Chapter 359: Eighty-Fourth Floor, Waiting Room (2)

[7 hours 54 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Perhaps because they were meeting for the first time, the brief introductions were followed by a lingering air of awkwardness.

Natalie appeared as if she had something to say, but seemed to hold back, likely out of consideration for Gehenna.

On the other hand, Gehenna looked entirely unbothered. She simply gazed at Ha Hee-Jeong with a faint smile and bright, curious eyes. Hyang stood just behind Gehenna, cautiously sneaking glances at Ha Hee-Jeong as well.

I was the only one who knew all four of them, but I wasn’t sure how to initiate a conversation.

While I remained silent, unsure of how to proceed, the extroverted Ha Hee-Jeong turned to me and mouthed, “

Think it’s okay to talk?

”

She seemed to be asking whether it was fine to speak openly with Gehenna present.

“

Yeah, she’s one of my apostles. Just leave out the regression part,

” I replied, also mouthing my words as I nodded slightly.

Though we weren’t especially close yet, there was no real reason to withhold anything from Gehenna aside from Ha Hee-Jeong’s regression. I still intended to keep quiet about it, at least until we had grown closer. It felt like something better shared once our trust had deepened.

Still, I did plan to tell her about The Meticulous Architect. Who knew if she already knew something helpful about that?

Not wasting another second, Ha Hee-Jeong turned to Natalie and struck up a conversation. “There’s something I’ve been wondering. Do you mind if I ask?”

“Not at all. Please, go ahead.”

“I heard you talked about the future that The Meticulous Architect showed Kwon Su-Hyeok. You seemed like you knew something. Could you tell me more about it?”

Her tone carried a note of anticipation, but Natalie offered a bitter smile.

“Unfortunately, what I told oppa is all there is. If he gives it his all, he can overcome it. That’s really the extent of it. I’m afraid I can’t share anything more.”

“Really?” Ha Hee-Jeong responded reluctantly, her disappointment evident.

Natalie wasn’t quite finished, though. “But—”

Unfortunately, her expression twisted into a slight grimace.

Ha Hee-Jeong and I turned to her with wide eyes, but Natalie soon shook her head from side to side. “I can’t say anything beyond that.”

I met Ha Hee-Jeong’s gaze. Our eyes locked midair, and in that unspoken moment, we both understood that we were thinking the same thing. The fact that Natalie had added a “but” felt deliberate, as if she intended to leave us with a hint.

What did she mean by that? Is she trying to say it can be overcome in some other way?

That seemed likely, though we couldn’t be certain.

On the other hand, perhaps she had truly attempted to say more and had been restricted. Her expression contorted in pain, after all.

I glanced at her again, but she only gave another bitter shake of her head. She clearly couldn’t speak any further on the matter. That had probably been the most she could offer.

There was nothing to be done about the matter.

While I quietly lamented the missed opportunity, Gehenna looked at me puzzledly. “

Hmm.

What were you just discussing? It seems there’s something I’m unaware of. If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate an explanation.”

I had assumed that Natalie would have pulled her aside and shared the gist at some point, but judging by her reaction, that clearly wasn’t the case. It struck me anew just how tight-lipped Natalie could be.

As I had meant to tell her anyway, I met Gehenna’s gaze. “Well, we were talking about...”

I explained the situation with composure, talking about how I had glimpsed a fragment of the future through a divine revelation, and how it had shown me on the verge of death.

Since I intended to call on her if things turned dire, she needed to be prepared for battle. Thankfully, I had already given her a general explanation of the tower; there was no need to add extraneous details.

“What?” Gehenna’s brows shot up, nearly touching her forehead, and her pupils widened noticeably.

“You’re saying something capable of defeating you is going to appear?”

“It’s just speculation, but yeah. I doubt I almost died for no reason.”

“In that case, we should head straight to training. There’s no time to lose, and we have to go to the training room right now!” With a flustered expression, Gehenna stepped forward and grabbed my arm while tugging me toward the portal.

I caught her wrist and shook my head. “Let’s wait a little. There’s still something we need to talk about first.”

