting Room

[11 hours 59 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

The waiting room’s familiar visage greeted me, but the lingering sense of unreality made everything feel different.

Out of nowhere, an endless snowfield had appeared before my eyes, and the massive ice castle had shrunk to the size of a large house. Natalie had undoubtedly been responsible for that, but that only made it even more surprising.

Recalling the delicate flower that had bloomed amid the snow, I raised my right hand and examined my palm. A faint cut, no deeper than a paper slice, ran across it. Something had entered me through this mark and coursed through my veins, feeling foreign yet strangely warm, and I wondered if it had been her mana.

It does feel comforting, though.

Natalie had called it a contract, but I still had no real grasp of what that entailed. She had only said it would allow for many things, but not much beyond that.

At the very least, it didn’t pose any harm to me.

If anything, this means I have gained an ally.

Perhaps Natalie was similar to Doppy—someone trapped within the tower whom I had freed and would later become an invaluable comrade.

The question was simply when. Even Natalie had admitted that she wasn’t ready yet and needed to grow accustomed to her abilities first.

How long will that realistically take, though?

She looked to be about fourteen years old, and even if she were much older, it would probably take her years to master her abilities—I would have likely conquered the tower by then.

Of course, conquering the tower could take much longer, and I knew for a fact that the flow of time in the tower differed from that of other worlds.

Since the gods managed to exist and react to the climbers’ actions without issue despite the time discrepancies, I sometimes wondered if the time distortion was purely a mechanic of the trials.

There was no way to be certain, and speculating on Dimensional Witches with so little information was equally futile.

With that in mind, I grabbed my axe and looked at Ryun. “Ryun, do you know what a Dimensional Witch is?”

“I do not. This is... the first... time I... have heard... of such a... being...”

Ryun’s comments had grown sparser the more my restrictions piled up and my pain intensified. If he had known something, he would’ve spoken up sooner. He enjoyed talking far too much to have kept quiet about a secret he knew about.

“I see.”

I shifted my gaze to Doppy. He was standing near the bathroom, clumsily shedding his armor. Though he hadn’t been part of the conversation, he had clearly been eavesdropping.

Before I could even ask, he shook his head. “I don’t know either!”

“Right. Just hurry up and wash up.”

“Got it!”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected much from him. Doppy occasionally displayed surprising insight, but most of the time, he acted utterly clueless.

Letting out a quiet breath, I settled onto one of the chairs and pulled up the Leaderboard.

Ha Hee-Jeong was still on the sixty-second floor. Last we spoke, she had mentioned that the sixty-first floor wasn’t particularly difficult. She had probably been waiting for me to return to the waiting room, just as we had agreed.

I was about to send her a message when—

Ding—

A message arrived before I could type anything. As expected, she had been waiting for me.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): You sure took your time. How was the sixty-first floor? Was it manageable?

What should I even say?

To be honest, it had been hell. I had tried my best to hide my struggle from Doppy, Ryun, and Natalie to avoid worrying them. Despite my best efforts, they had picked up on my suffering as my expressions had been too strained to conceal.

It had been one of the most grueling trials I had endured since entering the tower.

Ha Hee-Jeong would probably worry too, but I didn’t feel like lying.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): It was brutal. Nearly died.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Huh? What?? Why??

Her message was short, consisting of just three words, but I could vividly picture her flustered reaction. The mental image alone made my lips twitch upward.

A series of messages followed in rapid succession.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): What the hell happened?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Hurry up and tell me.

Her urgency was almost endearing.

Suppressing a small chuckle, I typed back.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Well, not literally.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Then what do you mean?

Since I needed to ask her about the Dimensional Witch anyway, I briefly summarized the events. After all, explaining the contract would require context.

As soon as I mentioned the restrictions, her concern became even more evident. Even after I finished, she remained incredulous.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Are you serious? That was part of the trial? If it had been anyone else, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Yeah, pretty much.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Don’t ever do that again. Why the hell did you take all of that on yourself?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): I had a feeling there would be a hidden mission. And I was right. I’d actually say it made the floor easier in a twisted manner.

It wasn’t exactly an excuse, but she dismissed it immediately.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): I don’t care about some minor hidden mission. Your life is more important. Sure, it worked out this time. But next time? You can’t know that.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Got it.

She wasn’t wrong, but I still didn’t feel like I had made the wrong choice. I had willingly taken on the danger after evaluating the risks, although it was clear I had only ended up making others worry.

Perhaps I should have adjusted my explanation about the trial instead of giving such a blunt account.

Apparently, my simple response hadn’t been enough to ease her concerns, because another series of messages arrived almost immediately.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Promise me right now that you’ll always put your safety first.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Alright, I promise.

There was no point in arguing—it would only drag out the conversation.

Besides, relaying everything through text didn’t quite do the situation justice.

I understood where she was coming from. If our positions had been reversed, I probably would have told her the same thing.

Even so, if I were to face the sixty-first floor again, I knew I would make the same decision.

Pain could be endured, and even paralysis didn’t mean I would be rendered helpless. Without Master of Shadows, I wouldn’t have even considered attempting it.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): But why did she make a contract with you? What is she exactly?

