Chapter 260: Seventieth Floor, Waiting Room

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the sixty-fifth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Dragons’ Grave. He will now enter the waiting room.]

[The sixty-sixth, sixty-seventh, sixty-eighth, and sixty-ninth floors have already collapsed. The next floor is the seventieth.]

[Other climbers have not yet conquered the sixty-fifth floor. Please wait.]

[There is no timer until the next floor begins. Please take a rest.]

Nothing particularly eventful happened following my conversation with Sebedra. Aside from securing the legacy and arranging future discussions for the Beastfolk Alliance, I spent my time enjoying the feast.

Not long after Langley and I left the dragonkin’s stronghold, the floor came to an end.

Langley seemed quite disappointed when I told her I was leaving.

I, on the other hand, remained indifferent. Partings were something I had grown accustomed to. Besides, I hadn’t grown close enough to Langley for her departure to feel as bittersweet as Kyuntriachae’s.

This isn’t the first time a person has felt indebted to me, either.

Turning my gaze around the waiting room, I noticed that neither Doppy nor Yoonie was in the main area. They were probably in the training room.

Anyway, it surprised me that there wasn’t a countdown until the next floor yet, especially considering how much time I had spent on the previous floor. The parties had to be struggling far more than I expected.

Since there weren’t many climbers on the Leaderboard listed as on the sixty-fifth floor, it wouldn’t take much longer. On the bright side, it meant I had a bit of extra time for training.

I couldn’t complain about that.

As if sensing my return, Doppy swung the training room door open, bursting out energetically. “Su-Yeok! You’re back!”

“Su-Hyeok, welcome back.”

Although we hadn’t spent much time apart, I had grown to somewhat expect this familiar scene. It almost felt like coming back home from work to the welcoming arms of a family.

Wait, does that make me the dad?

In any case, seeing them dedicated to training was reassuring.

Doppy hadn’t been able to contribute much during the last five trials. I would need to push him to train even harder in preparation for the next set of ten floors.

“When did you start training?”

“We’re almost done! Just doing cooldown exercises now!”

It seemed I had returned at the perfect time.

“Really? Wrap up quickly so you can come join me.”

“

Huh?

Why?”

“There’s something we need to do.”

“

Hmm

, got it!”

In the blink of an eye, Doppy hurried back into the training room. I casually set aside my robe and retrieved my new relic from the mimic.

[Dragon’s Legacy]

- A magical weapon crafted by a group of renowned dragon artificers during the planet Kyaksen’s golden era.

- Allows the wielder to unleash beams of magical energy (dependent on their magical prowess).

- Tainted with demonic energy. CAUTION.

- Mana +8

Initially, I had planned to consult Ha Hee-Jeong on purification methods as soon as I returned. However, just before reaching the waiting room, I had a change of heart.

A gift is best when given as a surprise.

If I held off on mentioning it and presented it at the resting area, she would probably be more delighted.

Well, unless there is absolutely no way to purify it.

For now, it seemed wiser to try purifying it on my own first. I would test whether the Core of Decay could cleanse it, and if that failed, I could always search the shop for a solution.

While I was at it, purifying the demon’s corpse wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Since there was a risk that the demonic energy could contaminate the main room, I planned to conduct the purification in the training room.

Not long after, Doppy finished his cooldown. “Su-Yeok, are you showering first?”

“Yeah, just give me a moment. Wait here.”

“What’s that in your hand? I’ve never seen it before!”

“This? I’ll explain later.”

I headed straight to the training room and placed both the demon’s corpse and the dragon’s legacy on the floor before positioning the Core of Decay between them.

The purification process would likely take some time, so I figured I would check on it after showering.

Before leaving, I turned to Doppy and Yoonie to issue a warning. “Doppy, don’t go into the training room until I get back from my shower.”

“

Huh?

Why not?”

“You remember the demon’s corpse I mentioned last time? I’m testing whether I can purify that and the item I obtained from this floor.”

“

Ohh

, got it!”

“I’ll explain everything once I’m done. So seriously, don’t go inside.”

Doppy wasn’t the type to disobey, so that should be enough of a warning.

Satisfied, I stepped into the bathroom.

***

[There is no timer until the next floor begins. Please take a rest.]

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): Huh. So nothing much happened?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Yeah. Considering how long it took, it was pretty uneventful.

While replying to Ha Hee-Jeong’s message, I gathered the items I had laid out and stored them back in Mung-chi.

Unfortunately, the Core of Decay hadn’t been able to remove the demonic energy. Though its description only mentioned that it could absorb decay, it had been capable of absorbing what the inhabitants of Kyuntriachae’s homeworld had called demonic mana.

Ugh. Why would they have such similar names, then?

It was disappointing, but I would have to find another solution.

Just in case, I asked Doppy whether he could cleanse it, but he said purifying such tainted objects was beyond his capabilities.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): Yeah, not much of a haul either. Hmm, maybe because it was a floor-wide transition? Could be one of those easy floors.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Possibly. It’s not like we haven’t encountered floors that were basically rest areas before.

Ha Hee-Jeong had a point; there were occasionally floors where the difficulty dipped noticeably.

Besides, things had gone surprisingly smoothly this time. I had located the cultists’ stronghold almost immediately, and thanks to the pair of scale tokens, I had earned the dragonkin’s favor with ease.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): Anyway, good job. We’ll be seeing each other soon.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Yeah. Feels like time is flying. Damn, we’re already on the seventieth floor.

Trying my best not to give in to the urge to spoil the surprise, I opened the shop and searched for purification-related items. The catalog refreshed instantly, flooding the screen with an overwhelming number of listings.

