Chapter 44 – Stepping Stone (2)

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“Thanks to the Amplification Engraving you received earlier, your Insight stat has surpassed 2000. You no longer need to visit the sanctuary to communicate, so why are you here? You probably still have things to take care of.”

“Well, it’s just…it’s become a habit, and it’s a comfortable place to talk, isn’t it?”

I fumbled for an excuse.

I couldn’t exactly say that the sanctuary was a place where other “spectators” couldn’t observe, except for the Contract Constellations.

“Even if it’s not a comfortable place to talk, I’ll still visit occasionally.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Serpina had no reason to refuse. As expected, she happily agreed to my continued visits to the sanctuary.

“You saved me by granting me the blessing in a critical moment. It’s only right that I repay you.”

The incident was triggered by the trolling of other Constellations, but it was Serpina and the gallery users who saved me.

My gratitude and desire to repay them were genuine.

“…You’ve already repaid us.”

In response to my thanks, Serpina gave a cryptic reply.

If it were the old me, I might have brushed it off without a second thought.

But now, I couldn’t help but smirk.

I had already checked the gallery’s atmosphere while briefly resting on my way to the sanctuary.

There had been one incident, but overall, things had turned out well.

I had successfully obtained one of the best rewards by following most of the strategies they had written, and the fan gallery users were satisfied with my performance.

‘Can it even be described as satisfaction?’

I bowed my head with a bitter smile, recalling the chaotic frenzy of the gallery.

This was a kind of “turn” for us.

My fan gallery users, who had been suppressed because I had been falling behind others, were now using this incident as an opportunity to vent their pent-up emotions.

“Let me give you a warning. The crisis you just faced might come again several times. Think of it as…a kind of trial.”

“Then I’ll gladly accept it. Overcoming it will bring me benefits.”

Serpina warned me, unable to directly say that malicious anti-fans had started targeting me.

Of course, I accepted her warning confidently.

I already knew the reality of the situation, and as I told her, I could even gain advantages from it.

***

“Did you get praised?”

“You could say that. What about you?”

As I left the sanctuary after finishing my conversation with Serpina, Kim Ji-eun, who had been waiting, approached.

Kim Ji-eun had also taken the opportunity to talk to her Constellation.

“I didn’t just get praised.”

Kim Ji-eun shrugged her shoulders and puffed out her chest, having received a nice gift.

As I had glimpsed on the forum before coming, it seemed the Kim Ji-eun gallery Constellations had also sent her something.

After all, Kim Ji-eun’s fanbase and mine were practically one and the same.

“Will there be a new outfit?”

Kim Ji-eun’s eyes sparkled as she expressed her hopes for a new outfit from the random rewards.

Despite constantly nagging me about why I always covered up my “precious body”, she herself was extremely uncomfortable showing even a bit of her thighs or underarms.

“W-Well, it’s because my body doesn’t suit it. Something like this should be worn by Reina-nim, not me.”

When I pointed this out, Kim Ji-eun looked down at her outfit, which clung tightly to her somewhat flat figure.

It was a magical outfit that looked dangerous in a different way on her petite frame.

Kim Ji-eun didn’t like her underdeveloped body, to the point where it felt like she was trying to live vicariously through me.

‘But what can I do? Most of your fan gallery users do like it…’

I couldn’t tell her that most of her fan Constellations actually loved and adored her just the way she was.

Kim Ji-eun’s fanbase, even smaller than mine, was made up of people with strong and clear preferences.

The outfit she was embarrassed about was one that her fan gallery users had specifically chosen and sent to her.

Her shock at receiving a thigh-high garter as a random reward happened inside the carriage on our way back.

***

“Five dead and twenty-three injured. Compared to the nearly twenty deaths during our first attempt at the 150th floor, this is definitely an improvement.”

Jung Chan-soo spoke in his usual dry tone.

Although we had successfully cleared the 150th floor, it wasn’t time to pop the champagne yet.

The 95 survivors who had participated in the raid and earned the right to ascend to the 151st floor had gathered once again.

“There’s no telling how many will die when we move from the 151st to the 152nd floor.”

He muttered while staring at the shimmering spatial rift.

Everyone was tense, and the only sound was the occasional gulp.

I was no different. Even though I already knew, seeing it unfold before my eyes was a completely different experience.

‘Alternative World.’

From the 151st floor onward, the backgrounds from the 1st floor would repeat.

But they weren’t the same. Floria, Earth, Netherrack, and more.

When the homelands of each challenger gathered in this Tower ultimately collapsed,

The apocalyptic setting based on that assumption was the Alternative World.

“Let’s go in.”

With Jung Chan-soo, the raid leader, at the forefront, only the 95 of us here could witness that world with our own eyes.

「Entering the 151st floor」

I, too, walked through the rift with the others, moving into the newly unlocked floor.

The first thing we saw was a massive ruined castle and a destroyed city.

Floria, the medieval fantasy world that served as the setting for floors 1 to 29 and was the homeland of the body I possessed, Reina Frontier.

Its ruined remains lay before us.

“It took you way too long to get from the 150th to the 151st floor, didn’t it~~?”

At the same time, something appeared before us with a pop.

A being we hadn’t seen in a while, a symbol of the Tower. A system-affiliated fairy.

