Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn’t

The Community of the Dead, on the tenth floor.

[Climbers have entered the tenth floor. While a climber is on the tenth floor, deceased climbers are unable to spectate them.]

[Ah!!! Whyyyyy!]

[??? Gosh, this is so unfair. A rest area should have a lot of cool stuff, right?]

[Crazy bastards, what is the point of having a community for the dead if they can’t even spectate people who are alive?]

[I guess this proves that removing someone's body doesn’t remove their worldly desires, duh.]

[Alright, next voyeurism patient.]

[Aaaaaah! Hurry up and show us the climbers!]

[Does Kwon Su-Hyeok really need to revive these idiots? Just die quietly, sigh.]

Her last question hit me abruptly, leaving me bewildered. Even the initial question seemed to hint at something deeper... I thought that perhaps the tower's automatic translation was causing a misunderstanding, so I decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Alexei beat me to it, however, and gestured toward the door leading from the dining area to the lodging.

“We never know when our time might come, so we should enjoy ourselves while we can. You don't seem like you're about to die any time soon, though... Look, they're already pairing up over there.”

The climbers pairing up didn't seem romantically involved, yet they confidently approached the door. Such behavior had been prevalent for a while now. Many climbers were currently courting each other.

Their actions were understandable. They had been snatched from their peaceful lives and thrust into the Tower of Ordeal, forced to engage in life-or-death battles and spend lonely hours in waiting rooms.

Love was not something a climber could easily pursue within the confines of the tower’s floors, limited by both time and opportunity. Loneliness and desire had built up immensely in many climbers. Many had also forged deep bonds with their party members through the battles they had shared.

“... Su-Hyeok, do you even have time for that? You promised we'd talk about armor today," Ha Hee-Jeong said frostily.

Her glare threatened death if I went off to drink with Alexei.

... Hmm.

Well, while I was somewhat disappointed, there was no reason to hang out with someone Ha Hee-Jeong disliked. I wasn't driven by desire, and her menacing look was enough to deter me.

“Sorry, I have things I need to discuss with Hee-Jeong."

“Really? That's too bad... I hope we can meet again at the next rest area. How about you?"

Alexei, having savored her drink, suddenly turned to Cole. He appeared noticeably flustered, not expecting to be immediately drawn into the conversation after my refusal.

“Ah, sorry, it's not that I dislike you, but I am gay..."

“Ha ha! No worries, I was just kidding. For some reason, no one has interested me much after the eighth floor."

It was unclear whether joining us had been her intent from the start, but Alexei guzzled her vodka straight from the bottle and then stood up. I suddenly felt a playful tap on my shoulder. Before I could finish turning, a light sensation wrapped around me, and the scent of Alexei’s soap reached my nose.

... Ah, she is hugging me. Stay calm, it is just how Westerners say goodbye. Just a Westerner thing…

After releasing the hug, Alexei spoke cheekily, “Well, I’m going to head out. We should definitely hang out at the next rest area."

I watched her retreating figure for a moment before turning back.

Ha Hee-Jeong's fiery gaze was palpable.

“What are you doing?"

Huh? What did I do?

“What?"

“Never mind... forget it."

Ha Hee-Jeong swallowed her words, not wanting to involve the group after noticing their gaze. Her expression was sullen, which felt a bit absurd to me. She could have told me if she didn't like Alexei.

Why the sudden commotion?

I silently sipped my beer.

The atmosphere grew slightly more tense by the second until Seo Ho-Su finally acted, jovially breaking the silence.

“Heh heh. Why are our top two acting like this? Come on, everyone, cheers! Ha-Rin, have a drink too."

“Huh? Really!? I can!? You said I couldn’t drink earlier."

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re an adult now."

Seo Ho-Su nodded to the excited Ha-Rin. Despite his words, his expression was bittersweet, perhaps hinting that “have a drink too” wasn’t his true sentiment. He sipped his drink, seeming to become sentimental.

It didn’t take long before he relaxed his face, and we all cheerfully toasted. We chatted about various trivial matters.

