Chapter 270: Seventy-Second Floor, The Forgotten God (1)

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the seventy-first floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Crimson Wilderness.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has uncovered a scheme unfolding in the shadows, causing the seventy-second floor to diverge from its original path.」

[As of this moment, Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok will now begin the seventy-second floor of the Tower of Ordeal: ‘The Forgotten God.’]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has received an additional request from Tunyak.]

[Complete Tunyak’s additional request. Time remaining: 95 hours 59 minutes.]

I turned away from the series of notifications. They didn’t contain anything particularly surprising or significant, only what I had expected all along.

Still, that didn’t mean the information was entirely useless. The floor’s name confirmed what I had already suspected: this floor was undoubtedly tied to Tunyak’s god.

In any case, seeing the message clearly state that the next floor had begun brought me a subtle sense of relief.

It is a bit disappointing that I get a chance to do some additional training in the waiting room.

Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it. It wasn’t like I had the luxury to choose my trials based on my preferences.

Besides, it wasn’t guaranteed that I would have returned to the waiting room if I had skipped this hidden mission, either. In truth, completing a hidden mission connected to a god was far more rewarding than a bit of extra training.

I could always make up for it next time.

While riding, I turned to glance behind me as I extended my senses as far as they could go. However, I still couldn’t detect any signs of pursuit.

Is this all that happens when the seventy-second floor begins?

Nothing jumped out right away.

Well, something will show up eventually.

Truth be told, the enemies would probably only appear after we discovered something—just as I had initially predicted.

The divine beast probably sensed that someone was following us, too. It did seem intelligent, capable of understanding human speech. Even though I spoke a completely different language from the locals, the divine beast understood me without issue.

Of course, I couldn’t entirely rule out the possibility that a god had intervened.

Still, it was clearly a perceptive creature. It had likely sensed our enemies’ intentions when they implanted that mechanical device.

Either way, no matter who came, I was confident I could handle them.

This time, I had no intention of holding back. I was genuinely furious at the despicable individuals who had corrupted a divine being.

In a way, it reminded me of myself. The divine beast and I weren’t exactly the same, but our circumstances bore similarities. The tower had abducted the Earthlings into completing itself without our consent, just as they had forcibly defiled the divine beast.

I didn’t feel a profound kinship, but I couldn’t bring myself to view the perpetrators kindly.

Once I thought about it, I realized I had become involved with animals a lot lately. I had felt something similar once I learned of the Camadeni’s plight—rage and frustration.

Whoosh.

A breeze swept in from somewhere. Perhaps because of the greenery surrounding us, the wind didn’t bring any dust with it, only cool, clean air.

It won’t be long before we return to the wastelands.

For now, though, I felt strangely warm.

I looked ahead and inhaled deeply.

***

[Complete Tunyak’s additional request. Time remaining: 85 hours, 12 minutes.]

Despite riding for hours, we didn’t spot a single sign of what we were meant to find. The divine beast hadn’t released any more greenery either.

Not long after our departure, the lush terrain gave way to the familiar barren land. Since then, we had seen nothing but endless wasteland once again.

Time moved on ceaselessly, and eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon. Nightfall swept in. The wasteland’s climate strongly resembled a desert’s. As the scorched earth began to cool, a chill crept into the air, followed by a biting cold.

I was fine, but Doppy, the bull, and the mechanical steed required rest.

We decided to set up camp. There wasn’t a village nearby—and even if there were, we couldn’t bring the divine beast into one.

Good thing I packed a bunch of stuff into Mung-chi.

As I rummaged through it for firewood, Tunyak looked on with a curious expression.

“You carry your own firewood?”

“Why? Is that weird?”

“Not weird, just unusual. Most pioneers use blackwood and oil.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by blackwood, but I didn’t bother asking. From how casually he had mentioned it, it would have been strange if I didn’t know about it.

I glossed over it casually. “

Ah

, this just works better for me.”

“You’re pretty resourceful. Where did you even get that much stuff? These days, even we use blackwood.”

“I just stock up whenever I get the chance.”

From the conversation, I gathered that blackwood was a local fuel source and didn’t burn away quickly, unlike the raw wood I carried.

They probably just coat it with oil, and then it will be ready to use.

It sounded surprisingly convenient. If I had known, I would have searched for something similar at a general store. I had only brought a map with me.

The next time I crossed into another world, I decided to look into practical supplies like this. Until now, I had only purchased what seemed necessary, ignoring everything else. Even small details like this could prove useful, though.

We spread out a cloth to block the campfire from the wind before sitting down. Tunyak rummaged through his belongings and pulled out some jerky, but paused before taking a bite.

He glanced my way. “By the way...”

His tone sounded hesitant.

I tilted my head, and he scratched his own sheepishly.

“You don’t happen to have, say, a cooking pot in there?”

He was clearly hoping for a miracle.

Hmm.

I hesitated briefly, then shook my head with an apologetic look. “Nope.”

“So you’re carrying all that gear but only bring jerky?”

“Yep.”

I nodded confidently, and Tunyak frowned in disbelief.

“Why? Why not pack even one pot? Doesn’t it get boring eating nothing but jerky? Being able to cook your own food out here is a gift.”

“It's just a hassle.”

Tunyak furrowed his brow, clearly disappointed.

I couldn’t blame him. As a native, he likely hadn’t passed through any towns on his way down. He had probably been surviving on jerky and preserved rations the whole time.

With a resigned sigh, he muttered, “

Tch.

You don’t look like it, but I guess you’re a little lazy.”

He hadn’t intended it harshly, intoning it as more of a half-joke than anything else. I shrugged casually and laughed softly.

