Chapter 76: Twentieth Floor, Waiting Room (1)

The notification window’s sudden appearance left me dumbstruck, and a soft, incredulous exclamation escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“Huh?”

I was so shocked that I struggled to process the situation. My gaze remained glued to the floating text for several seconds, and it took me a while to finally comprehend its meaning.

What? The seventeenth to the nineteenth floors have collapsed? What could have caused this? Is it because I killed the Emperor? Or is it because we successfully defended the fortress?

The root cause remained elusive. Since the sixteenth floor ended in such a drastically different manner from Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, there was no way to pinpoint a single reason.

The other climbers were likely just as bewildered as I was. I didn’t even need to check the Community to know the forums would be ablaze with wild speculations and frenzied discussions. The feeling was so intense that I could almost feel the confusion emanating from it.

- Seo Ha-Rin (Twentieth Floor): What’s happening? Is it true that the seventeenth to nineteenth floors have vanished, and we’re jumping straight to the twentieth floor?

- Cole Grouse (Twentieth Floor): Yeah, what’s going on? This came out of nowhere.

- Seo Ho-Su (Twentieth Floor): Did this happen because Su-Hyeok killed the Emperor or something?

Even my party was flooding our chat with urgent questions.

I replied to my party members, admitting that I wasn’t entirely sure of the details either, before reaching out to Ha Hee-Jeong for answers.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Hey, Hee-Jeong. What’s the deal? Do you know what’s going on?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): I don’t know either. This never happened in my previous life.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): It didn’t even happen in your previous life?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): No. I skipped floors occasionally, but I’ve never seen an entire floor collapse like this, much less three at the same time.

Even Ha Hee-Jeong couldn’t provide a clear explanation. If anything, she seemed even more disoriented than I was.

After a brief deliberation, she proposed the most plausible theory she could think of.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): You’re probably thinking the same thing too, but it’s most likely because you killed the Emperor.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): And it can’t be because we successfully defended the fortress?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): No, even though we defended it, the trial would have continued as long as the traitor remained alive. We would have been forced to confront him in a challenge or trial eventually.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): So... by killing him, I removed the core figure that the next floors would be centered around, making the remaining challenges obsolete?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Exactly. By eliminating the key figure, you erased any opportunity to further test the continent’s resistance against his betrayal. I guess the tower deemed that the remaining content no longer met the requisite difficulty criteria.

Her reasoning seemed sound.

With the Emperor gone, the tower must have judged that the remaining challenges on planet Soborn no longer had any meaning. As a result, it had completely erased them.

Hmm... The floors’ collapse now made sense to me, but I still couldn’t tell whether the outcome was beneficial or detrimental to the climbers overall.

The tower mentioned it compensated everyone a flat 8,000 achievement points and 6 stat points.

For climbers at the bottom of the Climber Leaderboard, that was an overwhelmingly generous reward. Additionally, climbers were distributed bonus awards according to their placement on the leaderboard.

However, for those of us with a higher rank, the situation was more complicated.

While the extra rewards were intended to make up for lost opportunities, there was no way of knowing whether they would fully compensate for the potential losses. On top of that, we had missed out on the invaluable combat experience we would have gained by clearing each floor.

In a sense, we lost three floors worth of opportunities to grow stronger in exchange for achievement points.

While some climbers might find the compensation satisfactory, the floors’ collapse could end up being a major setback for others.

Taking a deep breath, I turned my attention to my rewards and reviewed them carefully.

The first reward was a straightforward increase of 2 points to all my stats. Comparing this to what I could have earned clearing the collapsed floors, it felt like a net loss. Clearing three full floors would have granted me a far greater increase in stats.

But...

The second reward was where things changed drastically. I had been given permanent ownership of Lung Shark's Dagger, which was an absolute game-changer. A benefit of this magnitude was almost ludicrous.

The average Unique-grade item’s value hovered around 50,000 achievement points. Even though I had received a substantial amount of points from clearing the sixteenth floor, amassing 50,000 points over the next three floors would have been almost impossible.

And then there’s the last reward.

It was a one-time voucher for the Dimensional Forge.

