One Point Breakthrough
On the 30th day, all the monsters on the floor respawn. It's called floor regeneration. And today marks day 28. I only have two days left. Actually, even less than that.
Can I take down the rag golem in the time I have left? It's obviously a pipe dream. But I'm going to try anyway.
"If it doesn't work, I can just try again after the floor regenerates."
Thinking of it lightly eases the pressure.
Geomseong sounded serious. The guy who'd refused to learn the sword was suddenly eager, and it seemed suspicious to her.
I answered honestly.
She seemed quietly pleased.
She remembers it?
There are no direct routes connecting the central city to floors below the 50th. Travel isn't bidirectional. Once you ascend to a higher floor, you can't descend. So if Geomseong had fought the rag golem, did that mean she'd woken up on the 103rd floor like me?
The 103rd floor—the deepest part of the deep sea—wasn't the bottom? There was a basement below the basement?
The floaters didn't buy Geomseong's words. But I did. A person humane enough to sincerely apologize wouldn't lie about something like this.
Goinmul had said 30 years. From the 103rd to the 50th. The 150th was 47 floors deeper than the 103rd—at least double the time, right?
Her answer shattered my common sense.
This was a total monster. Her 240 billion combat power wasn't hype.
Geomseong awkwardly changed the subject, as if she didn't deserve my awe.
I ignored the floaters' mockery and pressed on.
Could I reach the 50th floor in three years by learning the sword from her too?
My brain froze for a moment. One day? For real?
Geomseong ignored the floaters' jeers and continued.
A single point?
Just one thing?
The moment Geomseong finished speaking, the gallery erupted in laughter. Even the goniks joined in.
Had lots of people learned thrusts from Geomseong before me? The goniks' laughter made me uneasy for some reason.
A weapon made specifically for the rag golem?
She's more fragile than she seems.
Moments later, I received Geomseong's gift. Opening the box revealed dozens of large potatoes and a sheathed sword. Given her sincere apology, the potatoes were probably her staple food.
"...She really eats simply."
Does a master like her subsist on little? At her level, food costs wouldn't be an issue.
I stowed the food and finally examined the sword. Drawing it from the sheath made my eyes widen involuntarily.
Light, long, with a cold alien feel. A blade that drew death in a straight line.
"What... why the hell is there a rapier here?"
This defied imagination.
She spoke like a father boasting about his child.
She had this weird laugh when pleased—like a woman, not a man.
"...She's peculiar in every way."
Still, I needed to learn fully from her.
What the hell was this bullshit?
As I stood baffled, Geomseong continued.
Geomseong's lecture kept the comments rolling for a while.
How helpful could a daily comment lecture be, really? Geomseong shifted to a new post to continue.
It naturally drew cheers from the gallery.
A day passed like that, and day 29 dawned.
"Whew."
Many mocked Geomseong, but I'd gained real insights from her guidance. Truly.
I fired back and headed to the rooftop of the next building.