novelraw Chapter 316 : Climbing the Tower (4)
Chapter 316 : Climbing the Tower (4)
"There's nothing on the first floor. The fight truly begins from the second floor."
At Su-hyeon's words, Commander Gong I-an nodded.
"It means this is the last chance if anyone wants to retreat."
"Yes."
"Unnecessary consideration, or should I call it psychological warfare?"
Gong I-an's eyes, looking as if he had aged ten years in one year, blazed with the will to end this wearisome battle.
"Everyone, let me make one thing clear. Our goal is not to climb 'all together.' It's just to escort the Special Operations Captain so he can draw his sword as late as possible and climb as high as possible."
Gong I-an said, looking around at everyone.
"In other words, if you can successfully pass through a floor by abandoning someone, you should do so without hesitation, regardless of who it is. Except for Special Operations Captain Jeong Su-hyeon, of course."
"...!"
"You're all prepared for that, right?"
The special operations members answered in unison.
"I came with that determination from the beginning."
Seo Jun-seong said.
"I have many personal debts to pay to Su-hyeon. If I can pay them off with this battle, I should do whatever I can."
Nam Tae-hoon playfully tapped Su-hyeon's arm.
"Right. You especially have many debts to pay."
Hong In-hyeon snorted at Nam Tae-hoon.
"But I'm determined to climb as high as possible together."
"Same here."
Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su's eyes were full of firm resolve.
"...But I hope no one dies."
"Well, at least I'm prepared to throw myself in before others."
Kim A-yun and Kwon Seung-yeon showed different degrees of determination.
"Hey, why are you all saying such ominous things? You still have many days to live."
Jo Sujin intentionally raised her voice to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"Come on, enough with the gloomy talk. Let's get going now!"
"Good."
Standing in the middle with escorts in all directions, Su-hyeon said.
"As you all know by now, I have experienced climbing this tower countless times. If you focus on what I say, there will be at least one opportunity to save your life."
"That's helpful."
"Then I'll be counting on everyone."
Finally.
The journey toward the final battle began.
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Each floor of the Celestial Tower was a magical space.
Spaces that were impossibly wide, impossibly narrow, impossibly high and low unfolded in succession.
All kinds of harsh environments from deserts to snowfields appeared.
Frost giants, hundreds of millions of giant cockroaches, caves where bats with poison fangs lurked, the realm of an impossibly enormous giant centipede, the land of zombies, Duran's forces, the Lich's workshop...
All sorts of bizarre enemies harassed the special operations unit and gnawed at their physical and mental strength.
But the enemy's weapons weren't just bizarreness.
Mythical demonic beasts no less formidable than Leviathan,
Fallen great demons who had died long ago after opposing Belphegor, then became slaves to black magic and gatekeepers guarding each floor.
And even groups of demons who had died in vain while climbing the tower.
The enemies were strong, cunning, and desperate.
However, the special operations unit combined their strength and wisdom to achieve the feat of breaking through to the 30th floor without a single casualty.
'Among my hundreds of play-throughs.'
Su-hyeon thought.
'The last 40 attempts were all repetitions of days failing and dying while challenging this tower.'
Those records of failure were now becoming the most valuable assets, protecting the party's lives.
But.
"I think this is as far as I go."
On the 38th floor, finally, the first dropout occurred.
"In-hyeon!"
"This is embarrassing. I never thought I'd be the first to drop out."
"I'm sorry, because of me...!"
Kim A-yun's face crumpled.
"Idiot, you saved me earlier too."
"But still."
Hong In-hyeon roughly messed up Kim A-yun's hair while looking at her.
"I just lost some internal organs. It's not like I'm dying."
"Even so!"
"Have you forgotten what the Commander said earlier?"
"!"
"...In-hyeon is right."
Lee Yu-jin said, lightly hugging Kim A-yun's waist.
"We have to go."
"I'm sorry. Even though I'm here."
Song Yu-ha's face crumpled.
"Your healing power should be used at the most critical moment. Rather, I'm grateful I'm not dead."
Hong In-hyeon gave a thumbs up.
"Everyone, go as far as you can. Don't die."
"...Understood."
Seo Jun-seong used his telekinesis to lay Hong In-hyeon on a flat rock.
"Rest for a while."
"When we meet again, I hope it will be after victory in battle."
With Gong I-an's words as the last.
The special operations unit left Hong In-hyeon behind and climbed the stairs.
1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor...
Perhaps because of the heaviness left from parting with Hong In-hyeon.
They achieved the feat of climbing 10 more floors without creating any more dropouts.
But the 49th floor was not one that could be passed like that.
"Go ahead. I'm the most suitable to hold those bastards back."
"Captain Jo Sujin!"
"Shut up. Don't talk unnecessarily and just go quickly."
Jo Sujin urged the party while pointing to the stairs.
