Chapter 93: Twenty-Third Floor, The Sword That Never Returns (3)

[Escort. Time remaining: 19 hours 37 minutes.]

I had defended the door for thirty minutes, waiting for Comet, and was now surrounded by a battlefield littered with countless corpses. I had thought he would come out quickly, but nearly an hour had gone by with no sign of him.

At first, I waited near the bodies, but then the stench grew unbearable, forcing me to move away.

I should have used Master of Shadows more precisely against the greatworm.

As I sat there, mentally replaying the battle, Doppy suddenly crossed my mind.

Doppy’s probably fine, right?

I had drawn all the heretics toward me, so it shouldn’t be in any danger. Still, I couldn’t help but worry about the survivors. Although I had spared some mercenaries, hoping they would stay out of trouble, mercenaries were generally opportunists. If they realized I wasn’t around, they might try something.

Plus, who knew what Doppy was up to. Sure, I had given it a signal device, but it loved to nap. What if something happened while it was asleep?

No, I am overthinking. Doppy always comes through when it matters.

It might be lazy in the waiting room, but it never slacked off during a trial.

Just then, a faint pulse of magical energy rippled from where the blue door once stood. An instant later, a green aurora flashed across the sky, only to fade as quickly as it had appeared.

And there, bathed in the fading glow of the aurora, stood Comet.

“Comet!” I called out, and he turned toward me, still looking somewhat dazed.

His equipment had changed. He now wore a necklace with a green gemstone and held a finely crafted sword.

“Mr.Kwon Su-Hyeok!

Ugh...”

He quickly grimaced, clearly reacting to the stench. Comet glanced toward the mountain of corpses nearby.

“Mr. Kwon Su-Hyeok? Wha-what happened here?”

“Oh, the heretics attacked after you went inside. I took care of them to make sure you wouldn’t have any trouble when you came out.”

“But... this many?”

He stared in disbelief at the massive heap of bodies.

Well, I suppose there are a lot.

I hadn’t kept count, but between the humans, scorpions, and the greatworm, there were likely over seven hundred corpses.

“Were you holding back earlier?”

“Not exactly. I was just trying to keep things under control. Going all out attracts too much attention.”

“I see. Though, you didn’t seem particularly ordinary before.”

Comet looked disbelievingly at me as if he were looking at a monster. I awkwardly laughed it off and redirected the conversation.

“

Haha…

So, is that sword something the goddess left behind?”

“Yes, this is the holy sword, and the necklace I am wearing is also the goddess’s. They were once carried by her last apostle.”

“Why were they left here?”

“That— I’m not entirely sure...”

Comet’s voice trailed off and I could tell he didn’t have all the answers. I had assumed he would meet the goddess inside the door, given the divine energy surrounding it, but it seemed I was mistaken.

Sensing my curiosity, Comet elaborated, “When I entered the door, I found a trial that asked me to prove my faith and strength.”

“Ah, that explains why it took you so long.”

“Yes. It was a challenge to become the Great Warrior.”

“The Great Warrior?”

“Yes. Allow me to formally reintroduce myself. I’m Comet Drett, the Great Warrior of the Blue Dawn Breeze.”

From the last apostle to the Great Warrior. I didn’t know much about his faith, but it was obvious that this new title held significant weight.

“What changes now that you’re the Great Warrior?”

“I can communicate directly with the goddess and access more of her power, but…”

“You can’t speak with her for now?”

“Yes. While I can now wield more of the goddess’s strength, I still haven’t figured out if she can hear me. The only words I received before leaving the chamber were, ‘Let there be dawn. I shall soon return.’”

The goddess’s words lingered in my thoughts. I felt like they held a deeper meaning, almost like they would play a role on future floors. I made sure to remember them.

When I turned back to Comet, I noticed that he looked troubled.

Why wasn’t he happy? He had just completed a divine trial and reconnected with his goddess who had vanished for fifty years. Shouldn’t he feel more relieved?

His unease puzzled me, and I wondered if the challenge had been tough for him. I decided not to push, though. What mattered was that we had completed the hidden mission. It was time to leave.

“Shall we head back?”

“Yes, we should start walking. Still, I’m glad we found the relic sooner than I expected.”

“Start walking? What do you mean?”

“Huh?”

