Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 315: Seventy-Seventh Floor, Euros’s Flower Forest (3)

Chapter 315: Seventy-Seventh Floor, Euros’s Flower Forest (3)

[Survive. Time remaining: 54 hours 47 minutes.]

The soft radiance emitted by the flowers dispelled the night’s darkness. The sight of a boy and girl drifting in, crimson dandelion seeds in hand, had a distinctly fairytale-like quality.

For a moment, I stared at the scene in a daze.

It wasn’t their sudden appearance or the fact that I hadn’t sensed them that left me spellbound—it was the sheer beauty of the moment.

I only came to my senses when they drew a little closer.

Damn.

Before I could dwell on the unsettling feeling, I put on my gas mask. Walking around the forest with my face exposed was the same as broadcasting to the world that I was a lunatic.

They had probably already seen me, but better to do it now than never. The area was illuminated, yes, but it was still nighttime. They hadn’t necessarily noticed, although they could have also just assumed I was insane.

According to Ha Hee-Jeong, some individuals, after succumbing to poison, had wandered toward the forest’s center, only to die.

Either way, it is better than casually talking with my bare face showing.

Remaining still, I waited as they made their way toward me.

Meanwhile, my thoughts raced. No matter how I looked at it, something felt off. The fact that I hadn’t noticed their presence was strange in and of itself, and I had never once heard of a tribe residing in the forest’s inner regions.

From what I could tell, this place wasn’t even remotely suitable for human life.

What are they?

As they approached, I instinctively tensed, every muscle on alert.

In the tower, one could never judge a book by its cover when it came to strength. It was dangerous to rely on assumptions rooted in Earth’s logic.

It is akin to the old martial arts warning: beware the elderly, women, and children.

Even if they appeared to be just kids, caution was essential.

Bracing for potential threats, I gently pulled Doppy behind me, positioning him out of harm’s way. Then, I took a step forward and casually adjusted my axe.

Though they were riding mere plants, the boy and girl advanced with unsettling control over them, as if guiding them deliberately.

Both wore something resembling gas masks, albeit theirs were far inferior to mine.

They seem to be made of animal hide with opaque, ash-colored lenses.

The section I would assume contained some sort of filter was also wrapped in leather, leaving its contents hidden from view.

Despite their obscured faces, they were clearly a pair of young children. Their youthful voices, petite frames, and the smooth skin peeking out from beneath their clothing left no room for doubt.

Each bore an item that stood out. The boy held a bow nearly as tall as himself, while a floral bracelet adorned the girl’s wrist.

They came to rest atop a large branch jutting from a massive tree roughly fifty meters ahead and stared down at me.

The girl still held her dandelion seed, and as the boy stepped forward, he shouted, “You can’t go any farther! Step back!”

Unlike Doppy, his voice rang out boldly, even through the mask. He nocked an arrow into the towering bow he carried.

Though I could only faintly see his eyes through the clouded lenses, his gaze was sharp and intelligent. Even without seeing his face, I could tell he was probably good-looking.

“I have to pass through here.”

This time, the girl behind him raised her voice. “If you go that way, you’ll die!”

She reached into her pocket, then pulled something out and hurled it toward a cluster of red flowers.

A small, round, and charming stone cut through the air. As it passed by each glowing blossom, its color shifted to match theirs, creating a mesmerizing sight.

The pebble soared and landed above the patch of red blooms.

Out of nowhere, the crimson flowers stirred like tendrils, lashing out toward the stone.

Crack!

A brief, crisp sound echoed as the pebble shattered into fragments midair.

So they aren’t hostile? Just trying to stop me out of concern?

Their actions eased some of the tension in my stance.

I probably wouldn’t have died if I continued forward, but their gesture was both thoughtful and endearing.

Turning my attention back to them, I silently observed what I could see of their expressions through the pale lenses.

The boy remained tense, exuding an aura far beyond what I would expect for one of his age.

It is probably because I am nearing the end of the tower.

He likely possessed considerable strength and had recognized mine as well.

In contrast, the girl eyed me with a tinge of irritation. Judging from her bracelet and how close the two stood, they seemed to be on a date of sorts.

Looks like I interrupted their midnight love life.

Stepping beside the boy, the girl once again shouted, “Please go back! You may still have a chance to live if you turn around! If you keep going, only death awaits!”

I remained silent, still unsure of how best to respond. I needed a moment to process the situation.

Much like the flowers, the boy and girl radiated hostility.

How should I approach them?

While I hesitated, the girl opened her mouth as if to speak, but the boy stopped her. They whispered to each other, and I focused on my enhanced hearing.

“Ferel, step back.”

“Why?”

“Just hurry.”

“What are you so worried about? Didn’t you see he wasn’t even wearing a mask earlier? He’s clearly an addict. He’s going to die soon anyway.”

“No. He’s not just an ordinary guy.”

“Huh?”

“Look at the mask.”

I felt their gazes sweep over me.

Rather than replying, I concentrated on their exchange, hoping to glean something useful.

“It looks a bit strange, sure. So what? Maybe people outside developed something new.”

“That’s not all. He moves without the slightest restriction. He didn’t wander in at death’s door like other addicts.”

“Then what is he?”

“I don’t know. But one thing’s clear. He’s strong. Be ready to run at any moment.”

The girl appeared slightly unnerved by the boy’s words. Her rigid shoulders betrayed her unease.

The boy turned his eyes toward me once more. “No one is allowed into the center of the forest! Go back to where you came from!”

I couldn’t ignore them any longer. Appearing as gentle as I could manage, I replied, “Well, the thing is I absolutely have to get to the center. Would you be willing to guide me?”

“Go back!”

