During Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, on the ninety-fourth floor.
[Community of the Dead]
[No... Su-Hyeok... Why is this so heartbreaking?]
[Please, Su-Hyeok hyung[1] ]
[If only Su-Hyeok had chosen a melee weapon during talent awakening, he would have killed them all.]
[Mr. Su-Hyeok, if only you had done that... Ah …]
[...]
[Is this really the end? Seriously?]
[Are we all really all really going to die?]
[The intelligent beings of planet Earth in region C-66432 have failed to ascend the Tower of Ordeal.]The dead climbers didn’t have bodies and instead heard the system’s voice with their souls. Somehow, the voice in this last message felt unfamiliar to Ha Hee-Jeong. Rather than being monotonous, which she had gotten used to hearing while climbing the tower, it was filled with grief and despair. She could sense the tower's emotions through that voice. It was mourning.
[Pursuant to law G-14823-1, the ownership of planet Earth is hereby transferred to the fifth-class god 'Fire of the Wind Valley' Patuka. This transfer is also in accordance with the sponsorship contract between Patuka and Kwon Su-Hyeok, the top climber.]
[Following the subordination contract between the fifth-class god 'Fire of the Wind Valley' Patuka and the first-class god 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain, the ownership of Earth is hereby transferred to 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain.]
Earth’s climb had ended. Feeling the tower's sorrow, the bodiless Ha Hee-Jeong wept. However, the voice narrating the messages wasn't finished.
[The first-class god 'Master of the Five Carriage Wheels' ■■■, who has a sponsorship contract with climber Ha Hee-Jeong, rolls the dice of destiny using their shares.]
Amidst the silent weeping, a clear voice resounded. In that instant, Ha Hee-Jeong's vision inverted.
***
Ah, that’s right, this bastard was a paladin. Fuck…
The clanking of the goblin’s plate armor echoed as I pushed against the floor with the little strength I had left, barely managing to lean up. I groaned, feeling a sting from my side due to the goblin’s earlier slash.
I tried to get up, but my back muscles refused to cooperate, possibly due to the surrounding lava’s heat. I also felt as if I was burning up and my blood was draining out. To make matters worse, my vision was starting to waver, leaving me dizzy.
I grasped my injured side with my left hand and gripped my dagger tightly in my right.
As the glow from the goblin paladin’s collarbone vanished, it cracked its neck from side to side.
Can I face it again with how exhausted I am?
I had put everything into that last attack, and I wasn’t sure how much more I could give.
“ Krieee! Human, impressive. If not for Goblin’s god, skrieee, you would have killed Goblin!" the goblin paladin boasted as it picked up its fallen sword and shield. “ Krieee! But now. Human! You are a dead man."
“Screw you, asshole," I retorted.
“ Keekeekeek! Keekeekeek !"
The goblin paladin laughed irritatingly and mockingly, igniting a surge of anger within me.
Bastard... I’m going to fucking kill you.
The goblin slowly approached while brandishing its sword and shield, treating me as if I was already defeated. However, it suddenly staggered and collapsed to the side.
Thud!
… What? Why did it fall ?
Suddenly, the dagger’s description came to mind.
[Goblin Assassin's Dagger]
- Crudely made.
- In good condition, maintained with care.
- Coated with homemade poison.
Poison! Yes, that had to be the reason! The goblin’s spell that had healed its wounds couldn’t seem to counteract poison.
“ Krieee ... Human... poison..."
Mumbling softly, it collapsed to the ground. It repeatedly tried to push itself up but fell back down every time. Watching the scene, I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling the tension leave my body.
“ Kriieee ... Cure..."
What? Does it have an antidote spell too?
Doing my best to ignore the excruciating pain in my side, I finally managed to stand and hobbled toward the goblin paladin as fast as I could. Upon reaching it, I kicked its head like a soccer ball.
Thud!
“Po... i— argh! "
“ Aaah! "
A sharp pain shot up my leg. I realized too late that I should have used the sole of my foot instead of the tip. I tried to stand, putting weight on that leg, but the unbearable pain sent me crumpling to the floor instead.
“ Kriee ... Cure..."
Damn it. I don’t have time for this.
Even though I was on the ground, I quickly punched the goblin, interrupting it again.
Bang!
“ Ugh! "
“ Aaah! "
Pain surged through my left hand, making me wonder if I had broken a bone. Regardless, I couldn’t use it anymore. Fighting through the agony, I used my left forearm to press down on the goblin’s helmet, exposing its green flesh through a gap. This had to be the end. I had to silence it for good.
