Chapter 374: Eighty-Sixth Floor, Waiting Room (3)

Planet A-00003, also known as Brutein and home of Omniscient Thunder Axe’s temple, during the events of the eighty-sixth floor.

“

Oh

, Lord Omniscient Thunder Axe, have you been well? My apologies. It’s been far too long since I last paid my respects.”

“No need to apologize. Your world is in the midst of war, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“Actually, that’s precisely why I’ve come to see you.”

“It’s because of Kalain’s movements, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I have no idea what is going through Sky of the Nine Heavens’s mind.”

Omniscient Thunder Axe silently studied the man before him.

“As I’m sure you already know, not just my front, but every frontline has suddenly ground to a standstill. That bastard was expanding his forces at an alarming rate, but now, for some unknown reason—”

“It’s likely because of Kwon Su-Hyeok.”

“You mean the challenger who appeared after four thousand years? But why? Don’t tell me he’s targeting that boy?”

Omniscient Thunder Axe didn’t answer. Instead, he offered the other man a slow, sly smile.

***

[8 hours 51 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

“

Haaa,

” I exhaled quietly, bracing myself as a stinging pain coursed through me.

After spending several hours working with the horn, the wound on my palm had grown noticeably worse. I had pushed myself nearly to the edge. One more session would be more than I could recover from before the next floor.

It wasn’t news, but the wounds caused by the backlash never grew any easier to bear, regardless of how much I built up Pain Resistance.

Still, my recovery process had sped up slightly, which was a small mercy. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t ask for much more.

Despite the pain, training progressed steadily.

As I had done on the eighty-fifth floor, I held the horn and released divine power through it. At times, I wielded it directly and thrusted it like a weapon.

Some unexpected situations ensued as well.

At one point, when I discharged divine energy through the horn, it blew apart one of the training room’s walls entirely. It was the first time I had seen beyond the training room with any clarity.

A darkness similar to deep space.

It reminded me of the void I entered right before starting a floor.

As soon as I glimpsed the dark expanse, some force summoned me back into the waiting room. Moreover, when I opened the door leading to the training room, it had already been fully restored.

Unlike the warning messages I had received after striking the barrier in the old rest area, nothing appeared this time. Perhaps it was because the facility was designed specifically for training.

Still, I will need to stay cautious. If I disrupt the flow of things, I will be the one to lose out.

Ha Hee-Jeong had yet to return from the eighty-seventh floor. Prior to entering, she had mentioned it would likely take about three days. She was probably in the thick of the trial, working with the rest of her party to see it through.

Perhaps it was a side effect of the divine backlash, but I finally managed to sleep soundly for the first time in a while.

My next training session wouldn’t be for a bit longer, but I didn’t feel particularly tired.

With the wound on my palm still healing, I decided to stay in bed. Instead of heading to the training room, I opened the Community. It was a spontaneous thought, but looking back, I hadn’t browsed it for a long time.

To be honest, I hadn’t paid much attention to it.

I didn’t post anything but just scrolled through the feed until a particular title caught my eye.

[A Question for Warrior-Class Masters]

When it came to this topic, no climber was more qualified than I. Moreover, since I had been feeling a bit idle anyway, the timing was convenient.

Since the post was addressed to those who had achieved the rank of master in their respective weapon, the writer had probably just unlocked Aura. As far as I was concerned, the more masters there were, the better it would be for me.

When I clicked the post, the content appeared immediately.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

- This may sound arrogant, but I’d place myself at the entry level of Master rank. I’ve heard that properly creating Aura requires a personal revelation, but I can’t seem to grasp anything. It feels like I’ve hit a wall. I can form a faint Aura, but that’s all...

Though it was a fairly lengthy message, it ultimately conveyed a simple truth: they hadn’t yet broken past the threshold into true mastery.

The latter portion went on to describe their fighting style in meticulous detail. They were already one of the top-ranked climbers, and perhaps because the subject matter was so specific to master-level insights, there weren’t many replies.

Casual comments were generally discouraged on posts like these. Anyone replying flippantly was sure to be reprimanded.

- Philaine Watson (Eighty-seventh Floor): I got stuck there, too. It’s unbelievably frustrating.

