Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 351: Eighty-Third Floor, The Void (1)

[Stop the monsters from the Void. Time remaining: 47 hours 58 minutes.]

The monsters were closing in from every direction. Beneath me, people gripped by despair were preparing for battle.

I calmly began gathering mana while surveying the battlefield as it unfolded before me.

I wonder what this violet-hued world and the Void are.

Thankfully, there was one thing I could reasonably assume: The Meticulous Architect’s vision of the future likely didn’t take place here.

The ground where I lay collapsed wasn’t violet.

Ever since seeing that future, I had been bringing all of my gear because I couldn’t be certain of when it would happen.

After all, just because I started on one world during a trial didn’t mean I would stay there the entire time. For instance, Stagnant Terror had brought me to a blood-soaked plain, and Burning Truth took me to two separate worlds. There was no predicting what would happen.

I can’t let my guard down completely.

Still, I understood what needed to be done. I had to wipe out the incoming horde and absorb their mana.

What had once been mere speculation had long since become my conviction. The tower tailored its trials to suit my condition.

If this many enemies were appearing, it could only mean that I would soon need a staggering amount of mana.

Whether that is for the boss of this floor or one soon to come, I can’t say yet.

Regardless, I needed to act accordingly.

The tower often used trials to hint at what lay ahead and how to survive future floors.

At the edge of my field of view, the horizon swelled as the approaching tide of monsters advanced toward us.

Fortunately, we still had a bit of a buffer zone. They were roughly one-third of the way from the horizon to the forward base.

By this point, I had fully prepared my mana, and I could unleash my lightning at any moment.

I turned toward Doppy, who was floating beside me in the air; he would have a different task for this trial.

A wide-range divine spell would be effective, sure.

Instead of that, though, I intended to have him search for a hidden mission within the forward base.

I couldn’t be certain, but there was always the possibility that this wouldn’t just be a straightforward onslaught. In a way, it was a familiar cliche.

Many monster films commonly featured someone stealing an egg or youngling for research, only to anger the parent.

That thought had occurred to me like a flash of inspiration, and since I needed to remain on the battlefield, sending Doppy to handle the search made more sense. He had a foot in the door of becoming a swordmaster, so he would likely manage just fine on his own down there.

Besides, I could help him with Shadow Veil.

“Doppy.”

“What is it?”

“Take a look down there, will you?”

Doppy lowered his gaze, seemingly examining the structure of the forward base rather than the people.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t directly tasked him with anything before.

Will this be his first solo mission?

I tried to recall anything, but nothing came to mind. That probably answered the question.

“Not the base but the people.”

“Ah! Got it.”

“So, what do you think? If I cover you with Shadow Veil, do you think you could move around without getting caught?”

I asked because Shadow Veil wasn’t infallible. Even though it had a high level, it still depended heavily on the user’s own ability to suppress their presence.

These people, though gripped by despair, were inhabitants of the eighty-third floor. They had to possess a certain level of strength, and some of them were bound to be stronger than Doppy. Not that they would have the luxury to focus on him with a battle looming, though.

From what I can tell, it shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

Still, Doppy’s judgment mattered. I saw this as an opportunity to help him cultivate his independent thinking skills. I had practically raised him myself.

Soon, he gave a firm nod. “I think I can manage it!”

“Then how about heading down to look for something?”

“You mean treasure or an elixir?” he responded immediately.

Hmm. Have I been that obsessed with treasure and elixirs?

Thinking back, I guess I had. Even on the eighty-first floor, I had spent a good chunk of my free time scouring a mountain ravine with Ha-Seon.

I shook my head. “Close, but not quite. I need you to find a hidden mission.”

“A hidden mission? You think I can find something like that?”

“You’ve always had good instincts.”

I turned my head slightly. The monsters were steadily approaching and had passed the halfway point between the horizon and the base.

Thinking I hadn’t explained it clearly enough, I added further detail, “Something like a concealed monster egg or a baby hidden inside the base. If you can’t find one, a treasure or an elixir is fine too. Can you do it?”

“I think so! I’ll give it a shot!” Doppy answered enthusiastically.

This was his first time being formally entrusted with a mission, and he was clearly excited.

Although I was asking this of him, I still felt a lingering concern, so I gave him a few final reminders just in case.

“Don’t push yourself. Your safety comes first. If you run into someone too strong, signal me immediately. Even if the situation turns sour, don’t engage them.”

Doppy nodded as he placed a hand on his sword’s hilt. “Don’t worry!”

Having listened to the exchange, Ryun—still on Doppy’s sword handle—opened his eyes readily.

Just to make sure, I asked, “You’re not sensing anything unusual, are you?”

“Not particularly.”

That wasn’t surprising. Doppy’s Fenrike-boosted intuition wasn’t always reliable.

I glanced over at Ryun and Yoonie. “Yoonie, if you notice anything strange, let Doppy know right away. Ryun, stay close and support him.”

“Understood, Su-Hyeok!”

“Got... it,” Ryun replied slowly, but his eyes glimmered eagerly.

A faint smile played at the corner of his lips. He hadn’t had many chances to do anything substantial lately, having remained by my side.

Now that I was more firmly established, I no longer needed his guidance, and I trusted my own judgment. I had figured that this joint mission with Doppy would pique his interest.

Among the three, Ryun was the most skilled. He would have plenty of advice to offer, and his motivation would surely allow them to succeed.

“If things get dangerous, immediately transform and help him.”

“Don’t... worry...” Ryun blinked.

To be honest, I wasn’t all that concerned. Ryun could return to his true form at any moment. He remained bound to the sword simply because he disliked moving around.

