Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 422: Ninetieth Floor, Rest Area (5)

I couldn’t bring myself to immediately check the notification window.

The subdued applause intermingled with faint sobbing continued to ripple through the air. Every gaze was fixed on me. I waited until the clapping subsided for a brief moment. The atmosphere was still somber.

The notification window also seemed to linger patiently, not speaking and simply holding its place.

I forced a smile onto my face, hiding my true feelings. “Why is everyone so bleak? It’s all over now, and we should be celebrating. It’s not as if I’m heading straight into the next trial. I still have two days.”

A small round of laughter circulated through the crowd, and I continued, “Come on, let’s enjoy ourselves. We are supposed to be partying. Spend some time with me before I continue the climb.”

“Yes!”

“Su-Hyeok never spends time with us!” Park Sang-Hyuk shouted above the hubbub.

This time, a smile spread naturally across my face.

“Now, when have I ever?” I exaggerated, and the climbers erupted into laughter.

Still, the festivities showed no signs of starting.

Just as I was wondering what to do, Hendrick stepped in. “Alright, just as Su-Hyeok said, let’s enjoy ourselves. Not a single person here doubts him anyway. Fill your cups!”

Smiling, I watched him before turning to Ha Hee-Jeong. She was regarding me with a faintly worried expression. She had hidden it well for the sake of the atmosphere, but she couldn’t conceal it from me. Even so, the notification window had to come first.

“Hee-Jeong, just a moment,” I asked for her understanding and lifted my gaze into the air.

The tower’s dry voice echoed throughout the hall.

[The other intelligent species of region C-66432, the Kosharks, Subrens, and Turinas, have elected Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok as their provisional god, transferring authority over to him.]

[If Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok conquers the Tower of Ordeal, he will gain full authority over the Kosharks, Subrens, and Turinas’ planets as their provisional god.]

Hmm.

Surprises kept piling up. The tower had suddenly saddled me with responsibility for other planets as well. This, too, was something Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t shared. After all, without a challenger in her previous life, it couldn’t have happened before. Still, it wasn’t all that shocking.

The tower’s sudden interference had startled me, but I had expected the contents of its messages.

This has been on my mind for a while.

My first suspicions had arisen on the eighty-eighth floor.

Why are different species forced to interact and compete with one another if each planet is supposed to get its own god?

It didn’t happen often, but I had even gained faith and divinity from those other species. At first, I assumed that if one species failed, another would take over. Later on, however, Natalie had explained it to me in detail.

“Oppa, it’s possible you’ll end up shouldering not just Earth, but the other climbers as well.”

She had mentioned that I would understand why before the ninety-first floor. Thanks to her hints, my musings, and the tower’s messages, I had figured out that it was only possible if one was a challenger and had earned the faith of other species. Most likely, the climbers from the other species had received the same messages the Earthlings had.

Although the fact that it had happened at the start of the rest area was unusual.

Regardless, this clarifies everything.

The tower had always intended for me to climb alone. It had already sent off Doppy, Ryun, the other non-humans, and even the Earthling climbers to a certain extent. This was probably one of the additional benefits the tower had hinted at when selecting the first option.

Securing additional planets would naturally make me stronger.

It wouldn’t make sense for me to keep climbing with Earth’s climbers while the other species idled on the sidelines.

In terms of timing, the other species had most likely been presented with their choices only after mine.

It is a difficult decision.

I was grateful that they had entrusted me with their authority, but I also felt the weight of responsibility settle on me. Of course, they probably hadn’t wanted to leave their planets in the hands of someone they barely knew. They just knew they wouldn’t be able to overcome the last ten floors.

Moreover, they had also likely uncovered some of the tower’s hidden truths.

They have to know the difference between a provisional god and a true one.

When even conquering the tower seemed impossible, risking it all to simply become a provisional god would only mean losing their planet to the tower and their sponsor. Better to entrust it to me, who would retain it

That judgment would have been grounded in the path I had taken so far. I had earned their trust by acting on behalf of others. If I had acted selfishly, this never would have happened.

I need to do this right.

For myself, for Ha Hee-Jeong, for my family and Earth, and for the climbers of those other species. When I surfaced from my thoughts, Ha Hee-Jeong was waiting for me.

She asked quietly, “What is it?”

