Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn’t

During Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, on the fifty-first floor.

“Are you seriously telling me to trust a human? So the Earthlings' top climber is a mage, huh? I've always felt that pitiful humans are nothing but weaklings. That's why they resort to backstabbing."

“... I’m sorry about what happened on the sixteenth floor. But Chloe Vincent, the instigator, is now dead. Not to mention, conquering this floor should be our primary focus, and for this, we need to consider forming an alliance."

“I can't stand these weak, traitorous bastards. I was a fool to even show up to this meeting. Trust a human? Never again. I'll have no dealings with such a despicable race."

Hendrick, tasked with leading the negotiations, internally sighed.

Damn it, things have spiraled out of control all because of the debacle on the sixteenth floor. I need to yield a little and find a way to restart the negotiations…

“Hey, you son of a bitch, come out here and fight!"

Hendrick felt his heart sink dramatically following Kwon Su-Hyeok's startling challenge. The deep pride Kwon Su-Hyeok held in his magical prowess was well-known.

Now, disaster seemed imminent, and he had no way to reverse the course. The Koshark species revered martial prowess and were physically superior to Earthlings.

While it was possible Kwon Su-Hyeok could defeat the Koshark ambassador, victory wasn't assured since most of his power came from his magical abilities. However, if he did win, the Earthling ambassadors could use the victory as leverage in the negotiations.

Could he really win?

Earth's hope could be shattered.

…

After decisively defeating the top Koshark warrior with his wand and mace, Kwon Su-Hyeok turned to Hendrick with a bright smile.

“So, the Kosharks agree to an alliance?"

“Yes. I apologize for my words and actions earlier. I misjudged Earthlings."

***

The faint sound of distress disturbed the stillness of the night.

What kind of nightmare is Ha Hee-Jeong experiencing? Is she thinking about her parents or is she reliving a traumatic experience from her previous life?

Ha Hee-Jeong, who had not seen her parents for longer than I had, was likely haunted by a mix of both her struggles and her family.

It was likely impossible to pinpoint one cause. I was sure the memories of her past life and family were intertwined, blurring into a complex tapestry of emotion.

I found myself wondering if out of every climber, Ha Hee-Jeong bore the heaviest burdens.

Despite me being Earth's hope...

Ha Hee-Jeong silently shouldered a significant weight. Suddenly, the realization that she too needed solace struck me.

I immediately made my way to her room. My plan wasn't to make any grand gestures of comfort or empowerment. Sometimes, the simplest conversations provide the greatest strength. We could chat about anything left unsaid, for instance, Alexei, the armor, or what lay ahead.

It would be better to wake her with small talk than let her wrestle with nightmares alone.

I knocked gently on her door.

Tap, tap.

The sound was soft but enough to halt the muffled groans from within. Soon after, I heard the soft patter of Ha Hee-Jeong's footsteps.

“Who is it?"

“It's me."

She opened the door without further questions. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

What kind of dream did you have?

Her fingers were delicate as they wiped her eyes.

“Why?"

Her voice was rough, likely from just having woken, tinged with the lingering emotions from her dreams.

“I can't sleep. How about a drink?"

I saw a look of surprise flash across her face, quickly replaced by a genuine smile.

“Ah, you told me you were struggling a bit. Alright. Come in, let's have a drink."

***

After our late-night conversation, I returned to my room but stayed awake for a long while, captivated by the night sky. During that time, I didn’t hear any more sounds of distress come from the room next door. The night rejuvenated my exhausted mental state, and I watched the stars maintain their vigil, each one seemingly imbuing a sense of peace in me.

I laid down and hoped Ha Hee-Jeong would have pleasant dreams.

Breakfast was light. Despite lingering fatigue from last night’s drink, my stomach felt fine.

Looking at the others’ expressions, they seemed to share my weariness as well. Even Seo Ha-Rin had puffy eyes, suggesting she too had shed tears alone.

Seo Ho-Su's eyes were also slightly swollen, not quite as much as Seo Ha-Rin's, but still noticeably so. Whether he remembered the events of last night or chose to ignore them, he was heartily digging into a bowl of bone broth. Seeing how enthusiastically he slurped down the broth, regret washed over me.

