Chapter 250: Sixty-Fourth Floor, Intelligence (9)

[Support the agent in their espionage mission. Time remaining: 83 hours 53 minutes.]

There wasn’t any particular reason; I just wanted to chat with Redirun.

After defeating him, I took the time to subdue the remaining opposition and ensure they received medical attention. It was partly out of convenience, but also out of respect for a formidable warrior.

Having propped Redirun against the wall, I could now tell that he had regained consciousness with my heightened senses.

He seems like a trustworthy person.

I wasn’t checking on him because he was suspicious, nor did I think he would pull anything reckless. If anything, his help could speed up our investigation immensely.

Even if he refused to answer my questions, the chance to speak with someone of his caliber didn’t come every day. Hence, after confirming that Langley and Parein had disappeared into the first tent, I approached his tent.

We had already learned each other’s presence during our fight, so he slowly opened his eyes as I approached.

He looked at me, fatigued. “Who are you?”

I remained silent at first. I couldn’t exactly introduce myself as Nameless, and saying that I was a mercenary hired by the Kingdom of Berest’s secret organization, Black Butterfly, likely wouldn’t work either.

Still, revealing my name wouldn’t hurt.

“Kwon Su-Hyeok.”

“That’s an unusual name.”

“It’s not an alias.”

“Are you from another continent? Or one of the nomads beyond the northern border?” After a brief moment of contemplation, he shook his head. “Not that it matters. Either way, I owe you thanks for sharing your name and for sparing me and my men.”

“They were just following orders. That doesn’t make them my enemies.”

He quietly chuckled, “Well said. I’d like to cross swords with you again someday. Think that opportunity will come?”

I doubted it, but I left the words unsaid since I didn’t want to dampen his expectations. “Hard to say.”

Instead, I redirected the conversation. “What exactly are you doing here with the demon’s corpse?”

At the mention of the demon, Redirun’s eyes widened. A flicker of disbelief crossed his face. He seemed to be asking how I knew that.

He looked even more shaken than when he had failed to land a strike on me earlier.

A composed expression was crucial in moments like these, yet he was apparently far too transparent to negotiate properly. Despite his mastery of the sword, when it came to the larger schemes at play in this world, he seemed less than adept.

Not that I was much different.

“How did you find out? The Empire’s—no, did someone leak the information?” He frowned. “No, that can’t be. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have arrived here precisely on time.”

On time?

His grave expression left no doubt that he suspected someone had betrayed the Empire. On the other hand, from the way he spoke, he wasn’t inclined to share any more than necessary.

Hmm.

Even if he refused to talk, I had no interest in toying with him for amusement. “No, the information wasn’t leaked to me.”

“Then how do you know?”

“Think about it. The demon was discovered dead.”

“What are you—wait.”

He had quickly grasped what I was implying.

I gave him a small nod.

Redirun’s jaw slackened slightly before he pressed his lips into a firm line, his expression darkening. “I see. Then, in a way, you’ve saved not just the Empire, but the entire continent.”

The savior of the whole continent, huh.

It wasn’t entirely inaccurate. According to Ha Hee-Jeong, the demon, Hrusan, and his legion of fiends had thrown the world into chaos in her previous life.

“Don’t think too much of it. I did it for myself.”

“No, even if it was still inside its egg, there had to have been other demonic creatures guarding it. That’s no small feat. I see now that losing to you wasn’t mere misfortune. The world is far broader than I imagined.”

For a moment, he appeared genuinely impressed, but his expression soon twisted into a grimace. “Damn it. Maybe I should just quit when I return. I don’t even have enough time to train properly.”

Is he contemplating abandoning his position to embark on some kind of warrior’s pilgrimage?

Regardless, it wasn’t my concern.

I steered the conversation back to the real issue. “So, what exactly were you doing with it?”

“That’s—” Redirun suddenly fell silent, his words turning inward.