We hadn’t asked Natalie about the theories we had formed. Although Ha Hee-Jeong and I had talked for quite some time, it hadn’t been long since we had finished training.

I gave Gehenna a steady look, and after a moment, she nodded.

“Very well.”

I turned toward Ha Hee-Jeong and Natalie. Both were watching me carefully, their gazes meaningful. It looked like they had something they needed to discuss in private.

Ha Hee-Jeong seemed eager to ask about the regression, but I couldn’t tell what Natalie intended to share. I would have liked to join the conversation, but if regression was going to come up, it was best to excuse Gehenna so the two could speak freely.

Feigning a sudden thought, I looked back at Gehenna. “

Oh!

That reminds me. Before training, I wanted to go over some strategies for combat. Want to step aside and chat for a moment?”

“A fine idea! Strategic planning is always essential before engaging in actual battle.” Gehenna’s face lit up with enthusiasm and showed no sign of suspicion.

The timing had worked out perfectly. I took her hand and walked toward the edge of the garden. Hyang followed as well, still clutching Gehenna’s leg.

As I glanced back, I caught Ha Hee-Jeong’s eye. When I winked, she gave a small nod and a smile, telling me I had done a good job.

Natalie also dipped her head slightly in thanks.

I turned away, silently hoping that Natalie would share some valuable insights and that their conversation would lead somewhere promising.

***

By the time we had completed two laps around the garden with Gehenna and Hyang, the discussion had come to an end.

Walking together, I got the sense that Gehenna had already guessed they wanted a private moment. Despite the length of their conversation, she hadn’t rushed anything and simply strolled beside me in silence.

Eventually, we returned, and Ha Hee-Jeong gave me a quiet nod. That meant Natalie knew about the regression.

Even the gods don’t know about that.

She could see that, too. Once again, I was struck by how formidable a dimensional witch truly was.

Looking back on it, clearing that hidden mission had given me a tremendous ally. Then again, that particular trial had been vicious, even by normal standards.

After bringing up her regression, Ha Hee-Jeong then followed up by asking about the theories we had formed, and Natalie had thankfully shared her insights.

“There are parts I know, and parts I don’t. But that’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself. For now, you don’t need to worry too much. Once you reach the top of the tower, you’ll understand.”

Apparently, she had added that if she offered her opinion, it could inadvertently influence my decisions. She explained that a dimensional witch was meant to assist the gods, not steer their choices.

At first, I found it frustrating, even suffocating. My curiosity had burned, and I had wanted to press further.

Before I could ask Natalie myself, however, Ha Hee-Jeong had gently stopped me, and I had no choice but to agree.

Looking back, Ha Hee-Jeong wasn’t wrong. Natalie was firmly on my side. If she genuinely believed I couldn’t overcome this threat, she would have spoken up long ago.

She said that I will find it out for myself eventually, so I will. As I climb the tower, I will witness things for myself, and when I do, I will decide then.

It echoed something I had been contemplating back in the waiting room. I needed to hone my decision-making skills.

With that, the serious conversations finally came to a close. Afterward, the five of us gathered around a table in the garden and enjoyed some light-hearted conversation.

The earlier tension gradually dissolved, and perhaps because they were all girls, the conversation felt natural and effortless.

Gehenna’s significant age gap and her rather peculiar personality were obvious as she occasionally said things that seemed completely out of left field. Ironically, both Ha Hee-Jeong and Natalie found her endearing, brushing off her odd remarks with a smile and light-hearted laughter.

In the midst of all that, I couldn’t help but feel a little left out.

Why does it feel like I am the only one not part of the conversation?

Back when Ha Hee-Jeong wasn’t around, I felt like the central figure in this space.

Though Hyang was a little shy, Natalie had shown me an endless amount of warmth, and Gehenna’s attitude had been much the same.

Now, though, things were different.

There was a subtle shift as if everyone wanted to make a good impression on Ha Hee-Jeong.

It is like she is the leader of the group now and the eldest, too.

Natalie’s friendliness made sense—she knew about Ha Hee-Jeong’s regression. Gehenna’s response caught me off guard, however.

She mentioned earlier that she likes beautiful things.

