Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't

Chapter 8: First Floor, Tutorial (5)

Chapter 8: First Floor, Tutorial (5)

During Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, on the ninety-fourth floor.

[Community of the Dead]

[No... Su-Hyeok... Why is this so heartbreaking?]

[Please, Su-Hyeok hyung[1] ]

[If only Su-Hyeok had chosen a melee weapon during talent awakening, he would have killed them all.]

[Mr. Su-Hyeok, if only you had done that... Ah...]

[...]

[Is this really the end? Seriously?]

[Are we all really all really going to die?]

[The intelligent beings of planet Earth in region C-66432 have failed to ascend the Tower of Ordeal.]

The dead climbers didn’t have bodies and instead heard the system’s voice with their souls. Somehow, the voice in this last message felt unfamiliar to Ha Hee-Jeong. Rather than being monotonous, which she had gotten used to hearing while climbing the tower, it was filled with grief and despair. She could sense the tower's emotions through that voice. It was mourning.

[Pursuant to law G-14823-1, the ownership of planet Earth is hereby transferred to the fifth-class god 'Fire of the Wind Valley' Patuka. This transfer is also in accordance with the sponsorship contract between Patuka and Kwon Su-Hyeok, the top climber.]

[Following the subordination contract between the fifth-class god 'Fire of the Wind Valley' Patuka and the first-class god 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain, the ownership of Earth is hereby transferred to 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain.]

Earth’s climb had ended. Feeling the tower's sorrow, the bodiless Ha Hee-Jeong wept. However, the voice narrating the messages wasn't finished.

[The first-class god 'Master of the Five Carriage Wheels' ■■■, who has a sponsorship contract with climber Ha Hee-Jeong, rolls the dice of destiny using their shares.]

Amidst the silent weeping, a clear voice resounded. In that instant, Ha Hee-Jeong's vision inverted.

***

Ah, that’s right, this bastard was a paladin. Fuck...

The clanking of the goblin’s plate armor echoed as I pushed against the floor with the little strength I had left, barely managing to lean up. I groaned, feeling a sting from my side due to the goblin’s earlier slash.

I tried to get up, but my back muscles refused to cooperate, possibly due to the surrounding lava’s heat. I also felt as if I was burning up and my blood was draining out. To make matters worse, my vision was starting to waver, leaving me dizzy.

I grasped my injured side with my left hand and gripped my dagger tightly in my right.

As the glow from the goblin paladin’s collarbone vanished, it cracked its neck from side to side.

Can I face it again with how exhausted I am?

I had put everything into that last attack, and I wasn’t sure how much more I could give.

“Krieee! Human, impressive. If not for Goblin’s god, skrieee, you would have killed Goblin!" the goblin paladin boasted as it picked up its fallen sword and shield. “Krieee! But now. Human! You are a dead man." ℟äɴO͍ʙÈṩ

“Screw you, asshole," I retorted.

“Keekeekeek! Keekeekeek!"

The goblin paladin laughed irritatingly and mockingly, igniting a surge of anger within me.

Bastard... I’m going to fucking kill you.

The goblin slowly approached while brandishing its sword and shield, treating me as if I was already defeated. However, it suddenly staggered and collapsed to the side.

Thud!

... What? Why did it fall?

Suddenly, the dagger’s description came to mind.

[Goblin Assassin's Dagger]

- Crudely made.

- In good condition, maintained with care.

- Coated with homemade poison.

Poison! Yes, that had to be the reason! The goblin’s spell that had healed its wounds couldn’t seem to counteract poison.

“Krieee... Human... poison..."

Mumbling softly, it collapsed to the ground. It repeatedly tried to push itself up but fell back down every time. Watching the scene, I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling the tension leave my body.

“Kriieee... Cure..."

What? Does it have an antidote spell too?

Doing my best to ignore the excruciating pain in my side, I finally managed to stand and hobbled toward the goblin paladin as fast as I could. Upon reaching it, I kicked its head like a soccer ball.

Thud!

“Po... i—argh!"

“Aaah!"

A sharp pain shot up my leg. I realized too late that I should have used the sole of my foot instead of the tip. I tried to stand, putting weight on that leg, but the unbearable pain sent me crumpling to the floor instead.

“Kriee... Cure..."

Damn it. I don’t have time for this.

Even though I was on the ground, I quickly punched the goblin, interrupting it again.

Bang!

“Ugh!"

“Aaah!"

