Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Climber Association Administration Bureau.
An office with a splendid view overlooking Seoul's nightscape.
"Whew."
A sigh-like breath spread along with the subtle fragrance of medicinal herbs.
Climber Association President Han Seo-hee.
She held a report in her hand while puffing away at her medicinal cigarettes.
'This is just...'
A report containing both good news and bad news.
No, objectively speaking, it was all good news.
News that the Reverse Heaven Society of Supernova, which her younger sister So-yul belonged to, had reached the currently opened highest floor after a record-breaking climbing speed.
And news that there had been exchanges with the strategy team that had been active on the highest floors.
The two organizations were working together to clear World Quests, and sometimes competing with each other while continuing their ascent.
Thanks to that, there were reports that the highest floor update speed had greatly increased compared to when the strategy team moved alone.
The speed was so fast that even the frontline's top rankers were struggling to keep up with the Tower's opening pace.
'Ha.'
Considering the effort required to update the highest floors and the difficulty of general Tower climbing, the current highest floor update speed could be considered absurd.
This was joyful news that she had longed for as president of the Climber Association.
She had always fought for the Tower's existence and autonomy, and the most effective method for that was the periodic updating of the highest floors.
This was also the best way to prevent magical disasters from reaching reality, and it held considerable value in terms of expanding humanity's territory.
Moreover, with the Reverse Heaven Society and the strategy team in a competitive stance, there was no end to the buzz.
Accordingly, the number of challengers hoping to enter the Tower and the number of 'active climbers' who didn't settle for their current floor but strived to advance to the next floor were also at all-time highs.
It was incomparable to before Supernova's appearance, and even compared to before the Reverse Heaven Society reached the highest floors, it had increased by more than 80 percent.
Of course, this was partly a backlash against the decline in climbing will among some climbers when public opinion about Supernova worsened due to corporate manipulation, but even so, it was an activation figure that couldn't be ignored.
Han Seo-hee's eyes turned toward the monitor.
"......"
The Tower's stock price rose day by day.
Hopeful climbers endlessly pouring in from around the world.
They had already expanded the Entry Management Bureau several times and hired additional guides, but it was becoming difficult to handle that number.
The Tower prospering day by day and the rising status of climbers.
As such, the Tower and climbers would become free from government influence, and corporations wouldn't be able to easily extend their black hands either.
It was exactly what Han Seo-hee had wanted.
......It was what she had wanted, but.
Crunch.
"Ha, damn."
She crumpled up the medicinal cigarette in her mouth and let out a sigh.
As much as the Tower was thriving, the burden placed on her shoulders grew heavier.
Not only that, but the workload was also flooding in like waves.
This was the only adverse factor in the current situation full of good news.
"Right. That's good enough."
Tap tap.
Han Seo-hee knocked the crushed cigarette from her palm into the trash can and laughed self-deprecatingly.
If the worst news was just her suffering alone, it was something to be pleased about.
"Huh?"
Han Seo-hee fumbled for the cigarette case in her pocket and realized she had run out.
She had smoked chain after chain and somehow used up all the medicinal cigarettes.
Unlike regular cigarettes, they weren't bad for the body and even had healing effects, and they seemed to relieve stress somewhat, so they had become an essential item she couldn't do without.
When she had time, she should go pick some up. And if possible, see his face after a long time while she was at it.
***
A deep-sea sky resembling the Milky Way. Below it, a paradise where stars seemed about to pour down at any moment.
"This is......"
Streamer Min-ho looked around in a daze.
The underwater city of Atlantis, reached by submarine.
He had finally arrived at the 20th floor of the Tower, the starting point where all the slander and various articles about Supernova had poured out.
'Finally, I've barely made it here.'
He clenched his fist tightly.
As Seo-jin had assessed, Min-ho had no talent for climbing the Tower, so there had been various ups and downs in getting here.
However, meeting the group of climbers who had taken tests together with Supernova in the past and maintained their loyalty to him until the end became a major catalyst in reaching this place.
After that, he focused on climbing the Tower with only one determination: to uncover the truth behind the various malicious issues surrounding Supernova.
