Chapter 402: Eighty-Ninth Floor, Waiting Room (2)

[23 hours 31 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

“What, really?”

My reaction startled Natalie instead. “You already suspected that?”

“Not exactly. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I suspected anything. If anything, it was just an off-handed consideration.”

Barely an hour had passed since I had dismissed that very idea, so her comment really hadn’t surprised me.

Of course, some parts didn’t quite line up.

I had assumed that if another species failed to climb the tower, I would take their place. Based on what Natalie was saying, however, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Well, from the way you are implying things, my idea seems inaccurate. So what exactly do you mean by there has been a development?”

“Pardon?”

“I thought that if another species failed, they wouldn’t have failed completely. Like we were all grouped by region or something. But if you’re saying something changed, doesn’t that mean it used to work differently?”

“

Ah.

”

Natalie nodded slightly, understanding what I meant. “That’s not how it works. Just because another species fails, that doesn’t mean other species in that zone take over. You’re only able to step in because you’re a challenger and because you’ve earned their trust.”

That title, challenger, appeared again.

Just how much has the tower hidden behind my one choice not to select a status window during the tutorial?

Still, Natalie’s comment didn’t entirely contradict my earlier assumptions. Parts of it aligned.

“So that’s probably why someone with divinity can cross the boundary on the eighty-eighth floor.”

“Exactly. In a way, the tower was trying to hint at what comes after.”

“What comes after?”

“That you have to protect those who believe in you and gain the trust of those who don’t.”

I understood what she meant.

The lives of the gods were nothing short of constant warfare. Protecting one’s own planet while invading others to steal believers—the Tower of Ordeal led one down that path, even if it didn’t say it directly.

Of course, that only applied to challengers.

“Then how will I end up responsible for the other worlds?”

“Well, you’ll find out naturally before the ninety-first floor. I can’t say any more than that.”

I let out a quiet breath. Although it wasn’t particularly useful, it was better than nothing.

Natalie added, “And in the end, it’s their decision. You may even end up responsible for all four species you are climbing with. One of them is already certain.”

“The Kosharks, right?”

Natalie didn’t answer, but it was obvious. I could piece it together.

It likely came down to the faith I had earned through my actions. Entrusting me with their world’s fate would be the climbers’ decision.

As I mulled that over, Natalie drew in a deep breath, like she was bracing herself. “And the trials from here on out are going to be very different. Nothing like what Hee-Jeong remembers.”

Her delicate face appeared tense, like she was enduring something painful.

I looked at her solemnly. I didn’t press for more. Even saying that much seemed to have taken effort.

“I should probably talk to Hee-Jeong about this.”

“That won’t be easy,” Natalie barely choked out.

“What do you mean? The trials?”

She dodged my question. “Come back with her after you finish the eighty-ninth floor.”

Is she saying that she will explain it then? Or that I need Hee-Jeong’s input first?

I couldn’t tell.

“I can call her here now.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m feeling a bit drained. I need to rest, so you two should spend some time together.”

It was the first time Natalie had ever asked me to leave. It caught me off guard, but she genuinely looked worn out.

I nodded slowly. “Alright. Thanks. Take care of yourself.”

***

[23 hours 25 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

After reading my message, Ha Hee-Jeong came straight to the waiting room using the necklace.

Doppy, still in the middle of training, popped his head in briefly. After I told him I had something to discuss in private, though, he returned.

We sat across from each other at a table. After I shared what Natalie had told me, Ha Hee-Jeong began tapping her fingers lightly against the surface.

“I’ve had similar thoughts.”

“Yeah?”

“Watching you lead the other parties and seeing how the other species looked at you made me wonder.”

“So up to that point, it was all within the realm of possibility.”

She nodded. “Right. As you said, I don’t think gaining the other species’ faith is troubling Natalie. It is probably what comes after. The fact that the trials are changing and that she told you to come see her after the eighty-ninth floor.”

“What do you think it means?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with any solid ideas. I pressed my tongue against the back of my front teeth and swallowed my breath.

Ha Hee-Jeong brought a piece of chocolate to her lips. She had always liked to snack on sweets while thinking deeply, saying her brain needed sugar.

I followed suit and popped one into my mouth, but it didn’t spark any brilliant ideas.

Ha Hee-Jeong added, “More than the trials changing, I think what comes next is the important part.”

“Yeah?”

“We kind of expected this, didn’t we? That things could shift since you’re a challenger.”

“So then the key is that things may get harder, and that she told me to come see her after the eighty-ninth floor?”

She nodded again. “Probably. I don’t know why, exactly. But maybe she’ll tell you then.”

“Yeah, maybe she’s used up the energy she saved up.”

“

Hmm.

” She tapped the table again, her expression serious as she drifted into thought. After a moment, she remarked, “Honestly, I think I should forget everything I know about floors ninety-one through ninety-four.”

“Really?”

“If I’m being honest, with where you’re at now, those trials wouldn’t be easy. But you’d clear them. No question.”

Now that she mentioned it, I realized I hadn’t asked about what came after the ninetieth floor. We had agreed to talk about it once we reached the rest area.

I felt hesitant, but I still asked, “So what were the original ninety-first through ninety-fourth floors? Even if they’re changing, it could be helpful to know.”

Sure, that information was important, but she and I had died on those floors. They could have left scars.

