Chapter 239: Sixty-Third Floor, Test (3)

The Community of the Dead, on the sixty-third floor.

[Wow, is Su-Hyeok just straight-up copying her? I can’t believe this ahahaha]

[LOL, did you see Angelina’s reaction?]

[Insane... Completely insane!!!]

[King Su-Hyeok! God Su-Hyeok! Radiant Su-Hyeok! Emperor Su-Hyeok! Supreme Su-Hyeok!]

[But honestly, Kwon Su-Hyeok’s talent really is on another level. Didn’t someone say they’ve been watching him since the first floor?]

[Yeah, that’s me. He dodged arrow traps he couldn’t even see and hunted down goblins that were hidden in the dark. Absolute madman.]

[Come to think of it, Su-Hyeok started with literally zero foundation, didn’t he?]

[Right?? I mean, if we’re impressed how good he is despite only learning this in the tower, imagine how shocked Angelina must be.]

[Exactly. She probably trained and fought since she was a kid. The starting line isn’t even the same.]

[His talent is just unreal.]

***

[Earn the recognition of the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 71 hours 52 minutes.]

Her reaction had somewhat surprised me. Even without Ha Hee-Jeong stating it repeatedly, I had come to know that I was talented. My skills compared to other climbers, rapid growth, adaptability of Ryun’s lessons, and lack of proper training all pointed clearly toward that fact.

However, Angelina’s response felt different.

Just five minutes ago, she had regarded me with nothing but disdain. Now, she was stunned.

Not that I mind.

Causing someone so strong to falter, if even for a moment, made me proud. Although I had wondered who was stronger between her and Ryun before, her display had shown that her skills were even more refined than Ryun’s.

So, how is my display so shocking for someone at her level?

Perhaps I had just underestimated my own talent.

The silence stretched on.

After briefly deliberating something, Angelina quietly demanded, “Again. Show me again.”

“Was the first time not enough?”

Immediately shaking her head, she stared at me with a fervent curiosity. “Not even close to enough. At my level, I can already tell how skilled you are. I’ve seen your talent. I simply wish to witness it again.”

She hadn’t really explained anything, but I felt like I could understand her sentiment. Moreover, I had no reason to refuse. Considering she was examining me, she could even teach me something, and I appreciated that she had dropped her condescending tone.

I nodded slowly. “Alright. Sure.”

“Thank you.”

Her expression of gratitude caught me off guard, as the shift in her demeanor was so stark that it was almost jarring.

Rather than responding, I breathed in deeply as I readjusted my thoughts. Repeating the sequence wouldn’t be an issue. I had committed every detail to memory, and having already performed it once, I felt even more confident.

Then, just like before, I stepped forward and swung my axe.

I carved through the air, my axe like a brush on a canvas, while I stepped solidly yet fluidly around the room. My movements weren’t as perfect as Angelina’s, but my precision and control were decent.

As I moved, I caught a glimpse of Angelina watching me. This time, her expression wasn’t one of shock, but of intense focus.

There was no need to gauge her reaction any further. I tuned everything out and concentrated solely on my technique. With each step, each flick, I could feel my movements improving, becoming cleaner, more refined.

One again reaching the final step, I channelled all of the accumulated momentum into my axe and swung.

My axe flashed like a streak of light, but...

Ugh, still not quite there.

Just like before, I couldn’t perfectly replicate her technique. There had been progress, however, as the spatial distortion I had created was more pronounced this time.

I lowered my axe and turned to face her. For several moments, Angelina remained motionless, staring into empty space as if deep in thought.

Then, she finally met my gaze. “When did you first pick up an axe?”

A fair question.

After entering the tower, some climbers had meticulously counted each day, but I wasn’t one of them.

Still, considering the floor I am on now...

“About four or five months, I think?”

“Four or five months?”

Her expression froze. For the briefest moment, pure disbelief overtook her features before she quickly steeled herself and returned to her previous composure.

That didn’t mean I hadn’t seen just how staggered she was.

“

Hah

.” She let out a quiet breath before leveling me with a piercing gaze. “Lord Omniscient Thunder Axe’s interest in you wasn’t without reason.”

Her statement hadn’t fully been directed at me, and I had no response to offer. Still, I could sense that she had acknowledged me.

Suddenly, the world froze.

What?

Within the stillness, only one thing remained unaffected—a message from the tower burned brightly in the air.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has earned the recognition of Angelina, the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok may now return to the waiting room. Alternatively, he can choose to remain here and continue his training.]

[Remaining here will require earning additional recognition from Angelina.]

[If you wish to return to the waiting room, say ‘waiting room.’ Time remaining: 10 seconds.]

Ah.

Learning that I had earned Angelina’s recognition so quickly didn’t surprise me. What I did find unexpected, however, was that the tower had given me the option to stay.

Most trials weren’t this lenient toward climbers, and the tower generally forced them into unfavorable situations. Moreover, the tower usually had a way of forcing them to progress; rarely did it allow them to linger.

[If you wish to return to the waiting room, say ‘waiting room.’ Time remaining: 06 seconds.]

Maybe this is a reward for completing this floor’s main objective so quickly.

Not that it mattered. I wasn’t insane enough to leave now.

The system had mentioned that I would require additional approval if I remained, but I wasn’t concerned. Just five minutes had been enough for me already, who knew how much I could show off in the other seventy hours?

How hard can it be?

Compared to the minor risk of staying and potentially failing, the opportunity to learn from Angelina was worth ten—no, a hundred times more.

Remaining unfazed, I watched as the timer counted down.

Four, three, two, one...

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

[Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 71 hours 52 minutes.]

As the world around me unfroze, Angelina nodded firmly, no longer impassive, but genuinely approving.