Schluck, schink, shik—
I thrust my dagger into the gap three times, leaving it lodged in the goblin’s collarbone. Needing to confirm that it had died, I leaned on its chest and twisted the helmet off with my right hand to reveal the goblin's unconscious face.
Was it dead? Or had it fainted from the poison?
Just to be sure, I yanked the dagger from its collarbone and drove it forcefully into its head.
Crack!
The dagger shattered its skull, releasing a sticky flow of green blood and brain matter.
Panting heavily, I watched the goblin paladin twitch briefly before finally going still. Only then did I release my grip on the dagger and collapse to the side. I was done. I was really done. I had finished this damned Tower of Ordeal’s first floor.
It wasn’t an easy victory, however. My right foot, left hand, and side were all in bad shape. My head spun, and my vision remained blurry.
[Eliminate all enemies. Time remaining: 6 hours 31 minutes.]
... Why is the timer still going?
I was certain I had defeated them all.
Did I miss something? Could it be... Doppy?
“Krieee! Human! Impressive! Revenge!"
Doppy, whom I had forgotten about during the battle, suddenly approached me.
What? You’re talking about revenge now? Damn it. Ungrateful bastard.
This was why green baldies couldn’t be trusted. I should have killed it back then.
“ Krieee! "
Doppy reached out to me with both hands. I had no strength left to move or speak, much less defend myself.
Fine. Just kill me.
“Heal wounds!"
... Huh? Heal wounds?
A glow enveloped my wounded side and damaged limbs. My pain subsided, and strength started returning to the injured areas. Thank goodness. Doppy wasn't an enemy after all. I felt apologetic that I had cursed at it for being bald. With the tension in the air easing, I finally began to relax.
Wait a minute. Doppy, you little… If you could use healing spells, why did you just stand there this entire time?
I gritted my teeth in a strange smile, trying to suppress my anger. Alienating Doppy right now seemed like a bad idea.
“Doppy, why didn't you use a healing spell during the fight?"
“ Krieee! Human! You didn't ask!"
“Well, fine. Okay."
I wondered if it was clueless, young, or just too inexperienced to know better. Even if it was inexperienced, shouldn't it know how to help its allies? Maybe it had planned to switch back to the goblins’ side if I died.
“Then why didn't you tell me you could use healing spells earlier?"
“ Kriiieeee! Human! You didn't ask Goblin!"
“... Right."
I couldn’t argue with that logic. I still felt that someone wouldn’t expect a goblin to use healing spells, though. Especially not Doppy, who was just a young goblin.
The glow around me slowly faded away. When the last scraps of light disappeared, I noticed that my wounds seemed to have fully healed and I had regained enough strength to move around. I slowly stood up.
[Eliminate all enemies. Time remaining: 6 hours 29 minutes.]
Even after my wounds had healed, the notification window remained unchanged. Hmm ...
I felt bad for Doppy, who had just healed me, but it seemed like the message wouldn’t update unless I eliminated it. After all, the circular boss room had no exit, and our only company now was a sea of lava.
“I’ve killed everyone, so why is it still not over? Doppy, could it be...?"
I looked at Doppy apologetically. Sensing something in my gaze, Doppy jumped.
“ Krieee! Human! No! Doppy not an enemy!"
In its panic, Doppy frantically referred to itself as Doppy instead of Goblin. Had I missed an enemy in the darkness before entering the boss room? No, if that were the case, I wouldn't have made it to the boss room in the first place. With no way to return to the tunnel, I was sure the tower wouldn’t be so careless as to give an impossible task during the tutorial.
“Then why is it still not over? It's just you and me here."
“ Krieee! Doppy doesn't know!"
“Now that I think about it, you mentioned revenge earlier. Did you mean you wanted revenge on me for killing your kin? Is that why you're considered an enemy?"
“ Krieeee! No! Paladin! Doppy's enemy! Human! Took revenge!"
Ah, I understood now. Doppy wouldn't have healed me if it had any hostility. Still, the message refused to update, which left me with no other option. Doppy had to be considered an enemy by the tower's rules.
I'm sorry, Doppy.
“Kriee! Human! No!"
As I walked toward the fallen goblin paladin's sword, Doppy stepped back two paces while shaking its head frantically. After picking up the sword from the ground, I focused on Doppy, noticing something glowing on its chest. A bright purple light was shining through its tattered clothes, stronger than before.
... No way.
This was strange. The necklace had refused to come off the unusually young goblin earlier. Could it be a hidden piece?