His demeanor had shifted. Now that he knew I was the one who had killed the demon, it seemed like he was reassessing his stance.

In moments like this, patience was key. Jumping the gun wouldn’t do me any favors. Hence, I simply waited for him to process his thoughts.

It didn’t take long before he met my gaze again.

“Alright. I suppose I can tell you.”

“I appreciate it.”

I pulled over a wooden chair that had been knocked over from the earlier fight and then settled into it.

“Phew.”

Redirun breathed out slowly and adjusted his posture.

His injured shoulder likely ached, as his brow tightened slightly as he moved. “If I’m going to explain, I need to start from the beginning.”

***

His story wasn’t particularly long.

It had started with reports of people going missing in Kalin, although the small town was often plagued by bandits and monsters in the first place. Because of that history, the Empire had paid it little attention.

Then, at some point, the disappearances simply ceased.

That was probably after I cleared the ant nest.

Once the townsfolk’s fear had subsided, they began searching the area. Not long after, they discovered the underground tunnels of the nest. The village guards reported it, prompting the Ears of the Empire to move in.

When they found the demon’s corpse, the Ears escalated the operation, requesting that the Blades be deployed. To study the labyrinth below and the demon’s remains, they even constructed a research facility.

However, aside from the corpse, there was nothing of significance in the depths. At most, they found remnants of the research materials the demons had been using.

Nevertheless, the Blades had stayed because the old emperor became obsessed with the demon’s power, even after some of the researchers had suffered disastrous consequences.

One of the scholars had succumbed to demonic energy. At first, it had seemed like a blessing, as they had grown stronger and regained their youth, but it cost them their humanity.

Still, the emperor remained unfazed. Blinded by the thought of eternal youth, he ordered them to retrieve and deliver any lingering demonic essence.

Apparently, they had been preparing to depart with it just before I arrived. This explained why Redirun had mentioned our “timely” arrival.

So the two-day estimate didn't include our trip back.

If I hadn’t saved Langley, we would have arrived a step too late. The tower had probably allocated me the extra time to secure and transport the remaining demonic energy.

Hmm. Now that we have arrived ahead of schedule, what does that mean for us?

I wasn’t sure. Since the tower’s trial required me to assist Parein, I figured I should hear his and Langley’s thoughts first.

Redirun closed his eyes after finishing his story. “I suppose your allies are waiting. Go on ahead. I’ll rest here for now.”

I nodded. Leaving him like this wouldn’t pose any issues; he wasn’t the deceptive type.

Still... This is the power that can shake the entire Empire? A mere demon’s corpse?

A faint sense of futility settled over me. To top it off, the demonic energy that they had extracted from the corpse turned out to be flawed.

Will it always be like that, though?

They were still conducting research on the demon’s corpse. Perhaps if they had more time, they would figure out how to perfect the extraction process..

Now that I thought about it, back in the hidden chamber within the ant nest, the Tower of Ordeal had sent me straight to the waiting room once Hrusan died. The sight of the demon’s corpse was so grotesquely overwhelming that the idea of retrieving it didn't even cross my mind.

What if I have it manufactured into equipment?

If dragons could be converted into materials for gear, surely the same applied to a demon. If I managed to secure it, I could hold onto it until I got my hands on another Dimensional Forge voucher.

In that case, taking possession of the corpse would be in my best interest.

If Parein raises an issue, I will just say it is too dangerous to leave lying around and that I will handle it myself. Bringing it with me shouldn’t cause me to fail the trial.

This mission wasn’t about brute force, after all. The rewards depended on how well I assisted the intelligence agents. As long as I provided them with the necessary information, that was enough.

Of course, there was a degree of risk involved. The remnant demonic energy extracted from the corpse had reportedly turned people violent.

If that effect extended to equipment forged from it...

Well, I can always sell it.

If I put it up for sale on the seventieth floor, it would probably fetch a decent price.

With my thoughts sorted, I turned and made my way to the first tent. Langley and Parein were currently investigating the third one, and I didn’t feel the need to interrupt them.