Her gaze, once filled with skepticism, now held something closer to respect. “Good. You have shown more than enough. No, I have never seen someone with your level of talent before. You have three days. I will push you as far as you can go.”

Angelina turned to the right, toward Doppy, and I followed her gaze.

After entering the room behind me, Doppy had remained in the corner, huddled in silence while observing from the sidelines.

Now that he had been put under scrutiny, his nervous, round eyes darted toward me questioningly. He had no idea why Angelina was looking at him. Frankly, neither did I.

I simply shrugged.

“I’ll help that one improve as well.”

“M-m-me?!” Doppy squeaked, clearly flustered.

Angelina ignored him completely, shifting her attention to my axe instead. “And the companion attached to your weapon—this will be a worthwhile experience for him as well.”

***

[Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 54 hours 25 minutes.]

At some point during my continued training, I came to learn that Ryun and Angelina had recognized each other’s connection to Omnicient Thunder Axe almost immediately—they hadn’t known each other beforehand, though.

Despite their shared beliefs, Angelina, as an apostle, ranked higher than Ryun. That much was evident based on how Ryun treated her.

Ryun—normally never at a loss for words—had remained unusually silent.

They both maintained a respectful distance, adhering to unspoken boundaries. Thankfully, Angelina never spoke down to him, despite her standing.

Is this the importance of hierarchy in faith? Well, it’s not a big deal.

The fact that a day had already passed was what truly mattered, and I was improving at an astonishing rate.

After Angelina had learned about my lack of formal training, she immediately started teaching me the fundamentals. She corrected my hand placement, adjusted how I angled my wrists, and refined the way in which I moved my arms. Even more impressively, she didn’t just teach the how, but she also explained the why in an easily digestible manner. Techniques that I had previously relied on instinct to execute had now been given a logical explanation, allowing me to employ them even more effectively.

It had proven, and continued to prove, invaluable.

Every new insight was sinking in at an almost alarming speed. Even Angelina, despite having already acknowledged my talent, seemed increasingly astounded.

After all, no matter what technique she displayed, I only needed to see it once before I grasped how to apply it.

I couldn’t always articulate the logic behind it, but that was when she would step in. “The stance you imitated earlier optimizes both speed and power. The force behind your strike originates from your lower body, surging upward through your waist and arms before culminating in the snap of your wrist. That’s how you maximize impact.”

“Yes.”

“Of course, physique plays a role, so it will be inevitable that the exact form varies per individual. Regardless, this is the foundation of this axe-fighting style. From here, you must expand the technique in a way that suits you best. Not that I need to tell you, as I am sure you’ll figure it out on your own.”

At a glance, her words could have seemed ordinary.

However, they held far greater weight than they appeared to. There was a stark difference between merely performing a movement and understanding its mechanics.

Even if two people executed the same strike, whoever understood the reasoning behind it would always unleash it more effectively. If I wanted to master higher-level techniques, learning these principles would be crucial.

Angelina continued, “Now, let’s revisit what I demonstrated earlier—Spatial Cleave. Last time, you only managed to distort space.”

“That’s correct.”

“Focus. Severing space is not the same as wielding Aura. Manipulating energy and shattering the bond between planes are two entirely different concepts.”

Perhaps due to my aptitude, I had managed to mimic Spatial Cleave. Regardless, true mastery remained out of reach—for now.

“Consider how two points connect to form a line. Now, apply that concept to three-dimensional space. You have to understand how one plane links to another.”

I listened intently.

Connecting planes...

Hearing the technique phrased that way reminded me of wormholes and how they acted like a bridge through space

Angelina lifted her axe and traced a horizontal line through the air. For an instant, the space before her split apart, the very fabric of reality cleaved in two.

Then, it seamlessly fused back together.

“You cannot fixate on the idea of merely cutting what you see. Moreover, your axe must not only traverse space; it must transcend it.”

“

Hm

.”

“The key is to envision space as you would an enemy. A target that must be struck. You are not simply slicing through space but bridging between two points to bisect your opponent.”

She let out a quiet sigh. “To be honest, I’ve rarely seen anyone succeed. Even with this explanation.”

“

Oh?

”

“One or two, perhaps. Even those who managed to distort space as you did took an extraordinary amount of time to refine the technique,” she remarked uncertainly.

Okay, then why did she show it to me in the first place? Did she intend for me to fail?

Thinking back on her earlier demeanor, that seemed likely. She had probably wanted to humiliate me and break my spirit, unwilling to see Omniscient Thunder Axe make further sacrifices on my behalf.

How things had changed.

I met her gaze and shook my head. “I think I can do it now.”

“What?”

Moments ago, I had been too focused on recreating her movements and the notion of cutting through space itself.

Her explanation had helped me understand that wasn’t the point.

“The way you explained it cleared my confusion.”

She stared wordlessly at me in disbelief.

“I can’t quite put it into words. So, I’ll just show you.”

Angelina nodded slowly, eyes locked onto me.

Visualizing the world as an infinite series of planes, each one a little slice that contained an image, I entered the stance I had just practiced and placed both of my hands on my axe.

My enemies are right in front of me. The gods who are trying to enslave Earth, everything that wishes to kill me and my closest friends, and the tower that forced Ha Hee-Jeong to her death. They are right there.

Sharpening my fury into the edge of my blade, I swung. My vision of landing my strike upon my target acted as an anchor, tethering my intent to sever through the different planes along an unexplainable trajectory.

Some would find it insufferable, but like most geniuses, it was an instinct I couldn’t quite put into words.

Regardless, my axe moved like a streak of light, flawlessly severing the space it traveled through.

Behind me, Angelina’s astonished voice murmured, “Oh my god... Lord Omniscient Thunder Axe...”

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained enlightenment by observing a master! Axemanship is now lvl 13.」

...

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained enlightenment by emulating a master! Axemanship is now lvl 16.」