[Follow the arrow toward Fort Pogoren. Time remaining: 6 hours 22 minutes.]

Almost an hour had passed since I parted ways with Jimmy. In that time, I had fought four more times.

Despite my attempt to deliberately avoid unnecessary confrontation, I found myself encountering an unusually high amount of climbers. It was likely due to how many had survived the fourteenth floor all converging in this confined space.

I wonder how they are doing.

After rescuing each group of climbers, I informed them of the arrow visible only to our party. I advised them to follow it to the Horen Forest and make their way through. This small gesture of kindness was the least I could do. I wasn’t worried it would affect my team’s ability to reach the fort first anyway.

They did seem a bit perplexed at first, but when I explained that I had obtained the information after rescuing some scattered survivors, they accepted it with expressions of gratitude.

Now, I continued to run opposite of the original arrow’s direction.

Suddenly, a distant explosion snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced left, noticing a brief flash of light in the sky.

This would mark my fifth battle of the day.

Thud, thud.

Two more detonations reverberated through the air, momentarily illuminating the sky.

So far, none of the lizardmen I had encountered had shown any aptitude for magic, leading me to believe that a climber had to be responsible for the explosions.

If they can cast such explosive spells in quick succession, they likely don’t need my help.

The lizardmen typically traveled in groups of around fifty, although by now, the spells had likely cut that number in half. I was just about to continue my path when a sharp, piercing whistle sliced through the air from the left.

Screeeeeech—!

Following it with my gaze, I found a glowing red orb soaring into the sky like a flare. It burst high in the sky, scattering colorful flashes in all directions like a firework.

That was unmistakably an SOS signal. Without hesitation, I veered toward the battle and picked up my pace.

As I sprinted, questions swirled in my mind. There was clearly a high-ranking mage in that group. Given their strength, they should have already slain at least twenty lizardmen, so why would they call for help?

Is the number of lizardmen per group increasing?

Something had clearly gone wrong. If I wanted to solve this mystery, I would have to see it for myself.

I propelled myself forward, quickly ascending the damp grass slope. The incline naturally slowed me down. However, since I was still full of stamina, I pushed my legs to hold a steady pace.

The hill’s summit was nearly within my reach. I could hear the clamor of clashing steel and roaring spells growing louder with each step.

Another explosion tore through the air as I finally crested the hill to behold the scene below.

“What the...?”

The sight wasn’t anything close to what I had anticipated. Hundreds of lizardmen swarmed a group of about forty humans, fully encircling them. Judging by the survivors’ armor, they likely weren’t refugees but a fragmented battalion of soldiers.

Boom!

Another explosion echoed through the battlefield, and the mage—presumably the one who had fired the distress signal—valiantly held the line.

Do the groups of lizardmen grow as more soldiers and refugees are saved?

Or is this another hidden mission?

I shook off the thought and began running down the hill. The survivors were surrounded. If I wanted to draw the lizardmen’s attention, I had to break through their backlines.

Adjusting my direction slightly, I charged into the fray. Sadly, even though I had rushed over as fast as I could, two more human soldiers were killed before I could reach them. Watching them collapse, it struck me that a simple head-on charge wouldn’t be enough.

Sure, I could take out the lizardmen eventually, but by then, the remaining survivors would already be overwhelmed.

If I want to save them, I need something more devastating.

An idea flashed through my mind. I utilized Lightning Essence’s full power, leaving just enough mana in reserve to sustain myself. The searing brilliance of the lightning illuminated the battlefield, causing the lizardmen’s attention to snap toward me.

I activated Flash Strike, but instead of rushing directly at them, I vaulted into the air and disappeared from their sight.

“

Hisss?

Where did the human go?!”

From my high vantage point, I saw the lizardmen look around in confusion. Using Kashatum’s Sky Shoes, I stepped powerfully in mid-air, propelling myself downward like a thunderbolt. Lightning enveloped me and crackled fiercely.

Noticing the blinding light coming from above, the lizardmen looked up.

Then I landed. A human cataclysm wreathed in lightning, slamming into the ground and unleashing a powerful blast. Instantly, thousands of lightning tendrils shot outward, striking everything within a forty-meter radius.

The resulting destruction was far more intense than I had expected, probably due to the damp grass. The shockwave’s effect was so potent that it scorched the plains, blackening the surrounding vegetation.

“Guuuh…”

“Uuugh…”

Paralyzed by the lightning, the lizardmen let out gurgling groans as they convulsed. Over sixty had fallen without a fight, their forms stiff and lifeless. The pungent odor of burnt flesh drifted on the breeze.

I turned toward the survivors and shouted at the top of my lungs.

“This way! Over here!”

I had carefully calculated the distance my lightning would travel. Knowing that the survivors were about forty-five meters from the epicenter of my strike, I released my lightning in a forty-meter radius to significantly weaken the lizardmen’s encirclement.

Seeing the opportunity, the soldiers focused their efforts on pushing toward my position. In response, I dashed forward once again to help break through the enemy line. I raised my axe for another swing when the remaining lizardmen suddenly turned and fled.

“Retreat! Retreat now!”

“It’s the Great Warrior! The Great Warrior of Paganism[1]!”

“Fall back!”

The lizardmen retreated, scattering in panic.

Wait, what?

I had never seen a lizardman flee until now. Before, they wouldn’t even budge when their comrades were butchered before their eyes. Instead, they would fight until their last breath without hesitation.

Why are they running now?

I couldn’t make sense of the abrupt change in their behavior.

Is it because of the lightning?

That seemed unlikely. I had used lightning in previous battles.

Could it be…?

