Fundamentals (5)
"They really worry about everything, don't they."
There were some awkward moments, sure, but this excursion down to the 78th floor had been far from bad. It had unfolded exactly as planned—a fresh, intriguing slice of daily life for me and for those watching me alike.
But apparently, not everyone saw it that way.
Late that night, as I checked the message board before bed, I spotted the traces of their concern.
'Worried I'll go astray?'
A guy who'd spent every day grinding away at training shows some unusual behavior, and the reactions explode. I get why veteran Constellations—who've watched over countless juniors—would fret like that. But at this stage? It's pure overreaction. Ridiculous, even. I'm not losing sight of my goals or my identity, not for a second.
I didn't come here just to pamper myself, after all.
In fact, most users—who'd dismissed the panic as nonsense and even mocked it—seemed pretty satisfied after watching me all day. Every decision I'd made, from start to finish, had landed well. The spot I chose for rest and fun, my outfit—everything scored high on approval.
Not that it's surprising. My fan gallery users have endured my bone-dry life of nonstop tower climbing. Their bar for excitement is low. Honestly, I figured anything I did would get a good reaction.
'Even so, the dolphin pants were a bit much...'
I gave a wry smile and wrapped up my last task of the day: uploading the photos and videos I'd taken myself. It was my gift to them, my way of giving back.
Comments poured in instantly, just as expected. Most cheered the unique angles in the photos and videos, but a few unintentionally hit the nail on the head.
'Should I switch up my pattern? But I can't help falling asleep to access the community.'
The ones questioning why I only appeared when Reina was asleep made my heart skip a beat, unnecessarily. I still had no idea why I could already access the Constellations' community, Fate Road. If they learned my true identity... the fallout didn't even bear imagining.
'You guys can sense it too, huh?'
As the comments rolled on, they shifted to how happy and relaxed I looked spending time with Kim Ji-eun. Insightful stuff. Sure, my awkward moves in that embarrassing crop top aside—my heart really was at ease. It started the moment I learned about and adapted to Fate Road's existence.
Knowing I had a reliable final stronghold? Huge. All my recent growth stemmed from that peace of mind.
Right on cue, the long-foretold war erupted somewhere far beyond my reach. An announcement pinned to the top: Administrator Serpina was absent.
I watched as posts from the Constellations themselves—not the climbers inside the tower—started flooding the board. Stories only I, inside the tower, might know from the future. I couldn't look away.
"It was the happiest schedule ever for me. Like a dream come true."
"Wasn't bad for me either."
"I feel like I made you too uncomfortable..."
The next morning, Kim Ji-eun dropped by my room first, beaming with satisfaction but sneaking glances at me, gauging my mood. She'd shoved clothes at me and insisted I wear them, but now she worried I'd been too uneasy in the awkward getup.
"I'm good now."
I curved my lips up, straightened my back, and shrugged. No lie. Compared to when I first put it on, it felt... familiar. At least I wasn't twisting my body to hide my exposed midriff or clutching my hands anymore.
Closer to resignation, really. Covering my belly wouldn't help—the small of my back stayed bare anyway. Like pouring water into a sieve.
"Glad to hear that."
She let out a relieved hehe, her expression softening. Come to think of it, she was thrilled too—not just the Constellations. She'd gotten her wish: alone time with me, dressing me up exactly as she wanted.
"Layer 151 clear. You'll shine, right?"
"Have to."
Playtime over—it was work time. At my mention of the 151st layer, her face tensed briefly before she nodded.
"Still a shame, though. Part of me thinks living here in the tower with you forever wouldn't be so bad."
"...Anyone would get tired."
Before heading up to our headquarters on the 135th, Kim Ji-eun murmured while gazing out from the rooftop of our old-world stone hotel, overlooking the steampunk-tinged modern cityscape.
Tower climbing was grueling, no doubt. Pour everything into one layer, conquer it—and a tougher one awaits. The tower's core purpose: breakthrough limits. Each floor tested your boundaries, demanding you shatter them for rewards. Surpass enough, ascend to godhood—a Constellation.
How many ordinary folks could ever push past their true limits? Even face them at all?
Challengers faced that trial every layer.
"When we first entered the tower, it was total wilderness. Look now—it's thriving. Abundant resources, loved ones... It's natural to think we could live comfortably here."
Kim Ji-eun stared at the view, her face clouded with heavy thoughts. She was right—the tower world improved over time. As the Advance Party pierced higher layers and cleared dungeons for more resources, life levels up. It could surpass their home worlds someday. A nexus of countless realms, after all.
That explained why some climbers abandoned challenges for residency, or why old powers clung to immediate authority over climbing.
'Is this what the Constellations were worried about?'
Falling wasn't just laziness or lost drive. Collapsing from exhaustion? To them, that was failure too. They'd overcome it all to reach the end—be it as heroes, villains, trolls, or ghosts haunting the community.
"Even so, we climb."
I chuckled and gripped her slender shoulder. Back when I first possessed this body, survival was my sole goal. A powerless college girl amid enemies gunning for her life? Yeah.
But not anymore. Trailing the original protagonist, Jeong Chan-su, I'd tasted true growth. Through Fate Road, I'd glimpsed my destiny ahead.
I wouldn't dodge it. Denial changes nothing.
"At the very least, I'll see this world's end with my own hands."
"Yeah. If you say so, Reina... I'll follow through."
Thankfully, my words wiped her worries; she flashed a grin.
Reina's conversation with Kim Ji-eun on the hotel roof? The Fate Road Constellations watched too. They'd been bickering fiercely until Administrator Serpina cracked down—now Reina's unshakable declaration earned waves of admiration. Those who'd seriously fretted over her "fall" were left speechless.
"Guild leader... even so, this is..."
But Reina wasn't just under Constellation eyes right now.
"Any closer, and she'll sense my presence."
Kim Dong-su finally spoke, but Jeong Chan-su shook his head firmly and lowered his binoculars. They were hunkered on another rooftop, blocks away, stealthily observing her.
'No need to worry, after all.'
Through the lenses, he'd read her lips, divined her words. Confirming her resolve matched what he knew—any lingering doubt vanished. No matter her actions or whereabouts, as long as she stayed her, that was enough.
Of course, plenty were shocked by such antics.