Truth be told, I did have cooking equipment. However, it was just one pot—something I had brought to cook ramen.

No ingredients, either. Just the pot.

Training had kept me too busy to care about food, and I had never had much interest in cooking to begin with.

It wasn’t like I could make ramen in front of Tunyak, anyway. Instant meals were obviously off-limits. Normally, I would have just pulled out a ready-made dish, eating it without thinking.

This time, a hidden mission was at stake.

My lies have already come close to unraveling, and I am on somewhat shaky ground.

Unlikely as it was, if he suddenly decided to cancel the second contract, I would fail the trial. Moreover, explaining everything was just frankly too much effort.

Sure, I can make excuses if I need to, but I would just rather eat the jerky.

I pulled out a thick piece of jerky from the mimic and handed it to Doppy. He gave me a subtle look of disappointment, eerily similar to the one Tunyak had given me earlier.

What a little steak-loving tiger.

When I shot Doppy a brief glare, he quickly averted his gaze. Still, he had enough sense not to question me further.

Tunyak chewed his jerky slowly before asking, “So, what are you planning to do with that device?”

He gestured toward the mechanical device—the one the divine beast had thrown up—tied at my waist. Even now, a dark flame still flickered faintly within it.

Since the divine beast hadn’t shown any signs of displeasure, I had been able to carry it around without issue.

At first, I hadn’t thought much of it, but as time passed, I began to sense a strange divine power lingering around it.

Are two gods fighting for sovereignty of this world, too?

I pushed the thought aside for now and shook my head slightly. “Later. I can’t tell you yet.”

“And when exactly is later?”

“It’s not like last time. I’m not completely sure yet. For now, I think it’s better if I’m the only one who knows.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Just give me a little more time. Last time things turned out well, didn’t they?”

“

Hmm

, fair enough.”

He looked curious, but maybe because of our previous track record, he let it go more easily than I expected. It probably helped that I was traveling with Doppy and could communicate with the divine beast. Tunyak likely believed I had some kind of connection to the once forgotten, now potentially returned, god.

I bit into the jerky and smoothly changed the subject. “By the way, once we find whatever it is we are looking for, what are you planning to do?”

“About?”

“The pioneers who turned the divine beast into a monster.”

Tunyak stared into the fire. “I don’t know.”

The soft crackling of flames echoed clearly in the quiet night.

Even if I had discovered a hidden scheme and was carrying out a hidden mission, not every pioneer in this land was a villain. I didn’t want to make their lives harder than they already were.

“I was just wondering if you were considering returning to your tribe to prepare for war. I mean, there are probably pioneers who are completely unrelated to the corruption.”

He met my gaze. “That’s true, but I really don’t know.”

“If it were up to me, I’d want to wipe them all out.”

Tunyak gave a bitter, almost sorrowful smile. “I don’t even know if we have the strength to do that. Feels like we could win with Their help, but still—”

“Yeah.”

Should I try to talk him down a little?

While I was mulling it over, Tunyak glanced at Doppy and continued, “Whatever happens, I think we’ll follow Their will.”

He said it with quiet certainty, eyes resting on Doppy.

Once the trial ends, Doppy and I will disappear from this world. What will happen to this place after we’re gone?

Their god had only revealed himself through Doppy. Maybe he would fully descend as a result of my actions, but that was a question for later.

If Tunyak insisted on following his god’s—potential—divine mandate, then my ability to persuade him would be limited. Just like he said, it would all come down to what his god wanted.

Hopefully, nothing disastrous comes of it.

Just then, a breeze swept past us. It was warm, which seemed odd. For a moment, I wondered if it was a sign from his god.

Did They read my thoughts?

I didn’t know. Still, something about that gentle wind gave me a sense of reassurance.

Crack, pop!

The fire crackled softly as it burned. I tossed another piece of firewood into the flames.

***

[Complete Tunyak’s additional request. Time remaining: 23 hours 34 minutes.]

Three days had passed. During that time, we had ridden persistently without much rest, only stopping occasionally for a short breath and to eat.

What we were looking for was undoubtedly hidden well. After all, the pioneers had opted to corrupt the divine beast instead of searching directly for it.

Moreover, the terrain was difficult to traverse. Even though it was called a wasteland, the ground was never consistent. It was riddled with cliffs, ravines, and extremely uneven land. We hadn’t encountered a single person along the way, nor had there been any ambushes or attacks from those pursuing us.

At this pace, they will probably start making a move.

For some reason, our earlier pursuers had disappeared, though they could have been just outside my range by sheer luck. Alternatively, they could possess stronger senses than mine could and were intentionally keeping a certain distance, never closing in too much.

Whatever the case, our journey had been nothing but riding, a short rest for food, and riding again in a repeating cycle.

Today marked a welcome change, however—the divine beast came to a halt before a massive stone wall in the heart of the wasteland. A towering and solitary pillar of gray rock jutted out from the jagged earth like a colossal monument.

“What is this? There’s nothing else around here.”

“Yeah, is this what we’re supposed to find?”

“Seems like it.”

Nothing else nearby stood out. This rocky pillar was the only unusual formation in sight.

Still, I turned to the divine beast to be more certain. “Is this rock pillar what we are looking for?”

The beast let out a low cry.

“

Whoooong—

”

So, this is it?

I circled the pillar and scanned my surroundings, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Pressing my hand to the surface of the pillar, I channeled mana deep into it. At first, I didn’t feel much, but believing in what the divine beast had indicated, I kept focusing. Eventually, something within the stone felt off, like something was sealed or buried inside.

This had to be it.

“Do you see anything?” Tunyak asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s break it open.”

Tunyak stared at me, clearly startled. “Wait, you want to destroy this thing? This massive rock?”