Chapter 63 – The Root of the Matter (3)

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Even before, I knew that reaching the top of this tower wouldn’t mean the end of everything.

After all, our lives in reality are different from fiction, and the end is always death.

But the weight of that thought now was different from when I had vaguely pondered it before.

I also came to understand once again why the constellations place such importance on the challengers’ growth period within the tower.

It’s not for nothing that Serpina prioritizes becoming stronger above all else.

From her perspective, the weaker her future disciple—who would stand alongside her on the battlefield—the greater the disadvantage.

As unfading embers advised, Fate Road is ultimately just a tool. I must not forget that fact.

‘I really can’t afford to be complacent.’

I need to sweep up every possible reward, following the strategies laid out by those who have already experienced this and shared their collective intelligence.

Although there are occasional disruptions, the guides provided by the gallery users have been incredibly effective in helping me quickly achieve results and refocus my mind whenever it starts to wander.

***

“Wow, as expected…”

“Just to be clear, make sure to imprint the owner’s commands firmly onto the unicorn. We don’t want it causing trouble for others.”

The day had come to hand over the unicorn to Lee Se-jin, as we had previously agreed.

I chuckled softly as I watched Lee Se-jin, who accepted the deal without a second of hesitation the moment I proposed it, marveling at the unicorn.

Even if it’s a unicorn, once it recognizes someone as its owner, that owner’s commands take precedence.

If Lee Se-jin firmly imprints her commands, the unicorn won’t throw a fit just because there are men or impure individuals nearby.

Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible for the unicorn’s owner to ride it and engage in activities with others.

“Thank you, unnie.”

“It was a deal from the start.”

Lee Se-jin, clearly delighted with the unicorn, stroked its neck and thanked me with a smile, but this was a fair exchange with proper compensation.

What I received from Lee Se-jin in return was the right to select an S-grade weapon.

A selection right, as opposed to a random reward, is inherently more valuable.

Moreover, even now, as the vanguard has reached the 151st floor, S-grade weapons remain precious items that command a high price.

‘It’s about time I changed my weapon, as they’ve been hinting.’

The weapon I’ve been using until now is Nemesion, also an S-grade weapon.

In terms of shape and size, it’s closer to a greatsword, a double-edged blade that requires both hands to wield.

Some of the constellations, who have been fervently writing strategy guides, have been insisting that I should abandon this greatsword and switch to a lighter weapon.

——————————————————————————————————————————

ㄴ“Did you think S-grade weapons just fall from the sky?”

ㄴ“If you’re going to complain about weapons, do it when Reina gets a new one, please.”

——————————————————————————————————————————

Of course, they’ve been getting lynched by other users for constantly blaming the weapon, but now they finally have something to say.

「1. Grandir (S) 2. Sword of Extinction (S) 3. Heavenly Halberd (S)….」

I muttered the list aloud, openly revealing the options.

My intention, of course, was to inform the constellations watching me and seek their advice.

‘By tonight, they’ll have reached a conclusion.’

After pretending to ponder for a while, I closed the selection screen.

It wasn’t like I needed a new weapon right away.

By throwing out this bait, they would chew on it, tear it apart, and enjoy themselves in the gallery, and by the time I logged back in, they’d have something close to the right answer.

As I’ve done all along, I’ll pretend to agonize over the decision and then subtly accept their answer.

***

“One week until the main dungeon exploration on the 151st floor. Since we’ve got some time left, it’s best to rest, right?”

“Yeah. We’ll have to postpone the 41st floor for later. Shadis, this will be your first time descending to the lower floors, right?”

According to the schedule provided by Kim Ji-eun, the de facto leader of the guild and my de facto secretary, we have some awkwardly timed free time right now.

While I could use it for personal training, it’s not enough time to descend to the lower floors or tackle another dungeon.

“What should we do to pass the time? I’ve got guild work piling up, so I only have about two days free anyway.”

Kim Ji-eun asked with a sly smile.

In the past, I would have spent almost all of this time holed up alone in the underground training room.

Going out to have fun with Kim Ji-eun was a rare occurrence, and at best, I’d join guild members for joint training sessions.

‘I must have been really boring to watch. How did they even put up with me?’