After some time had passed, the sound of someone sobbing suddenly echoed in the dining area. It was a young African-American man, almost too young, his tears breaking through the din.

“Hic, Mom..."

It occurred to me that climbers rarely spoke of their families. It was as if avoiding the topic was an unspoken rule everyone unconsciously adhered to. The shelter, a place where climbers could finally take a brief respite, had initially brought joy to everyone.

However, as the food and drink loosened the knots in people's hearts, suppressed emotions resurfaced. We had been drinking in the dining hall for over two hours, ample time for climbers to remember the families and lovers they had been forcefully separated from.

The young man’s small sob was just the beginning, and we began to hear other sobs burst forth from different corners. Those captivated by their sexual desires had long since retreated to their lodgings. Of the climbers that remained in the dining hall, the majority simply craved human connection rather than satisfying physical needs.

The intense emotions sometimes manifested as muffled groans, chilling whimpers, or a quiet, heavy silence.

As the crying intensified, each sharp intake of breath made the dining hall grow eerily quieter. Some climbers attempted to break the somber mood by forcing out laughter or expressing their discomfort with the public displays of sorrow. However, they couldn't endure the atmosphere long and quickly retreated to their lodgings.

Should I be relieved?

None of my party members were crying. Surprisingly, even our youngest member Seo Ha-Rin held back her tears. I was impressed since she wasn't much younger than me and was still a student.

She sipped her beer stoically. Suppressing tears shouldn’t be celebrated, but handling emotions without breaking down felt somewhat commendable.

Cole was the first to speak up, perhaps overwhelmed by the subdued atmosphere of the dining hall.

“... I think I'll head in first.”

He stood, his face gloomy, probably thinking of his lover back on Earth.

“Alright, Cole. Good night. Don’t forget we’re planning to meet tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, Cole, could you do me a favor and take Doppy with you?”

Amid the sobs, Doppy had fallen asleep over thirty minutes ago and had been dozing off at our table since then. Sleeping at the lodging seemed better than sleeping at a table, so I tried to be considerate to Doppy by asking Cole to take it to bed.

“Yes, I’ll take it. Everyone, try to get some rest. Doppy?”

“Kriee?”

“Let’s head to the lodging. You can sleep there.”

“Kriee! Goblin! Going!”

Doppy rubbed its sleepy eyes and obediently followed Cole, not bothering to look back. It was evidently too tired to care. Given its youth, it likely needed more sleep.

Not long after Cole departed, Seo Ho-Su also rose from his seat.

“Su-Hyeok, I’m going to tuck Ha-Rin in then come back. Will you be staying a bit longer?”

“Ah, yes. I have some things to discuss with Hee-Jeong. Go ahead.”

“Ha-Rin, it’s late. Time for bed.”

“I want to stay longer, though…”

“Seo Ha-Rin.”

“Fine, fine. I'll go! Unnie, oppa, see you!”

Seo Ha-Rin bowed her head, very obviously reluctant to leave. Ha Hee-Jeong waved goodbye to Seo Ha-Rin, smiling, and I joined along.

“See you tomorrow.”

Finally, it was just Ha Hee-Jeong and me left. Watching Seo Ho-Su’s retreating figure, I saw an opportunity to probe further about Alexei.

“So, what was that all about earlier?”

Ha Hee-Jeong responded tersely, adept at playing dumb, “What?”

“When Alexei came over, you got annoyed at me.”

“That’s not true.”

“What do you mean, not true? You were clearly irritated.”

“No. I wasn’t.”

Ha Hee-Jeong averted her gaze and sipped her beer, her cheeks flushed.

Hmm, her reaction suggested that Alexei wasn’t a bad person; otherwise, she would have outright called her trash. It seemed more likely that they simply had personal differences, a private grievance she preferred not to disclose, and now she was embarrassed.

“Come on, stop pretending and tell me. What happened with Alexei?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Her denial felt strange. She should know that avoiding the subject would only make me more curious.

“Why? Just tell me. What happened during your previous life? I won’t tease.”