Perhaps this group had been alarmed by the fact that the lightning had come from the sky. Every other time I had faced the lizardmen on this floor, I summoned lightning while on the ground.

Should I chase after them?

No, it wasn’t worth the effort.

I already saved the survivors, and I needed to preserve my stamina and mana for what lay ahead. Sticking to my plan was the priority.

Meanwhile, the group of survivors approached me. Clad in full plate armor, they resembled medieval knights.

The lead knight raised her visor, revealing a woman with sharp, commanding eyes. She lowered her head in a respectful bow, causing a few strands of her sweat-drenched blonde hair to cling to her cheeks.

“Thank you, truly. It seems the gods have not yet forsaken the empire. I am Selena Tonz, commander of the Deiorne Empire’s Imperial Knights.”

“Oh, I’m Kwon Su-Hyeok.”

Commander of the Imperial Knights? That’s quite a lofty rank. Why is she here?

The Sobornese’s situation seemed far direr than I had anticipated.

Noticing my expression, Selena smiled faintly, although a layer of melancholy hid behind it.

“The empire’s in grim circumstances. When a god is forced to seek aid from other dimensions, the situation speaks for itself.”

***

After a brief chat with Selena, I finished the conversation by mentioning Horen Forest to her as well.

I was just about to leave when a group of climbers quietly approached. Leading them was the young mage who fought fiercely earlier. He was a dark-skinned teenager, probably no older than a high school student.

His talent was undeniable for someone of his age. I wondered if he had garnered some recognition in Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life. I would have to ask her later.

The boy smiled brightly. “Hyung! You’re Kwon Su-Hyeok, the top-rank climber, right?”

His question was more a gesture of respect than a genuine inquiry, considering he clearly already knew the answer. After all, everyone had seen me on the fourteenth floor.

Given his youthful demeanor and how he addressed me as “hyung,” I instinctively responded informally, “Uh? Yeah, that’s me.”

For a moment, I wondered if I had been too casual, but neither the boy nor the climbers behind him seemed to mind. They simply gazed at me with awe and admiration, showing no signs of offense.

Smiling widely, the boy bowed his head politely.

“I overheard your conversation earlier. I apologize for wasting your time, especially when it is so valuable on this floor, but I wanted to thank you. Without you, we would have died. We owe you everything.”

The other climbers followed suit, lowering their heads to offer their thanks. Their respectful demeanor brought a genuine smile to my face.

“No need for that. Climbers should look out for one another. Please, raise your heads. You could be attacked again at any moment, so please follow the knights to the fort.”

“Yes. We wish you a safe return to the fortress, hyung.”

I exchanged a few more quick farewells and turned to leave. Before I could take another step, the boy loudly called out to me once more.

“Hyung! Thank you again! My name is Azad Hakin! I’ll make sure to repay this debt someday!”

***

[Follow the arrow toward Fort Pogoren. Time remaining: 5 hours 32 minutes.]

Encountering several additional battles along the way, I was surprised by just how many climbers were in peril. Although helping them didn’t exhaust me, time was running dangerously short.

I increased my pace. With only around thirty minutes left of my allotted time, I wondered if I should turn back. However, before I could finish deciding, I spotted the crescent-shaped lake. Even under the moon’s dim light, its dark waters gleamed like a massive ink reservoir.

A narrow stone bridge stretched from the shore to a small island at the lake’s center. The sight was unmistakable—just as Ha Hee-Jeong had described it.

At the center of the island stood a large stone monument, and embedded in it was a dagger.

Wait, what?

The dagger seemed strangely familiar, as though I had seen it before. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over me. I hastily reached for the dagger at my waist.

“Wait…” I unconsciously muttered in disbelief.

The two daggers were identical. I glanced back and forth between the weapon on the monument and the one strapped to my waist. No matter how many times or closely I compared the two, they were an exact match.

What the hell is going on?

Considering the dagger I carried was a replica, this could only mean one thing: I had found the original. This was a stroke of incredible fortune, though the way I stumbled upon it left me feeling slightly disoriented.

Hmm...

Then again, I recalled that Lung Shark, the Shadow of the End, was the Sorbonese’s god. In hindsight, the clues had been there all along, so this shouldn’t have been all that surprising.

A Unique-grade divine artifact…

My heart raced as it dawned on me that this was without a doubt Lung Shark’s dagger.

Lightning Essence was worth 45,000 points. This has to be at least worth just as much, if not more.

The replica boasted the absurd ability to unconditionally block a single incoming physical attack once a day, and I couldn’t wait to see what the original could do.

I steadied my excitement and readied myself to grab the dagger. Suddenly, I sensed a presence behind me. Although they didn’t seem hostile, I stayed cautious as I slowly turned around.

Emerging from the shadows was Alexei Braham, looking visibly worn out. Her breath came in ragged, labored gasps, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

“What the hell?! Why are you here?” she asked, which was precisely what I wanted to ask.

Looking behind me, she shifted her gaze toward the dagger, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Damn it!”

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has displayed Impressive mastery of Flash Strike. His skill has leveled up. Flash Strike is now lvl 3.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed the hidden mission ‘Rescue the Princess,’ raising his recognition among the participants of the sixteenth-floor war-planning session. Achievement points will be calculated.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has started the hidden mission ‘Lung Shark’s Dagger.’」

1. Paganism refers to religious beliefs that are polytheistic or outside major monotheistic religions like Christianity or Islam, often involving nature or multiple gods. In the story, calling Su-Hyeok the "Great Warrior of Paganism" likely means lizardmen see him as a powerful figure from a different, non-traditional faith they don't follow. ☜