Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 117: Thirtieth Floor, Rest Area (2)

“Such is the fate of support mains, Cole.”

“Support mains? What’s that supposed to mean?” Cole asked puzzledly, but Seo Ho-Su just snickered to himself.

The scene was cozy and familiar, warming me to my core. Yet beneath the surface of my thoughts, a faint worry writhed.

The last three floors were unusually easy.

They felt less like trials and more like opportunities to rest. That was even true here, as the rest period had been extended by twelve hours. Plus, as the saying goes, there is always the calm before the storm.

Adding to my unease, the thirty-first floor would be an individual challenge. It felt as though the tower was lowering our guards in preparation for something especially brutal.

Sipping his beer, Cole’s voice broke the short pause that had emerged. “Come to think of it, we’ve been in the tower for over a month now.”

Since each floor and waiting room combined to equal roughly a day, he was right.

I nodded, clinking my glass with his. “Feels strange, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. Somehow, it’s only been a month, but everything back on Earth feels so distant.”

“We’ve survived things no one could’ve imagined. You’ve all done well.”

“Haha, thanks. And you’ve done great too, Su-Hyeok.”

“Heek!”

Seo Ha-Rin’s loud gasp came out of nowhere, causing all of us to turn to her in surprise. She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling in pure despair. “Oh no... I’m doomed!”

What now?

We exchanged confused glances, silently asking one another what was going on.

Seo Ho-Su set his glass down before calmly addressing her, “What’s wrong, Ha-Rin? You’ve been clearing the floors just fine. Did something happen?”

“No, it’s just...”

When Seo Ha-Rin hesitated, Seo Ho-Su gave her a warm encouraging smile. “Well? What is it? Tell us.”

Her gaze softened and glistened with unshed tears. “You said it yourself, right? It’s been about a month. What am I supposed to do about my college entrance exams?”

“Huh?”

“Oh...”

Seo Ho-Su’s confusion was instantly followed by Ha Hee-Jeong and I’s groans, though Cole, Doppy, and Hakin still looked bewildered.

Right. Seo Ha-Rin was a senior in high school. Since the tower had abducted us on October 3rd, her exams were just around the corner... or maybe they had already passed[1].

A burst of laughter erupted from the party.

“Hahahaha!”

Seo Ho-Su was laughing the hardest, and Seo Ha-Rin puffed her cheeks in frustration. “Why are you all laughing? This is serious!”

“It’s just too funny!”

“What are you all talking about?” Cole asked, looking to me for an explanation.

“Oh, Suneung is Korea’s college entrance exam. For students, it’s practically a life-or-death matter, so they get incredibly stressed about it.”

Cole nodded in understanding, grinning faintly as he looked at Seo Ha-Rin with endearment. We all probably felt the same way. All of us were climbing the life-threatening Tower of Ordeal, yet here she was, fretting over an exam.

It wasn’t that Seo Ha-Rin didn’t understand the stakes of the tower... but, well...

Nineteen years of hearing how important the Suneung is can make anyone panic, even here.

Had it been anyone else, I would have told them to focus on surviving the tower first. However, Seo Ha-Rin’s innocence made it hard to say anything that harsh.

I smiled and raised my glass. “Ha-Rin, don’t worry too much. Time could have stopped on Earth after we entered the tower.”

“Exactly. Maybe we’ll return to the exact moment we left.”

“Wouldn’t that be worse? If we go back, that means I’ll only have a month left to study!”

Oh, that’s right... I guess we should have thought a little before responding.

Her blunt response left Seo Ho-Su and me momentarily speechless, prompting Ha Hee-Jeong to laugh and throw an arm around Seo Ha-Rin’s shoulders. “Ha-Rin, what’s there to stress about? Even if we leave the tower, you’ll probably still be able to cast healing spells! Who cares about Suneung? Just become a doctor instead!”

“Huh... Really?”

Seo Ha-Rin’s eyes sparkled with newfound hope.

Seo Ho-Su seized the moment, continuing the encouragement in a warm tone, “Exactly! You can be a doctor! Plus, any clinic you work at would be in trouble with how busy they’d be, that’s for sure.”

“Huh? Why?”

“What do you mean, why? With how pretty you are, guys will be lining up just to see you! They’d be clogging the waiting room, and no real patients would be able to get in!”

“Hahaha.”

It wasn’t all that funny, but I joined in the group’s laughter anyway. Seo Ho-Su caught my eye, giving me a subtle wink of approval.

Despite her attempt to act annoyed, Seo Ha-Rin’s lips curved into a smile, clearly enjoying the praise. “Oh, come on! What kind of joke is that?”

Seo Ho-Su patted her back warmly. “For now, let’s focus on climbing the tower. Just a bit more, and then it’s Dr. Ha-Rin!”

Her brief panic seemed to have subsided as her tone was now rational and calm. “Right! Dad’s right! We should focus on the tower first and worry about everything else later.”

Seo Ho-Su gently ruffled Seo Ha-Rin’s hair, his expression filled with fatherly warmth.

***

[All aggressive actions are prohibited within the rest area. Climbers are invited to rest and relax as much as they would like. Time remaining: 38 hours 18 minutes.]

Drinks were flowing now, and the dining hall’s lively energy had reached a peak.

In the center of the room, a climber strummed a guitar and sang softly, “But someone told me that you still love me. Could it be true?”

The singer was a Caucasian woman, so although she wasn’t speaking Korean, the tower automatically translated the words for me, adding a touch of strangeness to the lyrics. Regardless, her soothing voice and the acoustic guitar’s gentle melody seemed to bridge that cultural gap with ease.

Seo Ho-Su leaned over and spoke in a low voice, careful not to disturb the music, “Man, she’s good. Where’d she get the guitar?”

