Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 354: Eighty-Third Floor, The Void (4)

[Uncover the truth, then decide. Time remaining: 46 hours 4 minutes.]

Unperturbed, I read the message. The floors had changed and seemed completely unrelated to what I had been doing.

In its place, the tower had added two new directives. Strangely, not only had the trial changed, but the description carried a weight to it. They hinted at something I hadn’t found yet.

It was a new clue.

What is it trying to tell me?

The decision would clearly be between the inhabitants of the Void and the alien species stationed at the forward base. What I wondered about, though, was what the tower meant about uncovering the full truth.

As it stood, I only knew some surface-level information. The leaders behind the forward base had invaded the Void to extract its resources. In doing so, they had sacrificed their own citizens to rob the monsters of their lives and their home.

However, if that were all there was to it, the tower wouldn’t have phrased it in such a way.

This area wouldn’t be in such a state, either.

It seemed plausible that the monsters had laid a trap for the colonizers, resulting in the attack team’s demise. Perhaps the horde of monsters had been a feint, all to lure their enemies into a counterattack against the invaders.

To bring in their main force, they would certainly need a massive dimensional gate like the one I had seen earlier.

It was a compelling theory, especially considering that the colonizers had pulled similar tricks before.

Who is to say that the monsters couldn’t learned from past encounters?

A picture started taking shape in my mind.

Some monsters survived the previous lures and delivered the truth to their respective queens. In response, the queens joined forces.

This time, they anticipated the hunt and laid their own trap.

In all honesty, that would explain the current situation.

Considering that, the choice mentioned in the floor’s description would be specifically about saving the invaders or letting fate run its course.

I recalled the forward base I had passed through. My lightning was still raging around it, and Doppy was there.

The tower isn’t telling me to protect it anymore, but for now, I will hold off on deciding.

I needed to assess the situation before deciding. Even if my theory proved to be accurate, I didn’t intend to abandon innocent people and let them die.

There was clearly nothing left to gain by remaining here—not a single monster could be seen.

It was time to step through that dimensional gate. The other side would contain the home world of the invaders, and it was likely already under siege.

I hope the queen can speak.

It would be the most direct way to learn the full story. So far, I had only heard one side.

Still, I was completing one of the Tower of Ordeal’s trials, so there was no need for concern. There would be a way to uncover the truth.

I approached the dimensional gate. The moment I stepped in, I felt myself being drawn forward and pulled through space. It felt similar to before, but there was a subtle difference.

Whereas the previous gate had been filled with streaks of black and white, this one glimmered a deep violet alongside the usual white.

At that moment, another possibility surfaced in my mind.

***

“Aaaaagh!”

A piercing scream split the air. From every direction, monsters surged forward like a tidal wave.

Boom!

Explosions rained down across the city. It had been an hour since the bombardment had begun. The city was on the verge of collapse.

From within the central government building, an elderly man watched the crumbling skyline, blood filling his eyes.

“Sir! We need to leave now!” the chief secretary shouted in desperation, but the chairman remained silent.

Instead, he stood there, lost in thought.

“Sir!”

His son had been the one who had first requested the Broken Arrow strike[1]. The outer defense line, where his son had been stationed, had been reduced to rubble long ago.

There was no doubt about it. His son was gone.

The grief struck with suffocating clarity.

Where did it all go wrong?

The chairman traced the path in his mind.

Was it the moment I approved the operation? When we launched our assault on one of the monsters’ nesting grounds?

No, neither of those felt quite right.

Then perhaps when we first stepped into the Void? No, that isn’t it either.

Questions piled up in his head, but none led to a clear answer.

The exhaustion of their resources had been inevitable—resources weren’t limitless. They had simply existed at the wrong time in history.

Eventually, he came to one conclusion. The beginning of it all—the greatest mistake—was discovering the dimensional gate.

We should have never touched it. Even if it meant returning to a primitive agrarian society stuck thousands of years in the past.

At the very least, they wouldn’t have clung to false hope.

The chairman clenched his jaw, and the grinding of teeth rang sharply. He shook his head.

Enough mourning.

The time for grieving his fallen city and dead son had passed.

He hadn’t earned the position of chairman through luck. His grief-hardened mind cooled into razor-sharp clarity.

Though the capital was falling, it wasn’t time for his people to go extinct. The military still stood, and there was still a chance. There was still room for vengeance.

“I’m sorry... but I must go now...”

The moment he turned to leave, he sensed that something was wrong. The chief secretary, who had been urging him on, now stood frozen as he stared blankly at him. He wasn’t even blinking.

What is going on? Am I dreaming?

The chairman closed his eyes and opened them again, but the scene remained unchanged. His dissonance deepened.

I can’t hear the bombardment anymore.

He snapped his head around in alarm. His eyes widened and were immediately consumed by disbelief. The shock nearly brought him to his knees.

The world outside the window had come to a complete halt. The artillery shells hung motionless in the sky, and the monster sprinting down the capital’s main road was frozen in place.

The chairman stood rooted, his mouth opening and closing in silence. He couldn’t process what was happening. His mind had gone numb.

What in the world is this? God...?

Though he had never believed, the chairman instinctively called upon a god he had long since abandoned.

