Chapter 39: Tenth Floor, Waiting Room

During Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, the Community, on the thirty-first floor.

[Reflections on the Tower of Ordeal, Divine Thrones, and the God of Earth.]

- Author: Jimmy Hendrick (Thirty-first Floor)

... Climbers will remember the cryptic term “Green Belt” from the message we received before entering the Tower of Ordeal. This leads many to believe that the tower is an invasion by an alien civilization.

However, no matter how much science can potentially advance, what we’re experiencing can only be described as the work of a “god.”

... Thus, it's reasonable to assume that the Divine Thrones are the gods of various planets across the universe. The classes are likely divided based on how many planets they control or how powerful their divine abilities are.

In the early floors, climbers were tricked by the Divine Thrones regarding their classes, but if we think of it as a welfare policy among the gods, it makes sense. After all, isn’t there a draft system in sports too?

... But this raises another question—where is the God of Earth? Where do climbers who have chosen the priest class draw their divine power from? Why does the priest's status window not display their holy power? Why do they consume mana when casting healing spells, unlike the other races discovered in the Tower of Ordeal?

... From this, I suspect the Tower of Ordeal is a process meant to select a god for each planet. Yet, there’s one detail that still troubles me: the phrase in the climbers’ status window that reads, "Affiliation: Tower of Ordeal." What does this really mean?

The same question applies to the true meaning of “Patron Deity” and “share percentage.” We have many guesses, but no definitive answers.

Will we ever truly conquer the tower?

... Tonight, I find myself longing to discover the God of Earth.

***

[Kwon Su-Hyeok (Earthling, C-66432)]

Title: Seeker of the Crossroads

Affiliation: None

Patron Deity: First class, Omniscient Thunder Axe (Share percentage: 1.09% (-?.??%) / 100.00%)

Strength: 90.4 (-6)

Agility: 84.7 (-6)

Stamina: 88.1 (-5)

Mana: 52.8 (-2)

Skills: Lightning Essence lvl 7... Combat Focus lvl 16 (+5), Bear’s Blood lvl 8, Natural Healing lvl 7, Iron Skin lvl 3...

My penalized stats had recovered significantly on the ninth floor, likely from the numerous battles I had fought. I was confident that once I stepped onto the eleventh floor, my stats would surpass those from before I burned the share percentage.

Considering the stats I had gained through combat, it felt like I was getting a great deal.

And the tenth floor is a rest area.

The twenty percent stat restriction I had imposed on myself because of the pre-sponsorship hadn’t been as difficult to deal with as expected. The eighth and tenth floors felt like freebies in many ways. Even the fights on the ninth floor hadn’t been particularly challenging.

I could feel my stats were significantly higher than other climbers’.

And my skill levels have risen a lot, too.

Lightning Essence, Combat Focus, Bear’s Blood, Natural Healing, and Iron Skin had all leveled up. Floors with combat provided a much larger boost to both stats and skills.

After thoroughly going through my status window, I had nothing to do but wait.

[30 minutes 21 seconds until the rest period ends. Please rest.]

The break time in the waiting room wasn’t particularly long, probably because the tenth floor was a rest area. There had been forty-three minutes on the timer when we had arrived—the same amount of time that remained after conquering the Maze of Kashatum.

Based on the time left until the next floor, I assumed we wouldn’t enter the tenth floor until every climber cleared the ninth floor. Many climbers were still lost in the maze, and I was powerless to do anything except hope they would make it out safely.

- Seo Ha-Rin (Tenth Floor): We only have about thirty minutes left! I’m still a bit tired.

Aaaah!

- Cole Grouse (Tenth Floor): I know right? Why did we get such little time to rest? Also, the time shown on the timer is the same as the labyrinth’s. Maybe the tenth floor is connected to the ninth?

- Seo Ho-Su (Tenth Floor): Hmm, could be. But from what I’ve seen in fantasy novels, there’s usually a rest area every ten floors, so it’s probably that.

- Seo Ha-Rin (Tenth Floor): Really, Dad? I hope so!

Since the rest of the party didn’t know the tenth floor was a rest area, our group chat had been busy. Seo Ho-Su, meanwhile, had accurately deduced the nature of the tenth floor. His power of insight gave me chills.

Just how many fantasy novels has he read to become this sharp?