Ha Hee-Jeong was pretty, sure, but if that were the only reason, shouldn’t she like Natalie, too?

No, come to think of it, she did like Natalie as well.

Hmm. So does that mean I am not beautiful?

That sense of alienation persisted. It wasn’t quite jealousy. It was just that, even though the topics were trivial, I found it hard to join in.

It was partly because they occasionally made remarks that felt like they were talking behind my back. When Natalie complained that I arrived far later than I said I would, Ha Hee-Jeong readily agreed.

“Yeah, Su-Hyeok’s always like that. Either completely oblivious or pretending to be.”

When the two of them talked like that, Gehenna shot me suspicious glances.

Ugh.

Leaving the three of them to chat away to their hearts’ content, I turned to Hyang.

She wasn’t part of the conversation either. In truth, she was just quietly sitting there, but I could sense a kind of mutual sympathy between us.

“Hey, Hyang. Want to go look at some flowers together?”

“Flowers?”

“The ones in the garden. Didn’t the three of you plant them? I was wondering which ones you planted.”

Hyang hesitated, then gave me a small nod. “Okay.”

I was relieved she agreed. We weren’t contributing to the conversation anyway, so it made more sense to go and admire some flowers together.

As we stood and walked off, none of the others showed much interest.

Only Gehenna offered a brief farewell. “See you later, Hyang.”

A faint sense of bitterness settled in as I led her through the garden.

Surrounded by a sea of crimson blossoms, Hyang grew animated and softly explained, “I planted these ones. The ones to the left were my sister’s. And the right ones, those are mom’s.”

“Really?”

“What do you think?” she asked cautiously.

Though she had grown less shy than before, she still addressed me a bit hesitantly.

I figured this was my chance to grow closer to her. Kids liked being praised. If I showered her with compliments, hopefully the distance between us would shrink a little.

Nodding dramatically, I adopted an exaggerated tone as I replied, “Yours are the best. They’re vibrant and elegant, but there’s this inner purity to them like a hidden, snow-white integrity.”

To be honest, I was just saying whatever came to mind. I didn’t have much of an eye for art or aesthetics.

Still, the compliment worked surprisingly well.

Hyang beamed and looked up at me with delight. “Right?”

For once, she hadn’t trailed off or mumbled. It felt like we had genuinely grown a bit closer.

“Yeah.”

As I answered, I felt a sharp sting on the back of my head. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Gehenna and Natalie glaring daggers at me.

What the hell? Are they really upset because I said Hyang’s flowers were the prettiest? Come on, what is wrong with giving a kid a compliment?

I raised my shoulders with a helpless shrug, and Ha Hee-Jeong, who had been sitting nearby, let out a sudden, amused snort. That seemed to break the tension, and the other three resumed their conversation.

Hmm.

From the way Ha Hee-Jeong mentioned the word “flair,” I had the distinct feeling they were talking behind my back again.

A mischievous thought sparked in my mind.

I raised my voice on purpose and shouted, “What’s that? What are you talking about? Are you badmouthing me again?”

None of the three responded. Moreover, they didn’t even flinch.

Not that I cared, though.

Hyang, standing beside me, reached out and took my hand.

Her face was full of curiosity. “Why would they badmouth you?”

“I don’t know? Maybe it’s because I said your flowers are the prettiest. Your mom and Natalie have been glaring at me ever since. I guess they think theirs are better,” I declared mournfully, loud enough for the others to hear.

Hyang’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Mom did?”

Just like I intended.

With a betrayed expression, Hyang turned her gaze toward Gehenna. My words sent Gehenna and Natalie leaping up in alarm.

“That’s not true! He’s lying!”

“Exactly! We didn’t say anything like that!”

I grinned. I had already used mana to stop their voices from reaching Hyang.

I turned away while still holding her hand. “Forget it. Let’s just ignore them. No point listening to that kind of talk. The flowers you planted are the most beautiful.”

“Okay!” Hyang squeezed my hand tightly.

More indignant shouting echoed behind us, but I shut them out on purpose. I would rather enjoy a peaceful stroll through the flowers with the kind, innocent Hyang.