Chapter 345: Eighty-Second Floor, Waiting Room (1)

I returned to the trial and made my way toward Ha-Seon.

Earlier, I had only managed to return the Celestial Bell in haste, without giving anyone a proper explanation. They had all looked at me with confused and baffled looks. It was understandable, considering what they had witnessed.

A pillar of fire had erupted from the earth, monkly energy had spread from the Celestial Bell, and the sky itself had cracked open. It had likely left them deeply unsettled.

The situation wasn’t exactly urgent; I simply didn’t know what to say.

Should I share what I learned?

Instead of teleporting back to the king and Ha-Seon, I was walking to buy myself more time to think. I had weighed my options carefully and come to a decision, but it still didn’t feel entirely right.

This wasn’t the first time I had found myself wrestling with such a dilemma. I had faced something similar back on the fifty-ninth floor when I had obtained Soulbound.

After defeating the molten creature born of fragmented souls, I had stood at the same crossroad.

Back then, I kept quiet at first, thinking that the inhabitants used soulsteel to imprison the souls of their predecessors.

When I realized that wasn’t the case, however, I shared the truth and even proposed a rite to lay the lingering spirits to rest.

However, I had no intention of saying anything this time—a god was directly involved. For the people of this world, the truth could be more of a curse than a revelation.

Of course, some would want the truth despite the pain, but this was a different situation altogether.

We are talking about a god.

Nothing would change just because I unveiled the truth.

The yokai would continue committing atrocities, and humans would carry on praying to the celestials for salvation. Telling them could actually make things worse.

If the human leadership learned the truth, who knew what kind of chaos it would unleash? If the god’s source of faith waned, they could retaliate in even crueler ways.

That much is almost certain.

Even Gehenna believed another Great Yokai would rise in her place. The human world could very well be torn apart.

Now that my thoughts had settled, I looked up. The sky remained silent. I had been worried that a god would descend, but it seemed like the tower was still protecting me.

Just then, I noticed figures approaching in the distance. I spotted them first, and after walking about two hundred meters, they recognized me too.

The group of people rushed forward and shouted, “There! Over there!”

Their expressions were fraught with urgency and also held subtle traces of confusion. Most likely, it had to do with the yokai. Ever since Gehenna’s plea, the yokai had been fleeing one after another.

Maybe the Head Monk had used some kind of movement spell, because the distance between us closed in the blink of an eye.

Are they in such a hurry that they forgot to call my name?

The crowd stumbled mid-sprint.

Even so, the king kept a firm grip on the Celestial Bell, and Ha-Seon, who nearly lost his footing, barely managed to steady himself.

“Mr. Kwon! What on earth happened? The sky split apart, and the yokai fled in droves!”

What should I say?

I had already decided not to tell them the truth, but I hadn’t yet figured out how to explain things.

“Mr. Kwon?”

My silence dragged on longer than expected.

Now wasn’t the time to hesitate, though. I would simply let the words flow. I was good at improvisation, after all.

Letting a smile rise on my lips, I responded with a calm, open expression, “There’s no need to worry. Starfish has been dealt with. I cast it into another dimension entirely. The yokai, startled by the sight, scattered and fled.”

Their jaws dropped. Not out of fear, but in sheer surprise. To them, Gehenna had been an undying fiend, the

bulgasal

.

No one moved, so time itself seemed to have come to a halt. They blinked slowly, eyes wide, as if trying to make sense of what they had heard.

A couple of seconds passed before their expressions began to shift. Relief spread across their faces, though a touch of disbelief remained. Curiosity filled their eyes as they looked at me.

Given everything they had witnessed, it was only natural that their emotions showed so plainly.

Maintaining my smile, I continued, “You saw the portal earlier, didn’t you?”

“Y-you mean the dimensional gate?”

“Yes. I sent Starfish through it to another world. It no longer exists in this one.”

It wasn’t a lie. I had truly sent Gehenna to Natalie’s world.

Voices filled with awe rang out.

“

Ooooh!

”

Finally, the people began to smile. Some applauded while others cheered, raising their arms in joy. Their relief was genuine, composed of pure happiness without reservation.

However, I couldn’t help feeling a little conflicted. Gehenna had been a source of deep fear to them.

Well.

I had accepted her as an apostle out of compassion, but that didn’t mean I was entirely at ease with it. She had led the yokai, even if it hadn’t seemed like her choice.

Shaking off those thoughts, I turned my gaze back to the crowd and their joyous celebration.

“To defeat something like Starfish! That’s incredible.”

“The celestials sent you for a reason!”

“We’re so grateful!”

Expressions of thanks came from every direction.

I waved my hand with a soft smile. Though praise was always welcome, I couldn’t help but feel awkward. No matter how often it happened, I was never used to it.

Still, there was something I couldn’t leave unsaid. No one knew what kind of new Great Yokai would appear.

In fact, the next one could be even more dangerous. Worse, perhaps, because of the precedent set by Starfish.

“But don’t let your guard down yet. Starfish left behind a curse. Eventually, another Great Yokai will rise to take its place. I can’t say when, but it will happen.”

I felt a pang of guilt for using Gehenna’s name that way, but I had no choice. I couldn’t go around blaming the gods. This was a necessary lie, one told for their sake.

The cheerful mood dissolved in an instant.

“Still, we overcame it this time, right? Next time, we just need to be better prepared.”

Ha-Seon chimed in in agreement, “Indeed. Your Majesty, perhaps now is the right time to relocate the capital closer to the Fourth Division.”

“Yes, I believe so. We’ve postponed the matter for too long, clinging to the benefits of the current location despite opposition. But now, it has to be done.”

“With what just happened, I doubt anyone will object. Don’t you all agree?”

The ministers responded in unison, “Absolutely, Your Majesty.”

