Chapter 295: Seventy-Fifth Floor, The Old Man and the Spirits (1)

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

Perhaps due to the several hours of concentrated training, I was slowly growing more accustomed to wielding divinity.

Of course, I hadn’t reached mastery of it just yet. There were still many aspects of handling Divine Power that remained challenging. What I had focused on most was regulating its output.

Up to this point, I had always ended up using more divinity than I intended.

At least there has been some progress.

While I could only handle utilizing Divine Power twice up to two times before, I was now capable of utilizing it four times. That was a promising sign.

While I was quite satisfied with the results, I had to remind myself that I shouldn’t grow impatient.

Rushing inevitably leads to neglecting the fundamentals, and once the foundation is compromised, everything that follows becomes more difficult.

It was one of the hard lessons I had learned over the course of climbing the tower. No wonder Angelina had emphasized the basics so strongly.

Besides, not mastering divinity right this moment doesn’t pose any immediate problem for me.

I was still powerful.

The seventy-fourth floor hadn’t posed much of a challenge in terms of raw combat, and although the seventy-fifth floor seemed like it could be tougher, I wasn’t especially concerned, considering my current combat prowess.

Even if I encountered a foe too difficult to handle on my own, I could likely make up for it by utilizing Divine Power.

Though ideally, I should strive to overcome them with my own strength rather than rely on Divine Power.

I lifted my head and checked the time. There were still about ten minutes left until I would continue training.

Hmm, what should I do now?

After a moment’s thought, I ended up opening the Community. There really wasn’t anything better to pass the time.

[Hey guys, what do you think is coming on the seventy-seventh floor?]

[Yakir, I’m sorry. Please just forgive me for this once. I promise I’ll do better.]

[Is this the right strategy for clearing the seventy-sixth floor?]

[Taking dinner menu suggestions!]

[Can you guys please keep the dating talk between yourselves? Aren’t you embarrassed to drop names here?]

[IKR 😂]

[How much stronger do you think Su-Hyeok’s gotten this time?]

[Has everyone eaten?]

[Need some help managing mana.]

[I bet he’s a beast now. Su-Hyeok’s like a different person every time he shows up.]

[Advanced Training Methods for Warrior-Class Climbers, Part 4]

It had been a while since I had last checked the Community, but it didn’t seem all that different from before.

With no dedicated subforums, all types of posts were jumbled together on a single feed. They were mainly about speculations of the next floor, meal discussions, and class-specific information.

I looked to see who had posted the training guide for warrior-class climbers. It was Alexei.

So that is what she meant when she asked if she could post something in the Community last time.

Climbers at the top tier—like myself, Ha Hee-Jeong, and Alexei—constantly received messages asking for advice. Sometimes people would ask out of the blue if they could borrow some achievement points, but usually the questions were about strategies to clear floors or combat techniques.

For instance, how should one respond to certain scenarios, or how would one train most efficiently at specific stages?

It was a bit of a nuisance, but I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. Most people preferred to ask those at the very top rather than someone just a little more experienced than themselves.

It is only natural.

Perhaps that was why Alexei had asked if she could post what she had learned from me in the previous rest area. Stronger climbers only served to benefit us all, after all. Therefore, I agreed without hesitation.

Privately, I also hoped it would ease the burden on the top-ranked climbers by drawing some of the endless questions away from us.

I don’t typically check messages unless they’re from Ha Hee-Jeong, my former party mates, or a few others, so I can’t be sure how it went.

Seeing that it had already received over eight hundred comments despite being recently posted, it seemed to be viewed favorably.

Plus, it is only geared toward warriors.

Chances were, nearly every warrior-class climber had seen it, though. They had begun sharing information and training methods among themselves as well.

Watching climbers use the Community as a means to connect and elevate their skills had become a surprisingly gratifying sight.

In its early days, the Community had been little more than a chaotic free-for-all. However, a sense of structure had clearly begun to take shape the higher we climbed.

At some point, without my noticing, guidelines had even been put in place, and the overall number of users had noticeably dwindled compared to before.

Even though there are still tens of thousands of climbers left, it is hard to post nonsense like in the past—nobody wants to be singled out on the next all-climber floor or rest area.

