Chapter 40: Tenth Floor, Rest Area (1)

[Welcome to the tenth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Rest Zone 1.]

[All aggressive actions are prohibited within the rest area. Climbers are invited to rest and relax as much as they would like. Remaining time: 35 hours 59 minutes.]

As my eyes adjusted to the light, a vast field drenched in deep green unfolded before me. I had feared the hundreds of thousands of climbers would be teleported together in a chaotic mess, but instead, I was greeted by an eerily empty plain.

The sky was at dusk, painted with strokes of blue and orange. While the sun was setting, a brilliant crimson moon rose opposite it. The moon’s alien presence emphasized the surreal landscape.

A cool breeze meandered past, causing the wild grasses to dance. The grass rippled, one stalk brushing the next as it bent toward the ground. The wind swept through my hair too, bringing a refreshing coolness to my forehead.

Seo Ho-Su’s voice was filled with awe as he stood beside me. Seo Ha-Rin also gasped in admiration.

“Wow!"

“Heh, what a sight."

It seemed like an understatement to merely call this view “impressive.” I wished there was a more majestic term to encapsulate the scene, but “beautiful” was all my mind could muster. The limitation of my vocabulary frustrated me slightly.

Turning my head, I caught Ha Hee-Jeong smiling warmly.

She must have seen this scenery before.

I followed her gaze, noticing a few peculiar buildings to the left of the field. Their designs were neither modern nor medieval.

The architect would need an alien blueprint to design something like that.

The structures and the landscape were mismatched, fitting together as well as day and night.

“Wow, you were right, Dad! You said this floor would be a rest area.”

“Hehe. Yep, I told you it was pretty obvious. I knew something like this would appear.”

“Exactly! I was nervous for no reason.”

“Shame, though. Normally, places like this offer placement-based rewards... It looks like we didn’t get anything this time. Our party could have taken all of them if there were.”

Seo Ho-Su swallowed, clearly disappointed. I agreed with him. Since a leaderboard existed, it only made sense for there to be complementary rewards.

But what could be done? If the tower refused to share, there was nothing we could do.

“

Huh?

”

Other climbers began to appear across the vast, open plain. I marveled at the otherworldly spectacle of people materializing out of thin air. They surveyed their surroundings just as we had done moments earlier before bursting into exclamations of wonder.

I estimated there were about a thousand climbers. While this might seem substantial, it was a mere fraction of those who had entered the tower.

Looks like a number of people have survived so far. We are in Zone 1 of the tenth floor’s rest area, right?

It appeared that the tenth floor’s rest area was divided into specific zones. After orienting themselves momentarily, the climbers began making their way toward the distant buildings, drawn by the promise of a brief respite.

“Those buildings look like places we can rest. Shall we start heading over?"

Seo Ha-Rin responded with a bright smile, “Yes! Let's go!"

We grouped together and started toward the shelters. I could feel the other climbers’ eyes on us, their gazes cautious but filled with an unmistakable joy they could hardly conceal.

***

The rest area was organized into four sections: lodging, dining, an armory, and a general store. Lodging and dining were available free of charge, a welcome relief after the rigorous ascent.

The armory and general store are akin to the waiting room’s shop.

They were primarily used for repairs and trading rather than for outright purchases. I had heard that, occasionally, the armory would supply items that couldn’t be found in the regular shop, though they often came with a hefty price tag.

Many alien species from different planets managed the rest area. Some resembled aliens that would appear on TV, others had hard, stone-like skin, and some even looked as delicate as cloth.

They are quite a sight to behold.

The armory and general store were scheduled to open the following day, so for now, we had secured rooms and were en route to the dining hall.

The vast field, with its gentle breeze and the many people around, was the most tranquil place we had encountered since entering the tower. Laughter echoed continuously around us. I noticed climbers with tears in their eyes, but the smiles on their faces proved they were tears of joy rather than sadness.

As we approached the dining hall, I noticed the increasing number of climbers watching us. Rumors about us must have spread quickly.

Suddenly, Ha Hee-Jeong's low and steady voice broke through my thoughts.

“Just go. Keep a straight face. Don't turn your head, just look ahead."

She had suggested we should maintain a certain poise and leave a charismatic image in the public’s mind. This would be a crucial tactic in this new and uncertain environment.

Agreeing silently, I adopted a reserved expression and a cool gaze, trying to embody her recommended demeanor.

However, despite my efforts to remain aloof, I couldn't ignore the climbers' murmurs for long. My enhanced hearing picked up snippets of their conversations.

“Is that Kwon Su-Hyeok? He looks younger than I thought. He doesn't seem very strong either.”

“Really? I think he has a powerful aura. Don't you see the double-headed axe?"

“True, his aura is intense... but the bald guy behind him looks scarier. I know he’s not really a muscle-bound tiger, although his size sure would make you think differently.”

“

Keuk,

you are right.”

We continued toward the dining hall, the number of eyes turning our way only growing. They focused mostly on me, making me feel like a celebrity suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

“Holy shit. Does that party have five of the top six climbers?"

“From first to sixth, missing only third, that's a cheat party. Isn't this a crappy luck-based game? Wasn’t the sixth floor supposed to create even teams? How did it turn out like this?"

“No, Kwon Su-Hyeok and Ha Hee-Jeong were originally first and second, so they're pulling the party up.”

“Ah, is that so? Doesn't that make it even more of a crappy luck-based game? If I were to party with Kwon Su-Hyeok, wouldn’t that mean I'd become a top-five ranker too? Wow, how powerful is he to pull that off?"

These types of comments were a common refrain in the community.

Though not entirely inaccurate, the remarks didn't sit well with me. While it was true that all my party members were talented, they wouldn't have achieved such growth without Ha Hee-Jeong and me.

