Chapter 130: 7th Floor, Tundra, the Land of Bitter Cold (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 130: 7th Floor, Tundra, the Land of Bitter Cold (1)
The 7th floor had no boss monster; its structure simply required players to start from the starting point and reach the end to unlock the 8th floor.
Simply put, as long as you finished the course, it was considered cleared.
Of course, while it sounded incredibly simple, the environment itself was so harsh that conquering it demanded a great deal of time and sacrifice.
And right now, the Dangun Guild, which had been stranded for days in front of an ocean filled with icebergs...
...was in a very grim mood.
"Damn it. Is the eastern sea blocked too?"
The one swearing was Jang Eun-seok, a ranker of the Dangun Guild.
Jang Eun-seok was a high-ranking player who had already proven his worth multiple times, but he was currently nursing a massive headache over the obstacle before them.
"Yes. It seems highly unlikely we can pass that way."
"Whew. First, report on our current status. I need to see exactly how shitty this situation is."
At Jang Eun-seok's words, a middle-aged man spread a sheet of paper on the table with a grave expression.
It was a magic scroll that recorded the Dangun Guild's current status in real-time.
The players' health conditions, food, supplies, and other relevant information were listed in neat rows.
"The wind is incredibly strong and humid, making it difficult to light a fire. Our fire-attribute players are squeezing out every drop of their mana, but..."
It was only a temporary fix.
After all, each individual's mana pool was limited.
"Securing food isn't going well either."
A woman with long, straight hair chimed in.
The 7th floor was structured such that players could not use any supplies brought from other floors or outside the Tower, except for combat-related items like weapons and armor.
Therefore, they had to be entirely self-sufficient here.
This meant they had to factor in not just the cold, but all other necessities as part of the raid.
"Our movements are also restricted due to frostbite."
"Colds are a given. At this rate, we might even have casualties. We're constantly seeing suspected cases of hypothermia."
Bad news continued to pile up.
The raid team was primarily composed of people who had cleared the 7th floor in the past game.
However, there was a massive gap between the past in the game—where they had grown sufficiently and tackled it by the book—and their current situation, where they were under-leveled and trying to secure a first clear via a shortcut.
Far greater than they had ever anticipated.
Slam!
Jang Eun-seok slammed his hand down on the table.
The thick layer of snow piled on the table scattered in all directions.
"So... are you all just going to pour out complaints? What do you want me to do? Are you saying we should just admit defeat and turn back?"
His voice was laced with fury.
Jang Eun-seok swept his cold gaze across the room. Those who met his eyes flinched.
Although the Tower of Trials had already been cleared up to the 6th floor, the Dangun Guild had failed to achieve a single first clear during those six opportunities.
At best, they had merely piggybacked on other guilds' clears.
For a guild holding the title of one of Korea's top seven guilds, it was a pathetic track record.
And now, with voices rising within the guild calling for a period of self-reflection, they wanted to give up?
Moreover, wasn't the Phoenix Feather—the key to clearing the 7th floor—just across that sea?
With their goal only a single step away, Jang Eun-seok intended to push forward with the raid by any means necessary.
"But we have no way to cross the sea."
"As you know, the trees in the forest cannot be chopped down. And even if we try to swim across, leaving the freezing water temperature aside, we'll be eaten alive by the sea monsters living beneath the surface."
The raid team's advisors offered their objective assessment.
Of course, Jang Eun-seok wasn't about to listen to that.
"That's why I told you to find a way, didn't I?"
"Pardon?"
"Did you not hear me? I asked if you're all incapable of finding a single solution despite pocketing fat salaries and bonuses."
"T-that's going too far..."
"Ahem! Quiet down, will you?"
When a female player tried to voice her complaints, the middle-aged man quickly intervened.
"We will look for a way as you've commanded, Raid Leader. However, please also consider the possibility that we may have to give up on the first clear and prepare for a long-term siege depending on the circumstances."
"...For now, focus solely on finding a way. Erase any thoughts of a Plan B in case of failure."
The discussion ended there.
Everyone stood up, preparing to disperse to their respective duties.
But right at that moment...
"R-Raid Leader! You need to come outside!"
Someone called out urgently for Jang Eun-seok from a distance.
At the same time, a very familiar player approached the raid team's camp.
* * *
The cold here really is brutal.
Jinhyuk whistled softly as he looked out over the frozen tundra.
The wind was like a literal blade.
It was hard to endure even though he had wrapped his body in layers of mana.
Naturally, low-level players would feel like every single second here is hell.
There was a reason this floor lacked a boss monster.
Even without one, the entire floor itself was already the ultimate obstacle threatening their survival.
Still, as expected of a top guild, they've managed to set up a decent camp.
The levels of a few players were quite high.
The raid team's balance was also well-maintained.
As Jinhyuk scanned the Dangun Guild's camp, Jang Eun-seok and several other players approached where he stood.
"Hell—"
"What brings Player Kang Jinhyuk here?"
His greeting was flatly ignored.
Jang Eun-seok demanded to know his business right off the bat.
The question dripped with wariness.
"Nothing much. I heard you were having trouble clearing the 7th floor, so I decided to drop by. Looking at it now, I can see why you're struggling. Man, it's freezing."
"We appreciate the concern, but we don't need help. We are more than capable of clearing this on our own."
Jang Eun-seok drew a sharp line. That was him putting it politely; if it had been anyone other than Jinhyuk, he would have yelled at them to get lost immediately.
However, Jinhyuk merely blinked with an innocent expression.
"Huh? I never said I was going to help."
"What do you mean...?"
"I'm just saying that I'm also interested in the item called the Phoenix Feather."
Think about it logically.
What kind of crazy bastard would come all the way to this freezing place just to help someone else? If I were that much of a saint, I'd be working for UNICEF, not climbing the Tower of Trials.
