Chapter 306: Seventy-Sixth Floor, Maze of Choices (1)

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

Generally, during my training bouts, I lost all sense of time, absolutely immersed in my movements.

Today was no different. It felt like hardly any time had passed, yet six hours had already slipped by. This had been happening more frequently as of late, a noticeable change from how I used to train.

In the early stages of the tower, back when I was still unfamiliar with combat, I had set specific blocks for training.

Even then, I would often find myself grumbling,

“Ugh, still forty minutes left?”

It was like pushing through a backlog of overdue work.

No matter how determined I was to improve, it wasn’t something I enjoyed.

To someone like me, who had been juggling part-time jobs and school, combat was completely foreign. The burden placed on me and the weight of expectation often forced me to push forward out of obligation. I couldn’t relax until I had completed the day’s quota or reached the set goal.

Now, things are different.

The process of growth itself had become fun. The more I learned, the more I found to discover, even when facing opponents weaker than me. There was still something to gain, even from familiar sparring partners.

Besides, one couldn’t drill the fundamentals too many times.

To swing an axe unwaveringly, even on the brink of collapse, it is necessary to practice it a thousand—no, ten thousand—times over.

Especially after trials like the seventy-fifth floor.

My lightning and shadow abilities had reigned supreme, with less emphasis on axe techniques since every swing had been infused with thunderous energy.

After a large-scale fight like that, I tended to unconsciously overdo my movements. It left my form feeling subtly off-balance. It wouldn’t be an issue when fighting weaker enemies, but in one-on-one combat against a stronger opponent, it could be fatal.

I need to restore my precision.

Anyway, time passed quickly. Doppy had long since collapsed, completely drained of energy. It seemed like a good time to end the first round of training.

After a quick bite to eat and some rest, I would begin my second round with some light warm-ups before the next trial.

I called out to Doppy, who was sprawled flat on the floor, “Doppy, let’s go eat.”

“Alright,” he responded blandly, clearly tired, but I could tell that he wasn’t just exhausted.

Hmm.

I glanced over at him, a tad concerned.

What should I say?

No comforting words came to mind.

Doppy had been in a bit of a slump lately. He had been doing fine until just a few floors ago—but now, his physical capabilities had hit a standstill. It was like he had run headfirst into a wall.

It wasn’t that his performance was bad. Although he wasn’t near the top anymore, he was still as competent as any of the lower-ranked warriors who had survived up to this point.

Judging him solely on his priestly abilities, however, he would be considered upper-tier.

That wasn’t enough for Doppy, though. Given how much he had been enjoying training lately, it made sense that this would hit him hard.

Also, I couldn’t deny that my rapid growth probably made it worse. No matter how hard he worked, the gap between us wasn’t closing.

In situations like this, hollow encouragement often did more harm than good.

Still, I have always believed that overcoming self-doubt is something that has to be done by oneself.

I set the food down on the waiting room table just as Doppy trudged over.

Without warning, he muttered, “I’m sorry, Su-Yeok.”

“

Huh?

What for?”

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“I’ve been useless.”

I turned toward him, a little startled.

He avoided my gaze, eyes drifting elsewhere.

After a brief moment of reflection, I understood what he meant. It was true that, for some time now, he hadn’t contributed much in battle.

However, not once—from the very first floor of the tower until now—had I ever thought of him as dead weight. If I hadn’t met him back then, I wouldn’t have come this far.

Back when I was new to combat, he had kept me alive countless times. His healing spells and buffs had pulled me back from the edge over and over.

Beyond that, his greatest value lay in his role as a guide. I could think of at least ten hidden missions I had completed simply because of his advice. Moreover, the crucial necklace from the second floor that had allowed me to unlock Divine Power was practically a direct result of his judgment.

Even now, when he wasn’t offering much in terms of physical strength, Doppy remained a tremendous asset.

He was a priest who could heal and buff, and a seasoned navigator through the tower. He was like a safety net I could always rely on.

So maybe his recent gloom isn’t just about growth after all.

It seemed I had been a bit slow to catch on.

Looking back, it made perfect sense. He hadn’t had any real opportunities to shine in the latest trials.

Before his expression darkened any further, I quickly shook my head. “What are you talking about? You’ve been a huge help.”

“But lately... you haven’t even needed my buffs!”

Well, there isn’t much I can say to that.

I had been intentionally skipping his buffs, after all. My training with Angelina had taught me not to overly rely on external sources of strength.

Regardless, I shouldn’t ask him to cast spells I didn’t need just for the sake of making him feel useful. That wouldn’t help either of us.

Still, I understood why it bothered him.

When you start to feel unnecessary, your self-worth takes a hit.

Especially for someone as young as Doppy.

Despite his size, he was only about fourteen in human years. Emotions were hard to regulate at that age, and being trapped in a place like the Tower of Ordeal room didn’t help.

I sat down in the chair across from him and met his gaze. “Doppy.”

He looked up at me wordlessly. His eyes, slightly red, shimmered faintly.

Hmm, how should I approach this?

I figured sincerity would be best.

As the weight of the moment settled between us, I calmly and measuredly asked, “Why would you think that? You have no idea how much I’ve relied on you.”

Before he could respond, I started recounting all the ways he had helped me. It hadn’t been that long since our first meeting—just a few months—but it felt worth recalling the past.

I first brought up how he had helped me uncover a hidden mission on the second floor, casting clutch healing spells in dangerous moments. I didn’t list every detail because that would take too long.

As I spoke, I realized just how much I hadn’t properly remembered. For instance, thanks to Doppy, we had found the portal to Blue Dawn Breeze’s inheritance after meeting Comet.