"Hey, and Su-hyeon."
"Yes?"
"...I was glad you were my comrade. I was also proud."
"Me too."
"Then that's enough. Now get out of here! I can fight more comfortably when you're gone!"
The next dropout occurred on the 57th floor.
"Seung-yeon!"
"Calm down, everyone. What's the big deal about losing one leg? We can reattach it later."
Kwon Seung-yeon, who had lost her calf to a demonic beast's teeth, sent off her comrades with a pale face.
"Yu-ha! Thanks to you, I don't think I'll die?"
"...Don't die no matter what. When we return, I'll treat you first."
"Forget it. Treat that bastard In-hyeon first."
"..."
"Neither he nor I are the type to die in a place like this. So don't worry."
Su-hyeon quietly held Kwon Seung-yeon's hand.
"Hey, Su-hyeon."
"...Yeah."
"When you come back, you have to go on a date with me, okay?"
"This isn't the time for lines like that."
"A death flag, you mean? Whatever. I don't believe in such things."
"Right. That's how it should be."
Su-hyeon forced a smile.
"We can go on as many dates as you want, just stay alive."
"You know that verbal promises are also effective, right?"
Kwon Seung-yeon grinned.
"Thanks. Now go on up."
The next was Kim A-yun, whose strength gave out on the 61st floor.
"Mana exhaustion."
Song Yu-ha, who had examined Kim A-yun's condition, gave her diagnosis.
"Sorry, everyone."
"What are you sorry for? If it weren't for you, someone might have died."
It was because Kim A-yun, the only one with an advantage in elemental compatibility, had drawn out too much lightning to defeat the enemy demonic beast.
"Here. Keep this with you."
Choi Min-a gave an artifact in the form of a necklace to Kim A-yun.
"This is like a backup battery. If an enemy appears, you can fight once with this."
"Thanks, Min-a."
Kim A-yun clutched the necklace tightly and turned to Su-hyeon.
"Su-hyeon. Can you make me a promise too?"
"...Of course."
"My grandmother wants to see Su-hyeon. She's gotten a bit worse in the past few months. Her memory is also getting worse..."
"There's no need to ask for something like that."
Su-hyeon linked his pinky finger with Kim A-yun's.
"So think of another request to have ready."
"Yes."
Kim A-yun tried to smile brightly despite her exhaustion.
"I'll be waiting."
The next dropout occurred on the 68th floor.
Nam Tae-hoon, who had jumped out of the shadows to protect Choi Min-a, succeeded in killing a demon by stabbing its eye with a dagger at the cost of losing one arm.
"We can handle the remnants. You go ahead."
Nam Tae-hoon, who had made a prosthetic hand with shadows instead of his lost right arm, decided to stay on the 68th floor with Choi Min-a.
"I'm sorry. I could probably climb one more floor if I forced myself, but I want to die with Tae-hoon even if I die."
"..."
Because Nam Tae-hoon had once left her side and wandered.
He couldn't break his lover's stubbornness.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
Su-hyeon embraced Nam Tae-hoon's shoulder.
"Instead, don't create any more things to be sorry about in the future. Don't die, both you and Min-a, and wait here. That's all."
"That's obvious."
Nam Tae-hoon grinned.
"You know, when I make up my mind, even if Grandpa Belphegor comes, he can't kill me."
"Well, your trait is specifically optimized for escaping."
Hwang Ji-su, who had relaxed her expression, sent a glance to Choi Min-a.
"Min-a. See you when we get back."
"The same goes for Ji-su."
The next dropout was Min Hae-na, who stopped on the 74th floor.
"Ah~ this is frustrating. I wanted to go all the way."
"Hae-na-sunbae."
"Hey, still calling me sunbae? Call me noona."
A staff cut in two, and likewise, a deep laceration on her stomach.
Min Hae-na, who had dabbed the blood seeping through the pressure bandage on her lips, smiled brightly.
"How do I look? A bit pretty?"
"...I'm glad to see you still have some energy left."
"Of course. Noona won't die from something like this."
Min Hae-na spread her arms.
"Give me a hug before you go. Okay?"
"..."
Su-hyeon gave Min Hae-na a light hug with a complicated expression.
"Aren't you hugging too gently? Is this a free hug?"
"If I hug any tighter, your wounds will burst open."
"Hehe. That's true."
Min Hae-na, who laughed innocently, caressed Su-hyeon's cheek.
"Do you remember? When we first competed, I said I fell for you."
"...Of course I remember."
"That feeling hasn't changed even now. So when you come back, you'll have to give me an answer."
"...I've committed many sins."
Min Hae-na burst into laughter at Su-hyeon's lamentation.
"If you know, then do better, okay? When you return, you'll have to come with me to meet my grandfather."
