Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Tower of Wisdom (3)
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"Might as well tell me to hurry up and come down..."
I lay in the center of the blindingly white room, staring blankly up at the ceiling, feeling like I was on the verge of losing my mind.
I had no idea how much time had passed.
Ten minutes? Twenty?
There was no timer, and the ceiling's descent was too gradual to judge accurately.
"Hoo..."
Thump! Thump!
My heartbeat pounded in my ears.
I mindlessly scraped at the edge of the puzzle draped over me like a blanket with my fingernails.
If it'd been this pace, I probably could've managed even without the wiki.
The moment I spotted the anomaly in the puzzle pieces, if I'd rolled like a dog in heat, I might've made it just in time.
Not that I'm certain... but looking at that ceiling creeping down so slowly now, probably.
I just want to go back soon.
My head hurt so much.
Lying in this stark white space, and that bizarre incident from earlier.
Every time I entered a tower, something weird happened, but this was different from the others.
Screech... creak... rumble─
How long had I been lying there?
Before I knew it, the ceiling had descended to arm's reach.
"......"
I glanced at the wiki, still unchanged, then quietly closed and opened my eyes before getting up.
I rotated the held puzzle piece to fit the gap and took a deep breath.
Please, just slot this in and be done...
The wait felt like hell.
Inside the tower, I couldn't access the gallery, so I just stared blankly at the ceiling coming to kill me.
Swish.
Reaching out one arm, I touched the ceiling.
It was smooth, nothing special. No different from the floor or walls—just a plain ceiling.
Don't let me get crushed here.
My mouth was parched as I slowly raised my trembling hand.
Fitting the puzzle to the ceiling, praying this would end it.
Stop shaking...!
My arm shook even holding this lightweight puzzle I could lift with fingers.
Pretending to be strong and confident as I extended it, my teeth were clenched tight before I knew it.
"......Touched."
Click.
It fit. Same sensation as slotting pieces into the floor.
Just let go now, and it'll be over—but my hand wouldn't release.
Anxiety that this might not be it magnetized my hand in place.
"One... two... three!!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and yanked my hand back, thinking if I delayed, I might not find another way.
"......It didn't fall."
It stuck firmly to the ceiling... no, to the ceiling itself.
The empty space was neatly filled, as if declaring this was the answer.
Thud- thud-
My heart raced against the ceiling, unsure if it had stopped or not.
Like when I first entered the room, everything turned pure white without gaps.
"Hoo."
Just in case, I pressed flat against the floor, swallowed, and quietly looked up.
Ruuuumble...!!
"Ha, haha..."
At the ensuing noise, I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
"That'd be such a boring twist... right?"
I muttered that I'd done everything, don't do this, you're not really still coming down, are you?
Anyone could see this should be the end.
As I frantically looked around, wondering what more could there be—
"......!"
My eyes widened at the exit that had appeared in one corner of the white room.
That door I'd seen dozens of times. The one covered in grotesque creatures and strange patterns, leading out of the tower.
"I'm alive..."
The sound must've been the door opening, not the ceiling.
Ruuuuumble!!
Thud-!!
"Goddammit, really─!!"
No fuck, the ceiling is still coming down.
"All that ordeal for just 200,000 won..."
Walking the dim passage, I slumped my shoulders at the incoming alert.
Risked my life, scrambled like a madman, and got a measly 200,000 won.
No matter how I thought about it, the cost-benefit didn't add up.
...Or does it?
Thinking back, it wasn't particularly hard.
Overwhelmed by the 20th floor's visuals, caught off guard a bit, but the wiki did everything.
Not tough like the Tower of Trials, no injuries like back then.
Not terrifying like the Tower of Mind, no gambling like the Tower of Fate.
Come to think of it, this is a total steal?
Floors 11 to 20 were pure handouts.
Not hindsight—wait for wiki, fit a few puzzles, glance at the ceiling, done.
The final ceiling was scary... but a little thought, and anyone would've figured it out.
Coldly analyzing: play a minigame, answer quizzes, do a puzzle, get paid?
Is this a change in perspective?
Step.
About two hours since entering the 11th floor.
That's over 100,000 won per hour. Profitable even if risky, but it wasn't risky.
One hour on the 20th floor, huh.
The ceiling descended slowly for sure. Looking back, there was plenty of leeway.
Even without the wiki, I might've cleared it by a hair.
Not sure, but my gut said so.
Wiki gave the answer, but I figured out the puzzle method myself.
"Two hours passed..."
Back in that white room, I just wanted to go home and rest, but now that I was out, I felt fine.
More precisely, greed overpowered fatigue and fear.
With TP in hand, greed bubbled up.
Honestly, I felt like I could go higher.
First day I hit 40 floors, now only 10?