Ah, I forgot Comet doesn’t know about my portal skill.

It slipped my mind, given how much we had bonded during this ordeal. Smiling, I thought of Doppy and opened the portal. A golden light shimmered in the air, glowing brightly against the night sky.

Comet’s jaw dropped in shock.

“What? How are you able to use such advanced magic?”

“I’m not a mage. I can only use the portal,” I replied with a grin.

I wasn’t quite sure how to explain my abilities. Simply saying I had a "skill" didn’t seem like something Comet would fully grasp, so I decided to brush over the details. Instead, I gestured for him to follow me toward the portal.

Just as we were about to step through, Comet suddenly grabbed hold of my right arm.

“Mr. Kwon Su-Hyeok, there’s something I’d like to give you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Comet carefully pulled out a small ring from within his robes.

“Please, accept this.”

“Didn’t the goddess give this to you?”

“No, the goddess granted me the holy sword and the necklace. Therefore, I believe this ring belongs to you.”

Cautiously, I accepted the ring. It was green, and as I studied it more closely, a notification appeared.

[Ring of the Dawn Breeze][Sealed]

- Imbued with the power of the goddess Blue Dawn Breeze, but is currently sealed.

- Prevents movement from being hindered by wind.

- Agility +2.

- Grants Wind’s Route lvl 1 while carried. (Sealed)

A sealed item, hmm…

This was the first time I had encountered one. The seal was likely related to the goddess’s disappearance. I couldn’t be certain, but the seal would probably weaken as I progressed through the following floors.

Going off the name of the skill alone, Wind’s Route seemed like it would be extremely powerful, and likely connected to the divine. This was no ordinary skill.

I will focus on unlocking the seal before figuring out what it does.

Even though I was already wearing the Seraphim Queen’s ring, I still had enough room for another. Sliding the Ring of the Dawn Breeze onto my middle finger, I then exchanged a glance with Comet.

***

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed the Twenty-third Floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Ascending Path. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has annihilated the attackers and discovered the hidden destination. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed the hidden missions ‘Slaves? What are those?’ and ‘The Sword That Never Returns.’ Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been awarded 10,031 achievement points. Total achievement points: 97,228. He will now enter the waiting room.]

***

「Invisible message: Hidden mission ‘The Sword That Never Returns’ completed. All stats increased by 2.」

「Invisible message: Comet Drett, an apostle of the Blue Dawn Breeze, has ascended to the rank of Great Warrior. The twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth floors have changed.]

***

[The twenty-fourth floor of the Tower of Ordeal requires all climbers to enter with a party.]

[10 hours 21 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

A cool stream of water poured over my head, trickling down through my hair and along my back. As the icy droplets ran down my spine, they sent a refreshing chill through me. I shook the water from my hair and stepped out of the shower, feeling the accumulated grime wash away.

Towel in hand, I briskly dried myself off before exiting the bathroom.

“Huh?”

The first thing that caught my eye was Doppy, fast asleep on the floor in front of the bathroom door. Its scruffy appearance made it look pitiful, almost as if the ordeal had worn it down completely.

Still, it needed a proper wash before going to bed. I gently shook it awake.

“Kriee?”

“All done. It’s your turn now.”

“

Kriee!

Got it!”

Normally, I let it wash up first since I knew how exhausted it tended to be, but this time I couldn’t bear to wait. After finishing the twenty-third floor, feeling the grime clinging to me was too intense.

Fighting, even just existing, for thirty-six hours in the desert was insane.

The sand had worked its way into everything, even into my underwear. While I could handle the feeling of blood on my skin, the mix of sweat, blood, and sand was unbearable.

Thankfully, having cleaned up now, I felt utterly refreshed. Feeling clean was incredibly satisfying, almost like a burden had been lifted.

Alright, it is time for the usual routine.

Checking my status window after each floor was almost a tradition at this point. I threw myself onto the bed and pulled it up.

[Kwon Su-Hyeok (Earthling, C-66432)]

Title: Seeker of the Crossroads

Affiliation: None

Patron Deity: First class, Omniscient Thunder Axe (Share percentage: 0.00%(-?.??%) / 100.00%)

Strength: 132.3

Agility: 129.5

Stamina: 135.8

Mana: 118.9

Skills: Lightning Essence lvl 10, … Master of Shadows lvl 7, … Fire Resistance lvl 16(+3), Ice Resistance lvl 7, Wind’s Route lvl 1 (Sealed).

