Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 341: Eighty-First Floor, Starfish (1)

Gaining someone’s trust was never simple. That held regardless of species, and especially so when in hostile territory with enemies close behind.

I stood before a space that felt subtly out of sync with its surroundings and raised both hands, signaling I meant no harm. It was already my second attempt.

“Excuse me? Could you please let me inside the barrier?”

Once again, nobody responded. The concealed barrier didn’t waver. Not a flicker, not a sound.

I wondered what was happening beyond it.

Are they preparing for battle?

I didn’t resemble a yokai by any means, but in their eyes, that probably didn’t mean much. After all, I had approached them in a region overrun with yokai and recognized the existence of a hidden barrier. They were bound to be unsettled.

At first, they would have questioned what they were seeing. Now, they were likely whispering among themselves, wondering how to deal with the lunatic outside.

“I know the king is in there. Please let me in. I’m here on behalf of Monk Ha-Seon,” I repeated, but the result stayed the same—nothing moved and nobody answered.

Well, that settles it.

It would be faster to bring Ha-Seon here directly.

The only reason I had bothered to ask three times was because I didn’t want to open a portal and risk a yokai sensing the influx of mana. The king was stationed far closer to the Fourth Division than I had expected.

Because of that, it took some effort to find him, too.

In the end, I changed my mind after sensing the yokai lingering nearby. It had drifted far enough away to be out of range. They seemed to patrol at regular intervals, and now the distance was just right.

I clicked the signal device, cueing Doppy to prepare. The surrounding space was already masked by the Shadow veil.

After waiting about five seconds, I didn’t hesitate to open a portal. Ha-Seon pushed his head through the moment it appeared, as if he had been standing by.

“Did you find him?”

“Yeah.” I motioned toward the barrier behind me.

His eyes widened the moment he saw it. “Father!”

At his cry, the barrier began to expand. Its edges stretched outward to draw us in. I let it pull me without resistance.

As the space revealed itself, I scanned the interior, quickly taking in the king and his entourage.

There were twenty-four of them, definitely not a large number for a royal party. I had thought the same of the disguised general’s cohort, and he had brought nearly seventy men with him.

Dressed in plain clothes instead of his crimson robes, the king came running toward us. “Ha-Seon!”

“Father!” Ha-Seon’s voice trembled, thick with emotion.

Behind them, monks, soldiers, and generals watched Doppy and me with obvious suspicion.

We stayed where we were. Although I had already laid my axe on the ground, their tension hadn’t eased, likely because of Doppy.

I stepped forward slightly to shield him with my body and raised both hands, palms open, to show we meant no harm. Ha-Seon would explain everything soon enough.

The king, who had rushed forward suddenly, stopped when he saw Ha-Seon’s empty sleeve.

“Y-your arm!”

That didn’t make Ha-Seon falter in the slightest. With his one remaining arm—that was still holding his fan—he pulled his father into a tight embrace.

“I’m fine. Just surviving feels like a miracle. What truly matters is that you’re alive, Your Majesty. How have you been?”

“That’s not the point! What on earth happened to you?”

The two of them spoke past each other, each more concerned about the other’s safety. The king’s eyes were already reddening.

Ha-Seon smiled sheepishly and gently patted his father’s back.

Honestly, I had expected the king to be stern and composed—someone firm in the face of chaos. He came across as warm and even kind, though. Or maybe he just couldn’t hold it together after seeing his son like this.

Some parents only showed their true feelings when their child was hurt, no matter how strict they were. Judging by Ha-Seon’s slightly awkward expression, that was probably the case.

What followed was much like my earlier conversation with the general. Ha-Seon explained how the yokai high official had nearly killed him, and how Doppy and I had saved him.

He spoke of Sorcerer Ichon, who had exploited the citizens within the capital, and how we had taken him down. He emphasized again and again that Doppy and I weren’t enemies, that we were his benefactors.

Still, a few of them weren’t convinced, probably because of how we looked.

I didn’t like it, but I could understand. They had been on the run for days, forced to fight and hide. Of course, they would be wary.

Winning their trust didn’t take long, though. When I revealed my divine energy infused with lightning, and Doppy recited a large-scale healing incantation, their attitude changed almost immediately.

Divine spells are seen as miracles in this world, like something only gods can perform.

Some of them seemed even more impressed with Doppy than with me.

After that, the king shared his story.

He was quick-witted. When Starfish attacked the capital, he instantly realized that the Great Yokai was targeting the Celestial Bell. He connected the movements of the enemy at the border to the sudden assault.

He ordered his generals to don royal robes and flee as decoys. Then, while Starfish’s focus was diverted, he escaped with the Head Monk under the cover of a concealment barrier, like the one we had just entered.

Sounds rough.

Even so, he mentioned that he hadn’t encountered any yokai, which made sense, since if he had, Starfish would have captured him long ago.

They had been lying low here ever since. Starfish regularly swept the area directly surrounding the Fourth Division, and moving closer would risk exposing themselves.

The king had been observing the enemy’s patrol patterns, hoping to find an opening. Once he did, he planned to rush into the garrisons and conduct the ritual using the Celestial Bell.

As the conversation wound down, Ha-Seon introduced me as an envoy of the celestials and asked the king to hand me the Bell.

I wasn’t sure he would agree; he had gone through so much to protect it. Thankfully, the king, impressed by Doppy’s divine magic and my lightning-wreathed divinity, handed it over without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the heavens didn’t automatically open, and nothing dramatic happened. Instead, a single notification window appeared.