Ah, this isn’t going to work.

I narrowed the search, typing “demonic energy purification.” This time, around three hundred catalogues popped up.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): Not much left now. At this rate, we’ll be done in about three or four months.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Three or four months? That’s nothing.

While replying, I scrolled through the shop.

[Rapid Demonic Energy Purification Kit]

[Springwater of Purification]

[Honey of the Clear Leaf]

[Katakirezin’s Azure Flame]

The pricing was wildly inconsistent. Some items were absurdly expensive, while others were almost suspiciously cheap.

Then again, point inflation was a thing that occurred. A purification item that was too cheap probably wouldn’t be very effective. Spending too many points on an expensive one seemed like a waste, though.

After deliberating for a few minutes, I landed on one item.

[Sengrad’s Divine Punishment]

- 34,000 points.

It wasn’t exactly cheap, but it was better than having to go through the agony of choosing an item twice. There could come a time when I need to use it again, so I figured I had chosen a reasonable option.

Besides, I had more than enough achievement points, so it wasn’t an issue.

[Sengrad’s Divine Punishment is too large to summon onto the desk.]

[Please designate a location! It will be summoned at that specified spot.]

Along with the notification, a holographic projection appeared before me, moving in sync with my gaze.

It was bigger than I had expected, as it stretched almost from floor to ceiling. There was no way I could install it in the waiting room. The training room would be the only viable option.

Walking briskly, I made my way there. Since the training room was spacious enough, I could place it anywhere without much thought.

I positioned the projection near the weapon rack.

“I’ll set it up here.”

The tower didn’t respond, and I wondered if I needed to say something else.

Then out of nowhere, a

pop

echoed from the spot I had indicated, and a massive glass cylinder materialized beside the weapon rack. Inside, a vibrant blue liquid swirled, while two transparent tubes extended from the top, disappearing into the ceiling.

One tube drew the liquid downward, while the other funneled it back up.

I think I get the basic mechanics?

It was fascinating to see it connect to the waiting room’s ceiling, which I had assumed was nothing but a void. Although it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, my curiosity about what lay beyond the walls lingered.

Shoving the thought aside, I shifted my focus to a sheet of paper attached to the cylinder.

At the top, written in Korean, was: User Manual. The instructions were straightforward—pull the lever, open the lid, and place the item inside for purification.

The estimated purification time is seven to eight hours.

A countdown still hadn’t appeared. Even if the last remaining party cleared the sixty-fifth floor soon, we would still have at least ten hours.

Unlike the Core of Decay, this purification device wouldn’t allow demonic energy to seep out. I could just leave the items inside and train in the meantime.

Without hesitation, I pulled the lever and retrieved both the demon’s corpse and the legacy from the mimic, lowering them into the cylinder.

The moment they touched the blue liquid, tendrils of violet smoke curled upward and dissipated.

That should do it.

Though my conversation with Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t been particularly significant, it had gone on longer than expected. I sent her a message, letting her know I was heading to train.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): Really? You’ve been pushing yourself harder lately.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Meeting Angelina motivated me, and since I skipped an entire floor, I figured I should make up for it. What, don’t like it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Seventieth Floor): No lol. It’s great. Train hard and message me when you’re done.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Seventieth Floor): Okay.

As I typed, I caught myself smiling.

Heh.

I wondered what kind of expression Ha Hee-Jeong would make when she got the gift. It wasn’t like I had never given her anything before, but this would be the first time I gave her something from the tower.

She would probably be pleased, though I couldn’t be entirely sure. Since entering the tower, I could count on one hand the number of times I had seen her genuinely laugh.

Well, I will find out soon enough.

Lost in thought, I was snapped back to reality when Doppy tapped me on the arm. “Su-Yeok! You’re grinning like a creep!”

“

Huh?

I am?”

“Yes!”

“Creepy? No way.”

“It is!”

Was my smile really that unsettling? This brat. I have been treating him too well lately, and now he is getting bold.

Looks like I will have to put him through some rigorous training to humble him.

I smirked wickedly. “Well, since I’m done with work, let’s start training.”

“Great!”

That wasn’t the reaction I expected. At some point, Doppy had stopped groaning whenever training was mentioned.

Did meeting Angelina trigger something in him? Hmm.

I would need to come up with a new way to mess with him.

***

[All aggressive actions are strictly prohibited within the rest area. Rest and relax at your leisure. Time remaining: 71 hours 32 minutes.]

Even with the collapsed floors, there were fewer climbers on the Leaderboard than I had expected. The trials were growing increasingly brutal, but still.

Ha Hee-Jeong had told me not to feel bad about it. Considering how many had reached this point in her previous life, the current survival rate was actually quite high. She said it was thanks to me and that I should take pride in it.

I hadn’t been particularly torn up about it, but I seemed to have let my mood slip enough for her to notice.

With that small reassurance, we headed to our quarters and unpacked. It was about time to eat, yet Ha Hee-Jeong still hadn’t come out of her room.

By now, most of the climbers—including our party—had already gathered in the dining area.

“What’s taking so long?”

My voice echoed in the quiet hallway, slightly louder than I had intended.

Seemingly displeased by my slight display of impatience, she shot back, even louder, “

Ugh

, just wait a second!”

“Can I just go ahead first?”

“What, you can’t even wait a little?”

“Did you eat something bad? Got a stomachache or what?”

That probably wasn’t the reason. Climbers had reached the point that they were resilient enough to handle spoiled food without issue.

Then what is it? This isn’t like her. Is she hiding something?