Ugh, I should have opted for the bone broth instead of following Cole's lead with the onion soup.

The way Seo Ho-Su savored his hangover cure made me rethink my breakfast choice.

I muttered to myself, “Maybe I should get one more?"

Seo Ho-Su mixed rice into his fiery soup and wiped his brow.

“Ah, this hits the spot. So good."

The atmosphere was markedly brighter than the previous night, a shift reflected across the faces of the other climbers. The dining hall buzzed with a lightness perhaps borne from having released their pent-up emotions, whether those were driven by sexual arousal or sorrow.

I even caught sight of climbers teasing each other about their emotional outpourings from the night before.

During my scan of the dining hall, Ha Hee-Jeong unexpectedly spoke up.

“Should we head to the armory after breakfast?"

“Hehe, why not?"

“You seem especially upbeat today, Hee-Jeong. You're more talkative and even your voice sounds lighter. Did something good happen?" Cole asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.

“What? No? Do I seem different?"

“Yes, you seem more alive than usual. More approachable.”

Ha Hee-Jeong looked bemused.

Is she really more energetic today?

Upon reflection, she indeed seemed livelier. She was chatting more than usual, her tone was softer, and she appeared more relaxed. Despite the tired looks on our other party members' faces, she alone appeared radiant, likely uplifted by our conversation last night. It was reassuring to think she could have found some emotional solace.

With a casual breakfast wrapped up, our party set out for the armory together. The expansive two-story building resembled a large department store. Weapons of all kinds lined the walls, and the tables were crowded with gloves, shoes, and jewelry.

As we entered, an alien shopkeeper greeted us in a monotone voice.

“Climbers, welcome. Feel free to browse our wares and select the items you wish to purchase. Payment for selected goods does not need to be immediate, just as long as they are paid for before you leave. For repairs, crafting, or purchases, please go upstairs."

This shopkeeper was a humanoid with four arms and stood about 2.5 meters tall. Its skin appeared durable, almost stone-like, hinting at its alien nature.

“Let's split up and look around. Everyone needs something different."

“Hehe, okay. Let's go, Seo Ha-Rin."

“Okay! Doppy, do you want to come look at some wands with me?"

Doppy chirped excitedly at the thought.

“Kriee! Goblin! Going!"

Cole watched everyone disperse and decided to take his leave.

“I'll go have a look around too. See you later."

“See you soon.”

Despite being pleased with the opportunity to have an open conversation with Ha Hee-Jeong, watching Cole walk away alone gave me a twinge of discomfort.

Is it just me, or does he seem a bit lonely?

“Let's start with finding you some armor. I don’t know what we will find since the armory’s gear changes randomly each time the rest area appears. The shop usually has better items, but sometimes you can find something exceptional here."

“Really? Let's take a look."

I followed Ha Hee-Jeong to the armor display area deep inside the spacious armory.

As we walked, my gaze naturally drifted to the side. Rings, necklaces, bracelets... A variety of accessories caught my eye.

“This one is 2,000 points. That one costs 3,000 points. Seems pricey, doesn’t it?"

While I casually glanced at the price tags, Ha Hee-Jeong, who had gone ahead, suddenly gasped in surprise.

“Huh? Was this here before?"

Following her gaze, I spotted a dark, iron gauntlet.

That is a gauntlet, right?

The gauntlet, dark as ink, was layered with dragon-like scales from the fingers to the wrist. Even at a glance, it seemed extraordinary.

[Mana Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld] [Unique]

- Price: 70,000 points.

70,000 points? That’s too expensive for a single gauntlet.

None of the items I had inspected in the lounge, were this pricey, although I easily could have missed one.

“... Wait a second. If it were here, I’d have noticed it."

“Why? What’s the issue? Why is it so expensive?"

Instead of answering, Ha Hee-Jeong just stared at the gauntlet. I waited silently while she gathered her thoughts. Soon, she began to speak.

“Do you remember that right before we entered the Tower of Ordeal a notification mentioned something about four intelligent species?"

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I remember."

