Chapter 253: Sixty-Fifth Floor, Dragons’ Grave (1)

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

[7 hours 32 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

“Haa,”

I breathed out raggedly.

The last twelve hours had been nothing but relentless training. My heart thudded against my ribs, the relentless strain pushing me to my limits. It wasn’t as grueling as my training with Angelina, but the ache seeping into my limbs was undeniable.

Truth be told, I had only driven myself this hard because my initial plan had shifted.

Originally, I had intended to clear the sixty-fifth floor swiftly before carefully refining a training regime. Once I had a solid regimen, I would be able to devote myself more purely to training.

The sixty-fourth floor had unfortunately taken longer than expected, and most high-ranking climbers were already in the waiting room for the seventieth-floor rest area. Although there were certainly climbers lagging behind, they were all scattered between the sixty-fourth and sixty-fifth floors.

Moreover, Langley’s request was a potential wild card that could stretch on for days. If I were unlucky, I wouldn't have much time left before reaching the rest area, where intense training opportunities would be limited.

Therefore, I had decided to spend as much time as possible now on training.

Still, it is time to stop.

I had already gone three days without rest. Now, after twelve hours of nonstop drills, the fatigue had become unbearable. To be fully prepared for the next trial, I needed to recharge.

A quick shower, a soak in the training hot springs, and a meal to replenish my energy would be perfect before my rest.

As I wrapped up my training and made my way to the bathroom, my focus wavered as thoughts crept in unbidden. Naturally, my mind drifted to the next floor.

What exactly does Langley want? Since it involves the Beastfolk Alliance, it has to be tied to beastfolk affairs.

Beyond that, I wasn’t sure of anything, however.

I guess I will find out soon enough.

Aside from the next floors, my mind turned to another realization that the previous floor had brought.

Because of Angelina’s advice, I lent Doppy most of my gear. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with that, but there was one crucial flaw in that arrangement—Doppy wasn’t summoned on every floor.

If he remained in the waiting room, I wouldn’t be able to access some of my more powerful gear during perilous encounters.

It wasn’t a major issue—I had deliberately relinquished my gear for training purposes, after all—but if the situation called for it, not having them could put me at a disadvantage.

Looking back, there had been countless times when my gear had proven invaluable.

On the fourteenth floor, Herkest gifted me an earring that allowed me to gain Sarkeiz’s assistance. On the thirty-first floor, the Ring of the Dawn Breeze had earned me the elves’ favor, opening the way to a hidden mission.

Those weren’t advantages that could be gained through effort alone.

If Doppy were always summoned alongside me, it wouldn’t matter.

However, that wasn’t the case. I had been fortunate that the issue hadn’t arisen on the sixty-fourth floor, but that wasn’t a guarantee for the future.

So, I had come to a compromise with Doppy. Before each trial, I would store my equipment in Mung-chi. If the tower summoned him alongside me, I would return the items to him.

Since the gear served no purpose inside the waiting room, Doppy unhesitatingly agreed. It would be a slight inconvenience for him, but a necessary precaution for me.

***

“Am I seriously going to be stuck in the waiting room again?” Doppy grumbled as he fastened his armor.

I merely shrugged. “Who knows? Probably.”

Judging by what I knew, the next floor was likely another espionage mission.

To be honest, even if Doppy had joined me on the sixty-fourth floor, it wouldn’t have made much difference. It seemed like the tower had taken other factors into account, though. After all, a spy dragging around a goblin would be absurd.

Of course, this was all just speculation. The criteria for when Doppy could and couldn’t join me still weren’t entirely clear.

That said, given how things had played out on the sixty-fourth floor, I had a strong hunch that he wouldn’t be coming this time either. Still, just in case, I had made sure he was ready to move if needed.

[06 seconds until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Glancing at the countdown in the waiting room, I closed my eyes.

A familiar sensation of weightlessness washed over me. My vision flared white, then plunged into darkness.

A notification blinked in the darkness.

[Welcome to the sixty-fifth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Dragons’ Grave.]

[Complete the Beastfolk Alliance’s request. Time remaining: 167 hours 59 minutes.]

Dragons’ Grave? Then why did Langley mention wyverns?

On Earth, dragons and wyverns were considered entirely different species. Considering that the tower included “dragon” in the title, they had to be either the same species or related somehow.

I will have to ask Langley for more details.

I surveyed my surroundings. They weren’t completely dark like I had first assumed, and instead, I found myself in a dim alleyway nestled within a bustling city. As expected, Doppy and Yoonie weren’t with me.

Across from the alley stood a massive tavern, its sign adorned with strange, unreadable lettering.

I recalled Langley’s instructions.

“

If you’re interested, meet me in fifteen days at Wandering Dreamers in Balaran. If you choose not to come, that’s fine too.”

Though I couldn’t decipher what the sign said, the location matched her description. Still, I wasn’t one to take chances.

Better safe than sorry.

I flagged down a passerby. “Excuse me, could you help me? Is this Wandering Dreamers?”

A middle-aged man furrowed his brow. “You messin’ with me?”

“I can’t read.”

“

Aah

. Sorry about that. There’ve been a lot of demon-worshipping cultists lurking around lately, asking questions just like that. Thought you could be one of them.”

Demon worshippers?

Considering the hidden reemergence of demons and demonic energy, I supposed it wasn’t all that surprising.

Still, if the tower translates speech, why can’t it translate written text as well?

Suppressing a quiet grumble, I offered the man a slight nod. “Thanks.”

“You a mercenary? Adventurer? Either way, safe travels.”