[Celestial Bell]

- A sacred artifact used to perform celestial rituals.

- Possesses the power to repel all forms of malevolence and impurity.

- Grants the wielder immunity to illusions and all mental interference, unless inflicted directly by a god.

- Mana +7

Damn. That is insane.

I couldn’t help but be impressed. Its effects were beyond incredible. I had been worrying about mental interference, and this alone would solve all of it.

Sadly, I couldn’t take it from this floor. It belonged to this world, and it was meant to protect its people.

Moreover, this wasn’t the kind of solution I was looking for. I wanted to build my own immunity, rather than relying on a shortcut. In the end, it was like a perfectly drawn fruit in a painting. Beautiful and tempting, but not meant for me.

Still, it would be useful for now.

“Ahem, looks like it’s not working.” I glanced around awkwardly.

The atmosphere shifted—not subtly, either. It had grown downright uncomfortable.

Ha-Seon’s words had raised their hopes. Although they didn’t say anything outright, they weren’t able to hide their disappointment.

Ha-Seon gave a slow, weighted nod. “Ah, I see.”

A heavy silence followed.

This was the danger of hope. When it collapsed, it left behind not just disappointment, but crushing despair.

Everyone knew that no one here was to blame. Neither they nor I had done anything wrong. However, the atmosphere had turned somber regardless.

Clearing my throat, I broke the stillness. “Well, it can’t be helped. We’ll need to head to the Fourth Division and perform the ritual there.”

“Did the celestials leave a message behind?” The king asked gently, still clinging to a sliver of hope. Ever since hearing I had been sent by the heavens, he had spoken to me formally.

“Ah, no. I was only instructed to take down the Great Yokai. That’s the whole reason I was sent.”

Now that it had come to this, there wasn’t much else to do. Since the expected had happened, I was just returning to my original plan.

I looked around at the gathered faces. Everyone was exchanging subdued glances, the weight of broken expectation still lingering in their eyes.

It was understandable. Once again, they were forced into an indefinite wait, without assurance of what would come next.

Didn’t they mention that they haven’t eaten since leaving the capital?

I opened the mimic and began taking out a table and food. Even with this many people, there would be more than enough.

“W-what is all this?”

“These are dishes from my homeworld.”

“Now, of all times?”

“Well, we’ve said all we need to say. Let’s eat first. You can’t fight on an empty stomach.”

Steak, kimchi, pasta, galbi. The dishes appeared strange to the unfamiliar, but the moment their aromas spread, the look in people’s eyes shifted. After all, hunger was one of the three primal drives of life. They had been starving for days, so it was no surprise their eyes lit up.

Once the table was unfolded and the food laid out, the spread looked abundant.

My thought had been simple. A full stomach would help ease their burden, even if only slightly. Judging by the atmosphere, the food was already working its magic.

At one point, some attendants suggested preparing a separate table for the king, but he declined. Given the situation, that was understandable.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Th-thank you.”

The king took the first bite, and soon the others followed. Their reactions were more enthusiastic than I had anticipated—far more, in fact.

“Ooh! This has to be food from the Celestial Realm!”

“Your Majesty, you absolutely have to try this one!”

“I’m not actually from the Celestial Realm, though.”

Not that anyone was listening.

“Truly, a taste worthy of the heavens!”

The gloom that had hung over the group just moments before seemed to evaporate. Perhaps hunger had played a larger role in their despair than we had realized.

As for me, well, I was just happy that they liked Earth’s food. Perhaps it was the power of science. Even here in the tower, MSG hadn’t failed me.

Now that the meal neared its end, I carefully asked, “So, we’ll be heading to the Fourth Division to perform the ritual, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Before that, I’ll go deal with Starfish.”

Everyone stared at me in shock.

“Pardon?”

Their reaction was almost identical to Ha-Seon’s from earlier. However, their eyes hid a notable difference. While Ha-Seon had been surprised, these people were looking at me like I had lost my mind. It was probably because they hadn’t seen me fight, unlike Ha-Seon.

“Well, it’s not that shocking. I’m actually pretty strong.”

“That’s true. There’s a reason the celestials sent Mr. Kwon,” Ha-Seon added from beside me.

Even so, the king looked at me, concern etched onto his face.

“There’s no need to worry. I can retreat safely if it comes to that.”

Despite my reassurance, the Head Monk looked puzzled. “If-if things go wrong, then what?”

“Then you wait for another opening or evacuate with the Celestial Bell. You can’t let it fall into enemy hands.”

It was a grim assessment, but a realistic one. They would have to either hold out or flee with the artifact while I headed to hunt down the Great Yokai.

A stillness settled over the group. The king looked at me with fervent eyes. That gaze hadn’t wavered since I saved Ha-Seon and revealed my divine energy. It was the gaze of someone placing deep trust in me.

Good timing.

I extended a hand toward him. “Which brings me to the main point. May I have the Celestial Bell?”

“P-pardon?” The heat in his gaze vanished, replaced by startled confusion.

His eyes weren’t particularly large to begin with, but they widened like a startled cartoon character.

Still, I had no intention of backing down. If I were to face Starfish, I needed the Celestial Bell.

I continued with quiet conviction, “I’m going up against the Great Yokai. I'll need that to stand a chance. Please, let me have it.”