Since I had kept my explanation brief, I hadn’t mentioned Natalie’s mother or anything about Dimensional Witches. Seizing the opportunity, I continued my explanation and shifted the conversation away from myself.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Oh, apparently, her mom was a Dimensional Witch. And so is she.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): A Dimensional Witch?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Yeah, ever heard of them?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): No, it’s my first time. What is that?

So even Hee-Jeong didn’t know.

Then what the hell are they?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Did she explain it to you?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Not really. The trial ended so fast that we barely had time to talk. She just said she’d be able to do a lot of things later, but she didn’t say when.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Well, at least it’s nothing bad. She did say she’d help.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Obviously.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Hmm, a Dimensional Witch. Maybe she can travel between dimensions?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Maybe? Or it could mean that she’s a witch who is powerful on a dimensional scale.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): No idea.

If even she was clueless, then I couldn’t think of anyone else I could talk to who would know more. It wasn’t like I could demand answers from the tower.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Either way, it’s not a problem. She said she’d be useful later, so there’s no point overthinking it.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): True.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Anyway, how about you?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Me? Nothing much. I already knew what to expect. The higher we climb, the clearer I remember things. They happened much more recently from my perspective, after all.

Now that she mentioned it, she had been recalling details with more clarity.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Well, good job anyway.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Thanks. But seriously, take a break before you move up. After spending nearly six hours in constant pain, you’re bound to be feeling some effects.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Yeah, I was planning to. I feel pretty drained.

The pain had faded, and the waiting room had already finished healing my injuries as soon as I arrived. Mentally, however, I still felt exhausted.

I am clearly worn out.

It was time for some well-needed rest.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): So are you heading straight to the sixty-second floor?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): No, if I go up too soon, I may have to enter the sixty-third floor before you arrive. I’ll wait a bit longer.

Just then, the bathroom door swung open, and Doppy stepped out, looking completely refreshed.

Eager to clean up, I got up, then remembered to end the conversation before heading off to rest.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Alright, I’m about to go wash up and rest.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-second Floor): Okay. I’ll see if I can dig up anything about Dimensional Witches. Maybe I came across something before and just forgot.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Sixty-second Floor): Sounds good.

I exhaled lightly as I stepped into the bathroom.

First, a shower. Then, sleep.

The insights I had gained from the sixty-first floor weren’t going anywhere. Even if I hadn’t fully internalized them yet, I could refine them later. Rest mattered more.

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained a deeper understanding of muscle control. Axemanship is now lvl 12.」

***

[5 hours 37 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

After an intense training session, I quickly showered again before stepping into the training hot spring.

The thick, pearlescent liquid enveloped me, washing away the lingering fatigue as it warmed me to my core. The warmth soothed me, not just physically but mentally.

I glanced over at Doppy, who had arrived first. The small goblin was submerged up to his chin, eyes closed. He wasn’t sleeping, though. Rather, he was reviewing the battle in his mind, a habit I had drilled into him long ago.

I settled into my seat, letting the water rise to my chest before reclining against the edge. The heat crept up my neck, relaxing my tensed muscles inch by inch.

Minutes slipped by in silence.

Then, Doppy stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he finished his review.

“Well done.”

“You too, Su-Yeok!”

“I noticed you seemed a lot more motivated than usual, and improved a lot, too. Was it because of Natalie?”

As soon as I mentioned Natalie, Doppy’s face turned red, and he quickly looked away. “

Aa-aah

, no!”

His reaction was unmistakable, like a kid experiencing their first crush.

Amused, I twitched my lips and called out, “Yoonie.”

“Yes, Su-Hyeok!”

By now, this had become routine. Without needing further instruction, Yoonie gently perched atop my head, and a cool sensation spread across my scalp.

Warmth below, and cold above...

Ever since Yoonie had joined our group, I had grown fond of this contrast.

Now comfortable, my thoughts turned to other matters. It had been about an hour since Ha Hee-Jeong had left for the sixty-second floor, and I wondered how she was faring.

She will be fine.

I shifted my focus back to the sixty-first floor. The pain had been excruciating in the moment, but overall, it hadn’t been a purely negative experience. I had gained a new perspective on how to control my movements precisely, and my pain tolerance had skyrocketed.

Of course, heightened pain resistance didn’t mean I no longer felt pain. Not feeling it at all would be dangerous. If someone attacked me and I didn’t realize it, I would be as good as dead.

Pain Resistance wasn’t about eliminating pain. It was about minimizing how much it ate away at me.

Now that I think about it, enduring that level of pain shouldn’t have been possible, even with Pain Resistance.

The Savior skill had likely come into play at some point. It had leveled up due to my determination to save Natalie, after all.

Savior has saved me quite a few times.

From the moment I had acquired it, I had felt that it would be an incredibly powerful skill if used correctly.

I should keep looking for opportunities to save others.

Beyond just increasing my strength, it also served as an anchor, keeping my slowly crumbling mind intact.

Wait. Stronger?

Like a bolt of lightning, I snapped upright, making Yoonie wobble on my head.

Holy shit. Am I an idiot?