I gave him a curt nod in return and stepped into the tavern. Almost immediately, a wave of laughter and rowdy voices surged through the air.

“

Oi!

Bring more ale, Loren!”

“Hahahaha!”

Langley had to be in here somewhere.

I scanned the room, and it only took two seconds before our gazes locked. She was already looking in my direction.

Raising a hand in greeting, she flashed a wry, knowing smile, her golden feline eyes gleaming in the dim light.

Weaving through drunken patrons, I made my way toward her. A half-eaten steak and a nearly empty mug of ale lay on the table before her. It looked like she was in the middle of dinner. Judging by the remaining food, she hadn’t been waiting long.

As I approached, she rose from her seat to greet me. “You actually came. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it.”

The slight stiffness in her expression suggested she truly hadn’t believed I would show.

“Thanks for coming.”

Brushing aside her gratitude, I took a seat. “It’s nothing. I was getting bored anyway.”

Langley sat back down, then casually asked, “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

To be honest, I ate my fill in the waiting room, but I wasn’t about to turn down a meal. Food on an unfamiliar planet, in a foreign world, was always a new and worthwhile experience.

“Is there anything in particular you prefer?”

“Let’s go with whatever they do best here.”

“And for drinks?”

“Just something simple. I’ll have what you’re having.”

Since I had no knowledge of this world’s cuisine, I didn’t have much choice but to leave it to her. Asking for a menu seemed pointless. Even if I had one, I wouldn’t be able to read it, let alone know what was good.

Langley gestured for a server and ordered a dish with an unfamiliar name, along with two drinks.

Then, as soon as the server left, she emptied the last of her own drink and turned back to me. “It hasn’t been that long, but how have you been?”

“I’ve been the same as always. I was more concerned about you, honestly. Seeing you here means you managed to shake off any pursuers.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips. “Well, I am a beasfolk, after all. And a cat at that.”

With a flick of her ears, she perked them up as if to emphasize her point. The tense atmosphere of the sixty-fourth floor was gone, and in this more relaxed setting, she seemed almost adorable.

That aside, a slight awkwardness did hang between us. We weren’t exactly the friendly, chatty type.

As I watched her, I briefly debated whether to ask about her request.

Should I just come out with it?

I hesitated, then decided against it. I wasn’t sure if this was the right place to discuss something like that.

For all I knew, she would suggest we move elsewhere first. If I started asking now, we would likely be interrupted when the food arrived.

That wasn’t even factoring in the people passing by. We couldn’t risk attracting unwanted attention. It would be best to wait for her to bring it up herself.

As a quiet pause settled between us, I chose to break the silence with a different topic. “By the way, why did it seem like Parein despised you so much?”

Langley let out a small, wry chuckle. Just like during our parting on the sixty-fourth floor, there was a shadow of something deeper in her expression.

A past, a story. Maybe they were lovers.

“It's complicated.”

I didn’t respond. There wasn’t much to say, and it didn’t seem like the right moment to say anything anyway.

Langley stared at her plate for a moment, absentmindedly prodding her steak with her fork. For an instant, emotions flickered across her face. It was a mixture of conflict, nostalgia, and something bordering on sorrow.

Wait, were they actually...?

“We were in love. From his perspective, he has every right to be angry.”

“I see.”

Finally, Parein’s behavior made sense. He had appeared so calm and rational during our first meeting, but had thrown that aside almost immediately after encountering Langley. He didn’t seem like the type who normally became visibly emotional.

A broken heart would understandably hurt, though.

Although if Parein had been like the cool spies I had seen in movies, he should have kept his composure. Who was I to judge, however? I wasn’t one myself.

Looking at it now, Langley was just as ruthless.

“Did you get close to him for information?” I asked.

“No,” she answered immediately. “I genuinely loved him.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It is, but I made my choice long ago. When I joined the Alliance, I decided my life wasn’t just mine anymore. It belonged to my people.”

At that moment, the server arrived. A young boy, likely an apprentice, carefully placed a large plate and two drinks onto the table.

“Here’s your order! Enjoy!”

The tavern was bustling, so before I could thank him, he had already rushed off.

Langley pushed the plate toward me. She explained that it was a specialty of Balaran, made from the hind leg of a kaleta, some kind of local beast.

Or at least, I think that is what she said.

The details didn’t really matter.

Instead of asking questions, I simply took a bite. The meat was rich and juicy, its flavors deep and well-balanced. It definitely deserved the title of a local delicacy.

As I ate, Langley cast a brief glance around us before leaning in slightly. “Shall we get to the real conversation now?”

Here?

That was unexpected.

“This is where we’re going to talk?” I asked, not accusing her of anything, just genuinely curious.

She blinked, momentarily taken aback. “

Um

, Sorry?”

“I mean, isn’t this too public to discuss something like this?”

“Oh.” A small smile flickered across her face. “Right, you were probably briefed in a more discreet manner for missions.”

Then, as if amused by the thought, she added, “But for us, a place like this is actually one of the safest spots to talk.”

I considered her words. That made sense. A crowded, noisy place meant no one would be paying attention to them.

Nodding, I took a sip from my drink. “Fair enough. Let’s get to it, then.”

“Right.” Langley took a measured breath, as if preparing herself for a lengthy explanation. “Your mission is simple. We need you to persuade the dragonkin.”

I set my glass down. “Dragonkin?”

“Yes. To explain, I’ll need to go back, like, way back. This story starts a long time ago.”

She inhaled deeply and collected her thoughts. Something about her demeanor told me this was going to be a long story.