Perhaps it was because he was originally a tree, but from my perspective, it was a welcome trait. Ents were far too conspicuous. With his eyes closed, he looked no more than a curious decorative ornament.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Doppy nodded firmly.

I shrouded his body with Shadow Veil, then called upon the wind spirit to lower him gently to the ground.

Doppy drew in a deep breath as he gathered his mana, and his presence grew faint. All that training was paying off.

The gap between us and the monsters had shrunk by half of my original estimate. They now filled nearly two-thirds of the space between the base and the horizon, yet there was no end in sight.

Down below, I caught sight of Doppy slipping into motion. It seemed like he was taking Ryun’s advice, as he was heading straight for the central spire.

I hadn’t had the chance to tell him, but it was a wise decision.

Setting aside all stray thoughts, I turned my focus back to the battle.

When should I start?

If I were thinking solely about farming divinity, then I would want to strike when danger loomed at arm’s length, when the monsters swarmed the very walls.

However, a sense of aversion stirred within me for some reason. I despised the gods that wrung divinity from mortals at the very cost of their lives, and honestly, souls. Though these were vastly different circumstances, I had no desire to follow in their footsteps.

Since the monsters had already crossed what I deemed the halfway point, I saw no reason to continue waiting.

I raised my hand toward the sky, and in that instant, I realized that all of my earlier hesitations had been pointless. Without a moment’s delay, I descended straight down.

***

Pozen, a young man turned soldier, was stationed at the forward base. However, for him, all he could feel now was sheer regret.

Damn it, I never should have come. They said it would be safe, those lying motherfuckers!

He had only come to Void in the first place for money.

It had been three years since the Alliance discovered the Void through a dimensional development initiative. Though monsters inhabited the place, it was rich in resources. With their home planet’s reserves nearly depleted, development had become a necessity.

After overcoming the initial battles through technological superiority, the Alliance established the forward base.

There hadn’t been any major threats.

Until today.

When Pozen saw the ground between the horizon and the base entirely consumed by monsters, he nearly pissed himself. They had already closed more than half the distance, yet there was still no end in sight to the horde.

The base was so eerily silent that he could hear the senior soldier beside him trembling.

“F-fifteen seconds to... to open fire!”

Even the commander had to strain his voice to issue an order. Pozen placed his hand on the machine gun in front of him.

Then, it happened.

In front of the charging monsters, an oval-shaped distortion formed. Its edges shimmered white, and its center pulsed with a deep violet glow.

He had heard of this before.

A short-range spatial gate used by monsters.

During the first engagement between the monsters and the Alliance, the army had suffered massive casualties due to the gates.

Soon, more gates began appearing right in front of the base walls. Roughly three seconds later, monsters began emerging from them, materializing just outside the barrier.

Fortunately, the protective shield around the base kept them at bay.

Tens of thousands of beasts pounded against the barrier. Though the soldiers held their weapons at the ready, not a single person pulled the trigger. They were too stunned and paralyzed by fear.

“F-fire! Fire, damn it!” the commander shouted, voice trembling.

No one moved.

They weren’t refusing his order; they were simply frozen in place.

Damn it!

Gritting his teeth, Pozen gripped his weapon. He placed his finger on the trigger, feeling its cold edge against his skin.

There was no need to aim. Every inch of space before him was flooded with monsters, and the barrier was beginning to crack.

“It’s... it’s all over...”

“We’re... going to die.”

He could hear the murmurs of despair around him.

What do they mean, it is over?

Clenching his jaw, Pozen pulled the trigger. The weapon jolted in his hands as the mechanism engaged. A blinding flash erupted before his eyes.

Thud!

A thunderous roar crashed through his ears a heartbeat later. Startled, Pozen almost let go of the trigger.

A circular crater had opened up in the center of the horde pounding at the barrier.

I pulled the trigger, but lightning struck?

It was a moment that defied belief.

Did I-I do that?

The thought crossed his mind, but he knew full well that he didn’t possess the ability to summon lightning. He had no idea as to what had just happened.

That was when he noticed something floating in the sky. Slowly, he tilted his head upward, angling about forty-five degrees above the forward line.

Someone stood in mid-air, emitting a radiant blue-gold light. The figure held a massive double-headed axe, and it was someone he had never seen before.

Wh-who is that?

Pozen couldn’t understand how a person could float in midair.

The figure turned his head in Pozen’s direction. He was certain their eyes met. It felt as if that piercing gaze had seen straight through him.

Then, the man declared, “It’s not over... not yet.”

His voice carried a deep, resonant weight. It echoed across the base, reaching every soldier’s ears. It carried a strange sense of godliness.

Pozen felt something swell inside him, a surge of emotion he couldn’t quite name.

The man raised his hand skyward. At the same time, the heavens groaned. The earth trembled, and waves of golden light surged through the violet sky.

Boom! Boo-boom! Thud!!!

Lightning rained down in every direction around the base, relentless and unceasing. Bolts struck the monsters’ heads, while thunder tore through the air like a rampaging stallion.

As the other soldiers stared in stunned silence with their mouths agape, Pozen was the first to snap back to his senses.

“S-shoot! Fire! Fight back!”

Tudududu!

Pozen’s gun roared to life. A beat later, the rest of the weapons finally opened fire.

However, they all knew that their guns paled in comparison to even a single strike of that lightning.

As he fired wildly into the horde, Pozen’s eyes scanned the sky and chased the man’s silhouette.

In the blink of an eye, the figure had shifted to the southern side of the base, raising his axe once again. The moment he brought it down, a grand crescent of lightning bloomed across the Void.

“Dear god—”

Pozen recalled a long-forgotten religion said to have vanished millennia ago. If there truly was a god, it had to be him.