Though brief, our exchange ended in a stalemate. Neither they nor I had found any common ground.

I had no intention of heeding their warning. My goal lay at the heart of the forest. Seeing these two children living deep within Euros’s Flower Forest only solidified that resolve.

Ha Hee-Jeong had never mentioned that a tribe dwelt this deeply in the forest, and in fact, she had declared that there weren’t any. Even individuals equipped with masks couldn’t survive near the forest’s heart.

“If you don’t turn back, I’ll have no choice but to shoot!”

“I’m still going.”

There was no room for compromise. Lying would have likely made matters worse.

I decided to try reasoning with them a little further.

Unfortunately, contrary to my hopes, the boy reacted immediately. “Ferel, run!”

At that moment, the girl shook the dandelion seed she had ridden in on, releasing a thick cloud of pollen that quickly spread through the air. Their forms vanished into the swirling mist.

Moments later, the girl leaped down from the tree’s base—a drop significant enough to startle me—but she landed with ease and darted away.

An arrow came flying toward me, although the instant he loosed the arrow, I realized he hadn’t been intent on hitting me with it.

Thwip—!

It landed squarely in the ground at my feet, a clear warning.

Based on that, they do seem to be kind-hearted.

For the moment, it seemed wiser to remain still and wait until the girl fully fled, rather than making any abrupt moves.

The boy was clearly focused on protecting her. If I acted prematurely, I risked provoking him further. Whatever their connection was, worsening the situation served no one. Perhaps he would be willing to compromise once the girl vanished completely from sight.

Therefore, I stayed motionless and so did he.

Though the drifting pollen began to thin, the boy remained steady, his bow unwavering as he kept me squarely in his sights.

What is going on here?

Strangely enough, the girl had dashed away at an astonishing pace, far beyond anything I would have believed possible. She moved as if the flowers themselves were her home, gliding through them with uncanny familiarity.

She vanished just as she had appeared, in an instant, slipping beyond the reach of my senses.

Yet it didn’t feel like she had masked her presence or used some sort of spell.

No, something unfamiliar was at work here, something I couldn’t quite grasp.

The boy glanced back briefly, likely to confirm that the girl was truly gone.

I took a cautious step forward and declared, “I’m not a danger to you.”

“Stay back! I don’t care who you are! No one can go to the center of the forest!”

“I mean it. You probably can’t see from there, but this ent here, his name is Ryun.”

I lifted my axe slightly to show him Ryun, but the boy flinched and, startled, released the bowstring. He probably thought I was about to strike.

Even then, the arrow didn’t target me directly. Once again, it struck the ground just before my feet.

“That’s not what I meant!” I tried to explain, but the boy didn’t so much as glance back.

He turned and bolted, leaping down from the tall tree with ease before sprinting across the flower-covered field.

Gosh.

To be honest, I was completely taken aback. I hadn’t done a single thing to provoke such hostility. I could understand their suspicion, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.

The part that bothered me most—

Why do I feel like I have become the villain?

If I chased after them now, it would only appear like I was trying to harm them. Unfortunately, even though that wasn’t my intention, their reactions could only cast me in such a light.

Still, I couldn’t afford to simply stand there doing nothing.

“Doppy! Follow me!”

“Got it!”

Finally, I started to move. They had already put some significant distance between us, but considering my speed, I expected to catch up quickly.

That assumption crumbled within five seconds. The gap between us wasn’t closing at all.

It was absurd.

Even without Flash Strike, I was incredibly fast. Regardless of the boy’s strength, this wasn’t something that should’ve been possible.

And I am not caught in some illusion. It is more like the flowers themselves are slowing me down.

Every time I dashed forward, clouds of spores and pollen burst from the flowers ahead, impeding my path.

Meanwhile, it felt as if the flora were assisting the boy. It was a fascinating phenomenon.

Gradually, the distance between us began to widen.

Hmph.

I brought myself to a halt.

The boy was clearly under the forest’s protection. I wouldn’t be able to catch up.

Antagonizing the forest would only bring further trouble.

I also had to think of Doppy. If I left him too far behind, there was a real risk that I would lose him entirely. Sticking to my original objective would be best.

If the boy and girl were connected to the forest’s center, our paths would eventually cross again. When that happened, I could show them Ryun and try to speak with them properly.

***

[Survive. Time remaining: 54 hours 36 minutes.]

Every isolated group viewed outsiders with suspicion, which was only natural. They feared that those with different values could disrupt their peace.

The boy and girl were no exception. They were likely part of a reclusive tribe dwelling within Euros’s Flower Forest, one intrinsically tied to its heart.

Moreover, the reason no word had spread of them was simple. Everyone who had made it this far had to have perished.

After all, this world doesn’t have the technology to produce a gas mask that can allow someone this deep into the forest to find them.

Most likely, the boy had classified me as an intruder. In his eyes, I wasn’t just another addict wandering aimlessly toward the forest’s center under the influence of pollen.

No doubt, the strength I had displayed only reinforced his conclusion.

Regardless, I slipped the Ring of the Dawn Breeze onto my finger as a precaution. I figured that nature-oriented abilities—such as Ryun and the power of wind—could prove useful later on.

Turning my gaze toward the dense cluster of crimson blossoms, I murmured inwardly.

I won’t be able to pass through that way.

Ryun had informed me that the flowers would protect those two and warned me not to harm them.

Unfortunately, there were simply too many blooms for me to slip through unscathed.

Still, I wasn’t concerned. There was another path through the cluster.

A remarkably simple solution, in fact.

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has encountered the Tashioka Tribe of Euros’s Flower Forest. The hidden mission ‘Secrets of the Flower Forest’ has now commenced.」