Ending without real danger fueled the greed.
30th floor would be 6,600 TP.
Enough for a new sword, new skills.
Even dip into magic—a fortune. Splash some in the gallery too.
Worst case, 40 or 50 floors...
"Crazy."
I widened my eyes at the illusory figure.
1.2 million won.
Enough to upgrade weapons maybe two tiers.
Learn flashy sword arts, eat out all week.
Not basic magic, but various attributes.
Even send the Manager a chicken.
Swish.
Yeah, head to 30th floor like this—
"......No."
I shook my head, staring down the passage to the Tower of Wisdom.
No issue climbing anyway.
TP gained same whether now or days later.
Investigate first.
Priority was info, not grinding cash.
That mysterious place mid-20th floor.
Know about suddenly passing out and waking elsewhere first.
"......Tower of Wisdom made me smarter?"
Am I getting a bit rational?
Screech.
"My sweet home...!!"
I flung open the Hideout door, arms wide.
Moving from the insane white room to this reassuring one, a smile bloomed naturally.
Thinking I could rest here comfortably, yeah, skipping 30th was right—
"—as if, you idiot Han Seol..."
I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed at genuinely smiling at this room.
Not even my real home, yet familiar after just over two weeks.
Hard pillow, crumbly blanket, tasteless bread and water—that's it.
Suddenly feel so wronged...
My 5090 GPU bought a month ago, 64GB RAM at peak prices with tears.
Dual-monitor dual-PC optimized for rice-farming, adjustable bed gaming laptop for lounging rice-farms.
All gone overnight.
Tearing up at joy over this shabby room.
"Heavens!!!!"
Give me strength—no, send me back to my world.
"Hwaaaaaah!!!"
Thud!
"Ow, hit my knee too hard."
Pretended to go mad on my knees, but nothing happened.
Rubbing the stinging knee, I pulled out my phone and entered the gallery.
How smart am I that they doubt my intelligence?
Wiki's power is mine, so I'm no idiot.
Active discussion about me despite my absence.
Results of my underwater work as transient last week.
If Manager was strict, she'd axe even those posts...
But Manager's already corrupted by me.
1 Irregular stack, 2 Cola stacks.
She who sways thousands is in my pocket.
Though I don't know why she's so nice.
Too nice for that explanation.
Skimmed two hours of posts, then hit write post.
To learn about the 20th floor phenomenon, the tower's hidden truth.
Newbie 2hrs = you 2 weeks lololololol
Good job Wiki-nim!! Believed in you hehe
This guy's been climbing 10 floors while I can't even do 1 lolololol
I smirked at the comments piling up.
Delicious. So good I might choke.
Was frustrated, but now I can breathe.
Obviously, gallery wasn't for info hunting.
No reason to search there over better options.
"Hoo."
Planned to post one proof, then wiki search—and did so.
Problem: wiki searches yielded nothing.
Tried bug, error, etc.—tons of keywords, but wiki gave zilch.
Not even [Restricted].
No usual '(Restricted)' tag.
Doesn't know, or can't show even that?
Searched forever, got nothing.
Resorted to gallery searches—same result.
Deleted as walkthrough spoiler, or first-ever phenomenon?
Maintained 6373+ years, hundreds of thousands passed through, yet no one knows.
Head throbbed every way.
Too vivid for hallucination.
My usually off intuition screamed something's hidden.
"Ultimately, know nothing."
Suspicion or not, no answers.
Only in Wisdom Tower? Others too? Happen again?
Hollow laugh while reading comments, new one dropped.
Brazen one.
Brazenness is refreshing.
Beats beating around the bush; directness appeals to me.
Everyone but you
Reported you as stalker.
"Kukuk."
Cola one gets this reaction—feels good.
Bigger reaction means more gallery obsession with me.
F5ing? Lie.
Wouldn't comment so late then.
"Don't wanna, but toss one?"
Unfortunately, no extra bonus on Wisdom 20.
Didn't know conditions, or none/missed? Unsure.
Bonus is bonus anyway.
Disappointing, not outrageous.
Consistent splashing could shape gallery vibe.
Tower climb = snacks.
So cheer me on, watch tensely.
If I build that, this is no big loss.
[Write Post]
"......Ah."
As I went to post 'line up,' an obvious thought struck.
With aggro peaking on me, just ask directly.
Tons of witnesses from centuries/millennia—no need to hunt.
[Write Post]
Squeeze.
Hit post with that thought.
"......?"
Stared blankly as the just-posted vanished.
[Write Post]
[Write Post]
[Write Post]
Tried once, twice, thrice same post—no upload.
As if 'don't ask,' 'keep to yourself.'
"......Ha."
Snorted at repeated fails despite tweaks.
Something's being hidden, huh?