- Kuina Wren (Eighty-sixth Floor): I haven’t even touched on that realm yet. Wishing you luck!

- Philaine Watson (Eighty-seventh Floor): And most of the top-ranked climbers are currently inside the eighty-seventh floor, so it may take some time to get a proper response.

As that last comment pointed out, the majority of high-level climbers were challenging the eighty-seventh floor. That left only one person capable of offering meaningful advice—me.

Even so, no matter how far I had come, I couldn’t make someone a master through words alone. Mastery was something one reached through personal realization. It wasn’t something that could simply be taught, nor was there a universal answer.

Those revelations were unique and different for everyone.

Still, after reading his post, I think I know why he is struggling.

I couldn’t offer a ready-made solution, but I could at the very least point him in the right direction.

After taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I began writing a reply. It was based on the insight I had gained while manifesting my true Aura.

If I remembered correctly, it happened on the forty-seventh floor. The trial had centered around defeating the Catastrophe, Valsaron, within a fabricated world shaped by the Burning Truth. In doing so, I had arrived at my realization.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): There’s no singular answer when it comes to the insight needed to become a swordmaster. That said, I think I may be able to offer a bit of guidance.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): I broke through by shattering patterns. It may sound abstract, but every living creature moves within a set rhythm or habit.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): When I was still inexperienced, I often relied on movements that let me strike with maximum precision.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): Ironically, that very predictability could become a weakness. If my opponent studied me enough, they could anticipate my actions.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): Everyone has a distinct fighting style. My path to mastery involved breaking that style apart.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): I’m not great with words, so I may have gone on too long, but what I really want to say is this. Defining yourself by a fixed fighting style may end up becoming a constraint.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): Of course, you probably won’t reach your realization just by reading this. But try dismantling what you’ve called your own style and piecing it back together. That’s where it begins.

People often defined themselves by certain traits or tendencies. Sometimes, those labels were accurate, but in many cases, they were illusions we had imposed on ourselves. We trapped ourselves without even realizing it.

It isn’t always easy to draw that line.

Regardless, I had only been able to speak on it so clearly because the poster described their combat style with such specificity. In most cases, when someone did that, it was because they believed in it a little too firmly.

Writing the comment took longer than I had expected, but it was necessary to say everything properly.

Almost immediately—perhaps he had been watching the post in real time—the author responded. It practically felt like he had replied the moment I submitted the final line.

- Patrick Norman (Eighty-seventh Floor): Whoa, Kwon Su-Hyeok! Thank you, thank you so much!

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): If there’s anything else you’re curious about, feel free to ask.

- Patrick Norman (Eighty-seventh Floor): No, that’s enough. I think I finally get it. I’m heading straight to training! I’ll be sure to thank you again later!

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): Alright.

I felt a quiet sense of fulfillment, like I had actually managed to help someone. Judging by the absence of further replies, he really had gone straight to training.

Just as I was about to close the tab, the real reaction came from someone else entirely.

- Mei Chen (Eighty-seventh Floor): Oh wow, Su-Hyeok’s here!

- Philaine Watson (Eighty-seventh Floor): I think I’ve had a breakthrough, too. Thank you.

- Park Sang-Hyuk (Eighty-seventh Floor): Light Su-Hyeok! God Su-Hyeok! King Su-Hyeok!

Three comments popped up in quick succession. Among them, the name “Park Sang-Hyuk” stood out.

It was a name I knew well. He was essentially the leader of the Shadow Su-Hyeok fan club, and I had even met him once before. In fact, he had earnestly blurted out, “Ooh, Light Su-Hyeok!” right to my face.

Does this guy do anything besides hang around the Community?

It didn’t make sense, considering he was still ranked among the top-tier climbers.

If I replied again, there was no telling what kind of response I would get. I closed the post without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the news had already spread. Posts started flooding the Community almost instantly.

The scroll bar zipped downward as thread after thread appeared.

[God Su-Hyeok just showed up on the board!]

[Damn. Su-Hyeok barely checks the Community anymore.]

[Scroll down and click the post about someone looking for help becoming a master.]