“This gauntlet was used by another planet’s top climber. The trouble it caused..."

“Another planet? Are other species going to appear later?"

“Yeah, originally this wasn’t supposed to be in the rest area Earth’s climbers got sent to, but it seems the future I knew has changed... Well, the equipment appearing in the armory is random, so that could be another explanation."

Ha Hee-Jeong quietly picked up the gauntlet. The shock in her eyes slowly turned into joy.

“Su-Hyeok, let’s buy this first. Forget the armor for now."

“Buy this? I don’t have enough achievement points. I only have about 56,000 points right now."

“I’ll give you some."

“Really?"

We can share achievement points?

Ha Hee-Jeong’s explanation cleared up my confusion.

“Climbers haven’t discovered this yet, but achievement points can be transferred. The tower handles it all, so the transferred points don’t affect your accumulated points score or the rankings."

“So there isn’t anything stopping a climber from giving their points to another?"

“There’s a ten percent fee, but if it means we can get this, it’s worth it."

“Do you have enough points?"

Ha Hee-Jeong grinned in response to my question, with a look full of anticipation I hadn’t seen before.

Is the gauntlet really that extraordinary?

“You currently have 56,000 achievement points, right?"

“Yes, exactly 56,675 points to be exact.”

“I can spare 15,200 points. I’ve been saving them up for a while now.”

“Weren't you supposed to buy a wand with that?"

“This?”

I eyed the wand she held lightly in her hand. It was a sleek copper-colored piece topped with a crimson gem, appearing more expensive than it probably was.

Ha Hee-Jeong chuckled, moving the wand so I could see it more clearly.

“It’s just a basic one. Didn’t cost much."

Perhaps my fascination with magic had amplified its appearance in my eyes. Prompted by Ha Hee-Jeong’s remarks, I inspected it more closely and realized the wand seemed unremarkably plain. It was far from the mystical relic I had imagined.

“To be honest, none of the currently available wands really appeal to me. They don’t quite fit my level, and a mage’s spellcasting ability is more important than the wand.”

Sure enough, Ha Hee-Jeong wasn’t the type to be picky about equipment during the beginning stages of the tower.

I nodded in agreement, and she continued, “I’ve been setting aside some points for emergencies, and I was initially planning to help you buy a weapon if you were short. But this would be a much better use for them."

“Really? That’s surprisingly touching.”

“Just make sure to use the gauntlet well. Remember the Tower of Ordeal isn’t something a climber can just breeze through. Don't let your guard down again.”

“Understood. Thank you, Hee-Jeong. I owe you one.”

Ha Hee-Jeong seemed to interact with something invisible, likely a notification window only she could see. Soon after, a message appeared before me, breaking my train of thought.

[The climber Ha Hee-Jeong wishes to transfer 15,000 achievement points to you. Do you accept this transaction?]

“Yes.”

[A ten percent fee will be deducted. 13,500 achievement points will be added to Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s account. Total achievement points: 70,175.]

Having just accepted the generous transfer, I couldn't help but ponder the true value of this expensive gauntlet. At 70,000 points, it had to possess some exceptional qualities.

“But what's so special about this gauntlet that you'd spend so much on it?"

“Haven’t you complained about a lack of mana during fights?”

“Yeah.”

“Every time you fight while wearing this gauntlet, it will accumulate your mana. At first, it will accumulate mana slowly, but the more the gauntlet levels up with you, the faster it will accumulate. It’s designed to grow with the wearer’s level."

“Oh, really?"

The prospect seemed almost too good to be true.

“Also, the mana it can store is virtually limitless.”

“That sounds incredible.”

Does this mean I can use Lightning Essence without worrying about my mana expenditure?

It seemed that expensive items were indeed worth their weight in gold—no, points.

I bought the gauntlet, spending a whopping 70,000 achievement points, which only left me with 175 points. Seeing my points depleted almost to zero was disheartening, but an upcoming notification quickly changed my thoughts.

[Mana Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld] [Unique]

- Crafted in the Nine Springs with precious materials.

- The more beings the owner kills, the more mana it accumulates.

- Grows in sync with the owner’s level.

- Grants +2 to all stats.

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