Well, there are still a few who do post meaningless drivel.

I glanced up at the time again. Just browsing the Community had taken up the full ten minutes.

That was close. I almost lost track.

There was a reason why I hadn’t been visiting it much these days.

The Tower of Ordeal created solitary realms for the climbers. Within each lonely waiting room, the opportunity to connect with fellow climbers was something we all longed for. It was practically the only source of amusement we had, and for that reason, it often consumed more of our time than we realized.

That was why it was important to maintain a healthy distance from it. I never tried to stop others from using it, though, especially when so many relied on it to stay mentally grounded.

I rose to my feet. “Doppy.”

“Training?”

As soon as I nodded, Doppy sprang to his feet with boundless energy. Having been cooped up in the waiting room, he seemed genuinely eager for some activity.

I grinned and pushed myself up as well.

***

[3 minutes 41 seconds until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

I spent the remainder of the time theorizing various uses of Divine Power, but I still couldn’t arrive at a clear answer. All I managed to do was freely manipulate divinity into raw strength, which I could already do.

It had activated on its own during that moment of mental communication with Phiri, but I still didn’t understand the mechanism behind it.

Hmm, when I try to use divinity consciously, it doesn’t work.

Whether it was due to a lack of divinity or because I simply didn’t understand how to wield it, I couldn’t tell. It seemed odd that I had been able to communicate if it was insufficient.

Wondering if intent could be the key, I had attempted to hypnotize myself, but nothing changed. I even considered the possibility that it was because I had yet to leave the tower.

Is conquering the tower or ascending to godhood required?

I was still just a climber. Perhaps Divine Power would only be accessible once a climber was free of the tower’s influence.

Just then, a wave of weightlessness washed over me.

Lost in thought, I hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Doppy never interrupted me while I was thinking, so the seconds had slipped by unnoticed.

Time to focus.

Mentally shaking off the idle distractions, I concentrated every fiber of my being. I was expecting the seventy-fifth floor to pose a greater challenge.

My vision was completely bathed in white, and it felt as though I was being pulled into a void. In the brilliant expanse, only one thing came clearly into view.

A system message.

[Welcome to the seventy-fifth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Old Man’s Regret.]

[Hyun, an aged man burdened with sorrow and remorse, has summoned you to a planet on the brink of ruin.]

[Resolve the old man’s regrets. Time remaining: 11 hours 59 minutes.]

It felt like the tower’s summoning was taking longer than usual, as my sight had yet to return.

There was only one thing I could do for now.

I swiftly scanned the message window. The trial didn’t appear overly complex, and its instructions were straightforward. I just had to help the old man.

My gut reaction was puzzlement, however.

What exactly is the old man regretting?

If the regrets were something ordinary, they wouldn’t have been chosen as the focus of a floor. Still, the tower had given me a few clues.

The world I was being sent to was a world teetering on the brink of collapse, burdened with sorrow and lingering resentment. Odds seemed high that I would have to fight.

It didn’t feel like I was being tasked with restoring the planet. With only twelve hours, that would be a ridiculous ask.

Or maybe I am wrong?

Even if the planet was on the verge of ruin, perhaps the trial would conclude after defeating a single foe. Take classic hero tales, for example, where everything was resolved once the demon king was vanquished.

That felt a bit distant from the idea of “regret,” but not entirely out of the question.

As my train of thought continued, I suddenly felt solid ground appear beneath my feet. My vision slowly returned.

Immediately, I heard a hoarse, weathered voice.

“We-we did it! Success!”

Success?

I saw an old man standing right in front of me, clad in a frayed robe and holding a staff high above his head in celebration.

His features were somewhat human, though his nose was unusually pronounced and the tips of his ears tapered to a point.

Not quite elven, but certainly reminiscent.

Still, something felt off. For someone referred to as an old man, he radiated vitality, almost unnaturally so. Even still, the old man appeared worn down, as if death would claim him at any moment.

His outward appearance screams frailty, practically on the brink of death. Despite that...

There was something peculiar about him. Though only one man stood before me, it felt as though I was facing countless others.

Blue magic circles shimmered faintly around me.

The tower did the teleportation, but it seems like the old man was the one who called for me.