[Wait, what?]

[Is this for real???]

[Light Su-Hyeok! God Su-Hyeok! King Su-Hyeok!]

[How does he always show up when the board’s quiet? lol]

[Su-Hyeok, I have a question! Please read this!!]

It had been a while since my last comment, so it wasn’t surprising that it drew attention.

Still, I wasn’t fond of this kind of fuss.

Unlike earlier, the board was now refreshing faster than I could keep up with. I was about to close it when a final post caught my eye. They were asking me to read because they had a question.

Thinking it could be another question from a warrior-class climber, I clicked on it.

- What does it feel like to live as someone “strong”?

It was clearly just a bait post.

I let out a quiet breath and typed out a short response.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Eighty-sixth Floor): Hmm, I don’t really think much about it. Anyway, I’ll be heading off to train. Best of luck to you all.

The only reason I had even bothered to reply was that making a separate post to say I was leaving felt like a hassle. At the same time, it was a way of saying that I was done and didn’t want any more attention.

If the board got overwhelmed because of me, it could interfere with people who actually needed help. For instance, those posting about strategies for upcoming floors, or questions about growth, like the one from earlier.

With that final comment, I closed the Community. There was still a bit of time before my next training session, but there wasn’t anything in particular that I had to do. I figured it would be great to squeeze in some extra training.

***

[Welcome to the eighty-sixth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Shrine of the Forgotten Gods.]

The message appeared as I drifted weightlessly in the familiar darkness. The feeling had become almost comforting by now.

The void stretched endlessly around me, as vast and quiet as the cosmos.

Shrine of the Forgotten Gods.

Even the name felt ominous.

As if to prove it, I felt a sharp tingle at the back of my neck, like the tip of a blade grazing my skin. Something brushed against the soles of my feet.

Unlike the usual order of operations, where I would finish teleporting only after the message finished displaying, my surroundings began to form even as the text continued. My vision gradually adjusted as the darkness lifted, but the surroundings remained largely the same.

A plain, narrow path extended before me. Torches lined both sides, casting a soft blue light.

At the end of the path stood an altar.

The message began to update again.

[This is the shrine where the forgotten gods have gathered.]

[Offer your divinity to the altar, and the deities who view you favorably will return divinity in equal measure.]

[However, be careful.]

[The more divinity you imbue into it, the more likely a hostile god may appear.]

[Infuse the shrine with divinity. Time remaining: 2 minutes 59 seconds.]

As soon as the message disappeared, time began to flow normally again. I activated Flash Strike without hesitation.

Everything around me slowed as if the world was suspended in place.

I had three minutes. One second had already passed, so I couldn’t afford to waste time lost in thought. Flash Strike gave me some breathing room, but it wasn’t enough.

The message was lengthy, but not particularly difficult to grasp.

The premise was straightforward. It was a kind of gamble. The more divinity I poured in, the greater the return from the friendly gods. It would be double the amount, to be exact. However, with each offering, the risk also grew.

Most likely, the forgotten gods referred to beings like the one whose corpse I had found on the eighty-sixth floor.

What stood out to me the most, though, was the phrasing about how a hostile god could appear. That likely meant a literal emergence.

In other words, I would have to face it myself.

Although they wouldn’t necessarily have the strength of an active god, they wouldn’t be weak.

“

Ugh,

” I quietly sighed.

I knew that the vision The Meticulous Architect had shown me would happen on this floor. The landscape was different, but my certainty was undeniable.

Even as I first entered, my instincts had begun to sound the alarm.

The scenery would likely shift the instant a hostile god manifested, and the nature of the trial would follow suit. After all, killing one within a mere three minutes would be absurd.

I can still avoid it.

As the tower had warned, offering only the proper amount of divinity would allow me to diverge from the future laid out before me.

Even so, I had no intention of avoiding it.

This is the Tower of Ordeal. Its trials have to be manageable, and if so, I simply have to endure them.

I had already seen a future where I failed, but that had allowed me to prepare. Fear alone would not make me turn back. I would face it head-on, and my decision had already been made.

A creeping tension began to tighten around me.

After exhaling softly, I sprinted toward the altar.