I looked at the goblin paladin's sword.
[Goblin Paladin’s Longsword]
- Well-crafted.
- Too good for a goblin to use.
- Contains a faint trace of the Goblin God's divine power.
“Hey, Doppy. Let me see that necklace."
“ Krieee! The necklace! It won't come off!"
“Just come here for a second."
“ Skriieeech! "
Doppy started backing away.
Come on, Doppy. I'm not going to hurt you, just the necklace.
“ Ugh , I said come here."
“ Kriieeee !"
Doppy turned around and started to run.
What an idiot.
There was nowhere to run in this circular arena anyway.
“Come here. I'll be gentle."
“ Kriee! No!"
Thanks to Doppy's healing spell, I felt strong enough to give chase. Cornering Doppy, I grabbed it by the nape of its neck.
“ Krieeee! Krieeee! "
“Hey! I'm not going to kill you! I just want to check the necklace!"
“ Krieeeeee! Krieeeeee! "
Seemingly missing the "not" in "not going to kill you,” Doppy struggled and panicked.
I sighed, realizingthat talking wouldn’t work. Given my condition, I couldn't afford to waste more energy. I had to use force while I still had energy.
I firmly pressed my palm over Doppy's mouth. Its muffled screams vibrated against my hand, and its eyes trembled with fear.
“Doppy, I'm going to die if I don’t do this. If you don't want to get hurt, just lie down for a moment."
“..."
Finally, Doppy regained some composure, allowing it to focus on me. I turned it on its side and pulled the necklace from under its clothes. Placing the gem on the ground, I noted that the purple light was shining even brighter. I raised the sword above the necklace, then delivered a powerful swing.
The necklace shattered with a loud noise, and a tremendous wind burst out of it.
“ Ah! "
“ Krieee! "
[ Eeaaaaaaugh! ]
A blood-curdling scream erupted from the necklace, then gradually faded away. The powerful gust sent me and Doppy flying, with me landing on my back and Doppy rolling several times off to the side. Eventually, the dust settled, revealing Doppy through the haze.
“... A golden goblin?"
Doppy, once green, had now turned a golden hue. The gem on its necklace was glowing red. Doppy looked at me with newfound clarity in its eyes.
“This goblin, Fenrike, extends his deepest gratitude to the nameless human."
The golden goblin, or Doppy—no, Fenrike—bowed deeply.
“..."
What is Doppy—Fenrike—saying?
Though Doppy—no, Fenrike—seemed to be talking, I couldn't hear any sound. Instead, a message appeared.
[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the First Floor of the Tower of Ordeal. Achievement points will be calculated. The Challenger will now enter the waiting room.]
So, it was the necklace after all.
Wait a minute. Enter the waiting room? No! I haven't grabbed the goblin paladin's shield yet.
I quickly dashed toward the shield.
[Final remaining time: 6 hours 25 minutes. All enemies have been eliminated. The hidden mission 'The Hidden Sorrow of the Goblin Tribe' has been completed. Calculating achievement points.]
I hurriedly picked up the shield in front of me. Luckily, I made it in time.
[Goblin Paladin’s Shield]
- A decent shield.
- Sturdy. Contains divine power.
- Allows use of Heal Wounds lvl 2 (Cooldown: 24 hours).
Wow, I would have been upset if I missed this. A shield with a healing spell—what a great find.
[The hidden mission 'The Hidden Sorrow of the Goblin Tribe' has been completed. Goblin 'Doppy' will join Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok in his ascent.]
[Total Achievement Points: 14,226. Challenge Kwon Su-Hyeok will now enter the waiting room.]
Hidden mission? Doppy is joining me?
It turned out that Doppy would climb the tower with me. As I pondered this, a floating sensation enveloped me, and my vision turned white.
***
...
「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has defeated the goblin paladin! Strength, agility, and stamina increased by 3.」
「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has conquered the boss room! All stats increased by 2.」
「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has gained the skills Pain Resistance lvl 2, Natural Healing lvl 2.」
「Invisible Message: Challenger Kwon Su-Heyok has gained the skills Indomitability lvl 2, Combat Focus lvl 3.」
...
「Invisible Message: According to its contract with the first-class god 'Sky of the Nine Heavens' Kal-Lain, the shackles binding the fifth-class provisional god 'Golden Flash' Fenrike have been released.」
1. In Korean, "hyung" (형) is what guys call their older brothers or older male friends. It shows respect and affection, highlighting the importance of age and close bonds in Korean culture. ☜