Next, Seol Ji-yun, who had been grumbling that everyone was making her eyes sore, became the dropout on the 79th floor.
"Whew. This is pretty far, right?"
It was the day they reached the two-week mark since climbing the tower.
"You worked hard. Without you, Captain Seol, it would have been difficult to come this far."
"Likewise. On the way here, I think I owe my life to our Special Operations Captain Jeong about six times?"
'Flame Emperor' Seol Ji-yun.
Her firepower, versatility, and combat experience were undoubtedly outstanding.
"Commander Gong. We've been rolling around on battlefields together for well over 10 years, right?"
"...About 15 years."
"It's been a long time."
Seol Ji-yun chuckled.
"The number of times we've narrowly escaped death during that time is beyond words, right?"
"Absolutely."
"Well then. You won't die from something like this."
"The same goes for Captain Seol."
Gong I-an tore a piece of his clothes to make an eye patch for Seol Ji-yun's left eye.
"If possible. Let's meet again alive."
From the 80th floor, a different dimension of trials than before fell upon the special operations unit.
On the 83rd floor, Gong I-an stayed behind to face the Death Knight Lord, allowing the others to continue up.
"Even if it becomes my final battle, I'll have no regrets. If I can die by the sword of a warrior superior to myself."
On Gong I-an's back, full of wounds, paradoxically, the will to live was burning.
"However, I think a life with many regrets is better than a death with none. What about you?"
"Human. What confidence is this? Even if your skill and mine were equal, I have no death. But you are merely a mortal who will die if your head is cut off. Your defeat is as clear as day."
To the question of the Death Knight Lord, who had power no less than the tenth-ranked Great Overlord Levenna, Gong I-an simply raised his spear with trembling hands.
"Well. In my opinion, death and defeat are not synonymous. Even if I die here, if Jeong Su-hyeon defeats Belphegor, it's humanity's victory."
"Jeong Su-hyeon defeating 'Him'? It's a more plausible assumption that you would defeat me."
"Is that so? Then."
Gong I-an, who spat out the saliva pooled in his mouth, lowered his stance even more.
"Let's first realize the more likely possibility."
On the 86th floor, Seo Jun-seong and Song Yu-ha finally reached their limit.
"My head is dizzy, and I can't focus well."
Seo Jun-seong, who was sitting against the wall, said while breathing heavily.
"Above all, I feel like my brain is severely overloaded. It's understandable. My opponent was a demon who used telekinesis with much stronger output than me."
The joint attack with Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su.
And without Song Yu-ha's healing, it would have been an enemy they couldn't defeat.
But as a price for that.
Song Yu-ha, who had used her healing abilities easily hundreds of times while climbing the tower to the point where her hair was falling out, also had to retire along with Seo Jun-seong.
"...Even so. I think we did our best."
Seo Jun-seong looked up at Su-hyeon with a weak smile.
"It should be enough not to be ashamed before my late father."
He recalled "Hero" Seo Dong-jin, who had died saving people during the chaos a year ago.
"Yu-jin, Ji-su! Don't push yourselves too hard either. Just coming this far is already doing well enough."
Song Yu-ha, held in the arms of the two, implored.
"Don't want to cook porridge for a dog, right?"
"...That's quite a motivational statement."
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Su-hyeon finally had to step to the forefront of the battle upon reaching the 89th floor.
"Everyone, this is as far as we go."
Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su.
The two were exhausted, leaning on each other's shoulders.
"From here on, I'll go up alone. You two wait here."
"...This is frustrating."
Lee Yu-jin said.
"I wanted to go together to a higher place."
"It's enough. More than enough."
Su-hyeon held her hand.
"Thanks to everyone's efforts, I was able to conserve my strength as much as possible while coming this far. Above all, I was able to avoid exposing my fighting methods and tactics to the enemy."
"But will you be okay? There are still ten floors left."
"It's enough."
Su-hyeon asserted.
"If I win, it will be thanks to all of you."
"Yes. That's right."
Hwang Ji-su smiled.
"In the end, we couldn't be with you in your final battle, but just hearing those words makes it feel worthwhile."
"If I had to come here alone."
Su-hyeon said.
"I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat not only Belphegor but even Eligoss. He is a being closest to a Transcendent and a monster who has cultivated wisdom and power for a very long time."
"It's us who. Without Su-hyeon's experience and know-how, we couldn't have climbed even to the 50th floor by ourselves."
Lee Yu-jin said.
"By the way. Don't we deserve at least one promise for when we return too?"
At Hwang Ji-su's words, Su-hyeon laughed awkwardly.
"Of course. Whatever it is..."
"I'm joking."
Hwang Ji-su snorted.
"Just win and come back. That's all I want."
"I agree."
"..."
Su-hyeon hugged the two tightly and said.
"Thank you. I'll definitely come back."
No more words were necessary.