That would explain why he had shouted about success.

I briefly took note of a weather-beaten hut behind him before turning my gaze back to the man. First, I needed to get some information.

“Success! We’ve done it! Oh, merciful heavens—”

Given that he was an elder, I softened my expression as I respectfully asked, “Excuse me. Could you explain what’s going on?”

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Lowering his staff, the old man fixed his gaze on me and cleared his throat. “

Ah

, my apologies.”

He adjusted the folds of his robe, then extended his right hand in front of his chest. It reminded me of someone clasping their hands in prayer, but with only one hand. It was likely a local greeting.

Then, lifting his chin stiffly, the old man introduced himself, “Greetings. I am Hyun, royal shaman of the Tae Empire and the last remaining shaman on this continent.”

“Kwon Su-Hyeok,” I replied with a small nod.

Hyun continued without pause, “First, allow me to thank you for responding to these unbidden summons. I understand your confusion, and I offer my deepest apologies for calling you here without your consent.”

“

Oh

, it’s quite alright.”

The trial seemed structured under the premise that I had willingly answered his call.

Not that it matters to me.

If I had been pulled from Earth, I would have been outraged, lashing out in anger at the sheer absurdity of it. However, this was simply another trial within the tower. Hearing out the old man mattered most.

“So, why did you summon me?”

Hyun’s gaze drifted to the left. “Where should I even begin...”

We were standing on the slope of a tall mountain. Down below, a blackened and tainted land stretched out endlessly, as if corroded by death itself.

Far in the distance, atop a massive fortress, a creepy crimson-black light pulsed and flickered.

Hmm.

The tower hadn’t exaggerated when it said the planet was on the brink of ruin.

Hyun’s expression was steeped in sorrow and somber reflection.

It looks like he is about to launch into a long, drawn-out explanation.

Contrary to my expectations, however, he didn’t. “We don’t have much time, so I’ll dive straight into it. One day, a great evil descended, and the continent fell.”

He was blunt and succinct, and I nearly nodded in reflex. Even from a glance at the desolate landscape, it was clear what kind of situation I was in. Of all the scenes I had witnessed during my climb, this was easily the most grim, far worse than the colonized planet, even.

It truly felt like the dying gasp of an entire world.

“Sadly, there’s no hope of reviving the continent. Therefore, I summoned you for one reason alone. I am a Soulkeeper.”

“Soulkeeper?”

“It refers to one who safeguards souls. After the calamity, I took it upon myself to preserve the spirits of this land’s people.”

What is that supposed to mean?

Before I could ask, Hyun raised both arms outward.

In that moment, a tremendous force surged from him. It wasn’t a tangible or offensive power. Countless souls flickered around him, writhing and shifting like waves.

So that strange vitality I sensed earlier was this.

I regarded Hyun in muted awe. The fact that it was possible to carry so many souls within oneself impressed me.

“This may be an unfamiliar concept to someone from another world, but within me dwell the souls of those who perished on this continent.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

His answer came without the slightest shred of hesitation. “I need your help to grant them release. To free them from their unresolved grief.”

“I am not long for this world. Even now, I can feel death creeping ever closer. Before I pass, I wish to grant peace to the souls who died unjustly. That is why I scoured ancient texts and summoned you, a powerful being from another dimension.”

The situation was beginning to make sense.

I didn’t know how, but the old man had gathered the souls of the dead, and it was my task to help them find peace. Hyun was a child of this land, too, so resolving the spirits’ regrets could be considered resolving his.

Still, I didn’t yet understand how I was supposed to carry that out.

As I waited for him to continue, I cast a glance across the darkened plains.

“You’re taking this rather well. To be honest, I had worried that even if the summoning succeeded, I would struggle to convince you.”

“You said they died unjustly. Your home was brought to ruin, and I’ve experienced something similar. I would like to help.”

Well, technically, Earth hadn’t fallen, but humanity had been dragged into the tower.

That is close enough.

Besides, I had to complete the trial anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to establish a good rapport with him.

Carrying the burden of so many souls couldn’t be easy. He seemed to have lived a life weighed down by pain.

I looked him in the eye. “What exactly can I do to help them?”

“It’s simple. You have to return to the past.”