The hundreds of millions in revenue he had earned through streaming and video activities were also used to purchase items and artifacts needed for climbing the Tower.
The 20th floor he had barely reached.
The opportunity to thoroughly uncover that truth had finally arrived.
'Well, I'm a bit late though.'
Min-ho clicked his tongue and looked up.
Supernova had already formed his own team and reached the highest floors, currently facing off against the frontline strategy team.
Accordingly, the image created here in the past had also been quite reversed, so he wondered if revealing the truth of that day now would change much.
However,
'This is something I have to do.'
He wasn't doing it for profit or publicity. This was solely to reveal the truth.
While Supernova's public opinion was going downhill due to whatever magic someone had worked, there hadn't been any further investigation into the 20th floor, nor even a single media article or column.
Of course, there were rumors that Atlantis's vigilance toward climbers had been strengthened due to the series of incidents, but that alone didn't clearly resolve the suspicions.
Now that Neptune mine development was in full swing and climbers were flowing in, it wouldn't be difficult to conduct interviews by doing some legwork.
After getting off the submarine, Min-ho passed through immigration inspection and entered the city interior.
A bustling city center where numerous Sea Folk walked around.
It was a strange sight with a total gathering of various marine creatures, from fish-like Sea Folk to sharks, starfish, jellyfish, octopuses, and so on.
According to some accounts, discrimination between Sea Folk species was severe, but from what he could see right now, it was so peaceful that he wondered if that was really the case.
That aside.
'Uh, where should I go?'
There were too many people and the city interior was too lively, making his ears feel muffled.
Just when Min-ho, who had set foot in the city, was hesitating in confusion, unable to get his bearings.
"You must be Min-ho. Pleased to meet you."
A group of people appeared, parting through the crowd to greet him.
People dressed in Chinese-style white robes.
Judging by the five-dragon emblem engraved on the chest of their robes, they were people dispatched from Haomun, which was currently jointly managing the Neptune mine.
Min-ho shook hands with the man with a strong impression who appeared first among them and bowed his head.
"Ah, Director, I've heard a lot about you."
Haomun's Director Gong Son-won.
He was a figure currently handling many tasks in place of Haomun Leader Nam-gung Rin, who was climbing the Tower together with Supernova, and was considered her successor and the next Haomun leader.
The reason for becoming connected with such a person was, of course, the common goal of reversing the worsened public opinion about Supernova and the Reverse Heaven Society.
Haomun was a force that dominated the Land of Beginning and the Chinatown area, and had strong influence over climbers newly entering the Tower.
Using that influence, they aimed to defeat the fabricated news that existing media and press were shouting about, and reverse public opinion about the Reverse Heaven Society, which Haomun Leader Nam-gung Rin belonged to, and Supernova.
At that time, the one who caught Haomun's eye was Min-ho, who steadfastly maintained a friendly stance toward Supernova amid much criticism and condemnation.
Since then, Min-ho and Haomun had formed a connection, and this meeting had been arranged.
"Not at all. You're the famous influencer who's been covering Supernova's activities, right? You've also cleared quests together with him in the past."
"Yes, well, that's right."
It was true that he had progressed on quests together with Supernova. Strictly speaking, he had just been carried though.
After exchanging a few words with Min-ho, Gong Son-won moved to help with his coverage.
"First, let's stop by our Haomun branch, then head to the Sea God's Temple. There's someone there who knows the full story of this incident well."
***
Flash.
29th floor, Kingdom of Hoakin.
In Circe's workshop, a bright light burst forth, and the mechanical devices that had been operating stopped moving.
Hisss.
When the light ceased, a girl's figure was revealed among the complex mechanical devices.
Circe looked at the girl and smiled with satisfaction, crossing her arms.
"How is it? Is it comfortable to move now?"
"......"
A girl standing among the mechanical devices.
The ghost sealed in the Primordial Unity Technique book, Hyeon-wol, touched her body here and there as if she couldn't believe it.
"Th-this is really......"
It was completely different from the small doll she had used occasionally before.
An artificial body that felt no different from an actual human body.
The sensation of feet touching the ground, the weight of gravity felt on her body, even the flow of air and mana within the workshop.
Everything was felt vividly.