“Not much has changed. All that happened was that the other species passed their authority to me.”

“Huh? So that means you’ve become a provisional god for other worlds, too? Because you’re a challenger?”

“Yeah.”

Ha Hee-Jeong looked at me with a conflicted expression. “Well, that’s not such a bad thing. For you, or for them.”

“Exactly. I’m not such a terrible person, am I?” I teased to lighten the mood, but her face still appeared worried.

“Haaaa,” she sighed deeply, then quickly glanced around, suddenly self-conscious.

I could already feel the weight of the climbers’ eyes on me. “I want to talk more about this, but now isn’t the time. Let’s continue later.”

Even though Hendrick had called for a toast and the party began, they were still watching me intently. I told them to enjoy themselves, but it probably looked like I was having a serious conversation with Ha Hee-Jeong.

She tugged at my arm. “Come on, let’s go. Smile.”

“Alright.”

Still smiling, I turned with her.

***

[All aggressive actions are strictly prohibited within the rest area. Rest and relax at your leisure. Time remaining: 46 hours 45 minutes.]

As expected, the party wasn’t anything elaborate, but it was nice.

For the others, the timer vanished from their notification windows. The message simply asked them to rest. At first, many broke down crying. They had been holding back, but their exhaustion had reached its limit. For nearly a year, they had endured trials with the constant dread of death looming over them.

Every moment had to be tormenting.

As the climbers comforted one another, telling each other they had done well, the atmosphere gradually softened. Not completely, but enough.

Many came to me as well to express gratitude and promise their support. I was thankful. They appeared cautious and spoke just as carefully, l because I had taken on their burdens.

Still, I don’t know.

At first, I felt touched. However, as they kept coming, one after another, it began to feel overwhelming. Fortunately, once Hendrick caught on and stepped in, I was finally able to enjoy myself in peace.

I was able to spend time with my party members as they reminisced, the conversations blooming into laughter.

“Man, those days were rough.”

“Yeah, remember? We spent nearly an entire day just running away.”

They were unsure at first and glanced at me warily from time to time. However, after I reassured them several times that it was fine—and once the alcohol began to flow—they relaxed somewhat.

As I listened, I scanned the other climbers. Each time our eyes met, they offered me a small nod in greeting, and I responded with a smile of my own.

Laughter filled the space, though it wasn’t as if no one was weeping. The earlier wave of tears had subsided, but soft sobs still slipped out from time to time.

“What are you staring at?” Alexei asked, seated across from me.

Our party was sharing the table with hers.

“Nothing. I just want everyone to enjoy themselves.”

“Being too nice is a problem in and of itself. You should focus on having fun. Only two days left, right?”

At her words, Ha Hee-Jeong gave a delayed nod. “Exactly. If you’re too considerate, it only makes things awkward for others. Just smile and enjoy it.”

Their words could come off as rough, but I could feel their hidden concern.

I nodded slightly before turning my gaze to Seo Ho-Su. “Ho-Su.”

“Yeah?”

“When we came into the dining hall earlier, you called me Lord of the Party. What was that about?”

“Hmm?”

At my question, Seo Ho-Su widened his eyes in feigned puzzlement. “You don’t know, Su-Hyeok? You know, clans, lords—those kinds of things.”

Ah.

Once he said “clan,” I had a rough idea of what he meant. It was terminology from a game infamous for its ruthless usage of microtransactions.

“You used to play that game?”

“No, but a friend of mine did, so I heard a lot about it. I was just teasing you earlier.”

“You’re not lying because Ha-Rin’s here, right?”

“No, no. If I had that kind of money, I’d spend it on my Ha-Rin instead.”

Except for Seo Ha-Rin, the party burst into laughter.

“Oh, please! You didn’t buy me a new phone when I asked for one!”

“Ha-Rin, you got a new phone less than six months before that.”

The two of them bantered like father and daughter, their exchange sparking more laughter.

Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Alexei leaned toward me and quietly asked, “But... will you be alright?”

“What’s this? Weren’t you telling me to enjoy myself earlier?”

“I’m just a little worried, that’s all.” 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

“You don’t trust me?”

Alexei shook her head. “No, that’s not it. It’s just you’ll be on your own. You won’t be able to communicate with us.”