Now, I couldn’t properly gauge the value of this opportunity yet. However, based on the name alone, it suggested the reward’s quality and potential were far beyond what I could have imagined.

Taking everything into consideration, I definitely came out ahead. Although, I don’t know how the others were compensated.

Deciding I needed to get a second opinion, I reached out to Ha Hee-Jeong again to ask her about the Dimensional Forge.

***

[11 hours 30 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

In conclusion, the floors’ collapse turned out to be far more advantageous for me than I had initially expected. I had known that Lung Shark's Dagger was immensely valuable, given that it was a unique-grade item.

But the Dimensional Forge voucher’s worth was beyond what I had anticipated.

Ha Hee-Jeong mentioned that she only witnessed it being used twice during her previous life, once by me and the other by Alexei. Even she didn’t get a chance.

The Dimensional Forge allowed climbers to commission equipment tailored precisely to their needs, with the tower itself connecting them to master craftsmen from countless worlds. Each craftsman was renowned as the absolute best in the field they were tasked with.

Of course, climbers had to provide the materials needed.

With the dragon carcass in my possession, that’s not a problem.

The dragon’s remains were priceless, worth far more than most metals. If I negotiated well, I could receive equipment that far exceeded the base value of the materials provided.

On top of that, the voucher ensured I wouldn’t be overcharged or scammed.

This was good. It was fascinating how everything was falling into place just because I had a competent sponsor backing me—

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Wait a second.

A question suddenly surfaced in my mind as I pondered my sponsor’s influence on everything. If my sponsor could intervene to such a degree in the trial, then why did the intervention only affect me? They hadn’t even intervened during a hidden mission, but it had altered the trajectory of future floors.

Surely, another sponsor could have done something similar on a previous floor.

However, if that were the case, other gods would have offered hidden missions or special equipment to trick their climbers into raising their share percentage.

Is my sponsor just better and kinder than others?

Even after deliberating for some time, I couldn’t arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, so I asked Ha Hee-Jeong for clarification.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Hey, Hee-Jeong. Why was my sponsor the only one to intervene on the last floor? Couldn’t other gods have done the same?

I had previously shared information about my sponsorship with her, so she was able to provide me with a more detailed explanation of the situation.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): That’s because your sponsor wields extraordinary power. Even among first-class gods, they’re considered top-tier.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): When gods sponsor climbers, the scale of the sponsorship directly impacts the burden placed on them. Remember your sponsor needed 81% of your shares just for a piece of information?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Yeah, I remember.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): That’s only possible because your sponsor is at the pinnacle of first-class gods. Most first-class gods wouldn’t even be able to attempt such a sponsorship from the strain it would place on them.

Ah, everything made perfect sense now.

The gods' reluctance to casually offer information, their hesitance to throw around sponsorships, and their irrefutable offers all stemmed from the same reality.

Even gods had limits, and sponsoring climbers came at a cost.

I hadn’t really delved into the nuances of sponsorships before, likely because they hadn’t been crucial to my progress up until now.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Right, without those restrictions, every god would just immediately max out their percentage of climbers' shares.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Exactly. Plus, the type of information they can access depends on their class. What they’re able to see varies, based on their class.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): So... does that mean my sponsor took a huge hit from this?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Don’t worry. It would’ve been different if they had actually given you the information through a formal sponsorship, but they didn’t, right? The end result came from the Dice of Fate, not direct sponsorship. And given how powerful your sponsor is, I doubt offering that information would be too taxing for them. Maybe...

Her message trailed off, as though uncertain. It was clear that even Ha Hee-Jeong didn’t fully grasp the intricacies surrounding the gods despite her extensive experience.

That made sense. Even in her previous life, she had been a climber, not someone with direct insight into the gods’ workings.

Just as I thought our conversation was wrapping up, another message arrived from her.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Oh, and before you use that Dimensional Forge voucher, let’s split the Dragon Heart.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Huh? Why would we do that?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): You won’t be able to handle it alone. Your body won’t withstand the full power of the heart, so let me take half.

***

[10 hours 58 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Using a specialized Dragon Heart Splitter I had purchased from the shop, I carefully divided the heart into two equal halves. Unfortunately, the Dragon Heart was unbelievably durable, so cutting it precisely in half without the splitter would have been nearly impossible.