Then, before he could even react to the presence now standing beside him, a voice, unfamiliar but firm, cut in, “You’re the one in charge, right? We need to talk.”

***

The queen stood on the outskirts and gazed down at the capital.

Though the enemy’s resistance had been fiercer than anticipated, the operation was progressing smoothly. The monsters that had fallen could be replaced; new ones were born every day.

There were more than enough nutrients to support them.

This new world was vast. Those who had not yet died would become sustenance. Their numbers would only grow from here.

Thud!

A shell exploded nearby. The queen raised a hand, effortlessly deflecting the incoming shrapnel.

Clatter—

As the fragments rained down around her, a flicker of dissonance stirred within her mind. Something felt off.

Just now, did the world stop?

It was impossible. God had made it clear that this world didn’t possess a god.

God was not the type to speak frivolously. The queen was an apostle, and this was far from her first experience with such a situation.

Was I mistaken?

Perhaps so.

Lately, she had been struggling both mentally and physically, all because of a man she had never even met. He had appeared in the Tower of Ordeal, a place known only to the gods. Since then, she had been constantly compared to him.

She had been forced to suffer through considerable pain, but the humiliation was what had truly worn her down. After all, what could be more crushing than hearing God call you worthless?

She couldn’t bring herself to think any further. Because this time, the world had truly come to a stop.

W-what is this?

The fragments of a shell that had crumbled in her hand were now frozen midair. The falling explosives were suspended as well. Even the air felt immobile.

In that instant, she realized what she had sensed earlier hadn’t been an illusion.

Yet this time, something was different. Unlike before, she was able to perceive it clearly and move normally within it.

She readied herself for battle. She tensed, and her divine energy rose in a rush. Her long hair, which had hung down to her waist, now lifted into the air.

“I’m not looking for a fight. At least, not yet.”

The voice came from behind her, and the queen pivoted instantly. She shifted her right foot back and raised her opposite hand in a defensive stance.

Unlike her poised and wary form, the man who appeared before her looked entirely at ease. His double-headed axe hung loosely at his side, its edge grazing the floor.

I didn’t even sense him approaching.

She couldn’t understand the situation.

Silently, she inhaled deeply, careful not to show her tension. Then, she took a closer look at the man who had appeared without warning.

Lightning rippled faintly around him. His brown eyes seemed to blaze with a golden fire. From him, she sensed divinity.

An apostle? Or a god?

The ambiguity unsettled her. She didn’t like that she couldn’t tell.

At the very least, he had to be the apostle of a first-class god or a prospective fifth-class god.

Either way, this mysterious figure was clearly stronger than she was. She swallowed hard, and a heavy silence followed.

She realized the world hadn’t actually stopped. He had merely used his powers to accelerate themselves to a ludicrous extent. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Then, something suddenly occurred to her. The queen realized who he was. It was the one her god had spoken of.

It is him.

Kwon Su-Hyeok was the very man God always compared her to.

Because of you—!

She swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat. The man walked toward her with calm, deliberate steps. There was no time to dwell on resentment.

Her mind quickly turned over different possibilities. She didn’t know why he had come, but he didn’t appear to be here for a fight.

Still, considering that the second time he had frozen time, it was safe to assume that he had already met with the leader of the alien race.

Is he trying to mediate?

She couldn’t figure out his intent.

Two things were certain, however. First, this entire situation was connected to the Tower of Ordeal. Second, she had to carry out the divine command she had received.

The first realization left her feeling cornered, but dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. Reaffirming her purpose, she met his gaze directly. The man’s face remained expressionless.

“I have a question. What exactly are you doing here?”

“I think I should be asking you that. Why are you interfering in something that has nothing to do with you?”

“Because it’s a part of my trial.”

She couldn’t quite understand what he meant.

Even among the first-class gods, only a handful of high-ranking ones ever spoke to their apostles about the tower. They were notoriously secretive.

As the apostle of a second-class, all she knew was that the tower was a place where gods were born.

She decided to push aside the thoughts clouding her mind. Only two truths remained relevant. He was stronger than she was, and she had a divine mission to complete.

The queen decided to probe him. “What is it that you want?”

“Hard to say. I’m just here to uncover the truth and make a decision.”

She bit her lip. It wasn’t the answer she had hoped for.

His words sounded arrogant, as if the final decision was his to make, but she couldn’t deny it.

He was right. God would not intervene in this matter.

How much does he really know?

No, there was no point in dwelling on that either.

She shook her head, slightly lost in thought. He had spoken with the alien leader. That much she was sure of. Hopefully, that was the extent of it.

The man tilted his head slightly. “Mind answering what I asked earlier? What are you doing here?”

“Revenge,” she replied without pause, “It all began when they invaded our world.”

The queen began explaining how everything had unfolded. She told him how the alien race had invaded her planet and resorted to cowardly, deceitful methods, sacrificing their own kind to lure monsters and steal resources.

Throughout her explanation, the man’s face remained unreadable.

“We’re the victims here, so this is justice. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of this.”

At her words, the man smiled faintly. “Justice? You call this justice?”

Though his lips curved slightly, his eyes remained cold and still. “They’re only here because you showed them the dimensional gate.”

A chill swept through her.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

1. U.S. military code for requesting all available air support on one’s own position during dire situations. ☜