Thanks to completing the last floor, all of my stats had increased by 2, potentially due to a hidden mission. Additionally, the ring boosted my agility by another 2.

Enduring the extreme cold of the night and heat of the day had leveled up my Ice and Fire Resistance skills as well. Also, with how much I used Master of Shadows during the night skirmishes, its level had also increased.

Wind's Route is still sealed, and it is a bit disappointing that Two-Way Portal hasn’t leveled up yet.

However, since my total mana capacity wasn’t large enough to effectively utilize Two-Way Portal, I wasn’t in any rush. I could afford to let that skill develop at its own pace.

If anything, the biggest takeaway from this status window viewing session was that it was so infinitely more enjoyable to do it while clean. Since I usually had Doppy shower first, I was always covered in grime and slightly uncomfortable.

Now that Doppy’s grown quite a bit, maybe I should shower first more often.

As I pondered this—half-joking, half-serious—a message from Ha Hee-Jeong came through.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): So, how was it? Not too hard doing it on your own, right?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-fourth Floor): Yeah, it wasn’t difficult at all. Actually, it was easier than I expected. But I faced a different trial than the one you shared with me.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): Huh? Different? Like a personal challenge floor?

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-fourth Floor): Not exactly. It’s hard to explain quickly, plus it wasn’t the same level of difficulty as a solo floor trial, but…

Unable to convey the full details with a brief message, I sent a series of in-depth messages explaining what I had experienced on the twenty-third floor. Key to my explanation was that although we faced different challenges, I was still on the same planet as she was.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): Hmm... better stay on your toes. It could switch to a personal challenge floor without warning.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-fourth Floor): Yeah, I’m keeping my guard up and not letting my attention slip.

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): By the way, since Comet has become the Great Warrior of the goddess Blue Dawn Breeze... I’m starting to think the next floors will be quite different from what I remember.

So, the trials are going to change significantly?

While I had expected some shifts, I hadn’t imagined they would be enough to make Ha Hee-Jeong worry. It seemed Comet's role was more pivotal than I had initially believed.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-fourth Floor): Why? Should I be concerned?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): No, nothing too serious. I think everything will turn out well. It’s just that what I know about the upcoming floors might no longer apply.

- Kwon Su-Hyeok (Twenty-fourth Floor): So it’ll be a bit easier, like with the Soborn Continent?

- Ha Hee-Jeong (Twenty-fourth Floor): Probably. But what concerns me is that since the Great Warrior will be on our side, our enemies could be even fiercer. Now that you brought it up, let’s discuss the twenty-fourth floor. Although the trial could change again, it’s better to be prepared.

***

「Invisible message: Combat training has raised Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s stats. All stats increased by 0.3.」

「Invisible message: Combat training has raised Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s stats. All stats increased by 0.5.」

***

[7 hours 21 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

By now, I had grown accustomed to battling the Overseer. Even the second encounter—on normal difficulty—had been manageable and I had emerged victorious without much effort.

I was beginning to think that once I cleared the twenty-fourth floor, I should increase the difficulty level again. Still, not knowing how much stronger the Overseer would become gave me pause.

Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that as enemies grew stronger, the difficulty of combat training would also scale proportionally. It seemed wise to wait until I had passed the twenty-fourth floor before making any decisions.

Now, it’s shopping time.

I had approximately 97,000 achievement points, and once I cleared the next floor, I would likely earn another 10,000 points.

While I wasn’t planning on purchasing a new weapon just yet, it wouldn’t hurt to keep some points aside for a new axe, just in case. The price range for a unique-grade axe was typically between 50,000 and 70,000 points, leaving me with around 30,000 to 50,000 points to play with.

I wasn’t planning to hoard my achievement points indefinitely, though. After all, going on a spending spree from time to time was one way I could bring a smile to my face. So, I decided to use this opportunity to treat myself and spend some of my achievement points.

Hmm, what should I buy?

I didn’t need a new axe, set of armor, gauntlet, or footwear now, as everything I had still served its purpose well.

While many climbers were always scrambling for points, here I was, standing in front of the shop and overwhelmed by the options available to me.