“Sigh... nothing happened, I swear.”

“Are you going to keep lying? You talk like you’ve gone through everything, but get all secretive over a fight? People argue, so don’t be embarrassed. Just tell me.”

Ha Hee-Jeong clamped her mouth shut and glared at me. She didn’t look angry, just hurt.

“... Alright.”

She sighed deeply and downed the remainder of her beer. She leaned toward me, bringing her face close to mine. I looked into her surprisingly clear eyes, then to her flushed cheeks standing out against her pale skin. There was no longer the familiar smell of kimchi stew but rather a sharp scent of soap mixed with a faint smell of alcohol.

“She’s been annoying me since like, forever... always dismissing me because I'm just a mage, and yet she never criticizes you because you're stronger than her.”

“What? She disrespects mages? What a bitch!”

“Hehe, are you guys having fun?”

Seo Ho-Su suddenly reappeared, startling Ha Hee-Jeong. She quickly pulled away from me.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, looking puzzled. I hadn’t expected him to return so soon... It seemed Seo Ha-Rin hadn’t burst into tears after heading up to the lodging as many others had.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t continue the conversation with Ha Hee-Jeong, but I figured there would be time for that later. Toasting to the future with Seo Ho-Su, our laughter mingled in the air.

***

“Gosh, kids. Life sure is tough. At this age, I can’t show weakness in front of my daughter either…”

Seo Ho-Su’s words came back to me as I lay quietly in bed. After Seo Ha-Rin had gone up to her room, he let loose and drank unrestrainedly. It wasn't long before he ended up completely inebriated, his eyes reddening as he lamented his situation.

Eventually, Ha Hee-Jeong and I had to support him back to his room, before deciding to put off our conversation for another time. Seo Ho-Su had always kept a brave face in front of us, but I realized he must have been struggling a lot.

With his wife back on Earth and the responsibility of protecting Seo Ha-Rin weighing on him, having to be a single father in the tower put a lot of pressure on him. Thinking about his situation led me to think about my own parents.

... Damn.

I had tried my hardest not to dwell on these thoughts. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt as if being alone had damaged the part of me responsible for handling emotions. Loneliness wounds the soul.

Is this why people sought companionship and left for their rooms with a partner?

“... They must be doing well, right?”

Even though I hadn’t drunk much, I couldn’t help but become sentimental. I had held back in the dining hall but couldn’t keep my emotions to myself anymore.

The emotions I had consciously suppressed felt like they were bursting out. Emotions swirled up from deep within my chest. I tried to stop them, but my vision blurred. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I turned to look out the window.

The sky was a lavish pastel red, the stars shimmering as they seemingly cascaded down from the heavens. Each star held its own brilliance, and through my tear-blurred vision, their lights smeared my view like paint on a canvas.

The differing intensities of starlight filled my sight. It was the first time I had seen so many stars. In my mind, the sky suddenly seemed like a sea of stars.

Back then... no, there are more stars here.

At the age of twenty, I had backpacked alone to India. Even the sight of the Milky Way in the night sky over the Jaipur Desert couldn’t compare to this.

Orion... Leo... Big Dipper...

I distracted myself by searching for constellations I recognized, a deliberate attempt to shake off thoughts of my parents. But in this unfamiliar night sky, the familiar patterns were nowhere to be found.

Is it because this place is different from Earth? Maybe there are too many stars to pick out a constellation. Fuck…

It was a lame excuse. Thinking about my parents made it impossible for me to focus fully on the constellations. I spent a long time gazing at the sea of stars.

As my tears subsided, the brilliance of the stars seemed to calm as well. The reddish night sky, illuminated by the stars, never grew tiresome to watch. At some point, I felt something in my heart ease slightly. I was curious about how much time had passed, but I didn’t bother to check. I wanted to savor this tranquility.

This experience reaffirmed my resolve to survive this damn tower and return to Earth triumphantly. I would meet my parents with a smile.

Huh?

Just then, a groan of pain came from outside the window. Its source was the next room over, Ha Hee-Jeong’s room.

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