Maybe that was why he was adapting so well to the Tower of Ordeal. According to Ha Hee-Jeong, he was also excellent at choosing which stats to allocate points to.

If I had known that I would end up in a strange tower, forced to fight for the fate of the Earth, I would have watched combat tutorial videos on UTube...

Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over me. Who could have predicted that I would be thrown into the Tower of Ordeal to fight for my life? Before this whole mess, I had been so busy preparing for job interviews that I could barely catch my breath.

Then, a message from Ha Hee-Jeong popped up out of the blue.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Hey, Su-Hyeok. What have you decided to do with your achievement points? Are you sure you don’t want to buy a new weapon?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Nah, I’m good with what I got. The Bear King’s Double-Headed Axe is tied to my Bear’s Blood skill. It gives me some kind of boost that makes it feel like I’m overflowing with power, even beyond my abnormal base stats.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): But you have about 55,000 points now, don’t you? That’s more than enough to get a weapon that’ll last you through to the higher floors.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): I don’t think I need one just yet. The axe isn’t bad, and as the Bear’s Blood skill levels up, it boosts my strength and agility too.

I wasn’t sure how long the Bear King’s axe would last, but the Bear’s Blood skill leveled up the more I wielded the axe. As long as there were perks I could squeeze from the combo, there didn’t seem to be any rush to buy a new weapon. Plus, the axe fit me perfectly.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): What about elixirs? I feel like I could use some more mana.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): You’ve had enough elixirs for now. If you use them too often, you will become resistant to their effects.

So that was why she hadn’t brought it up before. She had a point since too much of anything could backfire.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): How about some armor, then? You’ll be on your own on the eleventh floor, and we don’t know what challenges you could face. Your leather armor is a bit worn out and weak. What about some plate armor?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Isn’t it awkward to maneuver in?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): That’s just because you haven’t tried it. With your stats, high-end plate armor wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

She was coaxing me slowly, like a sly salesperson trying to seal the deal. The thought made me chuckle. It wasn’t a bad suggestion, though.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Should I get it? What if it turns out to be uncomfortable?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Seriously? If you don’t want to change your weapon, you should at least get some good armor! Are you not concerned at all? I’m worried sick about you!

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Why? I’m doing fine.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): How can you be so calm? We have no idea what could be waiting for you on the eleventh floor. Didn’t I tell you it could be tougher than the tutorial? You should at least be mentally prepared. You’re way too relaxed, and it’s driving me crazy.

Her words suddenly made me feel uneasy. I hadn’t been challenged at all from the sixth to the ninth floor, which may have caused me to become a bit too complacent.

I thought back to the tutorial. Sure, I had skipped the third floor, but none of the other floors had been easy. It wasn’t just a question of brute strength either. I had been forced to make difficult decisions, while others required me to ponder deeply about the true nature of things. Even the battles required a lot of mental effort. And that was just the tutorial.

... I have gotten too cocky.

I hadn’t struggled much when I defeated the Seraphim Queen, Weretiger King, or the Necromancer. Beginning on the sixth floor, I hadn’t felt any real danger. My main complaints were just mild irritation and exhaustion.

Of course, I pretended to be humble on the outside...

But ever since I unlocked the status window and realized I was significantly stronger than other climbers, I had secretly stopped taking the Tower of Ordeal seriously. Although somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I needed to work hard and try my best, I had unconsciously taken my foot off the gas pedal at some point.

Too much had happened since I felt the tension of my life on a knife’s edge, leaving me to think things would work out as long as Ha Hee-Jeong was by my side. I had been too arrogant, so certain my strength was sufficient to conquer the tower.

I had completely forgotten how hard it was to climb the floors just a few days ago.

... Fuck, I need to get my act together.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Sorry, I’ve been an idiot. I got too full of myself because things have been so easy since the tutorial ended. Thanks, Hee-Jeong. You’ve really helped me accept that I was acting arrogantly. Help me pick out some armor, okay?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): ... Alright, give me a moment. We can find something that suits you. Take a look and pick out some options you like, and then I’ll help you decide on one.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Okay. Thanks, Hee-Jeong.

Though she didn’t show it, I could sense that my apology had eased Ha Hee-Jeong’s mood.