After paying a small fee to send Ha Hee-Jeong her half, I focused on my next task: using the Dimensional Forge voucher. Having already discussed the best approach with her, I didn’t need to second-guess myself.

[Would you like to use the Dimensional Forge voucher?]

I responded without hesitation, “Yes.”

The notification’s voice felt distant, almost mechanical.

[What type of equipment would you like to create?]

“A full set of armor.”

[Connecting to a master armorsmith. This may take a few moments depending on which craftsman is available. Establishing link...]

I had briefly considered using the voucher to craft a weapon, as the battle with the dragon had damaged my axe. However, after weighing the options, I realized I needed to prioritize acquiring a better set of armor.

My reasoning was simple. I still didn’t have a proper set of armor, and Ha Hee-Jeong had made it clear that I could no longer afford such an oversight. Weapons could be repaired at the twentieth-floor rest area anyway, so they were a lower priority.

Besides, I could rely on my other skills and tools.

I did spot a set of armor I liked in the shop, but...

This was the Dimensional Forge—where the finest artisans in the universe congregated. A mass-produced set from a shop couldn’t even compete with the armor they could produce.

Ha Hee-Jeong had been right all along. I had focused too much on offense and neglected my defenses. With the twenty-first floor looming, I would once again face individual challenge floors, and my current gear wasn’t adequate for my abilities.

Survival was the top priority. Even if my axe broke, I had Lightning Essence and Lung Shark’s Dagger to fall back on

But armor? That was irreplaceable. Considering the unknown challenges ahead, having the best possible defense was crucial.

I had accumulated a decent amount of achievement points, so if repairing my axe ended up being too expensive, I could always purchase a new weapon.

Before I could finish my train of thought, a voice echoed through the air.

“Greetings, Climber Kwon Su-Hyeok. I am Roxant, a master armorsmith. What materials and specifications would you like for your armor?”

The voice felt otherworldly, carrying the same strange weight the Dice of Fate’s rolling sound brought.

Am I supposed to just speak my requirements aloud?

“I possess the carcass of a red dragon, an ancient red dragon to be precise. I would like to use it to craft a full set of plate armor. However, if you have access to superior materials, I’m willing to trade the dragon’s carcass in exchange.”

“Hmm, an ancient red dragon, you say? Dragon materials are notoriously difficult to work with. Processing them would require a great deal of time. And given your situation, you don’t have the luxury of waiting too long, correct?”

“Yes, I need to proceed to the next floor within two or three days.”

“Hmm...”

Roxant hesitated briefly as if contemplating my situation.

“It just so happens that I’ve recently acquired a top-tier metal from the Underworld. If you prefer, I could use that instead. However, I would require additional achievement points to cover the difference.”

This would change the story.

Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned the voucher would only allow me to request an item using the materials I provided.

Is this metal from the Underworld more valuable than dragon materials?

“How many points do I need?”

“Excluding the ancient red dragon’s carcass and dragon heart?”

“Yes, and the heart is no longer included.”

“Then I would require an additional 20,000 achievement points.”

I currently had close to 80,000, so I could afford the cost. If the metal was as valuable as Roxant claimed, it could be worth the investment.

Although Ha Hee-Jeong had assured me I wouldn’t get swindled, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check. I quickly sent her a message.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Hey. This guy’s offering to use a top-grade metal from the Underworld instead of the dragon’s scales and bones. Should I go for it?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): What? Top-grade metal from the Underworld?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Yeah, why? Is it that special?

Her response made it clear she was genuinely shocked.

Is this material really that valuable?

Before I could overthink it, she sent me another message.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Absolutely go for it. Do it now. That metal is incredibly rare and is nearly impossible to get, even if you have the points.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Wait, it’s that valuable?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): The gauntlet you’re using right now is made from the same Underworld metal.

Ah, that’s right.

I had gotten so used to calling it my Mana-Accumulating Gauntlet that I had forgotten its original name. If the metal Roxant was offering was the same material used to craft my unique-grade, 70,000-point-worth gauntlet, I saw no point in refusing.

Without further hesitation, I finally responded to Roxant.

“Yes, I’ll take it. Please proceed with the crafting.”