Chapter 77: Twentieth Floor, Waiting Room (2)

“Alright, then we’ll proceed with the armor crafting as planned.”

“Okay, and how will I send you the payment?”

“Oh, the Tower of Ordeal will deduct the points automatically. Now, let’s start by measuring your body. Please stand still momentarily.”

“Gotcha.”

I followed Roxant’s instructions, standing motionless while curiosity flickered in my mind.

How exactly is he going to take my measurements? Does he have some sort of special vision that allows him to see me? Or is the tower scanning me and transmitting the data to him?

Considering we were conversing from two vastly different locations in the universe, there was probably nothing this place couldn’t do.

A notification window suddenly popped up and interrupted my thoughts.

[Would you like to pay the artisan Roxant 20,000 achievement points?]

“Yes.”

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been deducted 20,000 achievement points. The free usage voucher for the Dimensional Forge has been consumed.]

“That’s all. You may move now. By the way, could you tell me what weapon you primarily use and what abilities you specialize in?

He seemed keenly interested in tailoring the armor to complement my fighting style, befitting a master craftsman. I explained that I wielded a double-headed axe and utilized lightning and shadow-related skills. He then requested that I head to the training room to demonstrate both my skills and axemanship, which I promptly did.

Upon finishing that, Roxant continued questioning whether I had any particular design preferences or special requirements. Since it was my armor, I took my time and answered every question earnestly.

In the midst of our discussion, I suddenly thought of something else.

“By the way, I have a gauntlet made from Underworld metal. Could you ensure the armor matches it well?”

“Could you show it to me?”

I entered the waiting room, retrieved the gauntlet I had stored in the mimic, and presented it to him. He fell momentarily silent as he examined the piece.

“Okay. I’ll design the armor to complement the gauntlet you own, Mr. Kwon Su-Hyeok.”

I wondered what had caused that momentary pause.

Did he recognize it as a Unique-grade item? Or was he surprised that I possessed something crafted in the Underworld?

“The flow of time where I am located is different from that in the tower, so the armor shouldn’t take too long to complete.”

“Hmm, how long are we talking, exactly?”

“Considering the rate at which time passes for you, about eight hours.”

Eight hours, huh?

I had thought it wouldn’t be ready before the twenty-first floor started, but now it seemed like it could even arrive before the twentieth floor started.

That wasn’t a problem at all. I could enter the twentieth-floor rest area adorned with new armor, then. Since no one else knew there was a rest area every ten floors, I could arrive in style and make quite the impression.

As a piece crafted by a master, my new armor was bound to stand out. Even top-tier climbers would have a hard time tearing their eyes away from it.

“Great. I’m looking forward to it. Please take good care of my armor.”

“Rest assured, when it comes to crafting armor, I’m one of the top three in the universe,” he proudly declared, and with that, our communication ended.

Now that I had used the Dimensional Forge voucher, there was just one task left to complete—eating the Dragon Heart. I had promised to consume it with Ha Hee-Jeong, so I sent her a message.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): I ordered the armor and it will be ready in eight hours.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): What? That’s way faster than I thought!

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Yeah. I’m about to eat the Dragon Heart now.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Okay, I’ll take it too. Remember what I told you, right?

She had warned me not to let the overflowing mana settle in one place. Instead, I had to make sure it flew throughout me.

I would likely fall quickly asleep once I consumed the elixir, so I needed to keep her advice in mind in the moments before consumption. Reassuring her I hadn’t forgotten, I promptly swallowed the Dragon Heart.

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has consumed the Dragon Heart. The dragon’s boundless power and blood flows through his veins.」

「Invisible message: The restrictions on the Dragon Heart have been lifted, greatly increasing the absorption rate.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s stats have grown. Strength and agility increased by 2. Stamina increased by 4. Mana increased by 7.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained a new skill. Dragon’s Blood is now lvl 2]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s skills have leveled up. Fire Resistance is now lvl 12.」

***

[4 hours 57 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

I lay on the bed and browsed the Community, humming happily—the Dragon Heart had worked better than expected. Not only had my stats increased, but many of my skills had leveled up as well.

I had even noticed improvements in aspects that couldn’t be displayed on the status window. I could feel my body growing tougher and stronger, every nerve more responsive. My mana flowed even more smoothly and responded with greater ease to my will.

It was probably due to the Dragon’s Blood skill.

As soon as I had returned to my senses, I moved around in the training room for a short while and was very pleased with the results. Smiling as I recalled my enhanced abilities, I turned my attention back to the Community posts.

[Party looking for new members. Archers and mages are welcome. Party leader rank: 431.]

[Pure brilliance from Su-Hyeok once again. I’m a guy, but watching him take down the dragon made me fall for him at first sight.]

[My party leader died, so my party disbanded. I am a warrior currently ranked 12,000 and looking for a party. ]

[Forget the dragon slaying, his charge alongside the Kosharks was the real highlight. Even as a mage, it made my heart pound.]

[Yeah f’real! It was insanely cool.]

[Won’t Kwon Su-Hyeok feel a bit uncomfortable seeing people fawning over him like this?]

Hmm, not at all. I don’t feel uncomfortable in the slightest. Hopefully, posts like this won’t discourage people from praising me.

I clicked on the last post to see how others responded. Fortunately, most climbers seemed to disagree with the opinion. Sure, a few agreed, but it wasn’t the dominant sentiment.

What a relief.

