Chapter 241: Sixty-Fourth Floor, Waiting Room

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

[Isn't Cole so hot? My heart swells at the sight of Duplolas incarnate. I seriously want to be in his arms.]

[Shut up, Kwon Su-Hyeok is way better than Cole.]

[You're a guy, aren't you?]

[wtf I'm a girl. I just don’t like pretty boys.]

[Alexei is truly beautiful PERIOD.]

[Honestly, in terms of looks, Merlin beats Alexei.]

[He’s too low-tier to be interesting.]

[But what's up with this? Why are we the only ones talking?]

[Yeah, why is everyone else so quiet? Where did all the Su-Hyeok fans go?]

[Hey, you simps, shut up for a sec. I'm watching the glorious Su-Hyeok.]

[Wow, it's over. Did he really copy that in one go?]

[Damn. Another round just finished.]

[Seriously, what kind of unreal talent does he have? Did you see Angelina’s expression?]

[Where did all the Su-Hyeok haters go? Off to die? Oh wait, they’re already dead lol.]

[A natural-born genius getting lessons from a master? This is the end.]

[Shh. The next lesson is starting right now.]

***

[Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 5 hours 19 seconds.]

“Flawless. That’s enough. You did well. Rest now.”

The moment Angelina signaled her approval, I all but dropped my axe and let it clatter to the ground.

I fell to my knees before collapsing onto the floor. Resting my left shoulder against the ground, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. The chill of the floor seeped through my sweat-drenched clothes.

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but the ceiling was a rich, deep-brown color. Mana stones illuminated the room with a blue glow, casting a stark contrast against the dim surroundings.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and traced along my cheeks before pooling near my ears.

“

Huff, huff

.”

My breath came in ragged gasps, making my vision sway. The dizziness made me feel like I was floating atop an endless sea.

Finally. It is over.

A feeling of release washed over me, and the past three days replayed in my head like a fast-forwarded panorama. These short yet long three days had been so taxing that I wondered if I had ever faced anything more exhausting in my entire life.

However, it had also been one of the most exhilarating.

The thrill of learning.

As a child, I had always heard adults say that, and I had assumed it was to force kids to study. Now, I understood what they had meant.

I shifted my gaze to the notification window.

Only five minutes remaining.

That explained why Angelina had stopped the training. There wasn’t enough time to learn anything more.

Sure, we could have kept sparring, but maybe this was her way of letting me rest a little at the very end.

Angelina approached me nonchalantly.

Noticing my ragged state, she smirked before plopping down beside me. “Seems like you struggled to keep up. Still, it’s been a while since I’ve had such a fulfilling time as an instructor.”

Her words of genuine encouragement and warm tone brought a smile to my face. It reminded me of when I had parted ways with an old mentor.

I suddenly found the situation amusing.

At first, Angelina had been openly hostile toward me, and I hadn’t thought much of her either. Yet in just three days, that dynamic had completely changed.

People really are unpredictable.

I steadied my breathing before responding, “

Huff.

No, if anything, you worked harder by taking the time to train someone as lacking as me. Thank you.”

“Lacking? Don’t be modest.” She let out a short chuckle, and silence fell between us.

It wasn’t awkward, though. For three days, all we had done was exchange blows and discuss combat theory. Though we had grown to respect one another and become more amicable, we hadn’t had time to get to know each other.

For a while, we simply sat in silence—ignoring my heavy breathing—letting the moment settle.

As my breath steadied, I debated what to say. We were about to part ways, and I wanted to at least have a proper conversation.

What should I ask?

After a moment of thought, I decided to just voice my curiosity.

Raising my upper body, I turned to her. “Angelina.”

“What is it?”

“If, one day, I summoned you during combat training, would I be able to beat you?”

“The combat training?” She seemed unfamiliar with the concept.

Since we didn’t have much time left, I gave her a brief explanation.

As she listened, she slowly shook her head. “Don’t summon me there. Not now, not anytime soon. The version of me that appears in that room will try to kill you.”

She wasn’t wrong. Training dummies didn’t possess intelligence; they existed solely to fight.

I hadn’t been asking about now, though. “Yes, I meant later. Once I’ve grown stronger.”

“Later,

huh

.” She fell silent, contemplating. “I can’t say since I don’t know how precisely it adjusts the difficulty.”

“

Hmm

. It feels different for every opponent, so I can’t give a definite answer either.”

Angelina mulled it over before giving her final response. “When you reach a certain level, you’ll understand just how strong I truly am. If, at that point, you believe you can defeat me, then summon me.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

Not wanting the conversation to lapse into silence again, I quickly asked, “May I ask you something else?”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s about the tower, so—”

She cut me off before I could even finish my sentence. “I can’t answer that.”

I wasn’t disappointed since I had expected as much. I had only asked just in case.

Without missing a beat, I decided to change the topic. “Then, what about Omniscient Thunder Axe?”

“

Hmm

. I can’t give you a definitive answer without hearing the question first. But if it’s something I’m allowed to speak about, I will.”

Oh? So this one may be fair game?

I took a moment to think. There were a lot of things I had wondered about concerning my sponsor. Compared to other divine patrons, Omniscient Thunder Axe seemed decent, although I couldn’t be entirely sure.

Still, I had to be mindful that Angelina was Omniscient Thunder Axe’s apostle. If I asked something too sharp, not only would it be rude, but I probably wouldn’t get an honest answer anyway.

While filtering through my thoughts, my mind suddenly blanked. Since I couldn’t think of any good questions, I just went with the simplest one. “What does Omniscient Thunder Axe want from me? If I eventually ascend as a god, does he expect me to serve under him?”