Despite this, hearing the speculation about my party members while we were right there didn’t feel great. My party didn’t deserve such comments from these idle gossipers.

Should I confront them?

While I was stuck contemplating this dilemma, Ha Hee-Jeong gently took my hand and pulled me aside.

“Not there. Go left."

Have I been too lost in my thoughts?

I nodded awkwardly, slightly embarrassed about my distracted state.

***

Even during the meal, climbers continued surreptitiously watching and whispering endlessly about us. Some of the braver climbers even approached us, attempting to forge a relationship or flatter us shamelessly.

“Wow, you're Kwon Su-Hyeok, right? The best climber!”

“All your party members are at the top of the Leaderboard. Haha, did you bribe the tower or something?”

“It seems like there’s a spot open in your party. I’m a mage and thirteenth on the Climber Leaderboard.”

Requests and well-wishes continuously flooded us, hoping for a spot in our party or asking to meet again. Managing our public image, we exchanged names and conversed amicably, all while smiling warmly.

Well, while I won’t remember every single person...

It was better than not knowing them at all.

As the meal drew to a close, no more climbers approached us. Everyone who had wanted to get our acquaintance had seemingly already made their move.

With the strangers gone, our party began to indulge in some drinks, spurred on by Seo Ho-Su’s enthusiasm. Well, it wasn’t just because of him, as everyone except for Seo Ha-Rin had joined in excitedly.

During our conversation, Seo Ho-Su and I discovered we had lived in the same neighborhood.

“What? Really? You lived near Dangjeong Station[1] too?"

“Yes, indeed! Haha, to think Su-Hyeok was from my neighborhood. What a small world! To meet a neighbor all the way up here feels weird but nice."

Seo Ho-Su and I—potentially Seo Ha-Rin as well—could have crossed paths at some point. Funnily enough, knowing this made me feel even closer to Seo Ho-Su and Seo Ha-Rin. I felt this showed the value of shared origins in building a relationship.

“By the way, the food and drinks here are really good."

“I’m amazed these alien species know how to prepare food from Earth, and it’s even better than similar dishes back on Earth," Cole commented, and I nodded in agreement as I sipped my beer.

Suddenly, Ha Hee-Jeong spoke up.

“Other areas might not be so lucky."

“What do you mean?"

“Only the top climbers are gathered in Zone 1. Other rest areas might not offer these provisions. For example, they could only provide water and bread, or require a climber to buy them with achievement points."

Cole nodded, accepting her point.

“Ah, I hope that’s not the case, but it’s possible."

Her comments sounded speculative, but since Ha Hee-Jeong had regressed it was likely the truth. Based on what she had mentioned, only the climbers in the top thousand of the Climber Leaderboard were in Zone 1.

“I thought they just grouped us into zones because there were so many of us..."

I guess a climber’s treatment varies depending on their placement.

It felt a bit cruel. Climbers placed lower on the leaderboard were already struggling to ascend the tower. The Community would devolve into chaos once climbers discovered they were segregated by their placement on the leaderboard.

A voice from behind suddenly broke my train of thought.

“Is there room here? Can I join you?"

Turning around, I saw Alexei Braham, whom I had met on the eighth floor. She was holding a bottle of vodka, and her face was flushed from the alcohol.

Without waiting for a reply, Alexei pulled up a chair and squeezed in next to me.

“I didn’t say you could sit..."

Seo Ha-Rin shifted slightly to make room, muttering a complaint, but Alexei just laughed it off.

“Ah, come on. Look, now we have the top six all gathered at one table, huh?"

“

Kriee!

Goblin, here, too!"

“Ah you’re Doppy, right? Hello! Nice to meet you."

"Kriee!

Nice to meet! Human!"

Alexei bent down to shake hands with Doppy, showing no aversion to the goblin. Though I had only seen her briefly on the eighth floor, her friendly interaction with Doppy suggested she wasn’t a bad person.

Hmm?

Feeling a stare on the back of my head, I turned to see Ha Hee-Jeong shooting me a look.

What’s wrong? Did she have an issue with Alexei in the past? Or does she think she’s a bad person?

Hmm,

Alexei didn’t seem like a bad person... And Ha Hee-Jeong’s gaze was different than the time we encountered the traitor on the sixth floor.

Perhaps they just had a rough past? But why take it out on me?

I gestured inquisitively, but Ha Hee-Jeong ignored me, abruptly turning away.

Oh, the fussiness. If there was a big issue with Alexei, she should have mentioned it earlier.

“Ah, by the way, one of my party members was thinking of collecting climbers' last words. What do you think?"

“Last words?"

“Yeah. A guy named Jimmy Hendrick brought it up. If someone survives and leaves the tower, they could pass on the last words of the deceased climbers to their families."

“Isn’t that too many people to handle?"

If only half of the initially summoned million climbers died, that was still five hundred thousand last words to collect.

“We were thinking of leaving them on the Community Keep the messages brief. After all, those who leave the tower would be the messengers."

“How are they supposed to remember all that?"

“Someone could organize the messages before transferring them to their intended recipient. Also, there’s an auto-writing notebook for sale in the shop. Hendrick said he’d handle the collection by updating it floor by floor and posting it in the Community. If Jimmy dies, someone else will take over. That way, it’ll be a collective project."

“That sounds like a good idea. Hendrick sounds like a good guy.”

Alexei nodded affirmatively and smiled, a sense of pride evident in her expression for being involved in such a benevolent act.

“Yeah, he’s a nice person and a skilled mage."

I wholeheartedly agreed—any last message would be a consolation to the families back on Earth, though it couldn’t change the fate of the deceased climbers.

“So, any thoughts on having a drink with me?"

“Drinks? We’re already drinking."

“No, just the two of us."

1. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, served by Line 1. This station provides access to a predominantly residential area in Gunpo. ☜