“Won’t I still return to the waiting room? It simply said that I’d have to clear the trials alone. Besides, it’s only the ten floors. It won’t take long to climb.”

Alexei nodded hesitantly.

“And it’s not as if I haven’t faced difficult trials before.”

She laughed weakly. “That’s true.”

Much like the others, she was asking only because she was concerned. The feelings she had once harbored for me had long faded. Most likely, it had happened after she grew closer to Ha Hee-Jeong. I had no idea what the two of them had talked about, but for me, it was a relief. A needless weight lifted off my shoulders.

We continued passing the time reminiscing or exchanging trivial chatter, intermingling the talking with laughter that carried an undercurrent of heaviness.

That, too, was unavoidable. The people gathered here were closer to me than most climbers, and none more so than Ha Hee-Jeong. Though she occasionally smiled, her expression was nearly blank, weighed down with worry for me.

I tilted my head toward her. “Shall we talk?”

“Alright.”

At first, she had stayed to not ruin the mood, but by now, more than thirty minutes had passed since the tower’s sudden announcement. That was long enough. Now, I needed to turn my attention to her.

After asking for our party members’ understanding, we took a bottle of wine and two glasses before rising from the table.

***

Since the start of the festivities, many climbers had stepped outside the restaurant as well. Couples wandered the plains surrounding the rest area, while other parties claimed spots with drinks in hand.

We walked away from the crowd to seek a quieter place. Occasionally, our eyes met those of other climbers, but nobody approached us.

They had always treated me that way when I was with Ha Hee-Jeong, but tonight it was even more pronounced. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, yet I didn’t regret my decision. Even if I went back, I would choose to climb alone.

In fact, the choice had greatly increased my divinity, both when the climbers had learned of my decision and when the non-human climbers had passed the authority to me. The burden I carried had grown heavier, but so had their faith.

Ha Hee-Jeong finally broke the silence. “Will you really be alright?”

I had been asked that question countless times, but when it came from her, it carried a different weight.

“Yeah.”

“Ugh. Let’s sit for a moment.”

We lowered ourselves onto the plains and looked up at the vivid red sky glowing in pastel hues. The scenery was lyrical, unfitting for the mood. Ha Hee-Jeong extended her glass, and I poured her wine.

“Why wine, all of a sudden?”

“When I met Thunder Axe, we had grape wine. I liked the taste.”

She nodded absentmindedly, and a brief silence followed.

“I don’t know what I should say,” she forced out with difficulty before taking a sip. “I wanted to climb with you to the very end.”

“It can’t be helped. That’s just how things turned out. In the end, only one person needs to make it to the top.”

“It feels wrong because I still feel sorry.” Her guilt was unlike that of the others. “I regressed, but you—who knew nothing—ended up becoming the challenger. You have endured such harsh trials and have ultimately been left to resolve everything on your own.”

Although I understood her feelings, I didn’t agree with her.

I gave her a faint, but deliberate smile. “What’s there to be sorry for? I’m doing this for all of us. Better this than dying and letting Earth perish.”

I gave her shoulder a light tap, but she didn’t return the smile.

“It just feels like I’m burdening you with something even I couldn’t do.”

“What’s the problem with that? You told me yourself that no one but me could conquer the tower.”

It was true. Those had been her words.

As she opened her mouth again, searching for something to say, I quickly cut in, “If you couldn’t do it, then it just means I’ll be the one to. Doesn’t that sound even better?”

“Better how?”

“Think about it. Climbing the tower that even a regressor couldn’t conquer. That’s impressive, isn’t it?” I remarked playfully, much like Seo Ho-Su would.

At last, she laughed. “I suppose so.”

“We’ve both done our best. You in your way, and I in mine.”

Ha Hee-Jeong met my eyes.

“All that’s left is for me to finish it. Though, for a finale, the tenth floor does feel a little drawn out.”

I tried to lighten the mood with another joke, but instead of laughing, she leaned closer. In the next instant, she wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was warm, and I could feel her body trembling faintly.

“Don’t die.”

I paused. “Okay.”

“Never.”

“Yeah.”

“You must come back alive.”

“I will.”

“I’ll be waiting.” She shuddered in my embrace, and her unease seeped into me.

I reached up and gently patted her shoulder, resolved. “Don’t worry. Just wait here for me. I’ll finish quickly and come back.”