Chapter 362: Eighty-Fourth Floor, Sea of Lava (3)

[Investigate the Sea of Lava, identify the source of the problem, and resolve it. Time remaining: 118 hours 53 minutes.]

After my brief exchange with Sokin, the guards escorted me to a small room on the headquarters’ third floor. They had designated it as my personal research office.

The space was neatly arranged, filled with books and organized stacks of accumulated research data. However, since I couldn’t read their language, there was no real reason for me to go through any of it.

Amusingly enough, the room offered a full view of the ocean.

The ocean happens to be a sea of magma, though.

Still, sitting in the chair and quietly gazing out at the lava fields had a surprisingly calming effect. Once my mind had settled, I began to understand why they hadn’t managed to locate the trench yet.

According to Remtal, the trench beneath the Sea of Lava was spoken of only in legend. They had only recently begun developing submersibles capable of exploring it in earnest.

So locating the trench will probably be the core of the eighty-fourth floor.

One thing became particularly clear after meeting the king, however. The people of this world weren’t very strong. The royal bodyguard assigned to him was weaker than even the lower-ranked climbers.

Considering how the strength of a floor’s inhabitants scaled the further I climbed, it struck me as unusual. This made it all the more likely that the trial’s difficulty lay elsewhere.

Not that this realization made me feel any more at ease.

Searching for a trench beneath a molten sea isn’t simple.

That wasn’t something just anyone could attempt.

Yes, every trial in the tower had a solution. In this case, though, I had to admit it felt especially daunting.

I always found combat-based trials to be the most straightforward. While I was still basing everything on speculation, I doubted any enemies would appear this time.

It wouldn’t make sense for anything to be living inside the lava sea.

I had already asked others about that.

Aside from a few small creatures that lived near the lava plains, no living organisms existed within the lava itself—and not even in legend. Therefore, if enemies did appear, they would have to be apostles or gods.

Despite that, I couldn’t see why they would get involved in something like this.

Well.

I couldn’t be certain either way, but given everything I had learned, the most plausible scenario was that the trench had been sealed by the great earthquake, and I would need to clear it.

The wind spirit confirmed that there was nothing behind us.

Even if it was just a legend, I didn’t doubt the trench existed. Moreover, the source of the problem was far more likely to lie there than with the volcano.

Sokin’s explanation pointed in the same direction. He had mentioned that the issue’s true epicenter lay beneath the sea.

Still, I hadn’t completely ruled out the volcano, and I had time to spare.

Currently, there are three submersibles left.

Since first succeeding a year ago, they had constructed a total of seven. Unfortunately, four had already sunk while exploring. The precise cause was unknown, but they assumed that the submersibles had struck submerged rock formations.

Visibility inside the lava is effectively nonexistent after all.

Honestly, after hearing everything, I was surprised. Not that they had lost some, but that three were still intact.

It was a miracle that they had survived this long, navigating the lava seabed without anything like a sonar system. They had installed shock-absorbing arms underneath the submersibles, like octopus limbs, to cushion impacts.

Even still, it couldn’t possibly be flawless.

If anything, the fact that they were still operational was sheer luck. Even if they usually stayed on the surface and only submerged near suspected trench sites, it didn’t change the risk.

Regardless, the next submersible was scheduled to return the following day.

They rotate regularly, coming back for personnel swaps and maintenance checks before heading back out.

I had decided to board that one.

Apparently, as the so-called “great explorer,” I would be the one choosing the route—relying on instinct.

The idea of researchers placing trust in something as abstract as intuition was admittedly strange, but I didn’t mind. My instincts had never been wrong before.

I only regretted that Doppy hadn’t joined me on this floor. Although if I did find the trench, he couldn’t have entered it with me, since I would probably have to enter the magma myself without protection.

At least, that was what it looked like so far. Nothing was certain yet.

That was enough of that, though. I had a full day left until the submersible departed. It felt intentional, another calculated move by the tower.

I could either investigate the volcano or gather information from the surrounding area. The former seemed like the more promising option. It was always good to keep every possibility in mind, but in the end, I had to follow the path with the highest odds of success.

Once I boarded the submersible, there was no going back; I would be stuck at sea. So if I wanted to explore the volcano, now was the time.

Regardless of the outcome, it made sense to go. I wanted to open a portal there, just in case.

With a rough plan in place, I pushed my thoughts aside and stood up, heading for the hallway. I couldn’t just move around freely without saying anything. The volcano was a restricted area and an active zone where researchers were stationed full-time.

I could use Shadow Veil if I wanted, but there was always a chance someone would come looking for me. If I wanted to move around without hassle, I would need proper clearance.

Now, who should I talk to? Remtal or Sokin? Hmm, either should work.

I knew where both of them were, and Remtal’s office was closer. I climbed one floor and knocked on his door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Su-Hyeok.”

“Come in.”

As I stepped inside, Remtal rose from his seat to greet me. His expression seemed to ask whether something had happened.

“Is everything alright? Do you need something?”

“No. I was thinking of heading to the Chusain Volcano.”

“What? The Chusain Volcano?” His eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

Still looking uncertain, he quickly followed up, “Not exactly. If you’re determined to go, I won’t stop you. But you have to be tired from your long journey. Wouldn’t it be better to rest for today?”