Just as I was about to open the shop window, another message from her popped up.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Hey, have you bought the mimic storage box yet?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Not yet. I was checking my status window when I got your message.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Get the box for the mimic first. I’ll keep looking for armor. You don’t have to buy it right now since you can get it at any point before you enter the eleventh floor.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Got it. I’ll handle the mimic first.

She was right. Since another waiting room was coming up, dealing with the mimic was more urgent than buying a new set of armor. I opened the shop window and searched for the mimic storage box.

Huh?

Even after entering the search term, nothing appeared in the shop window.

Weird. Is it named something else?

Come to think of it, Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t been entirely sure about the name either.

What was the other thing she suggested? Mimic capture box?

I re-entered a name into the search bar, and the shop window refreshed.

[Mimic Capture Box]

- Price: 1,000 points

1,000 achievement points?

Not exactly cheap, but it wasn’t a huge burden either. In fact, considering that it would be my makeshift inventory for the foreseeable future, it seemed like a pretty reasonable investment.

As soon as I purchased the item, a small box appeared on the table in the waiting room. It was slightly smaller than the baby mimic I had been carrying around.

[Mimic Capture Box]

- A box that can capture baby mimics.

- Cannot capture adult mimics.

Hmm, how was I supposed to fit the mimic into a box that was clearly smaller than it?

I started to worry about how I was going to transfer the mimic. Sure, it couldn’t escape from this tiny waiting room, but I wanted an inventory

now

.

Just like always, asking Ha Hee-Jeong was the quickest solution.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Hey, Hee-Jeong. How do I transfer this thing? The capture box is smaller than the baby mimic.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): It’s easy. Just open the capture box, put it over the mimic, and it’ll get sucked in on its own.

Transferring the mimic was simpler than I had imagined. There was no need to wrestle the mimic into the smaller container or even pick it up.

After all, the only thing I had seen in the mimic’s box was an endless void. Even if I had wanted to grab the mimic’s real body, there wouldn’t have been anything to hold onto. It was as if the inside of the box was its own dark, unreachable space.

I opened the box and pulled the baby mimic out from where it had been tucked inside my quiver. The little creature had been peeking out from the slightly open treasure chest lid, its eyes gleaming with curiosity. However, as soon as it saw me approaching, it hurriedly ducked back inside the box, trying to hide.

It would probably be easier to knock it out first.

Gripping the baby mimic, I shook it rapidly up and down with my right hand, hoping it would pass out.

“

Screech...”

The creature let out a strange, high-pitched screech. The sound became fainter as I shook it harder, and eventually, the mimic went limp, knocked out cold. Now, it was time to move it.

I opened the capture box and placed the baby mimic’s box upside down over it.

Whoosh—

There was a soft hissing sound like air escaping, and just like that, the baby mimic was sucked into the capture box.

Is that it?

The process was so simple that it left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I had expected it to be more complicated, but it was over in an instant. Just to make sure, I sent Ha Hee-Jeong another message.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Hee-Jeong, the mimic just got sucked in, no problem. Is that really all there is to it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Yep, that’s it. Now you just have to tame it. It won’t listen to you at first, but once you train it, you’ll have your own living inventory.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): Tame it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): Yeah, and it’s actually kinda cute 😂When it doesn’t listen, just give it a shake. That’ll do the trick.

Hmm, even though it's for our convenience, isn't this clearly animal cruelty?

Sure, I had shaken it before, like on the ninth floor, but somehow I felt slightly reluctant this time. It was as if I were training it with a whip, and I didn’t want to train it like that.

Eventually, the mimic would come to understand my heart as I raised it. Imagine a mimic that would spit out items on command; it would practically be an automatic inventory. How fun would that be?

I stuffed the mimic into the quiver. Luckily, the smaller box fit better than the original chest.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Tenth Floor): How’s the search for armor going?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Tenth Floor): I’m still looking, but it’s hard to immediately decide on one. We don’t have much time left, so let’s talk about it when we get to the rest area.

***

[Challenge Kwon Su-Hyeok’s Party is now entering the tenth floor: Rest Zone 1.]

[The tenth floor is a rest area for climbers. All aggressive actions are prohibited within the rest area. Climbers are invited to rest and relax as much as they would like. Time remaining: 35 hours 59 minutes.]