However, Ha Hee-Jeong responded without much concern, “Yeah, I was planning to tell you anyway. Actually, it ties in with what you guessed earlier about being entrusted with another world.”

“

Oh?

How so?”

“There’s something that happens before you enter the ninety-first floor.” She took a sip of coffee, then looked directly at me.

I leaned in slightly, signaling I was ready to listen.

Quietly composed, she explained, “Before the ninety-first floor starts, while you’re still being summoned, a message appears.”

According to her, the message contained an overwhelming amount of information. It included everything from why we had been brought to the tower to how every climber who had chosen a status window was considered a provisional god.

It had been difficult to learn anything about the gods, the worlds, or the tower during the climb. Yet somehow Ha Hee-Jeong, having returned, had learned it all. That message was why.

Everyone had felt betrayed by the tower after reading the message, but there was nothing they could do.

In the end, a message had appeared.

[Climber Kwon Su-Hyeok, currently ranked first, has been selected as a provisional god.]

[The provisional god’s stats will increase based on the number of surviving climbers.]

[Any climber who wishes to object may do so now.]

[A climber who objects will also become a provisional god. If Kwon Su-Hyeok accepts this, there will be two provisional gods.]

[However, the stat increase will be halved. If Kwon Su-Hyeok refuses the additional provisional god, the two will duel until only one remains.]

Ha Hee-Jeong didn’t remember the message word for word, but she said it had been something like that. That was why—practically from the start—she had stressed how crucial preserving the other climbers’ lives was.

Fortunately, no one besides me had wished to become a provisional god in her previous life.

We had advanced to the ninety-first floor and faced a monstrous being. There had been no notification window, but Ha Hee-Jeong suspected the creature was an apostle.

It was far too powerful, though.

To make matters worse, the floor imposed a brutal penalty. Every minute, half the climbers would die at random. In return, I would grow stronger each time someone perished.

I became the last one standing and cleared the ninety-first floor. She told me I had been in a terrible state afterward. That continued until the ninety-fourth floor.

The trials themselves hadn’t been overly complex; my capabilities in her previous life had simply fallen short.

“So, you think the message before the ninety-first floor will change?”

“Well, you’re a challenger, and you’ve already acquired divinity, so I doubt there’ll be a provisional god selection. On the other hand, I bet something will happen for the other species.”

“Yeah, Natalie did say it would be their choice.”

Ha Hee-Jeong let out a deep sigh, “

Ugh.

I had a feeling things would change because of you. Now that it’s almost certain, though, I’m actually a little worried.”

“Why? Isn’t it a good thing since I’ll be there?”

“There’s always the chance the changes will apply only to you. And if you’re not around, things could get a lot harder.”

I shrugged slightly, “If it gets dangerous, you can just call me with the necklace. I’ll take care of it and return to my trial.”

“

Ah...

” She paused with her mouth open as if struck by realization, then laughed and tapped her forehead. “I’m an idiot.”

“It happens. When your mind’s racing, it’s easy to miss the obvious.”

Nodding, she rose from her seat. “No, I need to get back to training. Sure, I could just call you if something goes wrong, but we still don’t know how your trial could change. You should brace yourself, too. Once the eighty-ninth floor is over, let’s talk to Natalie.”

I nodded.

***

According to Ha Hee-Jeong, the eighty-ninth floor was called The Room of Faith and Reversal.

It took place in an enormous chamber, and all the climbers could lie on the floor in clockwise order, from first to last, based on their Leaderboard rank.

That meant Ha Hee-Jeong, who was ranked second, would lie to my left, and the lowest-ranked climber to my right. Each of us was subjected to a mental illusion, a nightmare.

The climbers wouldn’t be provided with any instructions before entering the dream. It resembled the Dream Within a Dream trial from the eighty-second floor.

The nightmare would begin with a vivid, believable scenario, making it difficult to recognize as an illusion.

One crucial detail was that the intensity of the hallucination varied depending on one’s rank. Lower-ranked climbers would find it easier to wake up. Once a climber awakened, a message would appear before them.

[Killing a climber trapped in a nightmare will grant the killer the deceased’s stats and skills.]

The floor was designed to incite infighting among climbers, making it all the more dangerous.

Back in Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, we hadn’t been in a position to maintain our composure. Apparently, I had barely survived.

With only sixty climbers left, some of those who had awakened early had tried to kill me. Others had narrowly managed to stop them.

Until the top-ranking climbers regained consciousness, there were several clashes. Even among the elite, some couldn’t resist the lure of power—Ha Hee-Jeong had likely killed some of those climbers during her current life, though.

In any case, we hadn’t made extensive preparations for the eighty-ninth floor for a simple reason: the trial wouldn’t affect me.

In the Dream Within a Dream, I had overcome a nightmare crafted by a god. Even now, on the eighty-ninth floor, my experience in handling mental attacks exceeded the others. I was confident.

Moreover, the current climbers were different from those in Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life. Many were a part of the Shadow Su-Hyeok fan club.

Of course, that didn’t mean I could let my guard down. Regardless, in the end, I just needed to wake up as soon as possible.

Still, I couldn’t help but falter when an unexpected message appeared before my eyes.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has deviated from the original course. He will no longer enter The Room of Faith and Reversal and will instead enter A Nation for Giants.]