“You can learn everything you need about the volcano from our records. If you have any questions, please ask one of the researchers.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t read a word of it. I smiled sheepishly and offered a casual excuse, “

Haha

, I prefer to see things with my own eyes. As an adventurer, I may notice something your researchers overlooked.”

“Hmm...”

Remtal hesitated.

I watched his face closely. He didn’t seem fully against me going. He just genuinely seemed concerned. Considering what he had said earlier, he didn’t want me to go through any unnecessary trouble.

According to the setting, I was an adventurer from the distant western regions, so perhaps he simply thought I deserved a break. Or maybe he just wanted me to spend my final day peacefully.

After all, even if the four submersibles had failed over a span of months, that was still often enough to raise concern. Our chances of making it back alive weren’t high.

After showing me to my room earlier, he had even suggested I visit a busy district in the evening.

It was a thoughtful gesture, and I appreciated it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time for leisure.

As I remained silent, Remtal continued, “And time will be tight. Even if you use the volcano rail line, just reaching the summit takes over a day. Since the sub leaves tomorrow afternoon—

ah!

Are you planning to take the one after instead?”

“No. I’m boarding tomorrow’s sub.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I travel fast. Very fast.”

“Wait, but— it takes more than a day just to get...” he trailed off again.

Apparently, he found the idea so implausible that he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

He eventually managed to tack on an ending, but he clearly didn’t know what to make of my response.

I didn’t blame him. It would be hard for people in this world to grasp.

Powerful individuals weren’t the norm here. Trying to explain it probably wouldn’t help much, either. If I had known the volcano was so far away, perhaps I should have just gone without saying anything.

Given that I had based my thought process on my standards, I hadn’t considered other aspects of the situation. Well, I had fought many strong opponents lately, so that likely contributed.

I quickly redirected the conversation, “Then I’ll take the next submersible. Taking a break just because I’ve come a long way doesn’t really suit me. I can’t spend the whole day idling, so I’ll head to the mountain first.”

Of course, I didn’t actually plan to board the next sub. I just wanted to wrap up the conversation before it dragged on.

I will go to the volcano and return shortly after.

As soon as I said that, Remtal nodded. “Well... if you insist, I won’t stop you. The next submersible is scheduled to depart in three days. That gives you roughly a day to observe the volcano.”

He gave me a strange look as if to question whether adventurers were always like this.

Regardless, Remtal returned to his desk, pulled out a document, and began scribbling with a pen.

He handed over a small sheet of paper and asked, “This is a Chusain Volcano access permit. Would you like me to escort you to the volcanic railway?”

I shook my head. “No, that’s alright.”

“If you head into the capital and go northeast, you’ll find the train station. Since the volcano is under restriction, a train is always on standby. Just show your permit, and they’ll let you board immediately.”

“Thank you.”

I took the pass and stepped outside the headquarters. Even at a glance, the volcano was far away.

Still, I had no intention of taking the train. Running or flying would be much faster.

Finding a quiet spot, I cloaked myself as I summoned my mana; Shadow Veil and lightning activated simultaneously.

I launched off the ground at full speed.

***

[Investigate the Sea of Lava, identify the source of the problem, and resolve it. Time remaining: 114 hours 20 minutes.]

It took me about four hours to reach the summit. If I had pushed my mana harder, I could have arrived even faster, but I didn’t see the need.

Regardless, the soldiers stationed at the summit were startled when I appeared out of nowhere.

They shouted, “Who—who is it?!” and drew their weapons.

When I presented my permit, they quickly backed off and apologized profusely, though they still looked at me like they had seen a ghost.

Judging by the train’s existence, it seemed that no one ever actually climbed this mountain on foot.

Well, it is an enormous mountain, after all.

I soon turned my attention to the summit. The crater resembled a fusion of eight Baekdu Mountain[1] calderas. The lava lake alone looked to be at least thirty kilometers in diameter.

From the center, streams of lava flowed outward in several directions, bubbling and hissing as if on the verge of eruption.

Startled, I asked a nearby researcher, but they told me this was normal. Moreover, it became even more intense during seismic activity.

The area was vast, but as I circled the rim, I didn’t sense anything particularly out of place.

Is this trip a complete waste of time?

It was hard to say. I hadn’t checked the volcano’s center yet.

Unlike the Sea of Lava, which could be explored with submersibles, this place didn’t have any such equipment. Perhaps they had tried it once and abandoned the effort. For now, they were using strange instruments to take measurements.

Either way, I need to investigate the core.

I couldn’t reveal that I could fly.

Instead, I slipped into an isolated area, cloaked myself with Shadow Veil again, and made my way toward the center of the lava lake.

There was still nothing unusual. The heat only intensified the closer I got. Lava would occasionally splash up and graze me, but I shook it off using mana and Divine Power.

I sensed something only when I got near the volcano’s center.

Huh?

Amid the scorching air, I felt the faint trace of divinity.

I immediately accelerated.

At the exact center of the lava lake, I realized there was something beneath this volcano—something imbued with divine power.

Without wasting another second, I summoned my divinity and dove downward.

As divine energy and mana surged around me, the lava violently split and erupted upward in jagged plumes.

***

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has discovered a fragment of a god’s corpse. The hidden mission ‘Corpse of the Fallen God’ has commenced.」

1. Baekdu Mountain is a volcanic peak on the border of North Korea and China, and it's the tallest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, with deep roots in Korean history and legends. ☜