Cole answered immediately, “They sell instruments in the shop now. Apparently, some climbers like playing music in the waiting room. Since this is the third rest area, she probably brought it along to share.”

I had seen people mention it in the Community before, though I hadn’t bought one myself since I didn’t know how to play. Letting my mind wander, I recalled the long, dull hours in the waiting room.

Maybe I should try learning an instrument.

It wouldn’t be easy without the help of the internet, but it would still be doable. Besides, if my interpretation of Ha Hee-Jeong’s response about killing time was right, learning something new wasn’t the worst idea.

As the song ended and applause filled the hall, the woman stepped down from the stage. A man took her place, guitar in hand, ready for his turn to perform. The next part of the song resumed without any introduction.

The singer's raspy voice had an intriguing charm, rough yet soulful. “Nights lately don’t seem to go as planned. I wish you hadn’t left. Will you hold my hand, stay with me? You’re all I need.”

Between the refrains, I happened to catch Ha Hee-Jeong’s gaze. Our eyes met and everything felt frozen in time. Normally, I would have looked away without a second thought, but there seemed to be something in the air between us. Probably the effect of the nostalgic song and its lyrics.

I quickly changed the subject. “I’ve been drinking so now I’m getting a bit hungry. What should we eat?”

“Are you looking for a snack, or something more filling?”

“A snack.”

“Then go for stir-fried Balut Lekin. You used to love that.”

“Balut Lekin? What’s that?”

“Oh...”

“I like it?”

Ha Hee-Jeong claimed I liked it, however, the name didn’t ring a bell. As I raised my eyebrows questioningly, she winced, realizing her slip.

Glancing around, she spoke in a lowered tone, “I mean... you liked it. In my previous life.”

Her whisper was as faint as a breeze. I shot her a teasing look, and she quickly glanced my way, gauging my reaction before apologizing. “Sorry.”

She looked so sheepish that my initial stern expression softened, and a smile crept onto my face. “I’m just kidding. So I liked Balut Lekin? Guess I’ll have to try it.”

Ha Hee-Jeong nodded, relieved, though still looking a bit wary. Thankfully for her, my curiosity over the dish outweighed anything else.

Just how tasty is the dish for her to call it my favorite in her previous life?

As a bit of a foodie, I had high hopes.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

***

“What is that, Su-Hyeok?” Seo Ho-Su asked as my order arrived, peering over at the unfamiliar dish with interest.

“It’s called stir-fried Balut Lekin. I spotted it on the menu and just got this urge to try it.”

“It sure looks good.”

The dish resembled mala longxia—a heap of spicy crustaceans coated in a rich, red sauce. Rather than shrimp, though, it featured an unfamiliar type of shellfish. The shells had already been removed and were neatly stacked along the edge of the plate, making it easy to dig in.

Feeling generous, I asked, “Wanna try a bite?”

“Oh, don’t mind if I do.”

“Be my guest.”

“You’re not just making me the guinea pig to see if it’s any good, right?”

“Haha, you’re my official food taster, Ho-Su.”

Grinning, I slid the plate toward him, and he gave a playful laugh as he picked up his chopsticks.

“Fine, you rascal. I’ll be the brave one.”

The sauce-coated morsel disappeared into his mouth, and within moments, his eyes widened in delight.

“Wow, what the... This is amazing!”

“Really? That good?”

Intrigued, I quickly picked up my chopsticks and took a bite. As soon as the flavors hit my tongue, a wave of savory heat bloomed across my palate. It reminded me of kan-shao shrimp[2], but this was far richer and more aromatic.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Immediately, I knew this was my new favorite dish. Clearly, my other self had excellent taste. “Wow, this is incredible.”

“Right? What a find. I’m going to grab some for the others.” Seo Ho-Su quickly stood up and hurried to the counter to order another plate.

I couldn’t help but smile, thinking that he liked the dish. Just then, I caught Ha Hee-Jeong watching me.

“This is amazing. Just my style. Thanks,” I said with a smile.

She had been eyeing me like a scolded puppy, but now she finally let out a laugh. “See? Isn’t it good?”

“Yeah, here, have a taste.”

I picked up a piece and handed it to her with my chopsticks. She accepted it with a smile, savoring the flavor as the evening drifted along.

***

[1 minute 48 seconds until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Time had flown by. I had spent it connecting with other climbers, sparring with Alexei, and sorting through the random assortment of items I had gathered so far. There hadn’t been much else to do, and nothing in the shop had caught my eye.

It had been two hours since everyone had entered the portals heading to the waiting room, although we made sure to say goodbye to the alien individuals we had met earlier.

“You ready, Doppy?”

“Kriee! Ready as always!”

We completed a final check of our gear. Everything was packed and prepared. This would be an individual challenge floor, and though I felt a tinge of worry, I couldn’t help but feel excited at the thought of facing a stronger opponent.

It was time to ascend to the thirty-first floor.

***

[Welcome to the thirty-first floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Whale Hunt.]

[Due to excessive development, displaced sky whales have begun frequently appearing above Mount Tumay along Aerial Route 31.]

[To address the heavy damages caused by repeated collisions between the airships and whales, the Kingdom of Tushan has issued an extermination decree. You are the captain of the Tushan Extermination Corps.]

[Drive away the sky whales from the vicinity of Mount Tumay. Time remaining: 167 hours 59 minutes.]

1. The Suneung is South Korea’s big college entrance exam, held once a year in November. It’s super competitive and a huge deal, as it can greatly impact students’ chances of getting into top universities and shaping their future paths. Which college people graduate from has a significant impact on which companies or work they get after graduation, more than in North America. ☜

2. A spicy, savory Chinese shrimp dish from Sichuan and Shanghai, known for its bold flavors and typically made with chili bean paste, garlic, and ginger. ☜