Everything was progressing so smoothly that it felt almost surreal.

Given how quickly they had agreed, this likely wasn’t the first time relocating the capital had been discussed. The difficulty of such an attempt had likely stalled it before, though. Now that things had settled, there was no longer any need for me to linger.

I opened a portal leading to the capital.

“This leads directly to the capital. Let’s move.”

“

Oh!

You are even supplying a dimensional gate! Truly, thank you so much. We are in your debt.” The king, overcome with emotion, took my hand.

As I stood quietly and smiled, he gave it a gentle tug.

“Please, go first. You deserve that honor. I’ll see to it that you’re treated with the highest regard.”

I immediately shook my head. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Pardon?” The king blinked in surprise, but I had already anticipated this.

“The people have suffered terribly under Sorcerer Ichon. Please, give them your care and attention instead of me.”

“You even display such compassion. I hadn’t even thought of that. Of course, I’ll see to it that they’re cared for. But still, you have to allow us to honor you.”

Though he tried once more to persuade me, I firmly and unwaveringly refused, “No, truly. I don’t intend to go to the capital. Most of the yokai have probably retreated, but some may have returned.”

“Moreover, I’d like to look around the area with Ha-Seon. Would that be alright?” I turned to Ha-Seon.

He looked momentarily caught off guard, but quickly nodded.“Yes, I’ll accompany Mr. Kwon and help inspect the surroundings.”

That, of course, was a valid reason, but not the real one.

Roughly a day remained. Even if I did head to the capital to be honored, the most I could expect would be food and drink. I had little interest in spending my remaining time that way.

Since this floor came right after a rest area, I didn’t feel the need to rest, either.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Besides, genuine free time had been rare throughout the trials. Now that I had it and with everything else settled, I wanted to take the opportunity to wander freely.

Also, this world has monks and cultivation.

I hadn’t visited a place that resembled the wuxia novels Seo Ho-Su was so fond of, but this one came remarkably close. A hidden fortune, like a secret legacy, could be tucked away within a mountain pass or on a cliffside.

The king nodded solemnly. “Thank you so much. I was too swept up in the relief of it all to consider that there could still be danger. I’m grateful that you’re thinking ahead.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But please, once you’ve finished your search, come back to us. Among the elixirs I listed in my earlier remarks, there’s one of particularly high quality. I’d like you to have it.”

An elixir, huh.

I had no plans of turning that down. Elixirs had become outrageously expensive as the floors progressed. I had bought a few here and there, but anything truly effective was absurdly overpriced, while the cheaper ones were rarely worth the cost.

Considering how far in the tower we were, it would definitely be worth acquiring.

“Alright. In that case, please head off first. Maintaining the portal takes some effort, after all. There’s no need for drawn-out farewells, so we’ll meet again soon.”

“Yes. Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The king’s attendants echoed his sentiment, “We’re grateful.”

Their expressions betrayed a hint of reluctance, but I ushered them forward and sent them through the portal.

Once it closed, I retrieved a gem from Mung-chi and tossed it to Yoonie. I was rewarding her in advance, considering that she would be doing a fair bit of scouting soon.

When I turned, Ha-Seon was grinning. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah, though there’s no real need to survey the area.”

“Pardon?”

“There aren’t any yokai left.”

“Then why go through the trouble?”

I gave him a crooked smile. “I’ve got about a day left. Ever hear of any old legends passed down in this world?”

***

[35 hours 48 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Unfortunately, I hadn’t found anything resembling a hidden treasure or legendary encounter before returning to the waiting room. I had visited a mountain said to be steeped in folklore, scoured every ravine and crevice, but found nothing.

Even Doppy’s instincts and Yoonie’s senses were of no help.

If I had to guess, I would assume that the god had intervened, likely sulking after losing their apostle. That seemed possible enough. Also, thinking that way gave me some measure of comfort.

Therefore, I gave up on the search and spent the rest of the time wandering the world. It was only a single day, but it felt like a small journey. I didn’t mind that at all.

I didn’t travel with any specific intent; I just traveled across a planet.

Each floor introduced an entirely new world, yet opportunities to explore them without urgency were few and far between.

While I wandered, I also attempted to learn some techniques from Ha-Seon, though progress was minimal. Perhaps it was due to the difference between mana and the energy monks used. I could sense it, but couldn’t wield it.

Is this another trick by the god?

It wouldn’t be surprising.

From what I understood, both monks and yokai used energy that the Immortal of Ideals forged from their own divinity. This meant I couldn’t wield another god’s divine power.

Not that it mattered much.

Between my own divinity and mana, I was more than well-equipped. Adding my spirit companion to the mix, I lacked for nothing.

Honestly, if I added monk techniques on top of everything else, it would probably just get overwhelming.

It could have been helpful, sure, but growth demanded focus. Spreading myself too thin would only hinder me.

Anyway, the eighty-first floor passed without major complications, and I only acquired one rare elixir. I planned to take it after my next training session.

That aside, I checked the climber rankings and saw that the number of participants had dropped noticeably.

Just as Ha Hee-Jeong said, things are getting harder.

No doubt others were noticing that, too. All I could do now was hope that as many climbers as possible made it to the top.

Ha Hee-Jeong was currently on the eighty-second floor, while the rest of the party had already advanced to the eighty-third. She had probably waited for as long as possible before proceeding.

I had been on the eighty-first floor for seven days, so she had stayed a long time.

She was worried.

The necklace we shared could confirm that I was alive, but the extended silence seemed to have worn on her.

Still, I couldn’t go to her trial right now. She had waited out of consideration for me, and she would likely contact me soon. Until then, I had my own tasks to tend to.

I had already showered on the eighty-first floor, so I felt refreshed. I headed straight to the training room. It was time to test out the new divine abilities I had acquired.