Chapter 112
Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
[This isn't it.]
Kwachik.
Another failure, after all.
I wonder how many times it's been.
I blankly stared at the failure that lost its form and scattered into mana.
Experiments that had passed two digits were now approaching three.
However, the fact that not a single one was a success was truly bitter.
"Phew~ And with this, the third floor is done."
Isoha had already broken through the third floor.
Accordingly, the time permitted to me was rapidly dwindling.
Gulp.
I can't just sit here idly.
I swallowed the mock Amrita as is and gathered mana in the air once more, beginning to use the Authority of Creation.
'The form is good, and the performance is perfect.'
But I can't leave behind something so ordinary.
The time granted to me was until Isoha cleared the fifth floor.
And right now, Isoha had just ascended to the third floor.
To turn my handiwork into a masterpiece matching her pace, I had no choice but to keep working diligently without rest.
But that was probably impossible.
She had her own goal and was climbing the tower this quickly for it.
Manshinseo, was it? She was rushing up the tower to see that as soon as possible.
Kwachik.
Another failure.
But amid the repeated failures, there were gains, so I calmly applied what I'd learned from this one and began using the Authority of Creation again.
"Isoha! You're Isoha, right?!"
But what are those?
With no heavy luggage, her body felt light.
Isoha, having broken through the third floor, descended to the first floor with ease.
"Ugh, so heavy."
"Then buy a lightweight magic backpack like mine."
"How much does that cost?"
As she lined up at the exchange managed by Hong Yeom to sell the resources from the tower, she heard grumbling voices from the climbers ahead.
It wasn't just them.
Most of the climbers in line were frowning, rolling their shoulders, and adjusting their heavy backpacks.
The ones who looked relatively comfortable were high-rank climbers using backpacks enchanted with lightweight magic or mid-rank ones aided by their constellations. However, even they were only better off than the others; faint discomfort lingered on their faces too.
'Well, doesn't matter to me anymore.'
But Isoha could no longer empathize with their plight.
A backpack full of byproducts?
Look at Isoha, standing in line right now.
Do you see a backpack anywhere?
'It's all thanks to you. Thank you.'
Kkuleuk~.
A small frog croak responded to Isoha's thought.
The reason she, unlike the others, carried no backpack.
It was thanks to the black ring engraved with a frog illustration currently on her middle finger.
Remember when she summoned a giant lion against the assailants?
Think of this ring the same way.
The black frog ring she contracted with upon clearing the tower's third floor.
Its effect ignored size or volume; once stored, weight was nullified, and time didn't pass—a perfect sub-space ability.
Thanks to it, Isoha avoided the burden of a heavy backpack like the other climbers.
"Ugh, why's it so crowded today?"
"Yeah. Did something happen? It's too quiet for that, though."
"I'm exhausted."
"I heard the climbers training with Hong Yeom are here?"
"Huh? What does that have to do with the line?"
"Not sure exactly, but something about experiencing or observing? Like that."
Ah, there's an observation today.
Isoha understood why the line wasn't moving, from the disgruntled climbers' conversation as the queue grew behind her.
They were probably taking a long time experiencing exchange work inside.
Normally, they wouldn't waste time on such experiential stuff, but Earth climbers were notably weak, and having shown deficiencies in combat, they were given this alternative opportunity—or so she recalled.
Isoha herself had done an exchange experience before her regression.
"Ugh, seriously."
"What's taking so long inside?"
"I just wanna go back and shower."
"You need a shower first!"
"Too heavy to go home and come back."
Time dragged on.
With it, the climbers' complaints grew fiercer.
Most climbers hit the exchange right after descending to unload heavy backpacks quickly.
Thus, many still had sweat, monster blood, or environmental grime on them, and waiting outside in that sticky state for hours?
"Can't take it anymore!"
"Fuck! Come out!!"
"There's a limit to waiting!"
It wasn't strange for them to hit their limit and explode like this.
Thud! Thud!
"Wh-what?!"
"What's that?!"
"Get lost!"
"Eek!"
Isoha slipped into the advancing group of furious climbers.
Despite everything, her body felt sticky from climbing too.
"What is this commotion?"
As the properly enraged climbers stormed the exchange, a neatly dressed staff member wearing Hong Yeom's mark adjusted his glasses and asked.
"Wha...t...com...mo...tion?"
"You can't just barge in like this."
"You should've done your jobs right."
"Yeah! How many hours are you making us wait outside?!"
"Think we have time to spare?!"
Right on. Good job.
Isoha inwardly cheered them on while quickly scanning the room.
To find the culprits.
'Ah, they're fumbling around over there.'
Her quick sweep caught a group of tense-faced climbers who looked clueless about what to do.
Probably Earth climbers like her.
"We're sorry about that. Our trainees were doing a quick experience session, so things backed up a bit."
"What experience all of a sudden?!"
"Well, most of these climbers aren't suited for combat."
"Then do it on off days! Or evenings when it's quiet! Why now, when climbers are swarming?!"
"...We're sorry. We'll process quickly, so please bear with us..."
A chill ran down her spine.
'This feeling.'
Isoha whipped her head around at the sudden eerie sensation.
A few high-rank climbers did the same, turning their gazes, and someone who spotted an old man there softly murmured his epithet.
"Sword Saint."
The one who dared claim a star's name as a climber.
A monster and calamity among the top handful of climbers.
Hong Yeom's guild master. Sword Saint Ray Seort.
He had come to the exchange in person, heavy steps and all.
"Sorry about this. Most of these climbers aren't combat-fit, you see. I'll apologize myself."
Coarse muscles unbelievable for an old man writhed beneath his clothes, intimidating the angry climbers.
The Sword Saint personally apologizing—dare they keep raging?
That would be insulting him and Hong Yeom; they could lose their heads on the spot.
"A-alright."
"Tch."
"Understood. We accept your apology."
How many climbers would openly defy the Sword Saint, no matter how mad?
In the end, they half-forcibly accepted his apology.
"Haha, thanks for accepting this old man's apology. Now return to your places and wait."
Don't cause more trouble; go back.
Threatening with a smile—still a nasty personality.
But the Sword Saint wouldn't know.
Someone here could ignore him, on his level.
Thud.
"Process this."
"Hey, didn't I just say go back to your spot?"
A petite frame, maybe half the Sword Saint's bulk.
Her heavily lightweighted backpack toppled sideways, spilling contents everywhere.
"Divine Archer. What are you doing?"
"I'm tired. So don't waste time—process it quick."
The Sword Saint rubbed his forehead at the arrival of the Divine Archer and high elf spirit user, Erpisine.
Too strong to use force on.
And she showed no intent to yield.
But prioritizing her would draw ire from the other climbers behind.
"Sigh, what a dilemma."
"Hurry. I'm tired..."
"Isoha?!"
Huh? What?
Isoha tilted her head, wondering if she'd misheard.
She could've sworn her name was called.
'Nah, no way.'
Who'd yell out crazy like that while the Sword Saint and Divine Archer talked?
Everyone else was holding their breath.
Must be my imagination. Definitely...
"Isoha! You're Isoha, right?!"
And there's the lunatic.
Gazes swarmed her instantly.
The climbers wore "is he nuts?" faces like her own thoughts; the Divine Archer was expressionless, inscrutable.
And the Sword Saint... watched with an intrigued, odd expression.