I may as well take a quick look through the first one.

I pushed open the flap and stepped inside. Rows of triple-decker bunk beds lined both sides of the tent.

A living quarters, huh.

No wonder Langley and Parein weren’t investigating here. They had probably combed it quickly.

Deciding that additional searching would be a waste of time, I moved on to the second tent. Various laboratory instruments cluttered the space, though I had no clue what any of them were for.

Since the others decided to stick around the third tent, is there something vital in there?

Curious, I headed over to the third tent and entered. The two stood in what looked like a research chamber, poring over ancient tomes.

“These symbols are bizarre. This isn’t any language used on our continent. Judging by the style, could it be demonic?” Langley asked as she flipped through the page.

“Demons? You still believe in that nonsense?” Parein scoffed.

“Well, historical records confirm they existed.”

“I know that, but they disappeared ages ago. If actual demons had been here, these guys would all be dead already.”

The two were debating deeply over the old texts.

So this is why they are taking so long.

I had assumed they were occupied with the demon’s corpse, but that wasn’t the case.

Come to think of it, the Imperial agents had been preparing to leave soon—the corpse probably wasn’t in one of the tents but outside, loaded onto a carriage.

Well, I don’t know.

I would have to check the remaining tents—the fourth and fifth ones—just to be certain.

Finally noticing me, Parein asked, “Hey, Kwon, you heard all that, right? What do you think?”

He was seeking my agreement. Lately, I had been letting him down a lot, and unfortunately for him, I sided with Langley again this time.

“It’s a demon.”

“What?”

“

Huh?

”

The two stiffened and looked utterly baffled.

I had no intention of keeping it a secret. Since there was no point in standing around while they pieced things together, I decided I should just tell them outright.

I briefly summarized what Reduirn had told me. Langley quickly accepted it, while Parein remained skeptical, his expression accusing me of pulling a prank.

“You sure about this?”

“Yeah. I killed one myself.”

Their jaws practically hit the floor. Two seconds of stunned silence passed before they erupted in unison.

“WHAT?!”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

I didn’t bother replying.

To be honest, it wasn’t that big of a deal since I had merely killed an egg.

In Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, our party had made it to the ninetieth floor, so we had found a way to survive the demons one way or another. I had heard stories of how they gathered sacred relics and united various races to stand against them, only to fail in the end. It had to have been a grueling ordeal.

Langley was the first to recover from the shock. “Wait. You killed a demon?”

Explaining the whole thing would be a hassle, so I off-handedly remarked, “Technically, yeah. It’s a long story.”

Rather than going into details, I figured it would be faster to show them. “Let’s check the next tent. If the corpse is anywhere, it’ll be there.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned to leave.

Just as I stepped outside, a thought struck me.

Wait, this feels familiar.

There was a distinct scent of a branching point in the air. It was the same feeling I had acknowledged on the airship when Roxanne proposed an alliance.

Back then, that single decision had shifted the course of five entire floors.

For most climbers, the sixty-fourth and sixty-fifth floors were meant to be cleared with a party. Though the sixty-sixth to sixty-ninth floors had collapsed, they had been intended to be a survival simulation, with every climber having to remain alive while the demons conquered this world.

There was a strong likelihood that the sixty-fifth floor was tied to the aftermath of retrieving the demon’s corpse.

Naturally, I wasn't completely certain. For all I knew, the sixty-fifth floor could be something entirely different. Still, now that I had saved Langley, it wouldn't be farfetched to say that this fork would lead to me supporting either the Beastfolk Alliance or the Berest Kingdom.

What if... I take the demon’s corpse for myself? Would the sixty-fifth floor collapse? Huh.

I honestly had no idea what would happen. Regardless, I had to find the corpse first. I strode ponderously to the next tent, Langley and Parein trailing behind me.

Is it just my imagination, or has the air grown heavier with tension?