“You’re the one who said the 150th floor would be particularly difficult.”

“Well, yes, but taking over half a year is still too much.”

“Enough with the nonsense. Explain what we need to know as the first to reach this floor. Where we are, its characteristics, and what it demands of us.”

“…You’re no fun at all.”

The fairy’s sass was nothing more than a trivial act in front of Jung Chan-soo, who had been like this since the 1st floor.

Frowning at Jung Chan-soo’s blunt response, the fairy sighed with a “what else did I expect” expression and changed the subject.

“From the 151st to the 190th floor, Alternative World. It’s important, so I’ll explain. Those who are quick will have already realized that Alternative World is another possibility of your homelands.”

Finally, the fairy mentioned the name “Alternative World.”

Along with a truth that would make everyone except me and Jung Chan-soo widen their eyes.

“Even if you’re the vanguard, the top rankers who can be called the spearhead, you’d say you’re climbing the Tower to save your homelands, right? But you’ll need to work even harder. Otherwise, the ruins you see here will become the future of your homelands.”

The fairy grinned and spoke in a solemn tone, as if making a grand declaration.

At the same time, I could feel the atmosphere grow restless.

The difference between hearing about the apocalypse and seeing the tragic ruins before our eyes was stark.

‘It’s something that actually happened once.’

I glanced at Jung Chan-soo.

Though he showed no emotion, he was probably the one who knew best among us.

After all, he was the one who had experienced “that future” firsthand and regressed.

“From now on, the difficulty will increase significantly. Did you really think facing the destruction that has annihilated countless worlds across the universe would be easy?”

The fairy flew around above us, laughing as if amused by our reactions.

“Of course, as the difficulty increases, so will the opportunities for you to grow. You already know everything, so I won’t waste my breath.”

“If you’re done, get lost. We’ll start by scouting the residential area as planned.”

Jung Chan-soo waved his hand dismissively, shooing the fairy away.

Ignoring the fairy’s flailing limbs, he pointed to the ruined city before us.

“…We probably won’t be staying here, right?”

“Right. It’s inefficient.”

I nodded weakly at Kim Ji-eun’s whisper.

The residential area was more of a safe zone.

No one would want to live in Alternative World, where even basic facilities were destroyed, let alone any semblance of civilization.

It was likely that only essential facilities would be repaired, with a minimal number of people staying there.

In that case, the headquarters would remain on the lower floors, and each Altworld floor would serve as a kind of camp.

“Guild Leader Valhalla, when do you think we’ll start the 151st-floor raid?”

At that moment, someone directly addressed Jung Chan-soo.

It was Duran, a dwarf warrior ranked 5th and the only top 10 ranker from the old faction.

“We’ll probably need at least another half a year, right? The fairy said as much, and just looking at it, it doesn’t seem easy.”

Daik, ranked 21st and leader of the large mercenary group Lacno, cautiously spoke up.

Most people probably thought the same.

But I noticed Jung Chan-soo’s brow twitch slightly at the mention of half a year.

“Time is not infinite. We’re not starting the first exploration in half a year. We’ll clear the 151st floor within three months.”

“W-What?! Three months?!”

His bombshell statement shattered everyone’s expectations, causing a stir.

The only ones who remained unfazed were his faction members, the new faction rankers who had clearly already heard his future plans.

“That’s impossible! How many people died, and how much time did it take just to clear the 150th floor?!”

“The 150th floor was a kind of gatekeeper floor. The 151st floor likely isn’t on the same scale.”

“You can’t be sure of that!”

“He’s right. It’s too dangerous!”

The uproar grew. Especially among the lower-ranked individuals, the backlash was fierce.

Pushing too hard would mean the weaker ones would die first, so their reaction was only natural.

“The Guild Leader has already thought this through.”

“There are still 50 floors left. If it takes a year to climb each floor, when will we ever reach the top?!”

Sylvia, Jung Chan-soo’s faction member, raised her voice, glaring.

In this gathering, the old faction outnumbered the new faction three to one, but the top ranks were dominated by those influenced by Jung Chan-soo, so the balance was roughly even.

‘He can’t carry out another purge, so he must be frustrated.’

I sighed softly, watching Jung Chan-soo’s brow furrow deeper.

If other rankers became uncooperative, the raid would be delayed.

In the past, when he rose through the ranks and became the center of the new faction, he could purge the existing rankers who opposed him and distribute their power to the lower ranks. But now, that wasn’t an option.

There wasn’t enough time to nurture a new faction. Not just for the raid, but to maintain the Tower’s overall strength for the inevitable defense battles.

In the original work, Jung Chan-soo eventually gave up on leading all the rankers and instead focused on strengthening his inner circle to overcome this crisis…but the cost was great.

Many supporting characters, including several heroines, died one after another, and Jung Chan-soo’s last remaining shred of humanity was completely torn apart.

Even as a fan of the work, it was a heartbreaking arc.

“It’s not impossible, is it?”

So, I spoke up, having remained silent with my arms crossed until now.

Instantly, all eyes turned to me.

Author Note

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

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
One of the few chapters without the gallery, nice, less headaches for me!

Oh yeah, I have only just recently realized how bad the layout for the novel looks on the site. 

To think that it looked so nice on google docs too… 

More reasons for me to kill Kat, smh.