All the joints in her body moved smoothly without any creaking parts, and her hands and feet responded immediately as if they were her original body.
Truly a perfect human body.
No, an artificial body that was far superior to a human's.
The result of spending quite a long time away from Seo-jin's side, staying in Circe's workshop and focusing on soul transplantation work.
It was more satisfying than imagined.
While Hyeon-wol was admiring the artificial body's completeness.
"Put on some clothes."
Flap.
Circe threw a white Korean jacket to her.
Hyeon-wol put on the clothes and expressed her gratitude to Circe.
"Th-thank you, truly."
An awkward voice coming out with trembling vocal cords. She had been communicating through telepathy all along, so her own voice felt quite awkward.
Circe smiled and began explaining.
"No need to be grateful. I plan to work you to the bone from now on. First, I'll teach you how to use your body."
Hyeon-wol's current body was a combat-type body that could function like a regular climber.
It had similar specifications to what Circe used, but was modified to suit Hyeon-wol's soul form and mana flow.
As such, it had a high synchronization rate with her soul and was complete enough to be used in combat, but had the disadvantage of consuming considerable mana to operate.
Therefore, it would be better to normally use a palm-sized daily-use body engraved with the [Floating] trait.
Also, since the combat-type body could be treated as a 'climber,' there was a possibility of not being free to move between floors.
So it was best not to use it for long-distance travel either.
It was also better not to catch the administrator's eye. Administrators fundamentally didn't welcome the existence of irregulars.
"There are more restrictions than I thought."
"It can't be helped. Unlike me, a great being, you're just a minor ghost. Strictly speaking, a dead soul having a living person's body is illegal from the Tower's standpoint, so you'll have to inevitably endure such things. Act tactfully."
"......"
Having received a favor, Hyeon-wol could only blush without making any retort even at being called a minor ghost.
Anyway, after hearing various explanations, Hyeon-wol returned to her daily-use body and stored the combat-type body in subspace.
Circe handed Hyeon-wol a teleportation stone and said.
"Now, go climb the Tower again with my disciple. You said you lived on the 60th floor? I look forward to your performance there."
***
Several months later.
50th floor.
The fairy world where a giant spirit lake the size of a sea was located.
Currently, the strategy team was temporarily stuck on the 49th floor, so the Reverse Heaven Society was the first to set foot on this 50th floor.
"Inhale, exhale. This is truly an optimal stage for me to shine."
Feeling the natural mana and spirit power filling all directions, Austin spread both arms and absorbed the energy.
He hadn't been able to exert his full power on the previous 38th floor, having 30 percent of his strength restricted, but here he could display more than twice his usual combat power.
"The mana density is...... there's no need to measure it anymore."
So-yul was a mage greatly affected by surrounding mana density, so she had a habit of checking the mana density whenever entering a new floor.
But now there was no need for that.
It was thanks to the [Homeostasis] trait received from Nimrod.
Now she was guaranteed minimum power regardless of mana density or surrounding environment.
The same went for other members.
Though not as much as mages, mana density was an important aspect for all climbers.
Yet the good environmental elements of each floor were still applied as is.
Just like Austin's combat power was greatly enhanced with the help of the 50th floor's spirit power.
It was also good that there was no discomfort in movement or breathing.
Like the underground of the 38th floor with terribly bad air, or deep-sea regions of the 20th floor where Atlantis's barrier power didn't reach.
The Homeostasis trait activated even in such extremely bad natural environments, minimizing discomfort.
On the 50th floor too, they would normally suffer from mental confusion, tinnitus, auditory hallucinations, etc. due to excessive spirit power, but there was no such effect on Reverse Heaven Society members at all.
After briefly surveying the new environment, the members came to their senses and asked Seo-jin about the plan.
"What are we doing on this floor?"
"Of course we have to clear the World Quest to ascend to the next floor. But this time there's one other goal. Obtaining the 'blueprint' of an item that can only be obtained on this floor."
"A blueprint?"
Seo-jin nodded at So-yul's question.
"That's right, the blueprint of the Lake's Holy Sword 'Excalibur.' And obtaining the 'Sword's Original' to forge it. That's the maximum goal for this floor."