As Jinhyuk revealed his true intentions, Jang Eun-seok's face stiffened.
"Are you saying you intend to trespass on our monopolized territory?"
"How amusing. The 7th floor has barely been open, and you're already talking about a monopoly. Anyone would think the entire world belongs to the Dangun Guild."
Having spoken, Jinhyuk suddenly pointed to the sky.
"Wow! Look, a Dangun Guild bird is flying over there. If the oxygen I just breathed also belongs to the Dangun Guild, should I apologize?"
"This is... a provocation."
"It's fair competition."
A tense war of nerves ensued.
However, Jang Eun-seok couldn't push any harder.
Because his opponent was none other than Jinhyuk.
"...Whew. Fine. We'll agree that whoever gets the Phoenix Feather first claims ownership."
In the end, Jang Eun-seok backed down.
"Does that mean I can stay with the Dangun Guild's raid team?"
"As long as you don't get in our way, we can spare a corner for you. However, if you violate this condition, you will have to leave immediately."
Good.
Now that he had the raid leader's permission, it was time to move without restraint.
"Well then, I'll be in your care for the next few days."
Jinhyuk smiled brightly.
* * *
Leaving the camp, Jinhyuk walked briskly.
He headed in the exact opposite direction of the sea—toward a dense forest of coniferous trees.
As expected, there are guards.
He saw five players gathered at the entrance of the forest.
Honestly, they were called sentries to control entry, but to Jinhyuk's eyes, they were nothing more than wild rabbits shivering in the cold and starving.
As he drew closer, they also noticed his presence.
A burly man hurriedly spoke up.
"Entry here is—"
However, the man couldn't finish his sentence.
The moment he saw Jinhyuk's face, his eyes widened like saucers.
"H-huh?"
"Player Kang Jinhyuk?"
"I-is it really him? Wait, what are you doing here...?"
Everyone cried out in shock.
They had never expected to run into the man at the center of all the attention in a place like this.
"I have some business inside the forest. Of course, I've already received permission from Raid Leader Jang Eun-seok."
He had said not to interfere, but he hadn't said not to go anywhere.
This was why one had to be precise with their words.
However, his statement about entering the forest caused an unexpectedly strong reaction.
"N-no, you can't! Not this forest..."
"That's right. It's too dangerous. We aren't controlling entry here for no reason."
"If you're looking for food, you'd be better off searching near the shore. I'm saying this out of genuine concern for you, Player Kang, so please don't take it lightly."
Trembling voices.
Cold, dead eyes.
Faces thoroughly drenched in fear to the bone.
Considering they belonged to Dangun, one of the top seven guilds, this reaction was excessively dramatic.
Even though they must have accumulated plenty of experience climbing up to the 6th floor, they're still this terrified?
Jinhyuk let out a bitter smile.
Well, he understood.
The things inside the forest were so troublesome that even most A-rank players would shudder at the thought of them.
However, entering the forest was the best way to obtain the Phoenix Feather.
And there were a few suspicious points that could only be resolved by going inside.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine on my own."
Jinhyuk shrugged.
Then, he immediately headed deeper into the forest.
Although the snow was piled up to his thighs, Jinhyuk walked lightly over it.
His footsteps carried almost no weight.
Normally, it was impossible for a human to walk on top of snow like this, but...
...for Jinhyuk, who had reached a certain level of mastery in the 'Sword Demon Emperor's Steps', this was easier than breathing.
Crunch.
Just like that, Jinhyuk completely vanished into the forest.
"Ah, this is bad..."
"Damn it. What do we do?"
"We have to report it first. We can't stop a ranker with our skills anyway. The higher-ups will understand."
"What on earth is he thinking? No matter how strong an S-rank is, tackling that forest alone is suicide..."
"It's because he hasn't experienced it firsthand. S-ranks are bound to be overflowing with confidence, after all."
A look of worry flashed across everyone's eyes.
It was only natural.
Since arriving here, they had already sent several detachment teams into that forest to gather food, firewood, and timber to build a boat, but...
...not a single person had returned alive.
Whether they were A-rank or B-rank, and no matter how many of them went in, the result was always the same.
Once they entered, they vanished without a trace.
Ultimately, Jang Eun-seok had banned all access to the forest and was searching for other ways to cross the sea.
Yet, of all times, he had walked right into that forest.
If they had just been a bit stronger, they would have stopped him by any means.
Of course, it was meaningless now.
I hope he stays safe...
It was just as they were thinking this.
A loud voice boomed from the side.
"What do you think you're doing?! Why on earth did you let him in there?!"
Having received the report from the burly man, Jang Eun-seok roared.
Judging by his flushed face, he was absolutely furious.
"W-well..."
"Follow him immediately."
"Pardon?"
"Player Kang Jinhyuk said he came here to get the feather. In other words, the method to cross the sea must be inside that forest."
He didn't know what it was.
But one thing was certain: the solution lay inside.
Therefore,
"Pursue him right now. We will form a team and join you shortly."
Jang Eun-seok hung up the communication unilaterally after saying his piece.
Only the five players were left standing there.
Dry saliva gulped down everyone's throats.
...Go in?
In there?
Whoosh!
A fierce blizzard swept through the forest.
Before they knew it, Jinhyuk's footprints on the snow were almost completely erased.
If they were going, they had to catch up right now.
* * *
How long had it been since he entered the forest?
Rustle...
Examining a massive boulder, a strange gleam flickered in Jinhyuk's eyes.
I had my suspicions, but so this is why things turned out like this.
Now he understood why the Dangun Guild had been so utterly helpless.
It made perfect sense.
Jinhyuk's gaze shifted toward the top of the boulder. And then, he saw it.