Looking back, I was a dull and dry person.

No wonder the old users who’ve been watching me since the early days call themselves the suicide squad.

They must have stayed to watch over me because they liked that side of me, but many of the newer users who’ve joined recently don’t seem to enjoy that aspect.

Just as a celebrity reality show isn’t about showing a truly mundane daily life, those who see challenger observation as a form of content always want the challenger to provide new experiences and fresh stimulation.

“Well, what should we do?”

So this time, instead of refusing Kim Ji-eun’s suggestion, I turned the question back to her.

She seemed surprised, as if she hadn’t expected me to actually consider her proposal.

“You’ve really changed lately.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“No, not at all.”

As she muttered in a daze, I raised the corner of my mouth, and Kim Ji-eun shook her head so vigorously that her hair flew everywhere.

“You might not know this, Reina-nim, but there’s actually a lot you can do and enjoy within the tower. Some things that are impossible in the outside world.”

“That’s true.”

The tower is a place where people live. This is an absolute fact that will never change.

It’s a place where people from entirely different worlds have come together to live, and it’s also a place where people who live under the constant threat of death gather.

So, people strive to reclaim what they had to leave behind in their old worlds, while also seeking out new things to enjoy.

The underground arena I visited last time was definitely one of those things.

“Going down to the Earth floor for shopping is nice, but even that gets boring if you do it every day.”

Unlike me, Kim Ji-eun was genuinely into such leisure and entertainment.

Each floor has a different atmosphere and environment, with unique elements.

The place Kim Ji-eun recommended to me was the magical beast exhibition hall located on the 78th floor.

“They capture monsters from dungeons and display them?”

Upon hearing the explanation, I was stunned.

Using challengers with capture or taming abilities, they bring back monsters and magical beasts from actual dungeons to display them. This facility definitely didn’t exist in the original work.

‘They’re taking this way too seriously.’

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly upon hearing that they went to great lengths, using various spells and rituals, to ensure the captured monsters couldn’t escape.

But I also felt a strong sense of curiosity.

Until now, dungeon monsters were just enemies to be killed.

Being able to observe them in a relaxed setting, away from the urgency of battle, is undoubtedly appealing to any active challenger.

And after all the hardships I’ve endured, I deserve a reward.

“You might not have known this while we were busy climbing the tower, but it’s now one of the tower’s landmarks. If you’ve never even heard of it, I can see how much you’ve been through, Reina-nim.”

Kim Ji-eun let out a deep sigh when she saw my reaction, as if I was hearing about it for the first time.

It seemed our destination had been decided.

We could head down to the 78th floor right now if we wanted.

“Are we really going down like this?”

Kim Ji-eun looked me up and down, sighing at my usual shabby tracksuit.

“Remember? You owe me one favor.”

She then gave me a meaningful smile and brought up the debt I owed her from the last time at the arena.

I couldn’t refute her, so I swallowed dryly.

I had somewhat prepared myself for trying out different outfits, but what exactly was Kim Ji-eun planning to do to me?

“On the 78th floor, it’s not like people will make a huge fuss just because a ranker-level figure has descended, but if we’re too obvious, Reina-nim, you’ll attract the attention you hate so much.”

Kim Ji-eun insisted that we needed disguises to roughly conceal our identities.

Of course, I knew the real reason behind her logic was to strip me of my tracksuit.

After all, I’m the only silver-haired woman in the tower who wears such tacky sportswear, a fact that’s already widely known.

“Y-You want me to wear this?”

“I’m sure it’ll suit you.”

But what she pushed toward me this time wasn’t just a pair of tight jeans.

I was cornered, trembling like a prey under pressure, as the two items of clothing she held felt more threatening than a blade.

Right now, those clothes were more terrifying to me than any weapon.

“I’d love to make you wear both, but I’ll give you a choice. You only need to wear one of them by tomorrow morning.”

With a sly smile, Kim Ji-eun placed the two items in front of me like a sealing talisman and left me frozen in place.

‘You’re skipping way too many steps here.’

One was a crop top that would expose my stomach, and the other was a pair of short shorts commonly known as dolphin shorts.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Dolphin shorts are really comfortable, but wearing them outside is a yeah…

No.

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