I could have missed out on enjoying my well-deserved compliments.

[Hey, do you guys think the twentieth floor will have a rest area like the tenth floor did?]

[Can anyone teach me how to utilize my mana circuit? Willing to pay a reasonable amount of achievement points.]

[It seems likely that there will be a rest area, but we can’t be sure, so let’s all be cautious.]

[Yeah, better to be safe than sorry. Stay fully geared. If it’s a rest area, you can always take off your gear inside the lodging.]

[Ah~~ I really want a drink.]

[Doesn’t Su-Hyeok’s party still have one slot open?]

[If you don’t count the goblin as a party member, they’ve got five members. So, there’s still one slot.]

[Ah, I really want to join Su-Hyeok’s party.]

[A guy ranked seven hundredth wants to join Kwon Su-Hyeok’s party? Ridiculous lmao]

Hearing our party’s name mentioned again and again brought back a lingering dilemma I had wrestled with earlier. Perhaps it was time for me to strike out on my own.

This wasn’t a sudden revelation. The idea had been simmering since we conquered the fifteenth floor. At this point, I far exceeded other climbers’ strength and ability.

For me, it was inconsequential to face weaker foes, unless they numbered in the tens of thousands. Staying with my current party not only limited my potential, it also hindered my teammates’ growth.

If I can’t move freely, it’s a loss for me. And if my presence deprives my teammates of meaningful combat experience, it’s a loss for them as well.

Every floor offered a finite number of enemies. Splitting that limited resource between an outlier like myself and the rest of the party was, frankly, inefficient. Everyone lost out.

Additionally, once we left the twentieth floor, we would face another series of solo floors. By the time I finished those, the difference between my party members and I would have only grown.

The answer was obvious. Although it pained me to part ways with friends who had been by my side since the end of the tutorial, I needed to form a solo party. Taking a deep breath, I reached out to Ha Hee-Jeong and shared my thoughts, curious to hear her perspective.

Her reply came swiftly, almost resignedly, as if she had expected this outcome all along.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Yeah, you’re right. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for you to bring it up. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I was going to bring it up myself on the next floor.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Oh? You were waiting for this?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Of course. As you said, continuing as we are is detrimental to everyone. We’ve all known it was just a matter of time. I’ll take good care of the party, so don’t worry and focus on moving forward on your own.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Wait, you’re not going to leave too?

I had expected that if I suggested going solo, she would follow suit. As a regressor, acting independently would be easier and more beneficial for her. Since I had assumed she would be leaving too, I had felt a mix of regret and guilt at the thought of leaving the other members behind without us.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Nah, I’m fine here. I’m already growing at a pace far beyond what I’d imagined. Plus, it’s not just about me. I want to nurture the other talented members of our group too.

She hesitated for a moment, then continued.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Yes, having a few exceptional individuals is crucial in the tower. One person can achieve incredible feats alone. But you can’t accomplish everything by yourself. You’ll need skilled allies to back you up at some point.

I couldn’t argue with her reasoning. As always, Her judgment was sound and pragmatic, befitting someone who had received a second chance at life.

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. Ultimately, choosing this meant she would be sacrificing her own potential to support me and the rest of the group. All I could do was express my remorse and gratitude.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): I’m sorry... and thank you.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): No need to apologize. We’re all doing what we can to survive here. Even if I recruit new members, I’ll always leave a spot open for you. So, don’t worry about it.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): But what about you? Won’t it be difficult without me and Doppy? You can’t just fill the slots with someone in the same role.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Don’t worry about that. I’m still here. We’ve had it too easy up until now. The others could use a bit of a challenge, and this is for your benefit too. Also, there are some floors you won’t be able to enter alone.

Oh, that made sense.

It was like the thirteenth floor, the Forest of Insects, which required two participants. I recalled hearing about climbers who ended up grouped in an awkward team of three since there had been an odd number of climbers.

I didn’t doubt there would be other floors with similar conditions in the future.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): I guess I’ll talk to the others at the rest area, then?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Yup. Let’s have a meal and a few drinks first. It’s not like we’re cutting ties for good, so don’t make it sound too final. We’ll still be working together on the shared floors. They’ll understand.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Alright. I get it.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): Oh, by the way, did you check on your axe?

She mentioned it because while I could repair it at the rest area, the points I saved by using the Dimensional Forge voucher gave me some room to consider a new weapon.

With the next floor being an individual challenge, Ha Hee-Jeong suggested that I look into acquiring a new axe altogether.

I currently had just under 60,000 achievement points, but none of the weapons in the store had caught my eye.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): I checked, but nothing really stood out. It’s hard to tell just by looking. I need to swing them around to know for sure.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twentieth Floor): I understand. Then, let’s take another look at the armory when we reach the rest area. We got lucky with the gauntlet last time, so there might not be anything extraordinary this time. At the very least, you can try out a few double-headed axes and see how they feel.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Yeah, I guess if I find something similar to what I’m used to, I can go with that. If nothing clicks, I’ll just stick with my current one.

My current axe interacted well with the Bear’s Blood skill, so I was reluctant to part with it unless I found the perfect replacement.

Just then, a notification popped up from Azad Hakin, the climber I had met on the fourteenth floor.

- Azad Hakin (Twentieth Floor): Su-Hyeok, are you available now? Mind if we talk for a bit?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twentieth Floor): Sure, what’s up?

What can he want at this hour?

This was definitely unexpected.