Pain surged through my left hand, making me wonder if I had broken a bone. Regardless, I couldn’t use it anymore. Fighting through the agony, I used my left forearm to press down on the goblin’s helmet, exposing its green flesh through a gap. This had to be the end. I had to silence it for good.

Schluck, schink, shik—

I thrust my dagger into the gap three times, leaving it lodged in the goblin’s collarbone. Needing to confirm that it had died, I leaned on its chest and twisted the helmet off with my right hand to reveal the goblin's unconscious face.

“Skriieeech!"

Doppy started backing away.

Come on, Doppy. I'm not going to hurt you, just the necklace.

“Ugh, I said come here."

“Kriieeee!"

Doppy turned around and started to run.

What an idiot.

There was nowhere to run in this circular arena anyway.

“Come here. I'll be gentle."

“Kriee! No!"

Thanks to Doppy's healing spell, I felt strong enough to give chase. Cornering Doppy, I grabbed it by the nape of its neck.

“Krieeee! Krieeee!"

“Hey! I'm not going to kill you! I just want to check the necklace!"

“Krieeeeee! Krieeeeee!"

Seemingly missing the "not" in "not going to kill you,” Doppy struggled and panicked.

I sighed, realizingthat talking wouldn’t work. Given my condition, I couldn't afford to waste more energy. I had to use force while I still had energy.

I firmly pressed my palm over Doppy's mouth. Its muffled screams vibrated against my hand, and its eyes trembled with fear.

“Doppy, I'm going to die if I don’t do this. If you don't want to get hurt, just lie down for a moment."

“..."

Finally, Doppy regained some composure, allowing it to focus on me. I turned it on its side and pulled the necklace from under its clothes. Placing the gem on the ground, I noted that the purple light was shining even brighter. I raised the sword above the necklace, then delivered a powerful swing.

The necklace shattered with a loud noise, and a tremendous wind burst out of it.

“Ah!"

“Krieee!"

[Eeaaaaaaugh!]

A blood-curdling scream erupted from the necklace, then gradually faded away. The powerful gust sent me and Doppy flying, with me landing on my back and Doppy rolling several times off to the side. Eventually, the dust settled, revealing Doppy through the haze.

“... A golden goblin?"

Doppy, once green, had now turned a golden hue. The gem on its necklace was glowing red. Doppy looked at me with newfound clarity in its eyes.

“This goblin, Fenrike, extends his deepest gratitude to the nameless human."

The golden goblin, or Doppy—no, Fenrike—bowed deeply.

“..."

What is Doppy—Fenrike—saying?

Though Doppy—no, Fenrike—seemed to be talking, I couldn't hear any sound. Instead, a message appeared.

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the First Floor of the Tower of Ordeal. Achievement points will be calculated. The Challenger will now enter the waiting room.]

So, it was the necklace after all.

Wait a minute. Enter the waiting room? No! I haven't grabbed the goblin paladin's shield yet.

I quickly dashed toward the shield.

[Final remaining time: 6 hours 25 minutes. All enemies have been eliminated. The hidden mission 'The Hidden Sorrow of the Goblin Tribe' has been completed. Calculating achievement points.]

I hurriedly picked up the shield in front of me. Luckily, I made it in time.

[Goblin Paladin’s Shield]

- A decent shield.

- Sturdy. Contains divine power.

- Allows use of Heal Wounds lvl 2 (Cooldown: 24 hours).

Wow, I would have been upset if I missed this. A shield with a healing spell—what a great find.

[The hidden mission 'The Hidden Sorrow of the Goblin Tribe' has been completed. Goblin 'Doppy' will join Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok in his ascent.]

[Total Achievement Points: 14,226. Challenge Kwon Su-Hyeok will now enter the waiting room.]

Hidden mission? Doppy is joining me?

It turned out that Doppy would climb the tower with me. As I pondered this, a floating sensation enveloped me, and my vision turned white.

***

...

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has defeated the goblin paladin! Strength, agility, and stamina increased by 3.」

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has conquered the boss room! All stats increased by 2.」

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has gained the skills Pain Resistance lvl 2, Natural Healing lvl 2.」

「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has gained the skills Indomitability lvl 2, Combat Focus lvl 3.」

...

「Invisible Message: According to its contract with the first-class god 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain, the shackles binding the fifth-class provisional god 'Golden Flash' Fenrike have been released.」

1. In Korean, "hyung" (형) is what guys call their older brothers or older male friends. It shows respect and affection, highlighting the importance of age and close bonds in Korean culture. ☜