There were countless other smaller moments and decisions. Moments that, stacked together, had helped shape my path.

“So don’t think that way. I’ve always been thankful.”

Doppy looked at me, his eyes slightly misty. The atmosphere was getting a little sentimental, which was not exactly my thing, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

He needed this, and I hadn’t told him how much I appreciated him nearly enough.

“Rescuing you on the first floor was probably one of the best things I’ve done since entering the tower.”

His eyes widened, blinking rapidly.

Sure, it was a bit cheesy—saying it out loud made me cringe inside—but it worked, and more importantly, it was the truth.

We had been through so much together, and it wouldn’t be the end of our adventure. There would be plenty more moments ahead when I would need his help.

Even if there weren’t, though, he had already done more than enough for me.

Doppy wiped at the corner of his eye with his right hand as he wept, “Th-thank you for saying that!”

I had never raised a child, but for a moment, I felt like I could understand what that was like—just a little. Of course, he wasn’t my child or anything.

Then, Doppy looked directly at me. “I’m really glad I met you, Su-Yeok!”

Hmm.

That felt suspiciously like the kind of thing people said when they were about to part ways.

Still, that was besides the point. It had been a while since I had felt such warmth in my chest, so I let it slide.

Smiling, I reached out and patted his head. “So stop worrying and just eat.”

“Alright!” He nodded with renewed energy and raised his spoon.

Adorable little guy.

I couldn’t say for certain whether this single conversation had fully healed his self-esteem, but for now, it seemed enough. I could take better care of him moving forward. That wouldn’t be difficult.

***

[6 minutes 21 seconds until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

After our heartfelt exchange, a brief, awkward silence lingered, but it didn’t take long for us to return to our usual routine.

Credit for that went mostly to Yoonie and Ryun. Yoonie kept the mood light with her antics, and Ryun was chattier than usual, perhaps sensing the shift.

During the second round of training, Ryun seemed to go out of his way to pay more attention to Doppy, likely as a follow-up to what had just happened. Since this session was more of a light warm-up, I offered a few bits of guidance, as well.

Of course, there weren’t any immediate breakthroughs. If barriers could be shattered so easily, everyone would be a Swordmaster.

Still, Ryun and I concluded that Doppy hadn’t hit a ceiling in terms of talent. He just seemed a bit off-kilter physically, likely due to his ongoing growth spurt.

His recent eating patterns only reinforced that theory. Coordination commonly faltered during periods of rapid growth.

After I explained this, his face brightened noticeably.

A worthwhile training session.

I glanced up to check the time. It was finally time to enter the seventy-sixth floor—the last before the all-climber floor. Whether it would connect to the seventy-seventh as I had predicted was unclear, but I needed to stay sharp regardless.

All preparations were complete.

“Send me to the seventy-sixth floor.”

The moment the words left my mouth, my vision flashed white.

A beat later, that familiar sense of floating washed over me, and as it ebbed, the world slowly came back into focus.

[Welcome to the seventy-sixth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Maze of Choices.]

[Select one of the two doors to proceed.]

[Except for the first room, the climber may remain in each room for only fifteen seconds. If the fifteen-second period expires, they will be returned to the first room.]

[Escape the maze. Time remaining: 4 hours 59 minutes.]

As soon as I read the message, it became obvious that this trial wouldn’t tie into the seventy-seventh floor. The name alone, Maze of Choices, suggested that the challenge would be rooted in decision-making, perhaps requiring me to solve logic puzzles—or depend on luck.

Still, I couldn’t be certain yet.

The fifteen-second limit per room hinted that I could have to fight. Maybe each room had enemies that needed to be dispatched quickly, like a timed gauntlet.

Letting my imagination run free, I came up with a potential theory. Perhaps, depending on which door I chose, the type and difficulty of foes would vary. Then, if I failed to clear a room in time, I would be sent back to the start, and the enemies would respawn.

Regardless, at this stage, it was hard to say exactly what kind of trial this would turn out to be.

Considering that the tower would whisk me back to the first room after only fifteen seconds, the first choice of doors likely wasn’t that important. If it ended up being “wrong,” I could just come back and try again.

I scanned the space around me. It was a compact stone room, the walls hewn from rock. Two doors stood under the faint glow of a mana lamp.

How fitting.

To face this kind of trial right after what had happened with Doppy almost felt as if the tower had been eavesdropping on our conversation.

Not that I believe such a thing is actually possible.

Still, I wasn’t particularly worried.

I turned to Doppy. “Which door should I take, Doppy?”

After all, I had him, my trusted navigator. His answer was unexpected, however.

“

Umm

, I’m not sure. I don’t really feel anything.”

“Hm.”

He looked up at me with a hint of unease, as if searching for reassurance.

Is he feeling anxious again?

I couldn’t tell for certain, but I made an effort to act nonchalantly. “If that’s how you feel, maybe it really doesn’t matter which door I choose.”

I met his gaze. “Chances are, each path just leads to different kinds of enemies.”

That wasn’t just an attempt to comfort him, but my genuine assumption.

Doppy’s instincts were rarely wrong. If he sensed no pull in either direction, then either door was likely fine. Since I could always backtrack, the initial choice probably wasn’t critical.

I will just keep moving forward and figure it out as I go.

Without overthinking it, I stepped toward one of the doors.

My selection process had been rather arbitrary. I was holding my axe in my right hand, so I veered toward the opposite door.

Click.

The door opened with a soft creak. The inside didn’t reveal any enemies, just another small room with two more doors.