“

Hmm

. I can’t say for sure. I don’t claim to understand our Lord’s thoughts.”

“I see.”

Not exactly insightful.

Then again, my interactions with Omniscient Thunder Axe had been few and far between, not to mention one-sided, so there hadn’t been much to ask in the first place.

Angelina looked straight at me, her emerald eyes solemn, a look of genuine sincerity. “However, don’t assume that He wants something from you.”

I studied her expression, coming to the conclusion she wasn’t lying.

“Omniscient Thunder Axe has never once sought to place another god beneath Him. Those who gathered under Him did so of their own accord.”

“Okay.”

I couldn’t say with absolute certainty that it was true, but it felt in line with what I knew of him. That was enough to put my mind at ease.

Angelina glanced into the air and remarked, “It’s time for you to go.”

I checked the notification window.

[Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 15 seconds.]

It really was time to leave.

A wave of regret washed over me. Instead of wasting those last moments asking about the tower or Omniscient Thunder Axe, I should have focused on something more personal.

I should have asked her about herself—the life she had lived, what had led her to wield an axe, and what kind of journey had brought her here.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a shame. Still, thank you for everything.”

Angelina let out a dry chuckle. “

Haha

. Didn’t know you could be this flattering.”

Flattery? Um, what?

My expression had likely changed without my notice because her laughter deepened. “The next time we meet, I expect to see you standing far above where I am now. It would be nice to share a smile then, as well.”

“I hope so, too. Take care.”

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the sixty-third floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Test. Achievement points will be calculated.]

Having met Angelina, I had come to understand even more that skill levels, status screens, and equipment didn’t define strength.

I didn’t even bother looking at the message. Instead, I held her gaze.

She smiled at me.

A great teacher.

Just as she had said, I hoped that one day, we would meet again with a smile. With that thought, I smiled back.

***

[The sixty-fourth floor of the Tower of Ordeal requires climbers to enter in a party.]

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

An overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashed over me. Even though entering the waiting room had restored my stamina and healed my wounds, I still felt utterly drained.

Looking back, it made sense since I had been awake for three days. Not just awake, either; I had been fighting at full throttle the entire time.

I had once thought that my body’s evolution had lessened my need for sleep, but I was sorely wrong. It wasn’t that I needed less sleep, but that I had never pushed myself to the point of exhaustion.

There goes my assumption that I am working harder than most climbers.

In comparison, I had been barely trying, only training hard relative to my previous limits. It was like owning a sports car and never driving it past the parking lot.

Although thinking about it did cause me to feel regretful, it wasn’t too late to change my habits. I needed to push myself beyond my limits. Even if combat training didn’t have as good of a sparring partner as Angelina, I had to give it my all.

For now, though, I needed rest. I was at my limit.

The bed in the corner of the waiting room, which I had purchased from the simulated world of the angels, was calling to me. Just imagining its comfort made me feel even more fatigued.

“

Whew.

”

I shook my head. No matter how tired I was, I had to soak in the training hot spring first. With how hard I had trained these past three days, I deserved at least that much.

Deep down, I suspected I would just end up falling asleep in there. Well, Doppy could handle all the cleanup for me.

I turned to where he was changing. “Doppy, I’ll go in first today.”

“

Hm?

Sure! You have to be exhausted!”

“Don’t get into bed, though. You know what will happen.”

“I know! Don’t worry about it!”

Doppy, fully aware of how much I had suffered, obediently nodded before settling into a chair. Yoonie curled up on the desk beside him. Neither of them said anything, but their exhaustion was evident on their faces.

I hadn’t been the only one losing sleep. They had stayed up with me the entire time.

Don’t want to waste their time. I should hurry.

Unfortunately, my climbing gear was in tatters. It was barely holding together, with more holes than material. Taking it off would be more of a hassle than simply ripping it off.

Since I had to throw it away anyway, I tore the remains off and tossed them into the trash.

Stepping into the shower, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There were bruises all over me. They had faded a little now that I was in the waiting room, but...

Yeah. I have really been through it.

I rolled my neck from side to side, trying to release some of my tension, before letting the hot water wash over me.

Then, a message came in, disrupting my reverie.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Sixty-fifth Floor): You’re back? How was the sixty-third floor? Did you do well?

***

[10 hours 34 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

My eyes snapped open. Something was different, and my mind felt crystal clear. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept this long.

“Damn. I really was exhausted.”

I glanced around, but Doppy wasn’t next to me. The bathroom door was open, so he had most likely gone to train.

“

Agh

.”

A dull ache spread through me as I sat up. Even after fully recovering and soaking in the hot spring, my muscles were still sore. It was sobering. I had consumed so many elixirs and transcended human limits, yet Angelina’s training had still pushed me to the very edge.

Lying around wasn’t going to do me any good, though. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself up. It was time to take stock of my situation.

Following Angelina’s advice, I had stored all my equipment except my axe. However, I still planned to use my items again, since they still had value.

For instance, Lung Shark’s Dagger.

Even if I wasn’t planning to use Master of Shadows offensively, there were still times when I would need Shadow Veil.

Ehhh, the Ring of the Dawn Breeze probably isn’t necessary.

I gazed at the collection of gear I had stacked in the corner—Paraktus’s Determination Necklace, Guardian’s Will of the Underworld, Seraphim’s Ring, Herkest and Sarkeiz’s Dragon Scale Tokens, Ring of the Dawn Breeze, Footsteps of the Abyss, and the Mana-Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld.

I had acquired quite a few items over time.

Now the question is, what should I take, and what should I leave behind?